Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code Declaration 2024 (Cth)

Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code Declaration 2024 I, Murray Watt, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, make the following declaration.

Dated 6 December 2024

Murray Watt Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

Contents Part 1—Preliminary 1 Name 2 Commencement 3 Authority 4 Definitions 5 Simplified outline Part 2—Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code 6 Failure to pay an applicable amount must not be intentional 7 Ascertaining correct pay rates and entitlements 8 Staying up to date with obligations 9 Reliable sources of information or advice 10 Taking steps to rectify the failure to pay the applicable amount 11 Other circumstances relating to the failure to pay the applicable amount and how the employer became aware of the failure

Preamble The Fair Work Ombudsman encourages all employers, including small business employers, to make genuine attempts to comply with workplace obligations, recognising that this promotes harmonious, productive and cooperative workplaces, reduces disputes and minimises the need for back pay. The Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code in this instrument provides non‑exhaustive examples of efforts that a small business employer can make, and reliable sources from which a small business employer may obtain information, to correctly pay full entitlements for their employees.

Part 1—Preliminary

1 Name This instrument is the Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code Declaration 2024.

2 Commencement (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Commencement information Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Provisions Commencement Date/Details 1. The whole of this instrument 1 January 2025. 1 January 2025