The start of the new financial year brought about a number of changes to employment law monetary requirements in Australia, including with respect to superannuation, civil penalties and minimum thresholds. These changes came into effect on 1 July 2026 and are set out below.
Employers face maximum civil penalties of up to $5.46 million under the Fair Work Act, and for underpayment contraventions, potentially far more. The 1 July 2026 changes also mark the first full pay cycle under Australia's new payday superannuation regime, meaning businesses that have not updated their payroll systems now risk superannuation charges.
In addition to the above, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Act 2025 (Cth) has amended the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 to require employers to make Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions every pay cycle and ensure they are received by the fund within seven business days of each employee's (or deemed employee’s) “payday” (with limited exceptions, such as, for example, when paying a new employee), instead of the previous quarterly contribution system. Employers who fail to make the minimum SG contributions in full within the specified period will be liable to pay the SG charge. Minimum SG contributions are now calculated on “qualifying earnings”, which includes “ordinary time earnings”. The main addition is that qualifying earnings includes commission for...
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