Employer Contributions
The super guarantee
Everything you need to know about super contributions
- Superannuation is an 12% on top of your qualifying earnings
- Employers are legally required to pay eligible employees
- From 1 July 2026, employers generally have to pay employees their super on payday, at the same time as their salary and wages.
Note: If you’re under 18, you must also work more than 30 hours in a week to be eligible for employer super contributions
The 12% super guarantee
Employers are legally required to make superannuation payments to all eligible employees, into a complying superannuation fund. These payments are called the super guarantee.
Super guarantee payments sometimes appear on your payslip as ‘SG payment’.
The superannuation guarantee is 12% of your qualifying earnings (QE), which means overtime hours are not included.
Super guarantee payments sometimes appear on your payslip as ‘SG payment’
When do I get paid super?
From 1 July 2026, super has to be paid on your payday, at the same time as your salary and wages. Payday Super rules states that your super fund must receive your super payment within 7 business days of your wages being paid.
For example, if you are paid weekly on a Monday, your employer is required to process your super by Tuesday of the following week. You should be able to check your super account and see your super payment within two weeks of your payday.
It applies to all employees eligible for super regardless of if you work full-time, part-time or casually.
Cruelty Free Super members receive a notification each time a SG payment is received into their account. This means they can keep on top of their super and follow up with their employer if a payment has been missed.
Exceptions to payday super rules
Your employer may have more than the 7 business days to make your super contribution when it’s;
- ●Your first contribution as a new employee
- ●You have nominated a new super fund
- ●Out-of-cycle payments, such as bonuses
- ●Exceptional circumstances affecting multiple employers, such as flooding in the area that impacts the businesses’ safety
Ultimately, the ATO will determine what payments will qualify for out-of-cycle and exceptional circumstances. Find out more on the ATO website.
‘Stapling’ your super
Stapling means your existing super fund will automatically follow you when you change jobs.
Depending on your situation, stapling will affect you differently;
- A.If you already have a super fundEach time you start a new job, your employer can look up your account with the ATO and assign the super fund that has been stapled to you.
- ●If you only have one fund, the ATO will choose that fund to be your stapled fund.
- ●If you have more than one fund, the ATO will determine your stapled fund based on a set of rules.
The best way to know which fund your super is being paid into, is to provide your employer with your pre-filled super nomination form. - B.If it’s your first job and you don’t have a super fundYou will first need to join a super fund, then ask your employer to pay into this fund. If you don’t nominate a fund by the SG deadline, your employer will create a new account with their default fund.
- C.If you recently joined a new super fundYou will need to tell your employer the details of your new fund. You can hand in a pre-filled super nomination form or complete the ATO choice form.
FAQ
How much super should I be paid?
The super guarantee is 12% of your qualifying earnings (QE). Overtime is excluded.
For example: If you are aged 18 and older and earn $1,000 in a month, your super guarantee contribution will be $120. This is paid into your super account by your employer.
Why do I see super on my payslip and not in my account?
Starting from 1 July 2026, employers will be required by law to pay super at the same time as they pay wages. The super needs to be received and by your super fund within 7 business days. It can take up to two weeks from your payday for the contribution to be allocated and visible in your super account.
Payslips are still not a guarantee. Looking at your payslip and seeing the super included does not mean it has actually been paid. You need to log in to your super account to check you have been paid your super.
For example, if your weekly payslip for the 20 July shows $20 for super, your employer has 7 business days to ensure your super is paid into your super account.
Business days are classified as any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or a national public holiday. E.g. Christmas Day is a national public holiday, so this is not counted as a business day.
How can I check if I’ve been paid super?
Your employer must list the amount they have set aside for your super on your payslip. However, this does not mean your super has been paid into your super fund.
To check if your super has been paid, login to your super account and view your transactions.
What can I do if my employer is not paying me super?
If you are eligible for super and your employer does not make super payments, they are breaking the law.
Here’s the steps you can take;
- 1Double check that you are eligible for super. Use the ATO’s tool.
- 2Login and check your super account. For Cruelty Free Super members, you’ll find this under Transactions.
- 3Ask your employer to explain how your super is being calculated and when they processed your super payments. This should be within 7 business days of paying your wages. It should be visible in the transactions in your super account within two weeks of your payday.
- 4Check that your employer is paying your super into the correct super fund. If you have nominated Cruelty Free Super, you can give them your pre-filled super form.
If you cannot come to a resolution or your employer has not paid you super, you can report them to the ATO.
Can I nominate any super fund for my super guarantee?
Most Australians have the right to choose their super fund, there are exceptions in certain industries linked to specific awards. The FairWork Ombudsman has information about super and industry awards here.
Speak to your employer about nominating your super fund. You can nominate a fund by providing your employer with a super choice form. For Cruelty Free Super members, you can email yourself a pre-filled super choice form by logging in and going to “Tell my employer”.
Can I make my own super payments into my account?
Yes. You can make contributions to your super account at any time, whether you are working or not.
If you aren’t currently working or if you are self-employed, you can still open a super account to make personal contributions.
Read more about personal contributions.
Can I still open a super account if I’m not eligible to receive employer contributions?
Yes. You can open a super account and make personal contributions even if you are not eligible for employer contributions.
You can also open a super account when you’re looking for a job so you’re prepared for your first day of work.
I’ve just joined Cruelty Free Super, how do I make this my ‘stapled’ super fund?
That’s easy! Use the ‘Tell my employer’ feature or provide the pre-filled form included in your welcome email. Your employer should make your next SG payments to your Cruelty Free Super account. Make sure to check your next payslip and log into your account to check your transactions.
You can also consider using the ‘Find or combine my super’ feature to consolidate your super into Cruelty Free Super. Combining all your super into Cruelty Free Super will mean that your Cruelty Free Super account will be ‘stapled’ to you for future jobs.
How do I tell my employer Cruelty Free Super is my super fund?
Login to your account and use the ‘Tell my employer’ feature or provide the pre-filled form included in your welcome email. The form has all the details your employer needs to pay your super into Cruelty Free Super. You can choose to email them this form or print it off and hand it in.