Wages
Payment without deductions
What employees need to know
The Industrial Relations Act 1999 (PDF, 1.9 MB) sets out a number of rules about how wages are to be paid.
Payment without deductions
An employer can only make deductions from an employee’s wages if the employee has given written authority to do so.
If an overpayment has been made, because an employee has been paid an amount to which they are not entitled due to an absence from work, an employer can make deductions by instalment to correct the error. There are restrictions on how much the employer can deduct per pay.
An employer can take legal proceedings to recover an amount which is not related to work performed, that an employee may owe e.g. usual debt recovery for unpaid outstanding accounts.
What employees need to know
You are entitled to be paid the right rate of pay for the hours and work you do.
- you must be paid at least monthly
- you should also receive written advice about your pay (e.g. a payslip)
- wages paid in cash must be paid in Australian dollars
- you don’t pay any bank fee deduction or payroll processing charge for EFT payments
- all wages must be paid within three days of termination
For further information on wages contact the Department's Wageline information service 1300 369 945.
Last updated September 5, 2006
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