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Industry Core - Wages

KISS wages guide for dry cleaning, laundry, alterations and shoe cleaning owners.

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DCME Industry Core

Staff Wages — KISS Business Survival Guide

Paying staff correctly is not just payroll. It protects quality, cashflow, customers, compliance and the future value of the business.

12%Super from 1 Jul 2025
7 yrsKeep records
MA000096Award check
KISSOwner language

The KISS Rule

Staff are not just wages.
They are your production engine, quality control, customer experience and risk protection.

Quality

  • Fewer damaged garments
  • Less re-cleaning
  • Better checking

Speed

  • Faster production
  • Better turnaround
  • Less backlog

Customer Trust

  • Better service
  • Fewer complaints
  • Better reviews

Business Risk

  • Fair Work exposure
  • Backpay risk
  • Penalty risk
KISS meaning: staff are not a cost to cut blindly. Poorly paid or poorly managed staff create bigger hidden costs.

Why Paying Correctly Matters

Underpaying Staff Can Destroy the Business

  • Backpay can go back years.
  • Super must be corrected.
  • Records and payslips must be accurate.
  • Fair Work penalties can be serious.
  • Reputation damage can be worse than the fine.

Correct Pay Protects the Business

  • Staff stay longer.
  • Quality improves.
  • Training costs fall.
  • Customer complaints reduce.
  • The business becomes safer to grow.
Most owners do not intentionally underpay. They get caught by award rules, overtime, allowances, breaks, penalties, public holidays and poor records.

Cheap Labour Becomes Expensive Labour

What owners think they save

$2/hr
small saving

What can be lost

  • One good staff member
  • Training time
  • Customer confidence
  • Quality control
  • Production speed

Real replacement cost

$8,000+
hiring, training, mistakes and lost productivity
In dry cleaning and laundry, a bad labour decision can become damaged garments, wedding gown claims, wrong spotting chemicals, burn marks, lost items and bad reviews.

True Staff Cost Calculator

This is an owner education calculator. Always verify live award rates and classifications before payroll.

A $26/hr worker is not a $26/hr cost once super, leave, workers comp, training, admin and mistakes are included.
Base weekly wage$988.00
Casual loading$0.00
Super$118.56
Workers comp estimate$24.70
Leave/admin/training estimate$148.20
Total employer cost$1,279.46
True hourly cost$33.67/hr

2026 Compliance Snapshot

Area KISS Meaning Owner Risk DCME Action
Super Guarantee
12%		 Super is part of the real wage cost, not optional. Late or short super creates debt and penalty pressure. Track as a liability from every pay run.
Award Rates
MA000096		 Dry cleaning and laundry workers must be classified correctly. Wrong level means backpay risk. Map role, level, hours and penalties.
Records & Payslips
7 years		 If you cannot prove it, you are exposed. Missing records make audits dangerous. Store hours, rates, payslips and approvals.
Labour %
Profit Signal		 Labour must be compared against revenue and production. High labour % can hide before cash disappears. Predict pressure before it becomes cashflow damage.

Why the DCME Predictive Brain Watches Staff

Normal payroll records what happened. DCME watches for what is about to go wrong.

Labour % RisingRevenue is not keeping up with wages.
Overtime PressureStaff are stretched or scheduling is wrong.
Rework IncreasingFatigue, training or process issues are appearing.
Award RiskRates, penalties, breaks or allowances need checking.
DCME goal: warn the owner before wages, staff pressure or award mistakes damage profit, customers or compliance.

Staff Wages — Owner Checklist

Every Pay Run

  • Correct classification
  • Correct hours
  • Correct overtime
  • Correct allowances
  • Correct super

Every Week

  • Check labour %
  • Check staff productivity
  • Check rework and mistakes
  • Check overtime trend
  • Check roster pressure

Every Month

  • Review true wage cost
  • Review staff turnover
  • Review training gaps
  • Review award updates
  • Review wage liability
Pay correctly. Train properly. Track intelligently.
Because staff are not just wages — they are the business.

Guidance note: this module is an owner education guide and should not replace payroll/legal advice. Always verify final rates, classifications and penalties with Fair Work and ATO sources before live payroll.