Unpaid Super

End the $4.7 billion a year rip off super

It’s time our politicians act to fix the unpaid super scourge.

Almost 3 million Australians have been short changed on super, that’s a quarter of all workers – they lose on average $1,700 per year.

On average Australian miss out on $4.7 billion each year and in the last seven years an eyewatering $33 billion has not been paid.

To end the unpaid super scourge politicians should mandate that super is paid at the same time as wages. Legally super only needs to be paid four times a year – regardless of what it says on a workers’ payslip.

Workers trust that the super printed on their payslip goes into their account, but unfortunately some employers exploit that trust and short change workers.

Aligning super payments with wages will make it easier to keep track of payments and stop dodgy bosses gaining an unfair commercial advantage against competitors.

It’s time to get the super you’re owed back in your hands. It’s your money.

Read ISA’s report on how to fix the problem of unpaid super.

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Get the super you're owed.

Hospitality worker: It’s just your wage, your money that you’ve earnt. You know, that I’m going to need later in life.

Tradie: You feel like you’re being robbed. You’ve done all this work, broken your back, what for? You know, a couple of dollars in your pocket and nothing at the finishing line.

Voiceover: 1 in 4 Australian workers are being ripped off to the tune of $5 billion dollars a year. Check to make sure you’re being paid the super you’re owed.

Read transcript

How can you get back what you are owed?

Employers are only required to pay super quarterly – making it easier for amounts to fall through the cracks. While a super amount appears on your pay slip, this does not always mean super has been paid into your account.

Here are some steps to take to ensure you get what you are owed:

Most employers don’t set out to fall behind in their superannuation payments but when times are tough they may not prioritise super. Therefore it is important to check your super is being paid regularly. First you will need to check your super statement or contact your super fund to confirm whether your employer has paid your super or if what is on your payslip matches what was paid.
If you find that you haven’t been paid your super or haven’t been paid enough super, the next step is to talk to your employer.
Your super fund or union may also be able to help you if you are not comfortable speaking to your employer.
After speaking to your employer, if you still believe they are not paying any super or not paying enough super then it may be time to lodge an enquiry with the ATO. You can also call the ATO on 1800 060 062 to make a confidential tip-off if you want to keep your identity confidential.

One simple solution to make it fairer would be by aligning the payment of super with wages. This would make cash flow easier for small business and it would be easier for employees to track if they’re being paid.

Everybody wins.

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