00:02Looking over letters from the Australian Taxation Office and finding few answers.
00:08I didn't realise that I wasn't getting paid until one of the other ladies left and I had heard that
00:14she hadn't been paid through another employee.
00:18The ATO agreed Pauline and Angela were owed thousands of dollars in superannuation by their former employer and the agency
00:25would start efforts to recoup that money.
00:28But 18 months later, neither received a single dollar back or been given any further information.
00:34All I ever used to get was, no we can't give you any information because it's an invasion of privacy.
00:40I wasn't asking for financial details or anything like that.
00:43I just wanted to know when I could maybe possibly think about getting that superannuation paid to me.
00:50It's such a problem, some major superannuation funds have hired private firms to help recoup money owed to members.
00:57Our experience has largely seen that the ATO, if they are going to intervene, it's much further down the track.
01:04The ATO declined our request for an interview, but in a statement told us it is serious about ensuring employers
01:10comply with their super obligations and dedicate significant resources to recovering debt.
01:16They also pointed to their data, which shows 92% of super contributions by dollar value are paid voluntarily by
01:24employers.
01:25But industry experts say that figure hides the on the ground impact where one in four workers, often in low
01:32paid jobs, are shortchanged on their super.
01:34It's really important that we see payday super laws having been passed, now matched with that much better proactive action
01:41from the regulator to ensure that that follow through is done.
01:45But for those with debt from years prior, it's not enough.
01:49I'd like partial penalties and more transparency.
01:52Two of millions of workers waiting for what they're owed.
01:57Two of millions of recharge fees.��
