Millions of Aussies report being short-changed on super by their employer

The equivalent of millions of Australians have reported being short-changed on the amount of superannuation paid to them from their employer.

Stuart Marsh
Nov 10, 2026

There is more than $21 billion in lost or unclaimed superannuation. Photo: Unsplash/Debora Cardenas

One in five Australians say they haven’t been paid their super correctly by an employer in the past.
A further one in 12 workers reported not being paid super at all, or an employer missing payments.
After the introduction of Payday Super on July 1, Australians should now be able to check their super payments on their pay slips.

The equivalent of millions of Australians have reported being short-changed on the amount of superannuation paid to them from their employer, leading to them being ripped off at retirement.

A new survey from Finder showed that one in five Australians, or 21 per cent, said they’ve had an employer not pay their superannuation correctly.

A further one in 12 said they’ve worked for an employer who never paid their super at all.

The survey, which interviewed 1,011 respondents, found that many Australians weren’t even checking their superannuation at all to make sure it was being paid correctly by their employer.

“Super is part of your pay. It isn’t a perk or an optional extra,” says Richard Whitten, money expert at Finder.

“When employers fail to pay super correctly, workers are missing out on years of potential investment growth that could make a substantial difference to their retirement savings.”

unemployment rate — Millions of workers say they have been paid super incorrectly, or had payments missed. Photo: AAP

From July 1, new legislation came into force requiring employers to pay superannuation at the same time as their regular salary, whether weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Mary Delahunty, CEO of the Association of Super Funds Australia, said workers can now check their super is being paid correctly on their payslip.

“Payday Super works in part because it lets you check your super statements against your payslip each pay cycle,” she said.

“It’s important to log into your super account and check that your super is actually being paid into your account, and not just being listed on your payslip.

“If something looks wrong, talk to your employer first, and then the ATO if you need to.”

How to find lost or missing super owed to you

Australians have more than $21 billion in lost super, held across some 7.5 million accounts, according to data from the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

Most of this money is lost when an employee changes their name, moves jobs, or changes their contact details.

Most lost super is estimated to come from young Australians who may have worked multiple casual or seasonal jobs and opted to use an employer’s super fund each time they were hired.

But there is an easy way to get what is owed to you, all in one account.

According to the ATO, Australians can consolidate their super via myGov, where they will need to verify their identity with whatever documents the super fund used to set up the account.

“If you’ve had more than one job, you may have more than one super account. It’s important to know how many super accounts you have. Combining your super may reduce fees and make it easier to manage,” the ATO says.

“If you decide to consolidate your super, it’s important to choose the fund that’s right for you.

“You should check that it provides better value and the insurance cover suits your needs, which may change throughout your life.”

Topics: Australia, superannuation