Am I being paid the correct award rate?

Upload your payslip and our AI will compare your pay against your award classification. Most workers are on the wrong level. Check for free at fairworkhelp.app.

What is the security guard pay rate in Australia 2025?

Under the Security Services Industry Award MA000016, rates range from $25.27/hr (Level 1) to $27.74/hr (Level 5) plus penalty rates for nights, weekends and public holidays. Most guards are misclassified.

How far back can I claim unpaid wages in Australia?

Under the Fair Work Act 2009, you can generally claim up to 6 years of unpaid wages. For many workers, this represents tens of thousands of dollars.

Is Fair Work Help the same as the Fair Work Ombudsman?

No. Fair Work Help is a legal education platform by Ethical Technologies Pty Ltd. The Fair Work Ombudsman (fairwork.gov.au) is the official government regulator. We help you understand and prepare — they investigate and enforce.

Free payslip analysis — no account required

Are you being paid
what you're actually owed?

Upload your payslip. We analyse your award level against your actual duties — not just the minimum rate. Most workers are underpaid. Most don't know it.

Check my payslip — it's free How it works →

Not the Fair Work Ombudsman. We don't investigate — we help you understand and prepare. Official FWO site →

Australian workers potentially underpaid right now

Modern awards analysed — every industry, every penalty rate

0 years

Maximum back-pay period under the Fair Work Act

Modern Award clauses where underpayments hide most often

We work with the Fair Work Ombudsman — not instead of it

Fair Work Help is a legal education platform. We are not a government agency, we don't investigate employers, and we don't replace the free official service. Here's how we're different — and why you may need both.

🏛️

Fair Work Ombudsman

fairwork.gov.au — free government service

✓Tells you the legal minimum pay rates for your award
✓Investigates and prosecutes employer breaches
✓Operates an anonymous tip-off line
✓Provides official pay calculators and leave tools
✓Manages formal complaints and mediations
✗Doesn't analyse your actual payslip
✗Doesn't check if your classification level is correct
✗No document preparation or case building
✗English-first — limited multilingual support
✗Complex navigation — award PDFs hard to find

Visit fairwork.gov.au →

⚖️

Fair Work Help

fairworkhelp.app — legal education platform

✓Analyses your actual payslip against award rates
✓Detects classification level misclassification
✓PEACE cognitive interview — tell your story once
✓Document preparation and chronology building
✓18 languages — all major migrant worker communities
✓Award navigation guide — finds what FWO makes hard
✓Prepares your case for FWO lodgement or legal review

Legal education service only. Does not constitute legal advice. Outputs designed for legal professional review (Esso HCA 67).

Security Industry Award MA000016

Security guard?
You may be on the wrong level.

The Security Services Industry Award has 5 classification levels. Most guards are paid Level 1 regardless of their actual duties. That gap — compounded over 6 years — adds up to significant backpay.

Read the Award Guide →Browse all awards →

Why classification matters

✓5 classification levels — not just Level 1

✓Level determines your base rate, overtime, and allowances

✓6-year limitation period applies to underpayment claims

✓Misclassification is the most common underpayment pattern

Read the full award to check your classification. The AI can help you interpret it.