AEC Federal Election Work Underpay

MonkEE on 23/06/2019 - 11:06
Last edited 23/06/2019 - 17:23 by 1 other user

Hi everyone,

I have worked for the weekend during the federal election. I have received the pay recently, however the rate was much below then what was agreed. I emailed the people at AEC. They have not resolved the issue for some time.

What can I do about it?

The original rate discussed and confirmed to me on email was:
Pay rates are $35.49 an hour (Saturday) and $47.32 on Sunday.

But the payslip rate was only:

Standard Wage Hour - 2:30 hrs - $59.16 Taxable Amount - This equals to $23.66 per hour
Overtime Hour 1 - 4:00 hrs - $133.58 Taxable Amount - This equals to $33.40 per hour
Overtime Hour 2 - 8: hrs - $302.88 Taxable Amount - This equals to $37.85 per hour.

Education & Work Federal Election

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Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2019 - 11:16
    +5

    User name checks out, pay peanuts get MonkEE :)

  • argonide on 23/06/2019 - 11:30
    +7

    Your Standard Wage Hour and Overtime Hour 2 rates looks correct according to Schedule 2 in the Collective Determination

    Standard Wage Hour - 2:30 hrs - $59.16 Taxable Amount - This equals to $25.72 per hour

    $59.16 for 2 hours and 30 mins (2.5 hours) is $23.66 per hour

    • MonkEE on 23/06/2019 - 11:55
      -2

      You are right. Nice pick up.

  • fossilfuel on 23/06/2019 - 11:38

    Did you check "no" for the "tax free threshold" question on your tax file declaration? You usually do this if you have a job/AEC is not your primary job. If so, then you will be taxed the "no tax free threshold" amount.

    AEC pays wages fortnightly so check your gross pay against the fortnightly tax tables

    • MonkEE on 23/06/2019 - 11:54

      The amount above is before tax.

  • holdenmg on 23/06/2019 - 12:08
    -1

    Getting paid to get up and go Vote. Nice. lol

    • Cheeper on 23/06/2019 - 20:34

      You can do it too.. :-)

    • pjetson on 23/06/2019 - 12:46
      +7

      for it's own careless mistakes

      That'd be "its" :-)

      And I didn't neg you…

    • MonkEE on 23/06/2019 - 13:04

      People who pick up text errors are not very productive. Rather than answering the questions they just dodge it..

      I was a casual employees for the election-counting. I am not a writer for them..

      • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2019 - 13:11
        -5

        "I was a casual employees for the election-counting. I am not a writer for them.."

        That's luckies.

        • Ryanek on 23/06/2019 - 13:21

          I bet you're fun at parties.

          • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2019 - 13:45
            -7

            @Ryanek: What would be the best name for an opportunist who trails downvoted comments hoping for validation?

            • Ryanek on 23/06/2019 - 15:56
              +2

              @[Deactivated]: I take it back, you sound intolerable.

              • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2019 - 19:22
                -3

                @Ryanek: Guilty conscience?

        • Cheeper on 23/06/2019 - 20:37

          I wonder what other languages Frugal Rock can write in? MonkEE can do more that one I am sure…

          • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2019 - 21:20
            -1

            @Cheeper: More that one, huh. Is that pidgin?

  • mick123 on 23/06/2019 - 12:52
    -1

    Breaking News: Government lies to, and rorts, its citizens…

  • AdosHouse on 23/06/2019 - 13:30

    So what hours did you work and on what days?

    • MonkEE on 23/06/2019 - 17:16

      It was from 5-12pm Saturday and 9-5pm Sunday.

  • simplyme on 23/06/2019 - 13:54
    +3

    My husband worked in charge at one of the polling booths that happened to be the drop off point for all the surrounding voting booths. So he worked from 7am til 2am as he had to wait for all other voting booths to drop off their voting papers for the courier. Prior to that long day there was about 11 or more hours spent on preparing.
    He got paid $1047 and said whilst he enjoyed doing the work, it wasn't worth it for all the hours he put in.

    • AdosHouse on 23/06/2019 - 17:15

      So how many hours did he work in total?

      • buckster on 23/06/2019 - 17:44

        Hmmmm

        7am to 2am - 19 hours.
        11 hours preparing

        30 hours total.

        • whooah1979 on 23/06/2019 - 18:27
          +1

          Are government employees legally allowed to work 19hr in one shift?

        • AdosHouse on 23/06/2019 - 19:28

          Just wanted to clarify it was only the two days.

          I'd do 30 hours for $1047. That's $55k pay if worked out yearly.

          • simplyme on 23/06/2019 - 20:02
            +1

            @AdosHouse: No, it was 2-3 hours online training, then 3 hours at a training centre. Counting all the voting papers prior and other stuff out of 7 boxes. Probably at least an hour a night for 5 nights. Picking up and dropping off keys to school. 2 hours setting up Polling booth the night before plus 19 hours on the day. It was all quite time consuming. That $1047 included 2 hours overtime and no tax.

            • Cheeper on 23/06/2019 - 20:39
              +2

              @simplyme: Those that think it is easy money should try it before they give their expert opinion.
              I have done it a few times and you do earn your $.

              • AdosHouse on 23/06/2019 - 21:08
                +1

                @Cheeper: I don't think it is easy money, I'm not stupidly thinking it is just standing around and giving out ballot papers. But I think it is pretty decent money for the hours and work.

            • AdosHouse on 23/06/2019 - 21:07

              @simplyme: I see, so more spread out, with training and the endless counting. Still think that is decent pay.

    • Rockets84 on 24/06/2019 - 10:13
      +2

      My Dad and I both used to work for the AEC as casuals on elections. I first started when I was a student and got to the 2nd in charge level after working a few elections. That tells you that there's a high turn over of people election to election. My Dad was in charge of an area of polling booths. It's very long hours on the actual day, generally a few hours the night before to setup and of course the hours of training you need to do before hand. When I was a student the money was good but once I got a decent full time job it wasn't worth my time after the tax had come out. The last election I worked some one backed into my car in the car park and broke the tail light in my Fairmont. I wound up spending most of what I'd made on the election replacing the tail light with a used one from the wreckers. My dad stopped around the same time as me as he felt the money wasn't worth it either, he'd worked elections for the AEC for decades and had said that when he started the money was very good but by the end not so much even for the level he was at.

      • Chandler on 24/06/2019 - 13:16

        there's a high turn over of people election to election

        I think the good ones who come back to higher positions crack it after having to deal with the bad ones in the position/s they did well themsevles previously. Rinse and repeat.

  • Hardlyworkin on 23/06/2019 - 14:18

    It's all about the evidence you have to prove a higher rate was told to you or agrees upon?

    Was it in a conversation or email?

    • MonkEE on 23/06/2019 - 17:18

      I had proof. They send me an email confirm the job and rate.

  • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2019 - 16:00

    I emailed the people at AEC

    What were their response?

    • MonkEE on 23/06/2019 - 17:19

      They just said they will contact pay and look into it. It has been 2 weeks. I got no further response.

      • lgacb08 on 25/06/2019 - 12:11

        Typical government employer so dont rush. Someone with broken hip can wait for years so looks like your case will take a while.

  • zaddaz on 23/06/2019 - 16:26
    +2

    Did they pay you super as well? The difference is about 9%

    • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2019 - 16:38

      So the rate quoted was inclusive of super?

    • MonkEE on 23/06/2019 - 17:22

      The amount stated is the gross amount.

    • jelko on 23/06/2019 - 21:42
      +1

      Why should you get superannuation? The OP worked 2 days!

      • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2019 - 23:38
        +2

        I think you still get paid super (which seems silly in this instance) but if you earn over around $500 a month then you have to get paid super.

  • johninmelb on 23/06/2019 - 17:07
    +3

    I only worked on the Saturday as a Polling Assistant. I was on an agreed rate for the day, regardless of the hours I worked. I was paid that package rate. So I had no problems regarding my pay or with the AEC. I know that doesn't help, but much and all as I distrust government, I doubt they set out to deliberately deceive in these sorts of things.

    I suspect that somewhere along the line there has been a miscommunication. However, if you have an email and you claimed italic, "The original rate discussed and confirmed to me on email was:……." italic, then there shouldn't be a problem sorting it out.

    (Sorry, can't get italics to work! Someone tell me what I am doing wrong please.

    • Quantumcat on 23/06/2019 - 17:15

      Click on "Formatting help". It's text between single asterisks that gets converted to italics.

      • johninmelb on 23/06/2019 - 17:33
        +1

        Thank you. I misinterpreted the Help. I thought one had to write italic within the asterisks as shown. All good, happy to learn new things.

  • adam on 23/06/2019 - 20:51
    +2

    The rates you've quoted that they quoted initially sound like what the OIC rates were, they may have quoted you the wrong rate. Not fair to quote you one rate and you not to got it but I can't see them fixing it.

  • brad1-8tsi on 23/06/2019 - 21:42
    +4

    You got overtime?

    I've given up working at the state & federal elections as the Saturday is usually 7.15-23.00 (it was 24.15 at last NSW state election) due to really disorganised Election Centre Managers and running out of voting material.

    The best you can do is email the area manager and also the AEC itself. You'll achieve more by shouting into a tunnel.

  • stephjess3 on 24/06/2019 - 08:46
    +1

    The rates initially quoted were right, they may have quoted you wrong rates. The $23.66 per hour base rate was what I got quoted, I worked the Saturday 18th night 7pm until 1.30am Sunday morning.
    If I was you I would phone them again or physically go to
    There office. My pay did not go in when they told me it would so I physically went to there office in Perth City WA and got it sorted out as I spoke to a manager there and by the next pay cycle it was in my bank account! Take all your proof and documentation and copies of emails that’s what I did, all sorted!

  • mjcoll123 on 24/06/2019 - 15:40

    I worked on the Saturday for the first time and I felt a bit sorry for all the people who did 7 am to 11 pm, although I could have used the money! I worked pretty much flat out from 4 pm to about 11.30 pm. I was the person responsible for taking everything to the main collection polling booth and I didn’t get paid for the mileage I was supposed to, but since it would have been a whole $1.60 or something I won’t be kicking up a stink! I was paid a set amount that was paid in the same week as the next public service payday, so I was happy enough with that. I think it worked out to be about $33 an hour, not including the training time. It does say something in the notes about payment possibly taking up to 30 days but it’s well past that now, so I’d be wanting to know what was going on if it were me.

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