ALLOWANCE REVIEW SERVICE
Ensure fairness, compliance, and cost-efficiency in your employee allowances with evidence-backed insights and actionable governance tools.
Service Summary
What We Do
Audit & Benchmark
Comprehensive review and benchmarking of employee allowances against industry standards, including detailed pay practice comparisons across peers and sectors. We translate raw market data into clear guidance so you can see exactly where your policies over or under-shoot the market.
Compliance Alignment
Ensure full alignment with Fair Work and ATO requirements, documenting how each allowance is justified and administered. We surface latent compliance gaps and outline the practical steps needed to close them before the next audit or workforce review.
Strategic Optimization
Optimize for cost efficiency, fairness, and Employee Value Proposition by modelling alternative allowance mixes, tiering rules, and eligibility triggers. Our team partners with finance and HR to forecast impact and align outcomes with broader reward strategy.
Why It Matters
Avoid Legal Risk
Mitigate compliance risks and potential legal issues through proper allowance management, with evidence-based recommendations you can share with boards and regulators. We catalogue the policy rationale so you maintain a defensible position if challenged.
Eliminate Inequity
Create fair and transparent allowance structures across all employee levels, supported by scenario testing that highlights where inequities might emerge. Employees get clearer communication, and leaders gain confidence the allowance framework is principled and consistent.
Modern Work Alignment
Adapt to contemporary work models including remote work and FIFO arrangements by stress-testing how your policies respond to new rosters, hybrid patterns, and mobility demands. We deliver guidance you can immediately embed into contracts, HRIS workflows, and manager toolkits.
Allowances Reviewed
On-Call Allowance
Compensation for standby availability, including structured escalation rules and clarity on when employees transition from passive to active duty. We ensure your policy recognises lifestyle disruption while keeping rostering predictable.
Tool of Trade (TOT)
Equipment and tool provisions covering ownership, depreciation, and maintenance responsibilities. We help you decide when to reimburse, provide company assets, or offer stipends based on actual field usage.
Car / Vehicle Allowance
Vehicle usage and maintenance costs across pooled, novated, and employee-owned arrangements. Our modelling factors in geography, mileage bands, fuel assumptions, and FBT compliance so leaders can pick the most efficient path.
Mobile / Communications
Phone and communication expenses, including personal device reimbursements, data packs, and remote connectivity requirements. We codify how hardware is issued, upgraded, and reclaimed to minimise ambiguity.
Housing / LAFHA
Living away from home allowances that respect tax rules while balancing employee experience. We outline eligibility windows, proof requirements, and how to transition benefits when assignments end.
Meal & Uniform
Meal and clothing allowances that recognise shift work, travel, and safety mandates. Our framework distinguishes between taxable benefits and reimbursable expenses so payroll processing stays clean.
Remote Work
Home office and remote work support, from ergonomic equipment stipends to utility offsets. We advise on the right cadence for refresh cycles and the controls needed for distributed workforces.
Location/Site-Based
Site-specific and location allowances that reflect hardship, climate, and scarcity conditions. We benchmark rates across mining, energy, and regional services to keep your teams competitive and motivated.
Our Review Framework
Diagnostic Audit
Comprehensive analysis of current systems, processes, and performance metrics to identify gaps and opportunities
Market Benchmarking
Compare performance against industry standards and best practices to establish competitive positioning
Policy & Compliance Review
Evaluate regulatory requirements, compliance status, and policy alignment with business objectives
Cost & Impact Modelling
Quantify financial implications and project ROI for proposed changes and strategic initiatives
Design & Recommendations
Develop tailored solutions and actionable roadmap for implementation and continuous improvement
Outcomes & Value
Fair and Modernised Policies
Updated frameworks that reflect current best practices and ensure equitable treatment across all stakeholders.
Reduced Compliance and FBT Risks
Minimized regulatory exposure through proactive risk management and streamlined compliance processes.
Stronger EVP
Enhanced Employee Value Proposition that attracts top talent and improves retention rates.
Cost-effective Structure
Optimized operational framework that maximizes efficiency while reducing unnecessary expenditures.
Increased Transparency
Clear communication channels and open processes that build trust and accountability throughout the organization.
Clarity That Holds Up Under Scrutiny
Every allowance tells a story about how work gets done. We unpack that story by speaking with finance, HR, and operational leaders to map the original intent, the way the payment operates today, and the risks created by new ways of working. The output is not just a spreadsheet—it is a documented framework that links each allowance to a business rationale, funding source, compliance rule, and communication plan.
You receive implementation-ready materials that make it easy to socialise the changes with managers and employees. Handbooks, policy excerpts, and payroll configuration notes are packaged together so your HRIS team, accountants, and people leaders can move in lock-step. The result is a streamlined allowance ecosystem that balances fairness, cost, and compliance without adding administrative drag.