Rostering, HR and payroll
Hiring your first employee is a big milestone. With the right setup, paying people correctly and rostering shifts becomes routine. Here's the checklist, the 2026 super change, and the tools that do the heavy lifting.
This guide includes links to providers. Some are affiliate or referral links and we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. Providers marked "We don't earn a commission" pay us nothing. Affiliate disclosure.
Hiring checklist
- Check the award and minimum pay. Use the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) (opens in a new tab).
- Give the Fair Work Information Statement (and the Casual Employment Information Statement for casuals) from fairwork.gov.au (opens in a new tab).
- Collect a TFN declaration and super choice form, and register for PAYG withholding with the ATO.
- Report through Single Touch Payroll (STP) each payday using STP-enabled payroll software.
- Pay super with wages (Payday Super). From 1 July 2026, super guarantee (12% of qualifying earnings) must reach your employee's fund within 7 business days after each payday, not quarterly. See the ATO's Payday Super page (opens in a new tab).
- Arrange workers compensation through your state or territory scheme.
Where software helps
Rostering apps build shifts around availability and labour budget, let staff clock in and out, and send approved timesheets to payroll. HR and payroll platforms handle onboarding, contracts, leave, STP and super payments. Choosing software that pays super on payday makes Payday Super much easier to meet.
Tools to consider
Listed in no particular order. This isn't every provider in the market, so compare a few and check current pricing and terms on each provider's site.
Deputy
Rostering, time and attendance, timesheets
Good for: Shift-based businesses: hospitality, retail, healthcare, services
Deputy is Australian-founded workforce software for scheduling shifts, clocking in and out, approving timesheets and exporting them to payroll. It connects with common payroll and accounting software.
Worth knowing
- Built for shift-based teams
- Staff app for swaps, availability and clock-ins
- Per-user pricing; check which features each plan includes
We may earn a commission if you sign up through this link. Disclosure.
Employment Hero
HR, payroll, onboarding and rostering platform
Good for: Small to medium businesses wanting HR and payroll in one place
Employment Hero is an Australian employment platform covering onboarding, contracts, HR, leave, rostering and payroll with STP, in one system.
Worth knowing
- HR and payroll in one platform
- Onboarding and employment documents built in
- Check plan inclusions and per-employee pricing
We may earn a commission if you sign up through this link. Disclosure.
Xero
Accounting with built-in payroll and STP
Good for: Small teams already using Xero for their books
If you have a small team, payroll inside your accounting software (Xero includes payroll on selected plans) can be enough to start, with a rostering app added later. See our accounting guide.
Worth knowing
- One less system to manage
- Check which plans include payroll
- Shift-heavy businesses may still want a rostering app
We may earn a commission if you sign up through this link. Disclosure.
Free official resources
Common questions
What is Payday Super?
From 1 July 2026, employers must pay super guarantee for each payday rather than quarterly. Contributions need to be received by the employee's super fund within 7 business days after payday, with longer allowed in some cases such as a new employee's first contribution.
What's the super guarantee rate?
The ATO states the super guarantee is 12% of qualifying earnings.
Do I need payroll software?
If you have employees, you need to report payroll through Single Touch Payroll, which means using STP-enabled software or a provider that reports for you.