Australian businesses must maintain time and attendance records under the Fair Work Act 2009 — and penalties for non-compliance can reach AUD $93,900 per contravention. The right attendance tracking software makes compliance automatic.
Australia has some of the most prescriptive record-keeping obligations in the world. Employers must record start times, finish times, breaks, overtime, and leave for every employee — and keep those records for 7 years. Manual methods do not scale, and the Fair Work Ombudsman actively audits non-compliant businesses.
This article compares attendance tracking software options for Australian businesses, focusing on Fair Work compliance, Modern Award support, and cost.
Key Takeaways
- Australian employers must keep time and attendance records for 7 years under the Fair Work Act
- Penalties reach AUD $93,900 per contravention for companies
- Modern Award compliance requires overtime and penalty rate tracking
- Per-user pricing scales quickly for growing Australian businesses
- Leave Balance includes attendance tracking at $10/month flat rate for unlimited employees
What Australian Businesses Need from Attendance Software
Fair Work compliance essentials
| Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Start and finish times | Mandatory record under Reg 3.32 |
| Break start and end times | Demonstrates break compliance |
| Daily hours worked | Required for each working day |
| Overtime hours | Tracks against award and NES limits |
| Leave balances and history | Mandatory under Reg 3.32(4)-(5) |
| 7-year storage | Required retention period |
| Exportable records | For FWO audit response |
Modern Award features
| Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Penalty rate tracking | Calculates weekend, evening, and public holiday rates |
| Overtime rate application | First 2 hours at 1.5x, then 2x (varies by award) |
| Casual loading calculation | 25% loading for casual employees |
| Annual leave accrual | Tracks leave loading and accrual |
| Shift-based rules | Different rules for different shift patterns |
Operational needs
| Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Mobile access | For field workers and remote teams |
| Multi-site support | For businesses with multiple locations |
| Payroll integration | Reduces double-handling |
| Manager approval | Verifies records before payroll |
Top Attendance Tracking Software for Australian Businesses
Leave Balance
Best for: Australian businesses wanting attendance and leave tracking at the lowest price.
- Attendance tracking with automatic timestamps
- Overtime tracking with configurable thresholds
- Leave management with accrual tracking
- CSV export for payroll integration
- Pricing: $10/month USD flat rate, unlimited employees (approximately AUD $15)
| Team size | LeaveBalance | Per-user alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| 10 employees | ~AUD $15/mo | AUD $100–300/mo |
| 25 employees | ~AUD $15/mo | AUD $250–750/mo |
| 50 employees | ~AUD $15/mo | AUD $500–1,500/mo |
| 100 employees | ~AUD $15/mo | AUD $1,000–3,000/mo |
Tanda
Best for: Australian businesses needing Modern Award interpretation and rostering.
- Time and attendance with award interpretation
- Award-compliant pay calculations
- Rostering and shift management
- Leave management
- Pricing: From AUD $384/month for 30 employees
Tanda is purpose-built for Australian award compliance. It automates penalty rate and overtime calculations based on Modern Awards. The cost is significant for small businesses.
Deputy
Best for: Australian businesses needing rostering plus attendance.
- Shift scheduling with award awareness
- Time and attendance with facial recognition
- Leave management
- Pricing: From $4.50 USD/user/month
Deputy is a workforce management platform with strong Australian market presence. It covers rostering, attendance, and leave in one tool.
Employment Hero
Best for: Australian businesses wanting a full HR platform.
- HR, payroll, and benefits platform
- Time and attendance module
- Leave management
- Superannuation and payroll
- Pricing: Per-user pricing, requires sales consultation
Employment Hero is a comprehensive Australian HR platform. It covers attendance but is significantly more expensive than focused tools.
MYOB
Best for: Australian businesses already using MYOB for payroll.
- Payroll-integrated attendance
- Time and attendance tracking
- Leave management
- Pricing: Per-user pricing within MYOB plans
MYOB integrates attendance with its payroll platform. If you already use MYOB for payroll, the integration is seamless. If not, it is not the most cost-effective standalone attendance tool.
Comparison Table
| Feature | LeaveBalance | Tanda | Deputy | Employment Hero | MYOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Work compliance | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Award interpretation | Manual | Automated | Partial | Yes | Partial |
| Daily check-in/out | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Overtime tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Penalty rate calc | Configurable | Automated | Partial | Automated | Partial |
| Rostering | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Leave management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Payroll integration | CSV export | Yes | Yes | Yes | Native |
| Pricing model | Flat rate | Per user | Per user | Per user | Per user |
| Starting price | ~AUD $15/mo total | AUD $384/mo (30 emp) | ~$6.50/user/mo | Sales required | Sales required |
Fair Work Compliance: What to Check
Before choosing attendance software for an Australian business, verify:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Does it record start and finish times? | Mandatory under Fair Work Regulations |
| Does it record break start and end times? | Demonstrates break compliance |
| Can it store records for 7 years? | Required retention period |
| Does it generate exportable records? | For FWO audit response |
| Does it calculate overtime? | Tracks against award limits |
| Does it integrate with your payroll? | Reduces manual data entry |
How Leave Balance Supports Australian Compliance
Leave Balance includes attendance tracking with automatic timestamps, overtime tracking with configurable thresholds, leave management with accrual tracking, and CSV export for payroll integration. All at $10/month flat rate for unlimited employees.
While Leave Balance does not include automated Modern Award interpretation (a feature of dedicated Australian platforms like Tanda), it provides the attendance records that feed into payroll processing. For businesses using a payroll provider that handles award calculations, Leave Balance provides the attendance data layer at a fraction of the cost.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do Australian businesses need attendance tracking software?
Yes. The Fair Work Act requires employers to keep records of hours worked, breaks, overtime, and leave for every employee. Software provides the most reliable and auditable way to maintain these records.
How much does attendance tracking software cost in Australia?
Per-user tools range from AUD $6 to $20 per employee per month. Tanda starts from AUD $384/month for 30 employees. Leave Balance charges approximately AUD $15/month flat rate for unlimited employees.
Does Leave Balance support Modern Award compliance?
Leave Balance provides the attendance data (hours worked, breaks, overtime) that feeds into payroll processing. It does not include automated Modern Award interpretation. For businesses using payroll providers that handle award calculations, Leave Balance provides the attendance data layer.
What records does the Fair Work Ombudsman check during an audit?
The FWO requests time and attendance records, pay records, leave records, and superannuation records. All must be in English, legible, and stored for 7 years. Digital attendance systems generate these records automatically.
Can I use a spreadsheet for Australian time records?
A spreadsheet can technically meet the requirement if it captures all mandatory fields (start time, finish time, breaks, overtime, leave) and is stored for 7 years. However, spreadsheets lack audit trails, are error-prone, and do not integrate with payroll.
This article is general information. Verify current pricing and features on each vendor’s website before making a decision.