Practical reading guides

Pay, leave and rosters: check the rule, record the work

Start with the employee’s arrangement, then work through leave, hours and payroll. Keep the proposed roster separate from what actually happened, and take unresolved questions to the appropriate official source or adviser.

Check the official rule for a leave, roster or absence question →

Start with the task in front of you. The timesheet guide includes a worked amendment and a blank record you can copy or print with its sources.

Identify the applicable rule

Find the award and employment type first, then check the current wage source. Keep the source and employee details with the pay decision.

  1. Modern Awards Explained: How to Find Your Employee's Award

    What modern awards are, how coverage works, how to find your employee's award with Fair Work's Find My Award tool, and what to pay if no award applies.

    9 min read

  2. Casual vs Part-Time vs Full-Time: What Each Means for Employers

    Casual vs part-time vs full-time in Australia: the current casual definition, 25% loading, leave, notice, minimum shifts and how casual conversion works.

    10 min read

  3. Minimum Wage and Penalty Rates 2026-27: What Employers Must Pay

    The national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026. Here's what award rates, casual loading, penalty rates and junior rates mean for your payroll.

    9 min read

Handle leave requests and absences

Use the leave overview to identify the question. For a sick certificate, public holiday or sensitive absence, follow the official sources below before deciding how to record it.

  1. Leave Entitlements Explained for Small Employers

    Annual, sick, carer's, compassionate, parental, family and domestic violence and long service leave explained for Australian employers, with accrual examples.

    9 min read

Check changed hours and the actual work

Have a shift swap or cancelled shift to check? Open the official roster and payment guidance below, then match the confirmed arrangement to actual work and payroll records.

  1. Correct employee timesheets without losing the original record

    Fix a missing or incorrect timesheet entry without losing the original. Includes a worked amendment, a copyable correction record and the payroll handoff.

    4 min read

  2. Employment Contracts: What to Include (and What's Illegal)

    What to include in an Australian employment contract: pay and award, hours, probation, notice, IP, plus clauses that are void or illegal and free templates.

    9 min read

  3. Record Keeping for Small Business: What to Keep and for How Long

    How long must you keep business records in Australia? The ATO's 5-year rule, the 7-year company rule, what to keep, and whether photos of receipts count.

    9 min read

Check the payroll result

Follow the approved inputs through the pay slip and reporting records. Check the setup and correction process with your payroll provider when something does not agree.

  1. Payslip Requirements: What Employers Must Show (and When)

    You must give a pay slip within 1 working day of paying an employee. Here's exactly what it has to show, how long to keep records, and what breaches cost.

    9 min read

  2. Single Touch Payroll (STP) Explained for Small Employers

    What Single Touch Payroll is, who must report, how STP Phase 2 works, low-cost software options, end-of-year finalisation and how payday super fits in.

    9 min read

  3. Payroll Changes 2026-27: Payday Super, Wages, Rates, Dates

    Every FY 2026-27 payroll change for Australian employers: payday super, the 12% super guarantee, the new minimum wage, wage theft penalties and key dates.

    8 min read

  4. Best Payroll Software for Small Business in Australia (2026)

    Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, Employment Hero, Payroller or Reckon? Verified 2026 AUD prices, STP Phase 2 and payday super readiness, plus picks by team size.

    12 min read
Before deciding

Find the rule for this employee

Use the official source for the question in front of you. Keep the employee’s work location, employment type, award or agreement, and the date of the event beside it.

  • Which employment system?

    Identify the system that covers the business and employee before using a national rule.

    Check Fair Work system coverage

  • Leave request or sick certificate?

    Find the relevant leave guidance and its evidence requirements, then check the employee’s award or agreement.

    Check notice and medical evidence

  • Shift swap or changed roster?

    Read the roster guidance and select the applicable award. Record the proposed change before checking pay.

    Find the roster rules

  • Cancelled shift or early finish?

    Start with the facts about attendance and who changed the shift. The official guidance distinguishes payment situations.

    Check payment for hours not worked

  • Public holiday in another location?

    Open the official holiday guidance and the linked state or territory calendar for the relevant location.

    Find the relevant public holiday

  • Injury, fatigue or return to work?

    Find the local safety regulator or compensation authority. Keep the safety and employment questions separate.

    Find your local authority

Once the arrangement is confirmed, record the actual hours or absence and check the payroll result. Official links checked 22 September 2026.