A new national minimum wage has come into effect from today. Adult workers are entitled to receive a minimum hourly rate of $17.70 from their next pay period, which has risen from $17.29.
The change in the minimum hourly rate results into an increase of $15.80 in the minimum weekly wages which will rise to $622.20.
Last month, the Fair Work Commission announced a 2.4 per cent increase to the national minimum wage, modern award wage rates and agreed base rates of pay.
Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James said the agency’s online tools can help employers to calculate their new wage rates and ensure they are compliant with their workplace obligations.
Calling on all employers to ensure that the full wage rise is passed on to the workers, Ms James said the failure to do so may result into an unexpected hefty back-payment bill.
“Our focus at the Fair Work Ombudsman is on educating employers about their obligations and assisting them to put processes in place to ensure they are compliant,” she said.
Employers and employees can refer to the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool which has been updated to consider the rate increase to determine new pay rates and check their entitlements.
