Australia: Stapled Superannuation Funds

Stapled Superannuation Funds for Employers (SSFE) 

A stapled super fund is an existing super account linked, or ‘stapled’, to an individual employee so it follows them as they change jobs. This aims to reduce account fees, avoiding new super accounts being opened every time an employee starts a new job. If you do not meet your choice of super fund obligations, additional penalties may apply. 

Stapled Superannuation Funds for Employees (SSFE) 

If you are an employee, you are typically entitled to compulsory superannuation (super) contributions from your employer. These super guarantee contributions must be a minimum amount based on the current super guarantee rate being 10% of your ordinary earnings, up to the ‘maximum contribution base’ currently $27,500.

Generally, you are entitled to super guarantee contributions from an employer if you are both: 

• 18 years old or over 
• paid $450 or more (before tax) in a month 

It does not matter whether you are full-time, part-time or casual, or if you are a temporary resident of Australia. 

If you are under 18 years old, you must meet the above conditions and work more than 30 hours per week to be entitled to super contributions. 

Your employer is not required to make super contributions if you are: 

• paid to do work of a private or domestic nature for 30 hours or less each week
• a non-Australian resident and you are paid to do work outside Australia 
• an Australian resident paid by a non-resident employer for work done outside Australia 
• a senior foreign executive on a certain class of visa 
• temporarily working in Australia for an overseas employer and are covered by the super provisions of a bilateral social security agreement

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