The Wage Compliance Check · by Carrington

Know your pay clears the award. Keep the proof you checked.

If you employ staff under an award it is hard to be sure the pay is exactly right. The rates move every year and the rules are fiddly. The Wage Compliance Check gives you a straight answer on whether your rates clear the award, fixes anything that is off and leaves you a dated record that shows you did the right thing. So you can stop second-guessing it.

Wage Compliance Check
Your roles against the award
Clears the award
Front of house. Level and rate confirmed, clears the award.
Salaried supervisor. Annualised salary short by a small margin, corrected figure given.
Casual weekend staff. Loading and penalties correct.
Reviewed and signed · dated record · usually 3 business days
25 years IR & ER practice Built for businesses under 15 staff Reviewed and signed, not a calculator A dated record you keep
What you get

A plain answer and the record that backs it.

One short report. The result up front, role by role, whether each clears the award. Anything short is flagged with the corrected rate. Behind it sits a dated record that shows the check was done and reviewed by someone who reads awards for a living. That record is the thing that demonstrates you took reasonable steps.

Carrington Workforce RiskRESULT · CLEARS THE AWARD
Role 1. Confirmed on the right level. Pay clears the award across the roster.
Role 2. Annualised salary short after the last increase. Corrected weekly and annual figure given.
Role 3. Casual loading and penalties correct. No action.
Dated record · what was checked, against which award, on what date.
How it works

Three steps and most of it is done for you.

01

You tell us the roles

A short set of questions about each role, the hours worked and what you pay now. No spreadsheets to wrangle.

02

We do the maths and the judgement

The tool places each role on the right award level and checks the pay across the whole roster. Then a specialist reviews it so it is not left to a calculator.

03

You get the record

A plain result, anything to fix and a dated record you keep. Usually within three business days.

The shield, if you employ under 15 people

Built to line up with what the Code asks.

Since 1 January 2025, deliberately underpaying staff is a criminal offence in Australia. Small business has a clear path out of the criminal side. It is the Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code. If you have fewer than 15 employees and you follow the Code, you are protected from criminal prosecution. The Code asks you to take reasonable steps and to get advice from a reliable source. The Check is built to line up with each of those and your record shows it.

What the Code asksWhat your Check record shows
Make a genuine effort to get pay rightThe award and the level found for each role, at the current rates
Keep up to date with your obligationsThe annual assurance reissues your record each July
Rely on accurate employee detailsThe intake captures each role, its duties, hours and location
Seek advice from a reliable sourceReviewed and signed by a specialist with 25 years in the field
Fix any problem once it is foundThe corrected figures and a plain what to do next
Cooperate with the Fair Work OmbudsmanA dated record ready to hand over
Keep it current

Rates move every July. Your record moves with them.

A check done once goes stale in a year. The annual assurance re-runs your check each July, reissues your record and flags anything that changes in between. Your protection stays live and you never have to think about it.

What it costs

Fixed fee, priced to your size.

Micro
1 to 5 staff
One-off check$440
Annual assurance$290/yr
Bundle, check plus first year$650
Small
6 to 15 staff
One-off check$790
Annual assurance$450/yr
Bundle, check plus first year$1,150

Turnaround is about three business days. Teams of 15 to 50 are quoted, from $1,500. If your staff are on an enterprise agreement rather than an award, that is a different read and the EA review covers it. Not sure an award even applies? Start with the free checklist.

Start with a straight answer

Get your pay checked once and keep the proof.

Tell me your roles and what you pay now. I will check it against the award, flag anything to fix and give you the dated record. So you can stop worrying about it and get back to your business.

Start your wage compliance check
Built on live award data

The same maths the pros use, with a specialist behind it.

Your check runs on the live award rates from the Fair Work pay database, the same engine that powers our award tools. The difference is that a specialist with 25 years in the field reviews the result and signs the record. You get more than a number off a calculator.

Run your own numbers day to day? The award tools are built for payroll and bookkeeping teams.

Start your check
or see the EA review →
This is commercial wage-compliance support to help you meet your obligations. It is not legal advice and it is not a guarantee against prosecution. It helps you take and document the reasonable steps the Code describes. Rates change every 1 July so each check is correct as at the date it is done.