Practical reading guides

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

A roster shows the plan. Your pay records need to show what actually happened and which rules apply to the employee. Work through the three steps below, keeping any unresolved question visible for the person reviewing payroll.

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

Record the work and leave

Compare actual work with the roster, investigate missing entries and keep a traceable correction. Use the leave guide when an absence needs a separate check.

  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. 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

  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