- How has Hamilton Island discovered that salaried employees have been underpaid?
In transitioning to our new payroll software, we identified some discrepancies interpreting award requirements between the two time and attendance systems. Following this discovery, we commenced a review for a number of salaried employees which identified some possible underpayments. From there we have commenced an in-depth reconciliation process for all current and former employees. We will be reimbursing any underpaid employees as reconciliations are finalised.
- How will I know how much I have been underpaid?
We are working through reconciliations and are unable to provide exact figures until the process is complete for each employee. Reconciliations can take some time, so we thank you for being patient with us as we work through this process. If you have been identified as being underpaid, People, Culture and Development will contact you to advise next steps. If you do not contact us your pay will still be reviewed and if you are identified as being underpaid, a payment will be made to you. If you are a current employee and would like to update your contact details please do so here or if you are a former employee and would like to update your contact details please do so here.
- How is Hamilton Island calculating my back pay?
We are currently reconciling employee pay data against the relevant award requirements, which is then being checked by independent external auditors. It is important to note that every employee’s situation is different depending on length of service, award, role and working hours. As such, individual reconciliations must be carried out for each employee to be accurate. We will reconcile all employees and if you have been underpaid we will pay you as soon as those calculations are finalised and audited.
- How long is the reconciliation process expected to take?
This is a complex process and involves thorough reconciliation and independent external auditing. Whilst we have a large team working hard to conduct these reconciliation calculations as quickly as possible, it is important to note that this process could take many months.
- How can I trust Hamilton Island Enterprises pay reconciliations are correct?
The reconciliations are being checked by one of Australia’s leading accounting firms. If you have been identified as being underpaid, you will be provided with a breakdown of the calculations for your review. If you have any further concerns please email salaryreview@hamiltonisland.com.au.
- How will Hamilton Island Enterprises ensure underpayments do not happen in the future?
Hamilton Island Enterprises is in the final phases of implementing a new time and attendance system. We believe the new system will be able to accurately reconcile all employee remuneration against all award requirements. In addition we will be conducting ongoing manual checks and will also undertake regular salary reviews against the relevant awards.
- How many Hamilton Island Enterprises employees will be impacted by this review?
As the review is ongoing, the number of employees impacted is not yet known. Currently, discrepancies have only been identified for salaried employees. Employees will be updated via this web page as the review progresses. All current and former employees are encouraged to update their contact details, please do so here for current or here for former.
- How will current employees be notified if they have been underpaid?
Affected employees will be contacted directly by People, Culture and Development who will provide further information about the review process. Any current or former employee wishing to update their contact details, please do so here for current or here for former.
- How will Hamilton Island Enterprises contact former employees?
We will be directly following up with former employees who have been affected via their currently held contact details. If you know somebody who previously worked for Hamilton Island Enterprises and would like to update their contact details, please encourage them to register their contact details here.
- If I only worked at Hamilton Island Enterprises for a short duration, should I request a salary review?
The duration of your employment is not a factor in this review, all current and former salaried employees will be reconciled.
- How do I know if it is true should I be told I am not owed any money?
It is our main goal to pay all current and former employees correctly. We will review all employees and if we find you have been underpaid, we will be making those payments to you as soon the reconciliations have been completed and audited. We have engaged independent external auditors to carry out an analysis of any underpayments and we are confident that the results of the reconciliations will be accurate. If you are concerned about the outcome of your reconciliation, please contact the People Culture and Development team at salaryreview@hamiltonisland.com.au. Alternatively, employees are able to contact the Fair Work Ombudsman directly.
- How will you keep me updated on the progress of the review?
We will update the website as soon as we have new information to share about the review.
- If I have been underpaid, will this affect my tax?
If we make a payment to you, tax will be deducted as per the ATO guidelines. You may need to check your tax for any changes to government loans or support you may have received in the past. We are committed to fixing the issue in the most transparent manner possible, and will action any declarations as required by the government. We recommend that employees also contact their financial/tax accountant for specific advice on this matter.
- If I have been underpaid, will this affect my superannuation?
If you are owed any superannuation, this will be paid into your elected superannuation fund. Please let us know if your superannuation fund details have changed from those on our existing records at salaryreview@hamiltonisland.com.au.
- Can I salary sacrifice any payments owed to me into my superannuation account?
Payroll may be able to assist with this enquiry, however Hamilton Island Enterprises recommends employees contact their financial/tax advisor for advice on this matter.
- I am not confident that my salary is being reconciled. Will my job security be affected if I lodge a salary review request?
All Hamilton Island Enterprises employees have the right to request a pay review. Should a request for a review be lodged, in no way will there be any impact on an employee’s position, job security or career progression with the company. All employees payments will be reviewed and as such you do not have to request a salary review for your salary to be reviewed.
- Have you reported this to the relevant government authorities?
We have informed the Fair Work Ombudsman and are working with them to resolve this situation.
- Who is the Fair Work Ombudsman?
The Fair Work Ombudsman is an independent statutory agency which investigates workplace complaints and enforces compliance with national workplace laws. You can learn more about the role of The Fair Work Ombudsman at www.fairwork.gov.au
- If I have been in a position covered by the Collective Agreement (CA) and paid an hourly wage, will these positions be reconciled?
No, employees covered by the HIE Collective Agreement are outside the scope of the reconciliation project currently being undertaken by HIE. The reconciliation project relates only to issues identified that impact some employees in positions covered by modern awards.
- What is the relevant reconciliation period?
The assessment period for this salary review process is a six year period from 19 December 2014 until 18 December 2020.
- Why is the process taking so long?
We are sincerely sorry that the reconciliation process has taken longer than any of us would have liked. However, we are committed to ensuring it is done accurately and in line with continued guidance from Fair Work and our third-party, external experts. It is a complex process. Due to the different conditions and entitlements across the relevant Modern Awards, we must assess each and every shift worked during the review period using an assessment tool, tailor-made for each Award. These tools are large and complex and analyse time and attendance data against payroll information. Given their complexity, the assessment tools can take months to develop, test and audit. Once the tools are operational, the reconciliation of each employee can take many hours. While this is a complex and time-consuming process, it is important that we are meticulous, as we are committed to ensuring each reconciliation is completed correctly for all former and current employees.
- Which relevant Awards have been processed so far?
To process the reconciliation as fairly as possible, we prioritised the Awards that influenced the most employees. Although this is the fairest approach, we apologise if you’re still waiting for your reconciliation to be processed. So far, reconciliation tools have been developed and applied to:
- Hospitality Industry (General) Award
- HIE Collective Agreement - Salary
- General Retail Industry Award
- Hair and Beauty Industry Award
- Clerks Private Sector Award
- Miscellaneous Award
- Amusements, Events and Recreation Award
- Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award
- Waste Management Award
- I worked in multiple roles with HIE, one of which was covered by an Award or the Collective Agreement that HIE has already reconciled, but I haven’t been contacted about my reconciliation.
If you worked multiple roles for which different Awards may apply, we still need to reconcile your time and attendance and payroll data against any other relevant Awards.
- What impact did COVID-19 have on the reconciliation process?
As you may know, COVID-19 has been very disruptive to life. Members of the reconciliation team were directly impacted with COVID-19, and this slowed the team’s progress.
- What order are you processing the reconciliations in?
We started by developing the assessment tools for the Awards and agreements that covered the greatest number of our employees. We are continuing to work through the relevant Awards on this basis. We apologise if you’re still waiting for your reconciliation to be processed.
- I’ve been told my relevant Award will be among the last to be processed. Why?
We apologise for the delay. The Award relevant to your role is likely to be among those with the least employees affected.
We felt this is the fairest way of ordering and processing the reconciliation of Awards.