Are You Getting Ripped Off at Work?
As an Australian employee, you have certain rights that ensure fair pay and treatment. Workers must be paid the right amount, when they are entitled to it. In addition, they must be given all applicable entitlements, and be treated in a fair manner while at work. It is unfortunate that employees are often taken advantage of, and not permitted what is rightfully theirs. To make matters worse, a lot of people do not know that they are being paid less than they deserve, or having entitlements withheld.
This is a guide to help employees identify whether or not they are being “ripped off”.
What Type of Employee Are You?
First, it is important to understand what kind of employee you are.
- Full time workers are generally under contract to work around 38 hours each week. They might also receive benefits such as paid leave, a minimum number of work hours guaranteed each week, and minimum requires for being terminated.
- Casual workers are not hired on a regular basis. They do not have a guaranteed amount of hours, or any fixed shifts. They can have their position terminated at the end of any shift. They also do not receive benefits such as paid leave, or any minimum requirements for being terminated, such as notice. To compensate for this, casual workers typically receive a higher award rate than their full time counterparts.
Where Is Your Contract?
If you are being legally employed, you have some type of work contract. This might not necessarily be in writing, however. A conversation that took place when you got the job counts as a verbal contract. It could also be made up of terms that are in writing, and which were agreed upon verbally.
