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Pay your team right. Every single time.

Award rates, penalties and allowances calculated automatically. And if no award applies, PaySauce still makes sure your team gets paid correctly every time.
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Why compliance matters.

Payday isn't just about paying people. It's about paying them right.

Modern awards are legally binding rules that govern employee pay and conditions. They apply to specific industries and cover base rates, overtime, allowances and penalties. Getting them wrong can mean underpayment, fines and unhappy staff.

For small business owners, keeping up with award rates feels like a full-time job. Different industries, different rules. Fair Work changes, penalty rates, allowances and overtime. It adds up fast.

  • Award wages and base pay rates set by industry
  • Overtime and penalty rates for weekends and public holidays
  • Allowances for travel, uniforms, meals and more
  • Leave entitlements including annual leave and sick leave
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Award compliance. Handled automatically.

Built for Australian small businesses.

PaySauce automatically applies the correct award rules for your industry. No manual lookups. No spreadsheets. No late nights checking Fair Work rates. Just accurate, compliant payroll every pay run.

 

  • Hospitality, retail and dairy award rates built in for most standard business setups
  • Fair Work changes applied automatically in real time
  • PAYG, super and audit-ready records all in one place
  • Your team gets paid correctly, on time, every time
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Automated award calculations

Penalties, allowances and overtime calculated automatically for most hospitality, retail and dairy businesses. No manual lookups. No errors.
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Real-time compliance updates

When Fair Work changes award rates, PaySauce updates automatically. You're always compliant without lifting a finger.

 
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Audit-ready records

Payroll, super, PAYG and award compliance all in one place. Always clean, always current, ready when you need them.

 

 

Payday the old way vs the PaySauce way.

THE OLD WAY
  • Manually looking up award rates every pay run
  • Hoping penalty calculations are right
  • Scrambling when Fair Work updates rates
  • Hours lost to compliance admin
  • Stress about underpayment and fines
THE PAYSAUCE WAY
  • Award rates calculated automatically every pay run
  • Penalties, allowances and overtime handled for you
  • Fair Work updates applied in real time
  • Payroll done in minutes, not hours
  • Confidence your team is paid correctly every time

Awards and compliance. Your questions answered.

Everything small business owners need to know about award rates and staying compliant.
A modern award is a legally binding document that sets out the minimum pay rates, overtime, penalties and allowances for employees in a specific industry. They are set by the Fair Work Commission and apply to most Australian employees.

The Fair Work Commission sets the National Minimum Wage each year. This applies to employees who are not covered by an award. If your employee is covered by an award, the award minimum wage applies instead and may be higher or lower than the National Minimum Wage. PaySauce keeps award rates up to date automatically so you always pay the right amount.

It depends on your industry. Common awards for small businesses include the Hospitality Industry General Award, the General Retail Industry Award and the Pastoral Award for dairy and farming businesses. PaySauce has these built in and applies the correct rates automatically for most standard business setups.

Penalty rates are higher pay rates that apply when employees work outside standard hours, such as weekends, public holidays or late nights. They vary by industry and award. PaySauce calculates penalty rates automatically on every pay run.

Underpaying employees is a serious issue under the Fair Work Act. It can result in back pay obligations and Fair Work penalties. PaySauce reduces this risk by applying the correct award rates automatically every pay run.

PaySauce monitors Fair Work updates and applies changes to award rates automatically. You don't need to check anything manually. When rates change, your payroll updates too.

PaySauce handles the payroll side of onboarding, award rates, super and STP reporting. You'll still need to provide employees with the Fair Work Information Statement and any other required documents when they start. If you're not sure what's needed, Fair Work Australia has a straightforward checklist at fairwork.gov.au. 

Some employees are award-free, meaning no industry award applies to them. In this case you still need to pay at least the national minimum wage and have a clear employment contract covering hours, overtime and conditions. PaySauce can help you manage award-free employees alongside your award-covered staff in the same pay run.