Award pay audit

Check up to 10 employees’ hourly pay against their award minimum rate. See who is below it, the yearly shortfall, and an upper estimate of back pay.

Figures checked 5 November 2026. Free to use, no sign-in.

Employee 1
$

From the award or pay guide. Use the casual rate for a casual.

$

Enter the adult minimum; a junior paid less is flagged to check, not counted as underpaid.

Audit result

Yearly shortfall

$2,589

1 of 1 employee below the minimum

Back pay (upper estimate)
$2,589
At or above minimum
0
To check
0

By employee

  • Employee 1: Below minimum: $1.31 an hour short, $2,589 a year, back pay up to $2,589
  • Shortfall = (minimum − rate paid) × hours × 52 weeks. Back pay = shortfall × years employed, up to 6 years (s 544).
  • Back pay uses today’s minimums, and award rates were lower in earlier years, so it is an upper estimate. It covers the base hourly rate only: penalty rates, overtime, allowances, leave loading and super are not checked.
  • Check the award and classification first: the wrong classification is the most common cause of underpayment.

An estimate and general information, not legal advice.

How this works

For each employee, enter the award minimum hourly rate for their classification and the hourly rate you pay. If the rate paid is lower, the shortfall per hour (to the cent) is multiplied by weekly hours and 52 weeks.

Back pay multiplies the yearly shortfall by years employed, capped at 6 years, the time limit for claims under s 544 of the Fair Work Act.

Employees with no minimum entered, or juniors below the adult rate, are listed to check and never counted as underpaid.

Legal basis

Checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Tell us.

Questions

Where do I find the award minimum hourly rate?

In the award’s minimum wages clause for the employee’s classification, or in the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for the award. For a casual, use the casual hourly rate, which includes the casual loading.

Why does the tool ask for the rate instead of looking it up?

Award coverage and classification are where most underpayments start, so the tool leaves that decision to you and checks the arithmetic. Workfloor’s paid plans answer award and classification questions from the Fair Work Commission’s pay database.

How is back pay worked out?

The yearly shortfall is multiplied by the years the employee has worked for you, up to 6 years, which is how far back a claim can go. Because award rates rise each July, using today’s rate for earlier years overstates the figure, so treat it as an upper estimate.

What about juniors?

Junior rates are a percentage of the adult rate and vary by award and age. Enter the adult rate and tick the junior box: the tool flags the employee to check rather than calling them underpaid.

What isn’t checked?

Penalty rates, overtime, allowances, leave loading, super and unpaid hours. An employee paid above the base rate can still be underpaid on these.

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Questions the calculator can’t answer?

Workfloor answers pay, award, leave and termination questions for your team, with the Fair Work Act section or award clause behind each answer.

See plans