Unterversicherung und Falschangaben bei Lohnmeldungen

Definition

Australian workers’ compensation schemes require employers to obtain accident insurance and accurately report wages/remuneration for all workers, including many contractors deemed workers under state legislation, with premiums then calculated from this declared remuneration and industry classification.[3][5][7][8] Advisory material on WorkCover Industry Classifications notes that claims costs are linked to the employer’s premium rate for businesses over AUD 200,000 remuneration, and that rateable remuneration (wages and other entitlements paid to employees) is a key determinant of premium size.[5] Where a media production company under‑declares wages (e.g. failing to include casual crew, freelance production staff who meet statutory worker definitions, or overtime/allowances), it initially pays lower premiums but becomes exposed to retrospective assessments, interest and penalties following WorkCover/WorkSafe audits or claims investigations. While specific state penalty figures are not quoted in the retrieved pages, state schemes commonly have statutory powers to impose shortfall premiums, administrative penalties and interest on unpaid amounts for misreported or unreported wages, particularly when under‑insurance is discovered after a claim. Logic based on premium tables suggests that for a media production employer with AUD 2 million in true annual remuneration but only AUD 1.5 million declared, under‑reporting 25% of wages would under‑pay annual premiums by several percentage points of the shortfall, e.g. with a 2–3% industry rate this equates to AUD 10,000–15,000 per year.[5][9] Over a typical 3–4 year audit look‑back period, cumulative back‑premiums and interest can easily reach AUD 40,000–60,000, with additional legal/advisory costs. Media production often engages project‑based workers, casual crew and contractors across different locations and activities (on‑set, post‑production, office), increasing the risk of misclassifying who is a worker for workers’ compensation and which wages attach to which classification or location.[3][4][7][8] Without systematic classification and wage mapping, finance and payroll teams may inconsistently treat these categories, leading to non‑compliance and financial exposure that only surfaces on claim or audit.

Why This Matters

The Pitch: Media production businesses in Australia 🇦🇺 risk AUD 50,000+ in back‑premiums and penalties over a few years by misreporting wages and worker categories. Automating wage capture, award/role mapping and contractor vs. employee treatment reduces audit exposure and cash‑flow shocks.

Affected Stakeholders

CFO, Financial Controller, Payroll Manager, HR Manager, Production Manager, External Accountant or Bookkeeper

Related Business Risks