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Australian Bureau of Statistics
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Survey Participant Information - Average Weekly Earnings |
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SURVEY OF AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS - HELP PAGE Recent changes to the survey What is the survey reference period? What if my business does not have any employees? What if my business did not operate during the reference period (e.g. seasonal businesses)? How was my business selected in the survey? How long will I be on the survey? What types of businesses are included in the survey? What is the purpose of the survey? Recent changes to the survey Online survey forms From May 2013, the ABS has introduced online survey forms as the primary method of data collection for the Survey of Average Weekly Earnings. Online survey forms provide a quick, easy and secure way to complete and submit your survey forms. If you have any technical problems or concerns about using and submitting the online survey form, please call 1800 196 206 (Freecall excluding mobile phones). For general queries about using the online survey form, please see eSurvey - Help. Change in survey frequency The frequency of the Average Weekly Earnings series changed from quarterly to biannual in 2012. The May 2012 quarter was the last quarterly survey and the November 2012 the first survey conducted on a biannual basis. This means that from November 2012, survey data providers are only required to complete a questionnaire twice a year. It is anticipated that the length of time a business is selected on the survey will not change. That is, businesses are still likely to remain on the survey for approximately three years (excluding those businesses considered significant to the survey results, which will remain on the survey on an ongoing basis). The survey will continue to be collected and processed on exactly the same basis as before for the two remaining quarters, with data collected for the reference week ending the third Friday of the middle month of the quarter. What is the survey reference period? The reference period for the Survey of Average Weekly Earnings is the last pay period ending on or before 17 May 2013. If the pay period reported for is longer than a week (for example, fortnightly or monthly payrolls), please include only one week's proportion of earnings. If your organisation has more than one payroll, please report for all payrolls of the organisation as outlined on the address label at the beginning of the form. What if my business does not have any employees? Some businesses operate without any employees (for example, businesses operated entirely by owners of unincorporated entities). In this case, please notify the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on 1800 196 206 (Freecall excluding mobile phones). In order for the ABS to determine the correct course of action for this business, you will be asked a few questions (for example, is there is any intention for the business to employ in the future?). What if my business did not operate during the reference period (e.g. seasonal businesses)? If the business you are reporting for has ceased operating or did not operate during the reference period please notify the ABS on 1800 196 206 (Freecall excluding mobile phones). In order for the ABS to determine the correct course of action for this business, you will be asked a few questions (for example, what is the seasonal pattern of the business or when did the business last operate?). How was my business selected in the survey? A sample of approximately 5,500 businesses is randomly selected on the Survey of Average Weekly Earnings. Selected businesses receive the survey questionnaire and represent other similar businesses in the same employment size range, broad industry, sector and state or territory. The sample is selected from the Australian Business Register which contains the names and addresses of all businesses that have registered an ABN with the Australian Taxation Office. How long will I be on the survey? The length of time you will be on the Survey of Average Weekly Earnings generally depends upon the size of your business. Some larger businesses will remain on the survey on an ongoing basis because of their significance to the survey results. Smaller businesses will generally be included in the biannual survey for approximately three years (meaning they will be required to complete approximately seven biannual questionnaires). However, there can be some exceptions to this rule. For example, where a small business has a significant impact on the survey results, these businesses may also be included in the survey on an ongoing basis. What types of businesses are included in the survey? The Survey of Average Weekly Earnings collects data from the public and private sectors, from businesses of varying employment sizes and from all industries except those engaged primarily in agriculture, forestry or fishing. In addition, for a business to be included in the survey, it must employ staff that are within the scope of the survey. All wage and salary earners who received pay for last pay period ending on or before 17 May 2013 are considered in scope of the survey, excluding:
If you believe your business has been incorrectly included in the Survey of Average Weekly Earnings, please contact the ABS on 1800 196 206 (Freecall excluding mobile phones). What is the purpose of the survey? The purpose of the survey is to measure average gross weekly earnings associated with jobs in Australia. The data produced by the survey is used by a large number of users in both Commonwealth and State Government departments, employer associations and trade unions. Uses of the data include:
Data produced by the survey is published twice a year in Average Weekly Earnings, Australia (abs. cat. no. 6302.0). NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES Number of employees Q1 Full-time adults - Number of employees Q2 All other employees - Number of employees Number of employees The number of employees is a count of all employees who received pay for any part of the last pay period ending on or before 17 May 2013. It excludes casual or seasonal employees who are on the payroll, but did not work during this pay period. Please report for all employees based in Australia on all payrolls under the business listed on the label on the front of the form. If you are the owner-operator or partner of an unincorporated business, do not record yourself as an employee. A full list of employees to be included/excluded is provided on the survey form above questions 1 and 2 - Number of employees. For the purposes of the survey, employees are separated into Full-time adults and All other employees, as outlined in the following paragraphs. Q1 Full-time adults - Number of employees Full-time adults:
All other employees are those that are not full-time adults as defined above for Q1. All other employees include employees that are:
WEEKLY SALARY SACRIFICED EARNINGS Weekly salary sacrificed earnings Q3 Full-time adults - Weekly salary sacrificed earnings Q4 All other employees - Weekly salary sacrificed earnings Weekly salary sacrificed earnings Questions 3 and 4 collect the amount of weekly salary sacrificed earnings from pre-tax gross earnings, for the employees of this business as reported in questions 1 and 2. Salary sacrifice is defined as an arrangement where an employee agrees to forgo part of their pre-tax salary in return for benefits. Common types of salary sacrifice arrangements include pre-tax contributions to superannuation funds and novated leases for motor vehicles. If amounts are for more than one week (for example, fortnightly or monthly payrolls), please report only one week's proportion. Please include Fringe Benefits Tax incurred on benefits provided through a salary sacrifice arrangement, but exclude the value of fringe benefits (such as entertainment expenses) not provided through salary sacrifice arrangements. For the purposes of the survey, salary sacrificed earnings are separated into Full-time adults and All other employees, as described under the Number of employees section above. Q3 Full-time adults - Weekly salary sacrificed earnings At Q3, please report the salary sacrificed earnings for all Full-time adult employees, as reported in Q1. Q4 All other employees - Weekly salary sacrificed earnings At Q4, please report the salary sacrificed earnings for all Other employees, as reported in Q2. TAXABLE GROSS WEEKLY EARNINGS, INCLUDING OVERTIME Taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime Q5 Full-time adults - Taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime Q6 All other employees - Taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime Taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime Questions 5 and 6 collect the total taxable gross weekly earnings, before taxation and any other deductions have been made, for the employees of this business as reported in questions 1 and 2. It includes overtime (which is also requested separately in question 7) and penalty and shift payments, but excludes salary sacrificed earnings (please report this only in questions 3 and 4). If amounts are for more than one week (for example, fortnightly or monthly payrolls), please report only one week's proportion. A full list of what is to be included/excluded is provided on the survey form in questions 5 and 6 - Taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime. For the purposes of the survey, taxable gross weekly earnings are separated into Full-time adults and All other employees, as described under the Number of employees section above. Q5 Full-time adults - Taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime At Q5, please report the taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime, for all Full-time adult employees as reported in Q1. Q6 All other employees - Taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime At Q6, please report the taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime, for all Other employees as reported in Q2. WEEKLY OVERTIME EARNINGS FOR FULL-TIME ADULT EMPLOYEES Q7 Weekly overtime earnings for full-time adult employees Q7 Weekly overtime earnings for full-time adult employees Q7 collects the amount of weekly overtime earnings for full-time adult employees as reported in Q1. Overtime earnings are defined as that part of taxable gross weekly earnings paid for hours worked in excess of award, ordinary or agreed hours of work. Overtime earnings are collected for full-time adults only and should represent one week's worth of overtime earnings only. If amounts are for more than one week (for example, fortnightly or monthly payrolls), please report only one week's proportion. Overtime earnings should also be included in Questions 5 and 6 - Taxable gross weekly earnings, including overtime. Please include overtime paid at ordinary time rates and shift and penalty payments for overtime hours. Exclude shift and penalty payments for ordinary time hours worked. |
