6310.0 - Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia, Aug 2010 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/05/2011   
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GLOSSARY

Born in Australia

Includes persons born in Australia, Norfolk Island and Australian External Territories.

Casual loading

Provision by an employer of a higher rate of pay to compensate for not being entitled to paid holiday and/or paid sick leave.

Did not draw a wage or salary

Consists of persons who worked in their own incorporated enterprise only.

Employees

People who:

  • worked for a public or private employer; and
  • received remuneration in wages or salary; or are paid a retainer fee by their employer and worked on a commission basis, or tips, piece-rates or payment in kind; or
  • operated their own incorporated enterprise with or without hiring employees.

Full adult rate of pay

Full rate of pay an adult employee receives, as specified by employer. If an employee is not being paid at the full adult rate they may be paid a percentage of the adult rate dependent on their age or abilities. Adult employees are employees who are 21 years of age or over, and employees under 21 years old who are paid at the full adult rate for their occupation.

Full-time employees in main job

People who were employees in their main job and:
  • (for single job holders) usually work 35 hours or more a week, or usually work fewer than 35 hours but worked 35 hours or more in the reference week; or
  • (for multiple job holders) usually work 35 hours or more in their main job and those who, although usually working fewer than 35 hours in their main job, worked 35 hours or more in the reference week.

Full-time workers

Employed persons who usually worked 35 hours or more a week (in all jobs) and others who, although usually working fewer than 35 hours a week, worked 35 hours or more during the reference week. In this publication full-time workers relates to full-time workers who were employees in their main job.

Hours for which paid in main job

The number of hours for which employees were paid in their main job, not necessarily the number of hours actually worked during the reference week (e.g. an employee on paid leave for the week was asked to report the numb er of hours for which they were paid).

Hours worked

The number of hours actually worked during the reference week.

Industry of main job

An industry is a group of businesses or organisations that undertake similar economic activities to produce goods and/or services. In this publication, industry refers to ANZSIC Division as classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (cat. no. 1292.0).

Main English-speaking countries

The list of main English-speaking countries provided here is not an attempt to classify countries on the basis of whether or not English is the predominant or official language of each country. It is a list of the main countries from which Australia receives, or has received, significant numbers of overseas settlers who are likely to speak English. These countries comprise the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the United States of America.

Main job

The job in which most hours are usually worked.

Mean weekly earnings

The amount obtained by dividing the total earnings of a group by the number of employees in that group.

Median weekly earnings

The amount which divides the distribution of employees into two equal groups, one having earnings above and the other below that amount.

Multiple jobholder

Employed persons who, during the reference week, worked in a second job. Multiple jobholders exclude those who changed employer and those who held a second job from which they were absent during the reference week because of holidays, sickness or any other reason.

In this publication, a multiple jobholder relates to only those who were employees in their main job.

Information on earnings in main job is collected from all multiple jobholders. Information on earnings in second job is only collected from multiple jobholders who were employees in their second job.

No paid leave entitlements

Employees who do not have or do not know if they have either paid holiday leave, paid sick leave, paid long service leave and/or paid maternity/paternity leave in their main job.

Occupation of main job

An occupation is a collection of jobs that are sufficiently similar in their title and tasks, skill level and skill specialisation which are grouped together for the purposes of classification. In this publication occupation refers to Major Group as defined by ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, First Edition, Revision 1, 2009 (cat. no. 1220.0).

Owner managers of incorporated enterprises

People who work in their own incorporated enterprise, that is, a business entity which is registered as a separate legal entity to its members or owners (also known as a limited liability company).

Paid holiday leave

The entitlement of an employee to paid holiday, paid vacation or paid recreation leave in their main job.

Paid leave entitlements

The entitlement of employees (excluding OMIEs) to either paid holiday leave, paid sick leave, paid long service leave and/or paid maternity/paternity leave in their main job.

Paid long service leave

The entitlement of an employee to paid long service leave in their main job.

Paid maternity/paternity leave

The entitlement of an employee to paid maternity/paternity leave in their main job.

Paid set amount or by the hour

Employees with a fixed annual salary who get paid the same amount each pay period (excluding overtime and bonuses), regardless of the number of hours worked in the week are classed as 'paid by set amount'. Employees classed as 'paid by the hour' have their pay specifically determined by the number of hours they work each pay period.

Paid sick leave

The entitlement of an employee to paid sick leave in their main job.

Part-time employees in main job

People who were employees in their main job and:
  • (for single job holders) usually work fewer than 35 hours a week, and did so in the reference week; or
  • (for multiple job holders) actually worked fewer than 35 hours in their main job in the reference week, or were away from their main job but usually work fewer than 35 hours a week in their main job.

Part-time workers

Employed persons who usually worked fewer than 35 hours a week (in all jobs) and either did so during the reference week, or were not at work in the reference week. In this publication, part-time workers relates to part-time workers who were employees in their main job.

Reference week

The week preceding the week in which the interview was conducted.

Salary sacrifice

An arrangement under which an employee agrees contractually to forgo part of the remuneration which the employee would otherwise receive as wages and salaries in return for the employer or someone associated with the employer providing benefits of a similar value.

Second job

A job, other than the main job, in which some hours were worked during the reference week.

Sector of main job

Is used to classify a respondent’s employer as a public or private enterprise. The public sector includes all government units, such as government departments, non-market non-profit institutions that are controlled and mainly financed by government, and corporations and quasi-corporations that are controlled by government.

Size of location in main job

The number of persons employed at the location of the respondent’s main job by their employer.

Superannuation contributions

As a result of employment, employer has made superannuation contributions in the last 12 months into a Superannuation Scheme on behalf of employee in their main job.

Under the Superannuation Guarantee Act, 1992, employers are obliged to make superannuation contributions on behalf of most employees. There are some exempt employees: for example, employees aged less than 18 years who are not working more than 30 hours a week, employees aged 70 years and over, or employees who are paid less than $450 in a calendar month.

Trade union

An organisation consisting predominantly of employees, the principal activities of which include the negotiation of rates of pay and conditions of employment for its members.

Trade union member

Employees who are a member of a trade union, not necessarily in connection with their main job. For more information, see paragraphs 43 and 44 of the Explanatory Notes.

Trade union member in main job

Employees with membership in a trade union in connection with their main job.

Weekly earnings

Amount of ‘last total pay’ (i.e. before taxation, salary sacrifice and other deductions had been made) from wage and salary jobs prior to the interview. For persons paid other than weekly, earnings were converted to a weekly equivalent. No adjustment was made for any back payment of wage increases, prepayment of leave or bonuses, etc.

With paid leave entitlements

Employees (excluding OMIEs) who were entitled to either paid holiday leave or paid sick leave (or both) in their main job.

Without paid leave entitlements

Employees (excluding OMIEs) who were not entitled to paid holiday leave and paid sick leave, or did not know whether they were entitled to paid holiday leave or paid sick leave in their main job.