Blog — Labor law &amp; overtime

Which Modern Award Covers You? How to Find Out

Which Modern Award Covers You? How to Find Out

In Australia, your overtime rates, penalty rates and minimum pay come from the modern award that covers your job — deter...

Thomas André

Modern Awards vs Enterprise Agreements: What's the Difference?

Modern Awards vs Enterprise Agreements: What's the Difference?

A modern award is the industry baseline; an enterprise agreement is a negotiated instrument that applies in its place an...

Guillaume Mercier

Award Minimum Wages: Why You May Be Owed More Than the Minimum Wage

Award Minimum Wages: Why You May Be Owed More Than the Minimum Wage

The National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour is only the floor for award-free employees. Most workers are covered by an a...

Sandrine Chevalier

Enterprise Agreement Underpayment: How to Check and Claim

Enterprise Agreement Underpayment: How to Check and Claim

A registered enterprise agreement is legally binding — its rates, overtime and penalty terms are enforceable, and paying...

Night Shift and Shift Work Penalty Rates in Australia

There is no statutory night or shift penalty in Australia — shift loadings and night penalty rates are set by your moder...

How to Recover Unpaid Wages in Australia: Step-by-Step Underpayment Claim

A clear, ordered path to reclaiming unpaid wages and overtime in Australia — from a written request to your employer, th...

On-Call and Standby: Are You Being Paid Correctly?

Whether standby time counts as work — and what an on-call allowance is worth — is set by your modern award or enterprise...

Negotiating Back Pay With Your Employer: Building Your Case

Before litigation, most underpayment matters can be resolved directly — if you walk in with the numbers. Here is how to ...

Sham Contracting: When You're Wrongly Called a Contractor

Being labelled an independent contractor when you are really an employee strips away award minimums, the National Employ...

Underpaid on a Visa? Your Wage Rights Are the Same

Your visa status does not reduce your workplace rights. A national system employee on any visa is entitled to the full N...

How to Make a Small Claims Wage Claim in Australia

The small claims procedure lets you recover unpaid wages up to $100,000 through a simplified, less formal court process....

Fair Work Ombudsman: How It Can Help Recover Your Wages

The Fair Work Ombudsman is the free federal regulator that informs, mediates and can act on underpayments — the practica...

The 6-Year Time Limit to Claim Unpaid Wages

Australian law gives you six years to claim unpaid wages and overtime — a long window, but one that closes pay period by...

Can You Get Interest and Penalties on Unpaid Wages?

Beyond the wages themselves, a court can add interest and order pecuniary penalties. But neither has a fixed figure you ...

Your Right to Employee Records and Pay Slips

Your employer must keep employee records for seven years and give you a pay slip within one working day of paying you. T...

No Pay Records? The Law Puts the Burden on Your Employer

One of the most powerful rules in Australian workplace law: if your employer failed to keep records or give pay slips, i...

How Overtime Pay Works Under Australian Awards

Overtime rates in Australia are set by your modern award, not the law. Here is how the triggers and the 150%/200% rates ...

How to Raise Unpaid Overtime With Your Employer (Before Going Legal)

Most overtime disputes can — and should — start with a calm, well-documented conversation, not a court application. This...

Am I Owed Overtime? Signs You're Being Underpaid

A practical diagnostic for Australian employees: how to tell whether you are being underpaid for overtime, what your pay...

Overtime for Casual Employees in Australia: What You're Owed

Casual loading is not overtime — and confusing the two costs casual workers money. Here is what casual employees in Aust...

Weekend and Public Holiday Penalty Rates: How Much Extra Should You Get?

There is no general legal penalty rate in Australia — weekend, public holiday, night and shift loadings all come from yo...

Time Off in Lieu vs Overtime Pay: Know Your Rights

Taking time off instead of being paid for overtime — 'TOIL' — is an award or agreement arrangement, not a statutory righ...

The 38-Hour Week: Maximum Weekly Hours Under the NES

The 38-hour week is the backbone of Australian working-time law — but it is a duration standard, not a pay rule. Here is...

'Reasonable Additional Hours' and Your Right to Refuse Overtime

You can be asked to work beyond 38 hours only if the extra hours are reasonable — and you may refuse them if they are no...

Aurélie Petit