How will 'stapling' impact WA public sector employers?
17 September 2021
The Commonwealth Government's Your Future, Your Super reform package came into effect from 1 July 2021, delivering a number of changes to the super industry.
A key component of the package is the introduction of ‘stapling’ which applies to new employees joining private sector employers as from 1 November 2021.
As a WA public sector employer, you are exempt from the ‘stapling’ obligations and are not required to obtain information about a new employee’s existing superannuation from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
WA public sector employers (including State Government Departments, Statutory Authorities, Statutory Corporations, and Corporatised Government Trading Enterprises) are not required to make any changes to the way they currently onboard new starters and pay Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions.
Your step-by-step guide to employer super obligations from 1 November
You may receive a communication from the ATO in the coming weeks notifying you of new employer obligations under the stapling requirements. As noted, these will not apply to WA public sector employers.
| Before 1 November 2021 | As of 1 November 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | All employees who are eligible for SG contributions are able to choose a super fund. You are required to provide a Standard choice form as soon as possible (but within 28 days of their start date). | All employees who are eligible for SG contributions are able to choose a super fund. You are required to provide a Standard choice form as soon as possible (but within 28 days of their start date). If an employee has a stapling arrangement in place with a super fund, this stapling arrangement does not carry over to WA State Government employment. There is no requirement for public sector employers to log into the ATO online service. Employees will need to complete a Standard Choice form to have their SG contributions paid into their chosen super fund. |
| Step 2 | As an employer, it is your responsibility to check whether the fund an employee has nominated is a complying fund. To check whether a fund is complying, you can look up the fund through our GESB Clearing House complying fund register. You can also visit Super Fund Lookup to check whether a fund is complying. | No change. |
| Step 3 | Start paying contributions into each employee’s choice of fund within two months of when they choose a fund. If you are a WA public sector employer, you are generally required to make contributions for employees on a fortnightly basis. | No change. |
| Step 4 | Start paying contributions to the default fund (GESB) if an eligible employee does not choose a fund within 28 days, or if you can’t accept their choice of fund (e.g. because of an incomplete or invalid application). | No change. |
| Step 5 | An employee can choose a fund as often as they like, and employers may have to pay super contributions to more than one super fund. | No change. |
We're here to help
As the default fund for most State Government employers, we have over 80 years’ experience managing and administering the super and retirement savings of more than 240,000 current and former public sector employees. Learn more about us.
Our dedicated and experienced Key Account Management team is here to help. If you have any questions about the Your Future, Your Super reforms, contact one of our Key Account Managers.
News and updates
- Find out more about Your Future, Your Super
- Find out more about what Your Future, Your Super reforms mean for employers
Thank you for printing this page. Remember to come back to gesb.wa.gov.au for the latest information as our content is updated regularly. This information is correct as at 03 May 2024.