Free download

The small business wage compliance checklist

Twelve checks that tell you whether your pay clears the award. It takes about twenty minutes and most businesses find eleven are fine and one has quietly drifted. Free to use and to share.

Download the checklist
PDF, two pages. No signup, no email required.
What is in it

Four groups, twelve boxes.

01

Who is covered

Which award applies to each role and whether anyone sits on an enterprise agreement instead.

02

The level

Whether each role is classified on what the person actually does rather than the job title.

03

The money

Current rates, salaries tested against the award, allowances, casual loading, overtime and penalties.

04

The paperwork

Hours records, written salary arrangements and the dated record that shows you checked.

Optional

Want a nudge when it goes stale?

Award rates change every 1 July and several boxes on this list quietly untick themselves. Leave your email and I will send one short reminder each July telling you what moved and what to re-check.

One email a year. No newsletter, no pitch, unsubscribe any time.

Most of the twelve you can work through on your own. Two of them are genuinely hard. Matching a borderline role to the right classification level takes judgement. Testing a salary across a whole roster with penalties and loadings counted takes the award maths. Those two are where businesses get it wrong while believing they are fine.

If you would rather have those done properly and get the dated record at the end of it, that is what the Wage Compliance Check is for. If you want the background on why the record matters, start with wage theft and small business.

Common questions

Do I have to give you my email to get it?

No. The checklist downloads straight away with no signup. The July reminder is separate and entirely optional.

Can I share it with my bookkeeper or my accountant?

Please do. It is free to use and to pass on.

How often should I run through it?

Once a year is enough for most small businesses. The sensible time is just after the 1 July rate change. Run it again sooner if someone's job changes a lot.

What if I find something wrong?

Fix it, back-pay the gap and keep a record that shows you acted promptly. Acting quickly is treated very differently from leaving it.

This checklist is general information to help you understand your obligations. It is not legal advice. Award rates change every 1 July so anything you tick today is worth re-checking after the next increase.
The two hard ones

Rather have it checked and signed?

A Wage Compliance Check places each role, tests the pay across your real roster and leaves you the dated record. From $440, usually back within three business days.

See the wage compliance check