Employer contributions and your super
When you start a new job, you’ll usually provide your super account details to your employer. They’ll then contribute at least 11.5% of your pay into your super. This is called the super guarantee (SG).
If you don’t provide these details, your employer must check with the ATO to see if one’s linked to you. This linked account is your stapled super account.
If you would like to stay updated on superannuation changes related to employers, you can learn more about the latest superannuation rule changes.
How does super stapling work?
If you have a super account, the ATO will automatically staple it to you. This ensures you’re linked to a single super account that follows you when you change jobs. If you have multiple accounts, the ATO will decide which account to staple by considering things like:
- the balances of your accounts
- whether an account was previously stapled
- how recently contributions were made
- how recently the accounts were created.
Remember, you can take your UniSuper account with if you change jobs, no matter the industry your new job is in.
How could I have multiple super accounts?
If you started a job with a new employer before 1 November 2021 and didn’t nominate a super fund, they may have opened one for you with their default super fund.
When accounts are opened like this over time, fees charged on multiple funds can quickly eat into your total super balance. Super stapling was introduced to prevent this from happening.
Why aren’t my employer contributions going to my UniSuper account?
If you didn’t give your UniSuper account details to your employer, your contributions may be going to a stapled super account you didn’t know about. The ATO may have stapled this account to you after the initiative was introduced in November 2021.
How do I confirm my super’s going to my preferred account?
If you think your super guarantee is being paid incorrectly, consider asking your employer:
- which fund it’s being paid to
- how much has been paid
- the amount of each contribution.
If you don’t want to follow up with your employer directly, you can also report incorrectly paid super contributions to the ATO. They can then investigate the issue on your behalf.
My employer contributions are on my payslip. Why aren’t they in my super account?
Employers are only legally obligated to contribute to your super every three months.^ If you see an amount for super on your payslip, the payments may only be processed once a quarter as a lump sum. To confirm how often contributions are made, consider asking your employer.
If you haven’t received any contributions from your employer in over three months, it’s important to follow up with your employer. You can also report unpaid super contributions to the ATO.
How to set up UniSuper employer contributions
- 1. Download the app
- 2. Log in with your online account username and password
- 3. Scroll to Manage your account
- 4. Click Share your fund details
- 5. Download the ready to share form
- 1. Log in to your account
- 2. Download the ready-to-send form
- 3. Pass on the form to your employer. They’ll take care of the rest.
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Things you need to know^The government announced in the 2023-24 Federal Budget a proposal that from 1 July 2026, employers would be required to remit their employees’ (SG) entitlements on the same day they pay salary and wages, rather than quarterly. This change is yet to be legislated.