At a recent workplace visit from your local HSU Organiser Kirk Rostock, members raised concerns about annual leave loading.

Members believed that they weren’t being paid 17.5% annual leave loading, with payslips showing a lower loading of 12.5%, or no loading at all. However, this may be because of the time the leave was taken and weekend penalty rates applying.

Your annual leave loading is paid the higher of:

• an annual leave loading of 17.5% of your Annual Leave; or
• the weekend and shift penalties the employee would have received had they not been on leave during the relevant period.

Your organiser has contacted management and received a response today stating that if individuals feel they are not receiving the correct entitlement they should contact payroll, noting that some members have tried this and not received an adequate response.

If you are on annual leave and can’t see any leave loading on your payslip, or it is less than 17.5%, contact your local organiser via [E-Mail not displayed] and enclose a copy of your payslip. If it appears you have been underpaid, we will write to your employer on your behalf to rectify this and recover any unpaid entitlements.

This is another example of why it pays to be a member of the HSU. Only union members will receive industrial support recovering any possible underpayments. New members can join at www.hsu.asn.au/join or call 1300 478 679.