Workplace Profile (WPP)

You can choose any date during the reporting period to complete your Workplace Profile. However, please note that the Questionnaire and Workforce Management Statistics must always relate to the full 12-month reporting period (ending 31 March of the year the report is due). 

In the Workplace Profile you must identify the salary and remuneration paid to relevant employees in the 12 months before the chosen snapshot date. 

• The most common date employers choose is 31 March, as this means the entire submission relates to the same 12 months: the 12-month reporting period is the same as the 12 months preceding the snapshot date.
• However, you can choose a date which is representative of your organisation’s normal workforce – for example, if your organisation has seasonal highs and lows.

Recommended 31 March snapshot date:

Example of an employer choosing June 30 as their snapshot date:

• In this example, the Workplace Profile would be populated with all employees who were employed on June 30.
• For either template, you will need to identify the salary and remuneration paid to employees in the 12 months before the chosen snapshot date (in this example, 1 July to 30 June). 

In the Unit Level template, you must use the actual earnings of your organisation’s employees and calculate each to an annualised full-time equivalent amount. You then need to enter the final calculated amounts into two columns (Base Salary and Total Remuneration).

In the STP/payroll template you must enter the actual earnings of your organisation’s employees into each payment column (along with the employee’s ordinary hours and start date) for the template to calculate each amount to an annualised full-time equivalent standard.

You can find and download the Unit Level template and STP/payroll template on the Reporting templates page.

You can choose any date during the reporting period to complete your Workplace Profile. However, please note that the Questionnaire and Workforce Management Statistics must always relate to the full 12-month reporting period (ending 31 December of the year before the report is due). 

In the Workplace Profile you must identify the salary and remuneration paid to relevant employees in the 12 months before the chosen snapshot date. 

• The most common date employers choose is 31 December, as this means the entire submission relates to the same 12 months: the 12-month reporting period is the same as the 12 months preceding the snapshot date. We recommend choosing 31 December as your snapshot date.
   
• However, you can choose a date which is representative of your organisation’s normal workforce – for example, if your organisation has seasonal highs and lows.

Recommended 31 December snapshot date:

Example of an employer choosing 30 June as their snapshot date:

• In this example the Workplace Profile would be populated with employees who were employed on June 30.
• For either template, you will need to identify the salary and remuneration paid to employees in the 12 months before the chosen snapshot date (in this example, 1 July to 30 June).

In the Unit Level template, you must use the actual earnings of your organisation’s employees and calculate each to an annualised full-time equivalent amount. You then need to enter the final calculated amounts into two columns (Base Salary and Total Remuneration).

In the STP/payroll template you must enter the actual earnings of your organisation’s employees into each payment column (along with the employee’s ordinary hours and start date) for the template to calculate each amount to an annualised full-time equivalent standard.

You can find and download the Unit Level template and STP/payroll template on the Reporting templates page.

This is the default file that is suitable for all users and contains the least amount of data entry.

• Users generally encounter fewer data entry and quality issues as there is less data entry required overall.
   
• You have control over the final salary/remuneration figures as they are final figures provided by you and are not automatically calculated from the information on the file.
   
• As you are doing your own calculation, you can account for unpaid leave or irregular working hours. The STP file, on the other hand, will require you to adjust certain fields to ensure that the automatic calculation factors in periods of unpaid leave or irregular hours.
   
• You will only need to provide two figures for each employee – their annualised, full-time equivalent base salary and their total remuneration amount.

Notes for the Unit Level template

• Base salary amounts represent the payments for ordinary work (wages, salary payments). Total remuneration represents the entire sum of payments made to an employee, and includes superannuation and bonuses. You can find more information about what to include for each amount on the Unit level remuneration page. 
   
• You must enter the base salary and total remuneration for each employee expressed as annualised and full-time equivalent earnings.
   
• You must use the actual earnings for each employee for the 12 months prior to your snapshot date as the basis for this calculation.

The templates are available for download on the Reporting templates page.

This file is designed for payroll or finance specialists and requires you to provide the actual amounts paid to employees, split up into component parts (with an indication if the payment was pro-rata or a fixed amount).

• Preparation requires an advanced knowledge of payment information, types and terms.
   
• You need to split all payments made to the employee into their component parts, and indicate whether they were paid on a fixed/one-off or pro-rata basis.
   
• You need to provide additional data relating to the employees’ ordinary hours and start date, as well as information on full-time ordinary hours and the snapshot date.
   
• The file uses the payments split into component parts, and the additional information, to calculate any pro-rata payment up to the full-year/full-time equivalent amounts.
   
• You can choose the full-time ordinary hours of work the STP file calculates to – for example 38 hours/week, 76 hours/fortnight. If your workplace has multiple full-time standards for different workforces, you must submit separate files for each cohort.
   
• For casual employees and employees who have changed their hours in the 12-month period (for example from full-time to part-time) you can choose full-time ordinary hours of work based on yearly hours (for example, 1976 hours/year).

Notes for the STP/Payroll template

• If your organisation has groups of employees that work different full-time ordinary hours (such as your casual cohort), you should upload a separate Workplace Profile for each group. This will ensure all remuneration is correctly converted to annualised, full-time equivalent amounts.
   
• You must enter the actual earnings of the employee in each category. The template uses the employee’s start date and ordinary hours figure to calculate their earnings into full-year/full time equivalent amounts.

The templates are available for download on the Reporting templates page.
 

This table will be updated if WGEA is made aware of any other scenarios. Please send an email to support@wgea.gov.au if you require advice.

Please note:

• In the Unit Level file, the total remuneration figure for each employee must include the employee’s base salary amount. 
   
• Company car payments: if the car is a tool of trade, it is not included. If the car is part of the employee's salary package it should be included in the Workplace Profile. 
   
• Reimbursements:  reimbursing employees for work-related expenses (including travel, accommodation, meals and work equipment), is not employee income and should not be reported as remuneration. 

The data entered into the Workplace Profile for salary and remuneration should be based on employees’ actual earnings in the 12-month reporting period. There are two types of employees whose actual earnings may not be reflective of an employee’s pay rate:

• Employees who were on unpaid leave for a portion the reporting period
• Employees who took a period of leave at a pay rate that was not reflective of their standard pay rate (i.e. leave at ½ pay).

If an employee was paid at a rate that is no reflective of their standard pay rate, please treat this as a period of unpaid leave and disregard the payments made to the employee while they are on leave.

Unit Level file

You will need to provide a base salary and total remuneration amount that is based on the employee's actual earnings for the period they were at work.

• Divide the employee’s actual earnings by the number of weeks they worked during the 12-month period. This is the weekly pay rate.
• Multiply the weekly pay rate by 52 (weeks in a year). This is the annualised amount.

STP/Payroll file

This template calculates payments to a full-year/full-time standard. When entering the component parts of your employees pay, please exclude leave payments made at a reduced pay rate, instead treat this as unpaid leave.

Unpaid leave can be accounted for in this file by treating the employee as a part-year employee.

• Determine the length of time that the employee has been on unpaid leave in the 12-month period up to your snapshot date.
• If the employee worked the full year (apart from the period of unpaid leave): change the start date of this employee to 12 months before the snapshot date and then add on the period of unpaid leave to adjust the start date.
• If the employee did not work the full year (apart from the period of unpaid leave): change the start date of this employee to be when they started and then add on the period of unpaid leave.