Typically, all employers are required to contribute 11.5% (this will increase up to 12% by 1 July 2025) of your gross income to your super account. These contributions, along with any other contributions you may choose to make, will be invested throughout your working life, giving your super the opportunity to grow.
In this article we explore:
- Your employer’s responsibilities
- Checking your account activity
- If your employer has made a mistake with your super
Your employer’s responsibilities
To ensure all working Australians are given equal opportunity to help their super grow, all employers are required to adhere to the same rules when it comes to contributing to the super accounts of their employees.
These include:
- Contributing 11.5%1 of your gross income towards super2.
- Providing pay slips which clearly indicate the super contribution amount.
- Making contributions to your super on at least a quarterly basis (although many employers often align when they contribute to employee super accounts with their pay cycles).
- Providing employees with a choice of where their super is paid to - for more information, see our webpage ‘Superannuation: Your money, your choice’.
- To contribute super to an employee’s ‘stapled’ account if the employee does not provide a direction on where their super is to be paid to – visit the ATO's website for more information on stapled super funds.
Checking your account activity
We appreciate how important it is that members receive employer contributions on a consistent basis, which is why we encourage you to monitor your account activity at least quarterly, to ensure the right amount is being contributed.
You can check the account activity by logging in to Member Online and navigating to the Account Activity page. On this page you will be able to see all the employer contributions we’ve received from your employer, as well as how much we received and when.
If your employer has made a mistake with your super
There are occasions where an employer may make a mistake and either not contribute the right amount of super, not contribute super frequently enough, or not contribute super at all.
If your employer makes a mistake the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has an online tool you can use to help you rectify the situation.
Prior to going to the ATO however we recommend you follow this simple checklist:
- Review your industry award or employment contract to confirm the amount of super your employer should be contributing on your behalf.
- Check your pay slip to confirm how much super your employer has withheld on your behalf.
- Log in to Member Online and review your contributions on the Account Activity page.
- Speak with your employer regarding your concerns about your super and request they take action to rectify the issue.
If after following this checklist you still feel the situation has not been resolved, you can provide your details to the ATO via their online tool, who will work with you and your employer to find a solution.
Salary sacrifice to boost your super
Salary sacrificing is a popular arrangement with employers, whereby you can opt to receive less take-home pay in return for a range of potential financial benefits.
Read next:
Understanding superannuation contributions and taxes
By adding a little bit extra to your super, you could enjoy more retirement savings and several tax benefits.
Consolidate your super
Consolidating your super into one Mercer Super Trust account can cut fees and improve your finances. Find out how to do it and the key factors to weigh up.
Changing jobs and your super
When starting a new job your employer may ask you to fill out a super choice form, which tells them where to pay your super.
1. Some employers may pay more than the minimum 11.5% SG rate as part of an industry award or as outlined in an employment contract. We recommend that depending on your situation you review either the relevant award or your employment contract to ensure your employer is contributing the correct amount of super on your behalf.
2. The 11.5% of your gross income is based on your ordinary hours of work, including any shift loadings and allowances, but does not include overtime payments. Bonuses may be included, depending on the circumstance – we recommend confirming with your HR department in regard to your specific circumstances.
Disclaimer: Issued by Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited ABN 79 004 717 533, Australian Financial Services Licence # 235906, the trustee of the Mercer Super Trust ABN 19 905 422 981 ('Mercer Super'). Any advice provided is of a general nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any advice, please consider the Product Disclosure Statement available at mercersuper.com.au. The product Target Market Determination can be found at mercersuper.com.au/tmd.
The material contained in this document is based on information received in good faith from sources within the market and on our understanding of legislation which we believe to be accurate. Neither Mercer nor any of its related parties accepts any responsibility for any inaccuracy.
This information is based on the interpretation of current tax laws which may change. You should obtain your own tax advice.
Mercer financial advisers are authorised representatives of Mercer Financial Advice (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 76 153 168 293, Australian Financial Services Licence #411766. The value of an investment in the Mercer Super Trust may rise and fall from time to time.
The investment performance, earnings or return of capital invested are not guaranteed. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 'MERCER’ is an Australian registered trademark of Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 32 005 315 917.