With the introduction of modern awards workers have flocked to the FWO’s pay rates calculator
November 14, 2011
An average 23,000 visitors a month accessed the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Online PayRates Calculator last financial year.
The PayRates Calculator was specifically designed for payroll staff to determine base rates of pay and penalty rates.
A total of 281,019 visitors went to the site www.fairwork.gov.au during 2010-11, with a monthly high of 42,994 visitors in July, 2010.
The PayRates Calculator was one of a suite of Online pay tools developed by the Fair Work Ombudsman, including PayCheck and PayrollCheck.
PayCheck was accessed 489,866 times and PayrollCheck recorded 83,275 visits.
The self-service pay tools, available free 24 hours a day, generated a total of 854,160 visits last financial year.
Peaks in usage occurred in July, 2010 coinciding with the start of Modern Award pay rates and March, 2011, coinciding with Division 2B State Award employers transitioning to Modern Awards.
Fair Work Ombudsman assistant director of education, Adam Rodgers, was awarded the Public Service Medal this year in recognition of his outstanding service and contribution to the development of PayCheck.
In September 2011, PayCheck Plus was launched, combining a number of applications into one easy-to-use resource.
PayCheckPlus calculates minimum rates of pay per hour, per shift or per week and takes account of payments for overtime, penalty rates and allowances.
Fair Work Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson says training in how to use the Online pay tools was provided to more than 235 industrial relations practitioners from about 100 employer associations, unions and IR consultancies.
Wilson says the Agency also established Transition Assist, a dedicated support service to resolve complex, technical queries from unions and employer organisations regarding Modern Awards, which dealt with more than 430 issues.
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Twitter profile launched on June 1 this year provides updates on workplace relations news and tweets about helpful resources available Online.
The Fair Work Infoline – 13 13 94 is open from 8 am to 6 pm weekdays. A free interpreter service is available on 13 14 50.