University says it 'deeply regrets' the underpayments that occurred
The University of Adelaide is remediating 838 current and former casual staff who were underpaid approximately $1.25 million between March 2017 and May 2025.
A spokesperson from the university confirmed to HRD that impacted employees have been contacted and repayments have started.
"The university deeply regrets that the underpayments occurred and is remediating staff as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.
The underpayment was discovered after the university ramped up auditing activities and monitoring of payments amid rising cases of underpayments in Australia's tertiary sector.
The audit found that some current and former casual academic staff — either those with a relevant PhD or those appointed as course coordinators — were not paid the correct rates under the relevant agreements
About 60% of affected employees are former staff, according to the university.
"To be absolutely clear from the outset, this is a historical matter that relates to the University of Adelaide," the spokesperson told HRD.
"While this represents less than 0.5% of salary payments over that period, it is still unfortunate and very regrettable."
The Fair Work Ombudsman has been notified about the underpayments, and the university said it is keeping the regulator informed about the remediation process.
"We will continue to implement, enhance, and strengthen our processes and controls," the spokesperson said.
"The university's auditing and monitoring activities are continuing, and if any other instances of underpayments are identified, affected staff will be contacted by the university and remediated as quickly as possible."
The University of Adelaide adds to the growing number of tertiary institutions admitting underpayments to employees over the past few years, including the University of Wollongong, University of Melbourne, Monash University, and the University of Queensland, among others.
To address underpayments and other serious issues facing the sector, Education Minister Jason Clare announced that universities will be required to report annually on their compliance with the new University Governance Principles.
