Staying on top of HR compliance can be challenging for small and medium-sized businesses, especially as employment laws, payroll obligations and workplace requirements continue to evolve. This HR Compliance Checklist is designed to help Australian SMEs confidently review their core HR practices and identify potential compliance gaps before they become costly issues.
This practical checklist provides a clear, high-level framework to support compliance with key Australian workplace obligations, including employee records, payroll, contracts, leave entitlements, workplace safety and HR policies. It’s ideal for businesses that want a structured way to assess their current HR setup and prioritise next steps.
Employee Records – Ensuring personal details, job titles, salaries and employment records are accurate and up to date
Payroll Compliance – Reviewing payroll accuracy, superannuation contributions and tax reporting obligations
Employment Contracts – Checking contracts are current, compliant and signed by all employees
Leave Balances & Entitlements – Confirming leave accruals, balances and entitlements are correctly calculated
Performance Reviews – Ensuring performance discussions are scheduled, documented and recorded appropriately
Workplace Health & Safety – Reviewing WHS policies, procedures and compliance with Safe Work Australia requirements
HR Policies & Procedures – Updating policies to reflect current employment laws and communicating changes to employees
Training & Development – Identifying training needs, tracking completion and meeting mandatory training requirements
Australian small and medium-sized businesses
Business owners and directors
Managers with HR responsibilities
Organisations seeking a simple, practical HR compliance review tool

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