FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Western Sydney University established the Pay Confidence Program to review and strengthen its payroll and employment arrangements to ensure everyone is paid correctly and on time.

The University is committed to doing the right thing by our people.

This is an enterprise-wide initiative to address historical payroll discrepancies and ensure a sustainable, compliant payroll system across the University and its wholly- owned entities (Western Sydney University The College and Western Sydney University Early Learning Limited). It is expected to run until December 2028.

The Vice-Chancellor unreservedly apologised for letting staff down and acknowledged that any historical underpayments, where they exist, are completely unacceptable. Western Sydney University is committed to correcting errors in a careful, employee-focused, accurate, and fair manner.

If you are a current or former staff member who has been impacted, you will be contacted via the email details we have on record for you. We will make contact once remediation calculations have been finalised and individual outcomes have been confirmed.

You may be sent more than one communication during the life of the Program. This reflects a deliberate decision to act as soon as possible where an issue is confirmed, so that remediation payments can be made without delay.

In practical terms, this means you may receive separate emails about different matters if they impact you. You may also receive separate remediation payments and corrections.

Yes. Western Sydney University, Western Sydney University The College and Western Sydney University Early Learning Limited staff are included.

Impacted current and former staff will be contacted by the Pay Confidence team using the contact details on record once outcomes have been validated and finalised. For former staff, the communication will also outline the steps they will need to take (for example, identity verification and confirmation of bank account details) before payment can be processed. Given the importance of accuracy, information will only be communicated once it has been validated, confirmed, and completed.

Former staff can submit a request by emailing payconfidence@westernsydney.edu.au.

Current staff can update their details via Staff Online by accessing My HR and updating Personal Details.

The timeframe covered by the Pay Confidence Program is 1 July 2018 onward. This date aligns with the start of the 2018-19 financial year shortly after commencement of the 2017 enterprise agreements.

The review period forms part of the Program’s methodology and is being applied consistently across all payments being reviewed under the Program.

Payments will commence in 2026 and are expected to continue through to December 2028.

Yes, the remediation amount will include any applicable interest calculated in accordance with the Federal Court pre-judgement Guidelines. Applicable interest will also be paid on Superannuation payments.

For your security, please only supply personal and financial information via the secure links provided in official emails from Western Sydney University. If you have any questions or concerns about the validity of an email or link, contact the Pay Confidence Team directly at payconfidence@westernsydney.edu.au before providing any details.

Information provided by the University in relation to remediation is general in nature and does not constitute financial advice. The University and its operational teams cannot provide personal financial advice, including advice on taxation, superannuation, or family and government benefits. Current and former staff are encouraged to seek independent professional advice to understand any implications specific to their individual circumstances.

Former staff are included in the Program. The University acknowledges this may raise questions for former staff from the University and its wholly owned entities.

Once calculations have been completed and verified, the University will proactively contact impacted former staff using the email contact details we have on record.

As part of this process, former staff will be asked to verify their identity, confirm their current contact details, provide bank and superannuation details so any payment can be made securely and correctly. This will require time and we will aim to make the process as straightforward as possible. Interest applicable to payments will also be made.

The University has a legal obligation to make these payments directly to you and are unable to make a donation on your behalf.

If you would like to give to a specific cause at Western Sydney University, you can find out more here.

If you have questions or would like further information, please contact payconfidence@westernsydney.edu.au and a team member will respond.

If you are a current member of staff, the Pay Confidence SharePoint has additional information.