Am I Being Underpaid?

If you're asking this question, there's a high chance the answer is yes. The Fair Work Ombudsman recovered $358 million for more than 249,000 underpaid workers in 2024–25 — and that is just the reported cases. In investigated fast food, restaurant, and café businesses, 86% were found to have breached workplace laws. Most underpayment never gets reported because workers don't know it's happening. This guide gives you a clear process to check. (Source: FWO Annual Report 2024–25)

If you work in hospitality, retail, fast food, cleaning, or almost any non-professional role and have never checked your award — start here.

Signs you might be underpaid

These are the most common indicators:

• Same rate every day — weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays all look identical on your payslip
• Overtime never appears — you regularly work 40+ hours but never see overtime on your payslip
• No classification shown — your payslip doesn't list an award or classification level
• Flat rate explained as covering everything — your employer says your rate includes weekends
• Cash paid with no payslip — no documentation of hours or rates

Any one of these is a red flag. Multiple together is a strong signal something is wrong.

How to check — step by step

Step 1: Find your award

Check your payslip, contract, or letter of engagement — the award should be named. If not, use the Fair Work Award Finder at fairwork.gov.au. See what is a modern award

Step 2: Find your classification level

Your pay rate depends on your classification. Check your payslip or ask your employer — they're required to tell you.

Step 3: Check the penalty rates

Did you work any Saturdays, Sundays, or public holidays? Check the pay guide for your award and compare against what you actually received.

Step 4: Check your allowances

Do you work split shifts, use your own tools, hold a first aid certificate? Check the pay guide for applicable allowances. See award allowances explained

Step 5: Run the numbers

The fastest way: enter your actual shifts in the calculator below. It applies your award's specific rates to your hours and tells you if there's a shortfall.

If any step reveals a gap, check your pay now.

The most underpaid industries in Australia

• Hospitality — flat rates, missed penalty rates, misclassification — Hospitality Award guide
• Retail — incorrect Sunday rates, overtime missed
• Fast food — junior rates misapplied, Sunday rates wrong
• Cleaning — missed allowances, incorrect shift rates

If you work in these industries and have never checked against the award, use the tool. It takes 2 minutes.

What to do if you find a shortfall

• Document everything — payslips, rosters, any record of hours worked
• Raise it with your employer — many underpayments are genuine errors
• If unresolved, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94

See how to report underpayment

Frequently asked questions

Find your award

These rules apply across all modern awards — but the specific rates, penalty multipliers, and allowances vary by industry. If you're ready to check your actual pay:

• Hospitality (hotels, bars, cafés, clubs) → Hospitality Award pay rates
• Fast food and takeaway → Fast Food Award pay rates
• Restaurants and cafés → Restaurant Award pay rates
• Retail (shops, supermarkets) → Retail Award pay rates
• Admin and clerical → Clerks Award pay rates
• Cleaning → Cleaning Award pay rates

Not sure which applies to you? Browse all awards

Don't guess — find out in 2 minutes.

Enter your shifts and see exactly what you should have been paid.