My name's Pareen. I learned about my rights at work pretty recently, after I'd been working in a few hospo and retail jobs for a while. Here are my top tips for protecting your rights at work - including getting paid properly.

    1. GET A CONTRACT

A contract details your job description and what you're going to be doing day-to-day, how much you're going to be getting paid, and the types of conditions you'll be working under. It's really important that it's signed by both you and your boss.

    2. GET PAID FOR ALL YOUR HOURS

…. and not just the hours your café opens or the hours your boss rosters you on for! If you need to stay back to close, you should get paid for that time as well.

    3. GET TRAINED UP

It's your boss' responsibility to make sure that you're working in a safe environment and that you are aware of exactly what you need to do.

    4. GET YOUR PAYSLIP

You should be getting a pay slip within a day of getting paid. Payslips are really important because they show you how much money you're making, whether you're getting paid super, and also any penalties you might be entitled to, especially for weekend and late-night work.

    5. GET THE RIGHT PAY

You should be getting paid the correct amount, especially penalty rates. It's easy to find out how much you're supposed to be getting paid, you can go to the Fair Work website and search 'find your award'.

    6. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

It's becoming more widely accepted that bosses and companies don't have to uphold your workplace rights or pay you properly, and that's really unfair. We have these laws in place that detail your rights and entitlements and people have worked really hard to achieve them. The only way to ensure the laws are enforced is to stand up and do something about it.

    7. GET SUPPORT AND STAND TOGETHER

Our rights and laws haven't just magically materialised. They've been fought for by amazing activists and they're not really ours to give away. The only way to ensure the laws are enforced is to stand up and do something about it.

Click here to watch a short film of Pareen's tips now.

And be sure to contact the Young Workers Centre on 1800 714 754 if you have a work-related enquiry.