All employees working in Australia have the same workplace rights including international students. It does not matter where you come from or how long you are in Australia you must get minimum pay rates and other conditions at work and these rights are protected by law.
False: Iam paid in cash so I don't have any workplace rights.
True: All workers have rights, regardless of if you are paid by cash, cheque or electronic funds transfer (EFT). Receiving cash is fine as long as your earnings are recorded for tax purposes by the end of the financial year. If you are paid in cash you must also receive a pay slip within 1 working day of getting paid.
False: People on student visas aren’t protected by Australian workplace laws.
True: Australian workplace laws apply to everyone working in Australia, including international students working on student visas.
False: I know lots of international students are underpaid so I guess it’s okay if I’m underpaid as well
True: Minimum pay rates apply to everyone working in Australia and they are not negotiable, even if you agree to a lesser rate of pay with your employer. You can calculate the minimum rates of pay you should be paid by using the FWO’s Pay Calculator.
More information relating to your work rights:
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) is here to protect your rights at work.
1. Watch this short video to learn more about your work rights
2. Use the FWO’s
pay calculator to find out your minimum pay rate, allowances and penalty rates (including overtime)
4. If you are unable to resolve an issue at the workplace, request assistance from FWO by submitting an
online enquiry. You will be prompted to register for an account if you don’t have one.
For more help, you can call the FWO on 131 394. If you need an interpreter, call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450 to set up a time to talk in your language for free. Tell the operator the language you speak and ask them to call us on 131 394.