We have a number of resources to make running your business easier. These tools will help you to calculate pay rates and entitlements, make record management easier, and assist with managing employee performance and achieving best practice. Find out more about:

Pay and Conditions Tool

Use our Pay and Conditions Tool to easily calculate:

  • base pay rates, allowances and penalty rates (including overtime)
  • leave entitlements
  • notice and redundancy entitlements.

Templates

Compliance starts with good record-keeping. Our Templates can help you quickly and easily record and manage employee entitlements, leave and requests. There are templates for:

Online training

Courses

Get more tips and strategies to run your business by taking one of the many free, interactive courses we offer in our Online learning centre. The short courses (approximately 20 – 40 minutes each) will educate you on:

  • Record-keeping and pay slips
  • How to have difficult conversations with your employees
  • Hiring employees
  • Managing employees and performance
  • Workplace flexibility
  • Compliance notices
  • Diversity and discrimination.

Visit the Online learning centre now.

Quiz

Our Workplace Basics quiz will test your knowledge about everyday workplace issues like pay, leave, record-keeping, termination and more.

You'll get immediate feedback as you move through the quiz, and if it looks like you need some help with certain topics you'll be provided with links to tools and resources to help you out. 

Fact sheets and guides

The Fair Work Handbook (DOCX 369.6KB) (PDF 1.1MB) is a resource we’ve designed specifically for small businesses. It summarises key information about your workplace rights and responsibilities.

Our extensive list of printable Fact sheets provide information on a wide range of topics including minimum rights, responsibilities and entitlements under Australian workplace laws.

Find out about:

Looking for more in-depth information about workplace laws? Our Best practice guides can help you with a range of workplace issues and each has a checklist to help your business achieve best practice. Guides you will find helpful include:

Self-audit checklist

Are you uncertain whether you're meeting all your obligations as a small business employer? The easiest way to find out is to check for yourself.

Self-auditing your business has many benefits, and reduces the likelihood of any costly mistakes or disputes in the future.

Our interactive checklist will give you an indication of how you’re tracking, and help you identify areas for improvement. Go to the Small business checklist now.

Keeping up to date

My account

Register for My account to get personalised workplace law information at your fingertips. You'll be able to:

  • make an online enquiry about a workplace question or issue
  • save results from our Pay and Conditions Tool.

Email updates

Stay up to date by subscribing to email updates. Based on your preferences, we’ll send you emails when:

  • any changes are made to pay rates and entitlements in your industry
  • we’ve developed new products that could make managing your business easier
  • any other relevant or important changes to your industry occur.

Subscribe to our email update service now.

Accessing specialist help and information

Some small businesses find compliance with workplace laws easier when they have access to specialised help and advice.

Employer Advisory Service

Small business employers may be eligible for free tailored written advice about pay and entitlements from our Employer Advisory Service. Learn more at Employer Advisory Service.

Employer organisations

If you’re a member of an employer organisation, you may already have access to specialist workplace relations advisers. Find a list of employer associations in your industry on our list of Unions and employer associations page.

Government support for small business

Small businesses can access a range of government services and support. See what’s on offer from the Australian Government and in your state or territory:

Managing conflict and preventing disputes

Conflict is a natural part of workplace relationships. The Fair Work Commission’s Cooperative Workplaces program is aimed at supporting employers and employees to cooperatively manage conflicting interests and work together on shared interests.

Find out more about the Fair Work Commission’s Cooperative Workplaces program on the Fair Work Commission website.

Supporting the mental wellbeing of small business owners

Running a small business can sometimes involve challenges that affect mental health. Beyond Blue has a range of resources to support your mental wellbeing.

It’s often those we work with, along with our families and friends, who are the first to notice mental health challenges. Recognising this, Beyond Blue have a guide for those who work with or support small business owners that includes:

  • how to provide immediate support to someone who’s distressed
  • recognising the signs of poor mental health
  • planning and having a conversation with someone you’re concerned about
  • what to do if the person doesn’t want to talk about their mental health
  • how small business owners can improve their situation.

Supporting employees during the return to work after injury or illness

Visit Safe Work Australia’s website for practical advice on supporting employees during the return to work after injury or illness. See Managing the relationship with an injured or ill worker during return to work: A guide for supervisors in small and medium businesses.