Virtual Briefing

Payday super: What employers got wrong and how to fix it

A timely post commencement briefing for employers, CFOs, payroll and HR leaders, and their advisers, focused on early issues emerging after 1 July and the actions you need to take now.

27 August 2026 | 3 CPD points

About this briefing

Payday super commenced on 1 July 2026. For many employers, the first payroll cycle has already surfaced issues including timing mismatches, clearing-house delays, cash-flow pressure and remuneration calculations that don’t sit neatly within the new framework. 

This briefing is not a pre-commencement explainer. It is a practical, post-1 July fix-it session for organisations that are already in the thick of it.

Led by Elizabeth Lucas, Partner at Grant Thornton and one of Australia’s leading employment solutions specialists, the session works through the most common compliance failures emerging in practice, and what employers need to do to correct them before the ATO comes looking.

Before the session, registered attendees are invited to submit real issues and questions via a short pre-session survey. These feed directly into the closing Q&A block.

Date
27 August 2026

Time
11 am – 2 pm AEST

Location
Virtual

Standard
$399 excl. GST

CPD Points
3 CPD points 

CPD breakdown
3 hours: Payday Super compliance, cash-flow, remuneration complexity and industrial instruments

Why attend

Clarity on how to correctly identify the qualifying event (QE) day and handle off-cycle payments

Practical steps to stabilise cash-flow and resolve clearing-house timing mismatches

Confidence in YTD earnings base transitions and above-cap remuneration calculations

Understanding of how payday super applies to contractors outside your payroll system

Ability to identify and correct super obligations hidden in enterprise agreements and swing-shift arrangements

Guidance on your specific compliance issues, submitted ahead of the session

Who should attend

Employers and business owners

CFOs and finance managers

Payroll and HR leaders

Tax advisers and accountants

Facilitator

Elizabeth Lucas, Partner, Employment Solutions, Grant Thornton

Elizabeth Lucas
Partner, Employment Solutions, Grant Thornton

Elizabeth Lucas is a Partner in Grant Thornton’s Employment Solutions practice, specialising in employment-related tax, superannuation guarantee compliance and workforce structuring. Headshot: TBC — add to Workfront.

Agenda

Please note: Agenda subject to change

11 am - 12 pm

Timing: where employers are getting caught

  • Identifying the qualifying event (QE) day and the inconsistencies in ATO guidance. 
  • Handling off-cycle payments including bonuses, back-pay and termination payments. 
  • The seven-business-day rule in practice: common miscounts and edge cases.

12 pm - 1 pm

Cash-flow and clearing-house pressure

  • Why cash-flow is tighter than employers expected in months 1–4.
  • Clearing-house timing mismatches: what’s going wrong and how to resolve them.
  • Remuneration complexity including YTD earnings base transitions, above-cap spread calculations, and contractors sitting outside your payroll system.

1 pm - 2 pm

Industrial instruments and hidden exposure

  • When enterprise agreements and awards create super obligations outside the standard payroll run. 
  • Swing-shift and roster-based arrangements. 
  • EBA super clauses that interact with payday super requirements.
  • Live Q&A drawing on issues submitted by attendees ahead of the session.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a pre-commencement explainer?

No. This is a post-1 July fix-it briefing. We assume you are already operating under payday super and encountering real issues. We focus entirely on what’s going wrong and how to correct it.

Can I submit questions ahead of the session?

Yes. Registered attendees receive a short pre-session survey to submit compliance issues, payroll questions and edge cases. These feed directly into the session, particularly the closing Q&A block.

Will a recording be available after the session?

Yes. A recording will be made available to registered attendees following the live session.

Payday super is live, and the compliance gaps are already emerging. Don't wait for the ATO to find them first. Join us on 27 August and leave with the practical tools to identify your exposure and fix it fast.

Contact us

Attendee inquiries: eventsanz@thomsonreuters.com