What are the mandatory benefits for employees in Australia?

In Australia, employers are responsible for several mandatory benefits for their employees, including contributions to superannuation, healthcare, and leave entitlements. Here's a breakdown of the key benefits:

  1. Superannuation: Employers are required to contribute to their employees' superannuation (retirement fund). The contribution rate is currently set at 11% of an employee's ordinary time earnings, increasing to 12% by July 1, 2025. This is a significant benefit, as it helps employees save for retirement.

  2. Medicare: Employers must pay a portion of an employee's salary toward Medicare, Australia’s public healthcare system. However, Medicare itself is largely funded through taxes and is not a direct benefit employers pay for on behalf of employees. It covers a wide range of health services, although some services like dental and vision are not covered.

  3. Paid Leave: Employees are entitled to several forms of paid leave:

    • Annual Leave: Full-time employees are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave each year.
    • Sick Leave: Employees are entitled to 10 days of paid personal (sick) leave per year.
    • Parental Leave: Eligible employees can take up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave at the national minimum wage, in addition to unpaid leave entitlements.

  4. Other Leave: Employees are also entitled to other forms of leave, such as compassionate leave, family and domestic violence leave, and long service leave (after a specified number of years with an employer).

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