An unpaid trial shift: demonstration or work that should be paid?
Look at supervision, duration and what you actually did, rather than the label “trial”.
Official guidance
Australia
AustraliaEmployment & workplace rights
Check coverage under the national system, then your award or agreement.
What happened?
Pay missing or your payslip looks wrong? →
Compare the same pay period, separate gross pay from deductions, and prepare a clear question before choosing a complaint route.
Leaving a job: final pay and before you sign →
Keep unpaid earnings, leave, notice, statutory payments and an extra settlement offer as separate questions.
Leave refused, reclassified or unpaid? →
Separate the reason for absence, permission to be away, pay, and any job protection. These can follow different rules.
A workplace problem: what to record and who to ask →
Build a factual timeline, explain the outcome you want, and choose a service that handles your type of problem.
Tools for your next step
01
Paycheck check ↗
Compare gross pay, deductions and bank payments; draft a payroll question.
02Work & incident log ↗
Record hours and dated facts, then export your own timeline.
03Leaving-job settlement ↗
Check compensation, unused leave and notice pay separately.
04HR letters & meeting records ↗
PIP response, meeting recap, resignation and probation goals.
05Joining & leaving checklists ↗
Keep track of documents, milestones and handover receipts.
06Workplace rights guide ↗
Explore after-hours work, leave, insurance and internal transfers.
Employment questions & reading
35 articlesMust I answer work messages after hours in Australia?
The right concerns reasonable refusal to engage, with a workplace discussion route when expectations conflict.
Official guidance
My contract says “casual”, but my shifts are regular: what should I compare?
DLA Piper explains why the practical relationship matters alongside the contract’s wording.
Professional commentary · not legal authority
Cross-time-zone meetings: separate on-call duty, work and ordinary messages
DLA Piper highlights operational questions for international teams; our worksheet turns them into a contact plan.
Professional commentary · not legal authority
Moving from casual to permanent: what should my written notice contain?
DLA Piper explains the shift to employee-initiated choice; current FWO guidance supplies the process checks.
Professional commentary · not legal authority
How do I tailor an Australian résumé without inventing experience?
Match the vacancy’s duties to evidence from work, study and volunteering.
Official guidance
What should an Australian cover letter add beyond my résumé?
Explain the connection between your experience and this particular role.
Official guidance
How can I research an employer before spending time on an application?
Check what the business does, how it recruits and which conditions still need confirmation.
Official guidance
I have little paid experience: how do I show skills for an Australian job?
Use specific examples from study, volunteering and other responsibilities.
Official guidance
A remote job asks me to deposit money to unlock tasks: what should I check?
Pause payment and independently verify the recruiter and promised work.
Official guidance
I get interviews but no offer: how can I prepare more useful answers?
Practise relevant examples and identify what the employer still needs to know.
Official guidance
A café asks for an unpaid trial shift: when does it become paid work?
Separate a brief supervised skill demonstration from ordinary productive work.
Official guidance
The offer quotes a salary package: how do I compare cash, super and extra hours?
Ask for compensation components and which entitlements the salary is intended to cover.
Official guidance
The higher offer has a longer commute and unclear hybrid work: how should I compare it?
Make conditions and uncertainties visible before comparing the headline salary.
Original preparation answer · check the stated scope
I need an accessible interview: what should I ask the recruiter to arrange?
Describe the barrier and requested adjustment, and confirm interview logistics.
Official guidance
My first payslip uses a lower level than expected: how do I check my award classification?
Compare actual duties with the applicable classification, rather than relying on the job title.
Official guidance
My probation review never happened: am I confirmed, and do my entitlements change?
Check the contract’s review terms while keeping minimum employment rights separate.
Official guidance
Starting a new job: how do I check where my super will go?
Confirm the fund and compare payroll information with actual fund transactions.
Official guidance
I was suddenly ill or had a family emergency: when must I notify work and provide evidence?
Notify as soon as possible and separate the reason, likely duration and evidence request.
Official guidance
A public holiday falls inside my annual leave: should it reduce my leave balance?
An applicable public holiday on an ordinary working day uses no NES annual leave. Check the hours, pay rate and any loading with a complete example.
Official guidance
My payslip shows one total: which entries should I check?
Compare the pay period, hours, rates, deductions and contribution information.
Official guidance
My short shifts became much longer: what must I check before treating the new roster as agreed?
Check contracted hours and the applicable consultation or consent provisions.
Official guidance
Can I request different hours for caring responsibilities, and when must the employer respond?
Check eligibility, describe the requested change and retain the written response.
Official guidance
After sick leave, I was told to switch from permanent to casual: what should I check?
Separate the proposed contract change, continuing entitlements and any threat of dismissal.
Original preparation answer · check the stated scope
The business was sold and the employer name changed: does my service start again?
Check the employer entities, actual work and how each entitlement transfers.
Official guidance
I took approved annual leave during resignation notice: can the employer deduct a week?
Check the notice dates, approval and the precise provision relied on for a deduction.
Official guidance
They called it redundancy but my work continues: what should I check?
Check whether the job disappeared, whether redeployment was reasonable, and how many weeks of NES redundancy pay you may be owed.
Official guidance
Dismissed in Australia: how do I count the 21-day deadline and apply?
Count from the day after dismissal takes effect, check national-system and service eligibility, and prepare a Fair Work Commission F2 application.
Official guidance
When should my Australian final pay arrive, and what should be included?
Check unpaid wages, unused leave and employer notice pay separately. Most awards use seven days, but the actual rule and earlier NES deadlines control.
Official guidance
My role was removed during parental leave: how do I distinguish redundancy from unlawful treatment?
Record the reason, business change, consultation and treatment of alternative work.
Original preparation answer · check the stated scope
I lost my job: what information should I prepare for JobSeeker Payment?
Check eligibility and keep final-pay and ongoing-income information ready.
Official guidance
After leaving, my fund is missing super: do the old quarterly deadlines still apply?
Separate pre-July 2026 periods from the payday-super rules now in force.
Official guidance
My payroll portal closed after leaving: can I ask for my employment records?
Request specific records through a verified channel and keep company information separate.
Official guidance
After leaving a difficult job, how should I choose and brief referees?
Ask permission and check what the referee can accurately discuss.
Official guidance
News says Australia will ban non-competes: can I ignore my existing clause?
Distinguish a proposed reform from the rules and agreement governing your actual move.
Professional commentary · not legal authority
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