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.

This tool will give you an indication of how you’re tracking, and help you identify areas for improvement in 2 simple steps:

  1. Answer some questions about your workplace practices.
  2. Get information and resources tailored to you and your business.

Your answers are anonymous and won’t be saved.

Self-audit checklist

 

1. The basics of the Fair Work system

  1. Do you know if an enterprise agreement or other registered agreement applies to your business?
  2. Do you know the award(s) that apply to your business?
  3. Do you know about the National Employment Standards (NES)?
  4. Do you understand the difference between full-time, part-time and casual employment?
  5. Do you know your superannuation obligations?
  6. Do you give all new employees the Fair Work Information Statement when they start with you?
  7. Do you give casual employees the Casual Employment Information Statement (CEIS) when they start, and again after they've been employed with you for certain periods of time?
  8. Do you give every employee hired on a new fixed term contract a copy of the Fixed Term Contract Information Statement (FTCIS) when they enter into the contract?
  9. Do you know how modern awards and National Employment Standards interact with your existing workplace agreements?

2. Pay and conditions

  1. Are you aware of actions you can take to protect yourself and your business from criminal prosecution under the Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code?
  2. Do you know the minimum pay rate and correct classification under the relevant award or enterprise agreement for each employee?
  3. Do casual employees receive the correct loading for ordinary time/overtime and weekend work in accordance with the relevant award or agreement?
  4. If work is performed on weekends, nights or public holidays do you pay correct penalty rates?
  5. Are district/uniform/late work or other allowances being paid as per the relevant award/agreement?
  6. Do you know how to fix an underpayment if it occurs?
  7. Do employees get the correct meal breaks?
  8. Do you know the process for considering a casual employee’s request for permanent (full-time or part-time) work?

3. Record-keeping and pay slips

    Do you include these details on the employee's records? Note: you can keep manual and/or electronic records.

  1. Legal and/or trading name of your business?
  2. The employee's name?
  3. Date the employee commenced work with you?
  4. Whether your employees are full-time, part-time or casual?
  5. The number of hours worked by each employee?
  6. The number of overtime hours worked by each employee?
  7. Rate of pay?
  8. Any written agreements of hours worked, individual flexibility arrangements or guarantees of annual earnings?
  9. Records relating to any annualised wage arrangement under an award (including, for example, method of calculation, outer limits on penalty and overtime hours, start times, finish times, and any unpaid breaks).
  10. Gross and net amount of pay?
  11. Details for any lawful deductions?
  12. Monetary allowances?
  13. Leave accrued/taken?
  14. Superannuation details?
  15. Termination details?
  16. Do employees get a pay slip within 1 working day after they are paid?
  17. Do you include the following details on your employee's pay slip:
    1. Employer ABN
    2. Legal and/or trading name of employer?
    3. Employee's name?
    4. Date of payment (e.g. 25/01/2023)?
    5. Period of payment (e.g. 16/01/2023-22/01/2023)?
    6. Gross and net amount of pay?
    7. Any incentives, bonuses, loadings, penalties, monetary allowances or other separately identifiable amounts paid?
    8. Any leave taken in the pay period?
      Important: Pay slips must not mention paid family and domestic violence leave, however employers need to keep a record of this leave balance and any leave taken by employees. For more information, visit our Pay slips page.
    9. For employees paid an hourly rate - the ordinary hourly rate of pay, number of hours worked at that rate and the amount of payment at that rate?
    10. For employees paid an annual rate (salary), that rate as at the last day in the payment period?
    11. Details of any deductions made from the employee's pay?
    12. Amount and the name of the superannuation fund (for employers required to make superannuation contributions for the benefit of employees)?

4. Ending employment

  1. Are you aware of your obligations under the Small Business Dismissal Code?
  2. Do you know how much notice of termination is required to end employment?
  3. Do you know about entitlements to redundancy pay?
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