Know if you are entitled to super

Employers are generally required to pay superannuation contributions for all their employees.

This includes:

• full-time, part-time and casual employees
• all employees who are 18 or older
• employers who are under 18 if they work more than 30 hours in a week
• temporary residents like backpackers
• employees who also receive pensions while working.

Super must be paid regardless of how much you earn. 

Good things to know about super

• Employers must pay superannuation contributions into your nominated super fund.
• Super can’t be paid directly into your bank account.
• If you don’t nominate an account, or if you aren’t eligible to nominate one, your employer must pay it into your stapled fund or their default fund.
• From 1 July 2026, contributions must be paid each payday. It must arrive in your super fund within 7 business days after being paid.
• The Super Guarantee is the minimum amount of super a business or organisation must pay. The current Super Guarantee rate is 12%. Learn more about calculating super.
• Some awards and enterprise agreements have additional entitlements relating to super. It’s good to check. Learn more about understanding awards and agreements.
• You can make contributions to your own super fund. You don’t have to, but it can be a good way to boost your retirement savings. Learn more about ways to increase your super. 

Super details to give to your employer  

To make sure your super is paid on time and without errors, you should give your employer:

• Your full name and date of birth
• Your Tax File Number (TFN) — Employers must keep accurate personal details in their payroll system.
• The name of your chosen super fund (if you have one)
• Your member number for your fund — This helps match contributions to your account correctly.
• Your fund’s Unique Superannuation Identifier (USI) — This ensures your employer sends contributions to the right product.
• Your fund’s Australian Business Number (ABN) — This is often needed when setting up or verifying your super details. 

You can search for your fund's details at Super Fund Lookup.

If you switch super funds or if your details change, be sure to inform your employer straight away.

What to do about unpaid or underpaid super

There are things that you can do if you haven’t been paid super. 

Your employer — If you can, talk to your employer about it first. If there has been a simple mistake, this can be the fastest way to get it fixed. 

The Australian Taxation Office — If talking to your employer doesn’t resolve the issue, you can make a report to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). 

The ATO is responsible for enforcing Super Guarantee obligations. They can investigate and recover unpaid super. 

To make a report, follow the steps for unpaid super – what you can do on the ATO’s website.

The Fair Work Ombudsman — In some cases, the Fair Work Ombudsman may also be able to help. 

Contact them if you have an award or enterprise agreement that entitles you to more than the Super Guarantee.

Whether they can help will also depend on the type of organisation you work for (for example, companies are usually covered, but state government employees are usually not) and which state or territory you are in. If you’re not sure if they can help, ask them. Contact the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Court — If unpaid super is still not resolved, some employees covered by the national employment system may also have the option of pursuing unpaid super in court under the Fair Work laws. 

Going to court can be complex so we recommend getting legal advice first. Find out where to get legal help and information.