About income from work, interest, super or government supports.
Income is money you receive for things like work, interest on savings, superannuation withdrawals, returns on investments, and government support. Paid work is the main way people tend to earn an income and support themselves financially. Because of this, many of Australia’s programs for helping people experiencing financial hardship push people to get a job before most other considerations.
On this page, we’ll take you through different sources of income, getting paid, and where to find support for the workplace.
Challenges
Generating a consistent flow of income through conventional employment can prove to be challenging at the best of times.
The job market
The job market can be tricky to navigate, and applying for and securing a job requires complex communication. A position will likely have multiple people applying for it and, even if you’re well qualified, job seeking can often come with a lot of rejection.
Finding a balance
Quality of work is also an important factor in a person’s wellbeing. Some jobs don’t pay well, don’t give enough work hours or too many hours, or have poor workplace conditions. So, having a job is no guarantee that your income is secured, or that you won’t find yourself in stressful conditions.
Capacity to work
Even though many people have limited capacity to work, they’re usually expected to have a job to support themselves. Having other commitments like caring for a loved one, or if you live with disability, might reduce your ability to work, but there are only limited supports to help people in those situations make ends meet.
Types of waged work
Waged work is any work you do for an employer who then provides you with pay. Employment typically takes three forms – full-time, part-time, and casual – though there are plenty of others, including self-employment and contracting.
Australia has many laws that regulate conditions of work and define types of employment. You can visit the Fair Work Ombudsman for details.
Full-time work
Full-time work is a type of employment in which people work around 38 hours a week and are employed on a permanent or fixed-term contract.
Full-time workers are entitled by law to paid leave and written notice when employment ends, or payment instead of notice.
Part-time work
Part-time work is much like full-time work, except that it’s for less than 38 hours a week. Part-time workers are employed on a permanent or fixed-term contract.
Part-time workers are entitled by law to the same entitlements as full-time workers – paid leave and written notice when employment ends, or payment instead of notice. The difference is that entitlements are given on a ‘pro-rata’ basis for part-time workers.
What is a ‘pro rata’ basis?
Pro rata is the portion of the full-time pay and entitlements equivalent to the portion of part-time hours worked.
Are there risks?
A key risk is ‘underemployment’, which is when someone isn’t being given the number of hours per week that they would like to earn enough to get by.
Casual work
Casual employment is a form of employment with no agreed-upon pattern of work and no fixed entitlements.
- a person’s roster can be changed at any time to suit the employer’s needs, and in turn, the employee can refuse any shift at any time.
- while casual work is usually paid at a higher rate per hour than full-time or part-time work, this is at the expense of guaranteed work and entitlements like paid leave.
Are there risks?
A key risk is ‘underemployment’, which is when someone isn’t being given the number of hours per week that they would like to earn enough to get by.
Other forms of work
There are several other types of paid work under Australian law.
For example:
What is the gig economy?
The ‘gig economy’, is where people work in on-demand services such as ride share, food delivery, and other personal services booked through apps and websites.
While gig economy employment offers flexibility, it comes without many of the workplace conditions and guarantees that other traditional work arrangements have under Australian law.
Getting paid, awards and agreements
Pay and other workplace conditions are usually set by the Fair Work Commission, which is an independent government agency, via ‘awards’, which are generalised standards for employment in each sector of the economy.
Alternatively, some workplaces may have an ‘Enterprise Bargaining Agreement’ (EBA), which is an agreement between employers and employees represented by a union that is approved by the Fair Work Commission.
What are the standard pay rates?
Use the Fairwork pay calculator to learn about awards and check what you should be paid.
Don’t forget about tax
Income tax must be paid on all forms of income.
Unpaid work
It’s important to recognise that unpaid work has value, regardless of the form it takes. There are a lot of tasks people perform that are essential to everyone’s wellbeing, but because of the way that waged work is organised by society, they are not paid for it.
Care and parenting
Many people who care for a disabled or elderly loved one are not paid to do so, even though it is inherently valuable work and can be extremely tiring. Parenting and housekeeping responsibilities are also examples of unpaid work.
Check your eligibility for the Carer’s Payment through Centrelink.
Internships
Internships can be tough. Interns often work without pay to the benefit of the organisation and are promised future career opportunities.
To a person who is struggling to get by, this sort of arrangement might seem unfair. It might even be impossible for someone in financial hardship to undertake a period of unpaid work such as a potentially career-progressing internship at all.
Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman to learn about internships and the work arrangements that should entitle interns to payment.
Volunteering
Volunteering is usually done by someone who is interested in ‘giving back’ to their community, but it’s also important to see that their work, while unpaid, is still valuable.
Other kinds of income
Centrelink payments
Centrelink payments, which include income support payments and disability support payments, are run by the Australian Government through Services Australia.
Is it enough?
Ideally, Centrelink income would be sufficient to allow someone to build their own financial stability, or support someone long-term if they have limited capacity for work – for example, if they’re caring for someone or have a disability. However, Centrelink payments are set at very low rates and come with a lot of eligibility requirements.
📌 See our dealing with Centrelink page.
Operating a business
Operating a business can be challenging, but it will mean that you oversee your own income, have greater control over your ways of working, and might be able to pursue your personal passion. We’ve compiled some information and services to support you in starting and running a small business in our Small business support section below.
Investments
Any money that you earn from an investment is also considered a form of income.
Income in retirement
When a person retires, they are usually supported in their retirement through superannuation or the Aged Pension.
📌 See our understanding superannuation page.
Who can help you?
There is a range of service providers, membership organisations and supports available to everyone from job seekers to small business owners.
Finding and applying for a job
Getting a job isn’t as simple as walking into a potential employer and presenting your resume. It can be a lengthy process and you might hear “no” a lot before you hear “yes”. You may also find that looking for jobs, applying for roles, and going through the interview process can take a lot of time and money. The resources following are a practical place to start.
| Resource | What to expect |
| Given the Chance | Brotherhood of St Laurence program supporting job seekers experiencing disadvantage to find paid employment |
| Looking for work and job hunting | Information from Services Australia |
| The ‘Ask Izzy’ resource | Find free support services near you, select ‘Finding work’ to get started |
| Women’s Information and Referral Exchange Inc (WIRE) | Support and referrals for developing a career pathway and obtaining work experience |
| Ready Set | Melbourne-based support, including clothing, coaching, and connection to job vacancies |
| Fitted for Work | Helps women in Australia experiencing disadvantages to get and keep work |
| Dressed For Work | Sydney-based organisation that helps men and boys who have experienced setbacks find clothing for work |
| Headspace support for jobseekers | Work support and mentoring |
| Employment Plus | Salvation Army support for finding and applying for jobs |
| Workforce Australia | Search for jobs and access resources and training to find or change jobs |
| Work Care Factor | Online tool that helps with mental wellbeing at work |
Submitting a workplace dispute
If you feel you haven’t been treated fairly, especially if you want to dispute the conditions of your employment, you can contact the ombudsman in your state or territory.
Ombudsmen are independent agencies that help to resolve disputes between people and companies or government agencies. It’s a free and independent service, and while the process can be lengthy, your complaint, once submitted, will be resolved.
What you can do
- learn what to do before you call the Fair Work Ombudsman
- contact the Fair Work Ombudsman or call them on 13 13 94
- explore ASIC’s dispute options for specific situations
- talk to your union about legal aid (if you’re a member)
Unions
Unions are paid membership organisations with an aim to advocate for improved workplace conditions. They provide a way for workers to organise themselves together, outside of the structure of the workplace relationship that exists between employers and employees.
It is not compulsory to join a union in Australia.
What do unions do?
- work to hold employers accountable to their obligations under workplace laws, workplace safety laws, and discrimination laws.
- manage negotiations for Enterprise Bargaining Agreements Unions.
- help members personally with workplace disputes between themselves and their employers.
Many of the workplace protections such as occupational health and safety, decent work hours, and decent pay were won through union organising.
Where to find information
Each union represents a specific sector, so every workplace has a relevant union. Visit Australian Unions to learn more, or go to the Fair Work Ombudsman for the basics on union membership and the role of unions.
Income support
The Australian government offers income support payments through Centrelink. Ideally, these supports would be sufficient to allow someone to build their own financial stability, or support someone long term if they have limited capacity for work, for example if they are caring for someone or have a disability. However, Centrelink payments are set at very low rates, come with a lot of eligibility requirements, and complicated obligations.
To learn more about Centrelink payments, including the Carer’s Payment and the Disability Support Pension, you might want to see our article on Centrelink. We provide information on each of the payments, on how to claim payments, and for help dealing with the requirements that come with payments.
📌 See our dealing with Centrelink page.
Small business support
| Resource | What to expect |
| Stepping Stones | Program run by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence tailored for women from refugee, migrant and asylum-seeking backgrounds. It provides opportunities for women to achieve financial wellbeing through starting a business, finding employment, training pathways, mentoring and support. |
| LaunchMe | Program run by Good Shepherd supporting small businesses in South Australia and Victoria |
| Business.gov.au | The Australian Government’s small business support website |
| ato.gov.au/Business | The Australian Taxation Office hub for business tax information |
| Moneysmart | Self-employment tips and how to set up finances |
| Workforce Australia | Resources for starting a small business |
Support from the state and territory governments
| Australian Capital Territory | Business support |
| New South Wales | Business support |
| Northern Territory | Support for business |
| Queensland | Running a business |
| South Australia | Small and Family Business |
| Tasmania | Business Tasmania |
| Victoria | Small business support |
| Western Australia | Small Business Development Corporation |
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This information was last updated on 5 June 2023.
The links and resources in this article have been compiled and reviewed by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence. We aren’t responsible for what you’ll find at the links, though we do hope you find the information useful. See our disclaimer if you’d like to know more.
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