---
title: "Check payroll against your enterprise agreement | Certant"
description: "Certant compares each rate in your payroll export with the pay tables in your enterprise agreement, by classification, pay point and effective date."
url: "https://certant.ai/use-cases/payroll-agreement-checks"
---

For payroll managers and employers

# Check payroll against your enterprise agreement

Certant compares each rate in your payroll export with the pay tables in your agreement, by classification, pay point and effective date.

[See it on your documents](https://certant.ai/contact-sales?topic=use-case) [See how Strata works](https://certant.ai/strata)

Checked within five minutes of a new export landing.

Meridian Care · pay run of 30 Oct 2026Example

Two employees are paid below the DDSO level 2 minimum of **21.34**.

Below minimum Enterprise agreement · Schedule J · page 146

A follow-up is waiting for the payroll manager.

_Meridian Care is a fictional care provider used for demonstration._

The problem

## The minimum is on page 146

An enterprise agreement can run past 400 pages, with the pay tables in a schedule near the back. Payroll works from rates that were keyed in when the agreement was signed, and nobody rereads Schedule J after each increase.

An underpayment found by an employee or a regulator is far more expensive than one found by payroll.

The documents

## What Certant reads

Certant joins the two on classification and pay point, and uses the rate table in effect on the pay date. You don't type the minimums in anywhere.

| Document | What it supplies |
|---|---|
| Enterprise agreement | The pay tables in its schedules: classification, pay point, rate and the date each rate takes effect. |
| Payroll export | Employee ID, classification, pay point, hourly rate and pay date. |

The result

## See each rate beside its minimum

Payroll export checked against Schedule JExample

| Employee | Classification | Rate paid | Documented minimum | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1042 | DDSO level 2 | 20.00 | 21.34 | Below minimum |
| E1088 | DDSO level 2 | 17.50 | 21.34 | Below minimum |
| E1105 | Team leader | 33.40 | 32.05 | Within the rule |
| E1120 | Trainee | 22.80 | No matching rate | No data |

**Source for the minimums**

Enterprise agreement · Schedule J · page 146

**Source for the rates paid**

Payroll export, 30 Oct 2026 · rows 42, 88, 105, 120

_The agreement has no rate that matches E1120's classification. That row is reported as no data and isn't counted as compliant._

[Read the full worked example](https://certant.ai/blog/four-employees-below-their-legal-minimum-the-aruma-scenario-end-to-end)

The approval

## The payroll manager reviews the follow-up

Certant drafts a follow-up that lists the two employees, the rate each was paid and the documented minimum. The payroll manager reviews it, and the person who approves must be different from the person who asked.

The record keeps who asked, who approved and what was done.

Proposed follow-upExample

**Requested by**

the pay-rate check

**Draft**

"E1042 and E1088 are classified DDSO level 2 and were paid 20.00 and 17.50 an hour on 30 October. Schedule J, page 146, sets the minimum at 21.34. Please review both rates."

**Attached**

the export rows, agreement page 146

Waiting for approval · Payroll manager

Scope

## What setup involves

You supply the agreement and a payroll export. We confirm with you how your classification codes line up with the agreement's tables, and you review the first results against a pay run you've already checked by hand.

| Area | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Purpose | This is a review aid built on the data you supply. It doesn't guarantee that you comply with the law. |
| Payroll | Certant doesn't change a pay rate or run payroll. |
| Back pay | It shows the rate paid and the minimum. Working out what is owed stays with your payroll and legal advisers. |

Related

## Related use cases

### Roster reporting gaps

Sites that haven't sent a roster return.

[See the use case](https://certant.ai/use-cases/roster-reporting-gaps)

### HR policy self-service

Answers from the handbook, enterprise agreement and benefits policy, with exceptions sent to HR.

[See the use case](https://certant.ai/use-cases/hr-self-service)

### Invoice exception review

An invoice line beside its order line and agreed rate.

[See the use case](https://certant.ai/use-cases/invoice-exception-review)

[See all use cases](https://certant.ai/use-cases)

## Bring your agreement and an export

Send us your enterprise agreement and one payroll export. We'll show you each rate beside the minimum it was checked against.

[See it on your documents](https://certant.ai/contact-sales?topic=use-case) [See how Strata works](https://certant.ai/strata)

Strata is a paid add-on for the Business plan and above. Certant Cloud, your cloud, or fully air-gapped.