Summarise with AI
Understanding payslips
A payslip is more than a courtesy — it's a legal record of how an employee's pay was calculated for a pay period, and issuing one correctly is a Fair Work obligation. It lets employees check they've been paid correctly and gives both sides a clear paper trail.
What a payslip must include
- Employer name and ABN (if any), and the employee's name
- The pay period and the date of payment
- Gross pay and net pay
- Where relevant: the ordinary hourly rate, hours worked at that rate, and any loadings, allowances, bonuses or penalty rates
- Any deductions (amount and details), including PAYG withholding and study/training (STSL) amounts
- Superannuation contributions — the amount and the fund it was (or will be) paid into
When and how to issue a payslip
Payslips must be given within one working day of payday, even if the employee is on leave. They can be paper or electronic — email or an employee portal is fine, provided the payslip is private, easily printable, and includes all the required information. Payslips also connect to Single Touch Payroll: the same pay-run data you report to the ATO should reconcile with what's on the payslip.
Common payslip line items (including STSL)
Alongside gross and net pay, payslips often show items employees ask about — penalty rates, allowances, salary sacrifice, and deductions. One that causes frequent confusion is STSL (Study and Training Support Loans), which is a study/training loan repayment withheld from pay. See our dedicated entry on what STSL means on your payslip.
Common payslip mistakes
Missing required details
Leaving off hours, rates, super fund details or deductions makes payslips non-compliant and disputes harder to resolve.
Issuing late
Payslips must be provided within one working day of payday — not whenever payroll gets around to it.
Key takeaways
- A compliant payslip must be issued within one working day of payday.
- It must show pay period, gross/net pay, hours/rates, deductions and super.
- Payslips can be electronic if private, printable and complete.
- Line items like STSL are study/training loan repayments withheld from pay.
Correct payslips start with correct hours. RosterElf time and attendance captures exact hours and applies award rates, then feeds them to payroll so payslips reconcile.
