Advice and guides
Advice for Australian workers
Plain answers on pay, leave, contracts, leaving a job and your rights at work, written from official sources such as Fair Work and the ATO.
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Practical answers from our anonymous polls and surveys, written up with the numbers.
Latest guides
Advice and guides
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How to calculate time and a half in Australia
Time and a half means 1.5 times your normal hourly rate. Multiply your rate by 1.5. Whether it applies, and for which hours, depends on your award ...
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How does public holiday pay work in Australia?
If you work a public holiday, your award or agreement usually sets a higher rate, often 250% of the minimum hourly rate. If you take the day off an...
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What is annual leave loading, and who gets it?
Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of your base pay when you take annual leave, often 17.5%. Whether you get it depends on your award,...
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What is Payday Super and how do you check your super is paid?
Since 1 July 2026, super is paid with your wages and must reach your fund within 7 business days of payday. What changed, what counts as qualifying...
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What are your rights when you come back from parental leave?
You are entitled to return to the job you had before unpaid parental leave. What happens if it no longer exists, how to ask for part-time hours or ...
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When do you have to tell your employer you're pregnant?
The National Employment Standards ask for 10 weeks' written notice before unpaid parental leave. What notice you owe, what you're protected from, a...
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Can your employer make you take annual leave over Christmas?
A Christmas shutdown can use up your annual leave, within limits. What awards, agreements and award-free rules allow, the notice you should get and...
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How much paid sick leave do you get in Australia?
10 days a year for full-time employees, pro rata for part-time, and unused leave carries over. Carer's leave, medical certificates, casuals and wha...
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What does OTE mean in a salary?
In a job ad, OTE means on-target earnings, the base salary plus the commission you earn at target. In super, it means ordinary time earnings. What ...
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How much long service leave do you get in each state?
Long service leave comes from state and territory law, so the rules change at the border. Each state's entitlement, when it is paid out and the por...
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How much compassionate and bereavement leave do you get in Australia?
Every employee, including casuals, gets 2 days of compassionate leave, also called bereavement leave, each time a close family or household member ...
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How does annual leave work in Australia?
Four weeks a year for full-time and part-time employees, building up from day one. How annual leave accrues, leave loading, cashing out and the pay...
