Pay Compliance & Assurance

We help employers respond to actual or suspected pay issues. The first task is to establish the nature and extent of the problem against the applicable obligations and reliable records, rather than assume that every variance is an underpayment.

Where entitlements have not been met, we help put people right. This includes quantifying amounts owed, planning back-payments and other corrections, communicating clearly with affected current and former employees, and keeping a record of what has been resolved.

Remediation also needs to address what allowed the issue to arise. We examine interpretation, actual site practices, payroll outcomes and oversight, then help employers strengthen controls, accountability and reporting so that corrective action extends beyond the immediate payment.

• A pay issue has been identified or is suspected
• An employee, a union or the Fair Work Ombudsman has raised a pay concern
• A new payroll system is being implemented and the pay rules must be configured correctly before go-live
• The board or audit committee requires assurance that employees are paid correctly

• Establish the relevant obligations, affected people, review period and reliability of the available records
• Compare those obligations with actual site practices and payroll outcomes, investigating differences before drawing conclusions
• Quantify confirmed shortfalls and plan employee-centred corrections, including arrangements for former employees
• Address root causes, strengthen pay governance and prepare reporting for boards and committees
• Review Payday Super compliance arrangements, including the calculation of superannuation on qualifying earnings and the timeliness of contributions
• Support consideration of self-reporting, cooperation agreements and engagement with the Fair Work Ombudsman, where appropriate, with specialist legal advice where required

• Findings on the nature and extent of the issue, with evidence and limitations recorded
• Documented calculations and a plan for payments, other corrections and employee communications
• Root-cause priorities, control improvements and accountable actions
• Board reporting and support for regulator reporting where applicable

A diagnostic assessment considers applicable obligations, actual site practices and payroll outcomes to produce scoped findings and priorities. It is not certification or a full reconciliation of every employee and period. It is not a mandatory prerequisite to remediation; the work needed depends on the issue and the evidence already available.

Interest is considered as part of good remediation practice, with any applicable requirement assessed in context. It is not a blanket legal requirement for every voluntary back-payment.

Identifying a pay error, or a delay in correcting it, does not by itself establish intentional criminal conduct. Where legal questions arise, specialist legal advice is required. We do not promise a particular regulatory response or outcome.