Slater & Gordon’s payroll crisis offers a cautionary tale

Slater & Gordon, a firm synonymous with workers’ rights, has endured a turbulent year marked by underpayments, wrongful dismissal claims, privacy breaches and serious payroll integrity failures. Central to the controversy is the revelation that a former payroll officer, Bridgett Maddox – a convicted serial fraudster – had access to sensitive data later leaked in […]

Research Examines Work from Home Practices Under the Clerks Private Sector Award 2020

A recent study conducted by Swinburne University of Technology for the Fair Work Commission (the Commission) has investigated the current work from home (WFH) practices of employers and employees operating under the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2020 (Clerks Award). Commissioned in February 2025, the quantitative research aims to provide evidence to support the development […]

Flooding in parts of Australia

Stand down Floods may affect whether some workplaces can stay open. If a business can’t open or needs to temporarily close, employers may be able to stand down an employee in some circumstances. This includes when an employee can’t do useful work because of: equipment breakdown if the employer isn’t responsible for it, or stoppage […]

Commission finds employer reasonably refused flexible work request, despite employee’s unfortunate circumstances

An employer may only refuse an employee’s request for a flexible working arrangement if it has “reasonable business grounds” to do so. The test for what constitutes reasonable business grounds is objective and will depend on the individual circumstances. Section 65A(5) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) provides a list of non-exhaustive […]

Vietnamese eateries that exploited migrant workers ordered to pay $802,000

The Fair Work Ombudsman has secured more than $802,000 in court penalties and compensation after the husband-and-wife operators of two Vietnamese eateries in Adelaide underpaid migrant workers – including forcing them to buy their bosses bubble tea. The Federal Court has ordered that Mr Viet Quoc Mai (Mr Mai) back-pay $407,546, plus interest and superannuation, […]

It’s not just backpay: the hidden costs of payroll errors

When people think of payroll mistakes, they often picture one thing: backpay. A straightforward reimbursement, easily fixed. Right? Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, remediation payments are just the visible tip of a much larger and more dangerous iceberg. Beneath the surface, payroll errors carry a significant burden of hidden costs […]

Townsend House signs Enforceable Undertaking

A South Australian allied health services charity has signed an Enforceable Undertaking (EU) with the Fair Work Ombudsman to improve its workplace compliance after underpayments exceeding $76,000. Townsend House Inc self-reported non-compliance to the FWO in April 2023. Eighty employees were underpaid their base rates and overtime rates between September 2017 and October 2022 that […]

Why payroll is the next big risk on the CEO’s desk

For too long, payroll has been seen as a back office function, a necessary, but often undervalued, part of doing business. Today, that perception is dangerously out of date. Payroll compliance is no longer just an administrative task. It is a Board level risk, capable of impacting brand reputation, executive accountability, and shareholder value. Recent […]

‘Loosening the reins’ in modern workplaces does not define the employment relationship

Employers should be mindful of the risks of mischaracterising a worker when engaging them to perform work. In the recent decision of AB v Free Hearts Free Minds [2025] FWC 353, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has reaffirmed that it will consider the “totality” of the relationship between parties when determining whether a worker is […]

Fair Work Payroll Remediation Guide

Fair Work have released their long awaited Payroll Remediation Guide. You can download it here. If you need any assistance with payroll remediation or diagnostics, you can contact the APA team at any time.

Rod Wallace

02:49 02 Jun 20

A quick professional response to clarify a payroll issue that always has concerned me

Audrey Cahill

01:20 06 May 20

The team at APA are extremely knowledgeable, very friendly and keen to assist in a prompt efficient manner - every time!

Michele Southam

01:41 29 Apr 20

Accurate and timely information imparted in a completely no nonsense manner.Even complex matters are presented so that all can be understood with practical details that assist easy implementation.

Rosemary Harrison

02:46 27 Apr 20

The assistance that Tracy has provided during the COVID 19 crisis is outstanding! Free webinars to us, still cost you to produce and we are grateful.

Ingrid Ramona Onciu

01:33 27 Apr 20

I found a lot of information I needed in the Jobkeeper webinar. Thank you for this. Great presentation!

Jo Regina

21:20 27 Feb 20

Amazing Payroll Leadership Conference lead by Tracy. Its fantastic to get like minded people in the same room where we can learn and share our experience and bounce off each other. One of the best events I have been to.

Anne Davis

03:01 13 Sep 18

I have had the privilege of meeting and dealing with Tracy, Maria, Andy and the team at APA for many years. I would encourage anyone who deals with payroll to sign up as a member. Take advantage of the training courses on offer. Maria is a fantastic trainer and has the ability to break down legislation and awards into a presentation that everyone can understand.

Rosa Yoon

00:24 11 Sep 18

It was the best decision our business made when we joined the Australian Payroll Association 5 years ago. Tracy and the team are humbling, professional and maintains high integrity in all the areas of payroll. It's your payroll one-stop shop.

Sandi Boorn

03:03 09 Sep 18

Highly recommend Tracy and team. They continue to keep us up to speed with all legislative changes. Email newsletter is very informative. Thank you for your professional service.

Anthony Jakovcevic

04:11 08 Sep 18

Highly recommend Tracy and team. They continue to keep us up to speed with all legislative changes. Webinars and presentation documents are very useful. Thank you for your professional service.

Fumiko WALTON

01:11 03 Sep 18

The class was very flexible to follow the attendance needs even we have a text Book to follow. Some people were excited to discuss own problems. But some times caused run out the planned work time. In total impression was very good. Friendly and easy to rise the questions.

Dobrila Bijelic

00:19 03 Sep 18

Information was up to date (some of it literally hours old); concise and on topic. Maria is an entertaining and knowledgeable presenter.

Steph Francis

23:38 02 Sep 18

The End of Year Webinar was really helpful. It was a great opportunity to just refresh ourselves on those 'once a year' tasks and be sure that we were up to date with any changes to the payroll landscape throughout the year. The webinar format was perfect. It's a busy time of year for all and being able to remote in meant that the whole team could easily attend. Thanks for the invitation!!

CHLOE ASTON

23:20 02 Sep 18

Maria is fantastic! Very informative and runs an engaging seminar or class. The Australian Payroll Association are a great support to have.

AllyK Noble

22:56 02 Sep 18

absolutely worth every minute spent , this was an experience that I didn't think I needed after many years in payroll, but the networks built since the day were an added bonus. The day was informative and well set out.

YANWEN SU

07:44 01 Sep 18

It was a very useful and interesting training. Not borning at all, you can learn a lot in such a short time from the easily understandable material & listen opinions from experienced payroll staff from other companies.Definitely will attend next year. Hope the food will be better:)

Jenny Wann

06:59 01 Sep 18

Maria is the best teacher I have ever come across - she manages to keep 20 adults of varying capabilities totally absorbed during her classes - her knowledge of all things payroll is second to none! I just wish I could attend every class she teaches - I always come away much more informed but also wanting to learn more.

Jacquie Wells

02:36 30 Jul 18

Tracy Angwin is a true professional and the APA offers expertise, insight and thought leadership to the payroll industry.

Elizabeth Ristevski

11:02 28 Mar 18

The Australian Payroll Association is providing professional advice in line with the latest legislation. As a Payroll professional it is of an enormous importance to be a member of this organization and build on payroll knowledge and network with its members.It is a must attend the Yearly Payroll Conference, where members attend various workshops from termination payments to superannuation updates, guest speakers from the ATO & speakers from various Payroll Software providers. Attendees receive updates on upcoming legislative changes, network with colleagues from different industries & enjoy great food and beverages.As part of the company is the recruitment department lead by Andy Thompson. As a recruiter Andy knows the payroll scope in great details. He educates its clients about payroll and at the same time is helping payroll professionals to attain roles best fitting of candidate expectations.Wishing the team at the Australian Payroll Association many years of growth and successIt is time to ascend the payroll profession where it belongs

Jane Barker

22:46 26 Mar 18

APA membership is worth every cent! It's great to have competent people to answer all queries relating to payroll. The service is immediate and thorough. The weekly newsletters and member portal are very informative and keep me up to date.

Josh Biasia

20:05 26 Mar 18

APA are great to deal! A fantastic resource for any Payroll Department. I have also completed my Certificate IV in Payroll Administration with them and now looking to do the Diploma. If you ever get a chance to attend one of their conferences, I highly recommend - the likes of Tracey and Maria are very engaging and knowledgeable speakers.

Jeshna Sagun

06:19 26 Mar 18

Australian Payroll Association (APA) has been very instrumental in my career, specifically Andy Thompson. Andy has helped me get into the position that I'm currently in at one of the most reputable firms in Australia. He has always been very encouraging and supportive of me, and values my experience and skill set. He is one of my biggest advocates and helped steer me in the right direction with my career. I also use APA to assist with any ongoing payroll related advice that I need. Tracy and Maria are knowledge experts when it comes to all matters relating to Payroll. Whether it's advice about payroll vendors, or legislative and statutory obligations, they are always more than happy to assist and go above and beyond.

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