Payslip requirements in Australia are short and strict: your employer must give you a payslip within 1 working day of pay day, and it must show your pay for the period, any deductions, and the super paid and the fund it went into. New Zealand is different: payslips are not required by law there, but you can ask for your hours and pay records.
The rules are the same whatever passport you hold. Fair Work says visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights and protections as everyone else, including pay and final pay.
When your payslip must arrive
Fair Work says pay slips have to be given to an employee within 1 working day of pay day. Paper or electronic is fine; an email, an app or a payroll portal all count.
That includes pay days while you are on leave. Fair Work Inspectors can fine an employer (an infringement notice) for not issuing pay slips at all or for issuing them late. Giving a pay slip the employer knows is false or misleading is unlawful. The details are on Fair Work's pay slips page.
What should be on a payslip: 6 lines to check
Fair Work's minimum is pay for the period, deductions, and super with the fund's name. These are the 6 lines worth reading every pay:
| Line | What to look for | Quick check |
|---|---|---|
| Pay period and pay date | The dates the pay covers and the day it was paid | The payslip arrived within 1 working day of that pay date |
| Hours and rate | Ordinary hours, any extra hours, and the rate for each | Hours match your own record; the rate is not below your award or the minimum wage |
| Gross pay | Total earnings before tax | Hours multiplied by the rate, plus any loading |
| Tax withheld | The amount sent to the ATO for you | It looks right for your tax group (resident, foreign resident or working holiday maker) |
| Deductions | Anything else taken out, with a reason | You agreed to it and can name what it is for |
| Super | The amount paid and the fund it went into | The amount is 12% of your qualifying earnings and the fund is yours |
If a line is missing, ask for it in writing.
Is the rate right? Check it against the minimum
From 1 July 2026 the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour, or $1004.90 for a week of 38 ordinary hours.
Most employees are covered by an award for their industry or job, and award rates can be higher than the National Minimum Wage. In the Annual Wage Review 2026, announced on 2 June 2026, the Fair Work Commission raised award rates by 4.75 per cent from 1 July 2026. Fair Work says most changes begin from the first full pay period on or after 1 July, so payslips from that period onwards should show the new rate.
Two award examples show how far above the floor some rates sit. Under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award, a chef de partie (Level 6) has a minimum of $32.13 an hour or $1221.10 a week, worth knowing if you are looking at a role like this chef de partie and sous chef job in Sydney. Under the Manufacturing Award, the C10 trade level is $29.45 an hour or $1119.10 a week, the starting point to compare for trade roles such as this fabricator welder job in Perth. A contract can pay more than these figures, never less.
Casual? For award and agreement free employees, the casual loading is 25 per cent. On the National Minimum Wage that works out at about $33.05 an hour. Casuals under an award should check that award's casual rate.
The tax line: which group are you in?
The tax withheld depends on your tax group, so the same gross pay can produce very different take-home pay. You will have given your employer a tax file number at the start; our first job in Australia guide covers the TFN and bank account steps if you are not there yet.
- Residents for tax purposes (2026-27): nil on the first $18,200, then 15c for each $1 up to $45,000 and 30c above that up to $135,000. The 2% Medicare levy is charged on top.
- Foreign residents for tax purposes (2025-26, the latest year the ATO page shows): 30c for each $1 from the first dollar up to $135,000, and no Medicare levy.
- Working holiday makers (2025-26): 15c for each $1 up to $45,000.
If your tax looks far too high or far too low for your group, ask payroll which group they have you in.
Super on your payslip, and the Payday Super change
Super is paid by your employer on top of your wages, into your fund. The super guarantee rate is 12% from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. On a full-time week at the National Minimum Wage of $1004.90, that is roughly $120.59 a week going to your fund.
The bigger change this year is timing. The ATO says that from 1 July 2026, under the new Payday Super legislation, your employer pays your super for each payday instead of for each quarter. Your fund must receive the contribution within 7 business days after payday to count as on time. The rate itself did not change: it is still 12%.
Each payslip should show a super amount, and soon after, your fund account should show the matching deposit. If deposits stop appearing or come in smaller than the payslip says, raise it. The ATO's super from your employer page explains what you are owed.
How to check a payslip, step by step
- Write down your own hours each shift, in a notebook or a phone note.
- On pay day, check the payslip arrived within 1 working day, then match the pay period dates to your roster.
- Compare the hours and the rate with your contract and your award. If you are casual, look for the loading.
- Check the tax line against your tax group, and ask about any deduction you do not recognise.
- Check the super amount is 12% of your qualifying earnings and that the fund named is yours, then look for the deposit in your fund within 7 business days.
- Save every payslip as a PDF in one folder.
When something on your payslip is wrong
Start by asking payroll or your manager in writing, with the payslip and your own hours record attached.
If that goes nowhere, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94. For help in another language, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask them to call the Ombudsman for you. Fair Work's page for visa holders and migrants sets out your rights.
Worried about your visa? An employer cannot cancel it. Only Home Affairs can grant, refuse or cancel visas, and contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman will not get a visa cancelled. Rights do not shrink in the first months either: our probation period guide covers pay and leave while you are on probation, and the unpaid trial shift guide explains when trial hours must be paid. On a sponsored 482 role, PinoyAbroad's guide to the 482 visa salary requirement is a useful read before you compare an offer with your first payslips.
Payslips in New Zealand
Employment New Zealand says payslips are not required by law in New Zealand. You can still ask your employer to show you or give you a copy of your hours worked and pay records.
The checks are the same as in Australia: hours, rate, gross pay, tax and deductions. From 1 April 2026 the adult minimum wage is $23.95 an hour before tax, or $958 for a 40-hour week; the starting-out and training minimum wages are $19.16 an hour. Tax is linked to your IRD number, which is free and stays with you for life.
One New Zealand line to look at closely is KiwiSaver. It is for citizens and people entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely, so people on a work, student or visitor visa cannot join. If a KiwiSaver deduction shows up while you are on a work visa, ask payroll about it. Employment New Zealand's payslips page has the details.
Keep your payslips: they prove your work history
Payslips prove where you worked, for how long and at what level. When a referee is hard to reach, payslips back up the dates in your CV; our guide to job references in Australia covers the rest of that check.
When you update your CV, the dates and job titles on your payslips keep it accurate, and Build AI CV can help you turn that history into a tidy, tailored CV. Optional: a verified Talent Tabloid profile lets employers check your experience and can help your application stand out.
Common mistakes with payslips
- Not keeping your own hours. Without a record you cannot show hours are missing.
- Only looking at the net amount. The bank deposit can look fine while the rate, loading or super is short.
- Assuming the job ad rate is the award rate. Check the award for your role; it may be higher than the National Minimum Wage.
- Missing the 1 July rise. Rates should change from the first full pay period on or after 1 July; an old rate after that is worth querying.
- Never opening your super account. Under Payday Super each payday's contribution should arrive within 7 business days, so gaps are easy to spot if you look.
Frequently asked questions
How soon after pay day should I get my payslip in Australia?
Fair Work says pay slips have to be given within 1 working day of pay day, on paper or electronically. That applies even when you are on leave.
What should be on a payslip in Australia?
Fair Work says a pay slip must show your pay for the period, including any deductions, and the super contributions paid and the fund they went into. Moneysmart adds that it normally shows earnings and tax paid.
Is my employer allowed to pay super only once a quarter?
Not any more. The ATO says that from 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, your employer pays your super for each payday instead of for each quarter, and your fund must receive it within 7 business days after payday to count as on time.
Are payslips required in New Zealand?
No. Employment New Zealand says payslips are not required by law there, but you can ask your employer to show you or give you a copy of your hours worked and pay records.
Can raising a pay problem get my visa cancelled?
Fair Work says an employer cannot cancel a worker's visa: only Home Affairs can grant, refuse or cancel visas, and contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman will not get a visa cancelled. Visa holders have the same workplace rights as every other employee, including correct pay.
Key takeaways
- In Australia your payslip is due within 1 working day of pay day, even on leave.
- It must show pay for the period, deductions, and the super paid with the fund's name.
- Check your rate against your award, not just the $26.44 National Minimum Wage.
- Since 1 July 2026, super is paid each payday and should reach your fund within 7 business days.
- New Zealand does not require payslips, but you can ask for your hours and pay records.
- Keep every payslip: it is your proof of pay, super and work history.
