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What you need to know about your payslip

November 18, 2019

Wage theft is very common in the hair and beauty industry – there are so many small businesses run by employers who don’t know the full extent of the law, who don’t have fancy accounting software, or who straight up just exploit their staff and hope to get away with it.

As an employee, it is your legal right to receive a payslip every time you are paid, either weekly, monthly or fortnightly, whether you’re an apprentice, casual, full-time, part-time, senior stylist, or beautician. A boss who doesn’t provide a payslip within one working day of you being paid is breaking the law.

Payslips are super important if you do have an issue with your wages (like upaid penalty rates or overtime), because it’s much easier to prove underpayment if you ever need to lodge a wage claim. At HSA, we work with claims like this a lot!

But what should a proper payslip actually look like? A little note with wages, hours worked and tax is good enough, right? Actually, there are some really strict laws around producing payslips, to protect both you and your employer. Your payslip MUST have the following info:

  • Your name,
  • Your employer’s business name,
  • Your employer’s ABN,
  • Your gross pay (including tax),
  • Your net pay (minus tax),
  • Any loadings you are entitled to (this may include penalty rates, tool allowances, bonuses),
  • The pay period,
  • Superannuation contributions made by your employer (including the name of the superannuation fund into which these contributions were made),
  • If any deductions have been made from your pay,
  • If you are paid at an hourly rate (as most hair and beauty employees are), your payslip must also include:
    • The rate of pay for your ordinary hours,
    • The number of hours you worked,
    • The amount of payment made at that rate
  • If you are paid at an annual rate of pay (a salary), your payslip must also include the rate as at the latest date to which this payslip relates.

We know it sounds like a lot, so here is an example of a legally correct pay slip:

If this isn’t what you receive, then you need to talk to your employer. It can be kind of daunting, but most times employers don’t actually realise that they’re not doing the right thing. Here are a few key things to keep in mind:

  • Explain that it is the law to provide a full payslip and you want to make sure you’re doing the right thing.
  • Be respectful and polite, and give your boss space to respond.
  • Do not accuse them of wage theft, using incorrect payslips to try and get out of paying you properly, or avoid paying taxes.
  • Choose your time wisely, and try to see your employer at the start of the day, or when there are no clients around so you have time to talk.

If you have spoken to your employer and they are still not providing a payslip, or if you suspect there is an issue with your pay, then we can help you! Our team of industrial and legal experts can help mediate a discussion in your workplace, or assist with a wage claim. Drop us a line or leave a message via our chat in the bottom-right corner, and we can help you take the next step.

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