The teachers’ super fund

Teachers are entitled to the same super guarantee as all Australians. The super guarantee means your employer must pay at least 12% of your ordinary time earnings (OTE) into your super account. 

Find out if your employer makes superannuation guarantee contributions by:

• looking at your payslip 
• logging into myGov
• checking with your super fund.

Yes, the same rules that apply to super for casual and part-time workers apply to casual teachers. If you're 18 years or over, your employer must pay superannuation guarantee contributions to your nominated fund (or, from 1 November 2021, your stapled fund where you haven’t nominated a fund yourself).

Choosing a super fund that is built for educators, like NGS, has multiple advantages:

• Our award-winning service is tailored to the needs of educators.
• Our insurance is tailored to our member base, providing good value, high-quality insurance cover for most of our members.
• Our Super Specialists and Financial Planners regularly speak with teachers and are available when and how you need them, including on-site visits to schools, online availability, and smart online tools.
• We provide free educational webinars to members, so you can learn more about how to make the most of your super.
• We partner with a list of non-government school organisations that care for teachers and their communities.

A default fund for superannuation is the fund into which an employer will automatically pay an employee's superannuation contributions if the employee does not choose a specific super fund.

If you started your job before 1 November 2021 and didn't provide your super fund details to your employer, it's likely they're paying your super contributions to their default fund.

Since 1 November 2021, rules around default funds have changed: if you start a job on or after this date and don't give your employer your super details, they'll have to search for your stapled fund with the ATO. If you don't have a stapled fund, your employer will pay your super contributions to their default fund.

You’re free to switch from your school’s default fund to another compliant super fund any time you want. Other funds may have features and benefits, like differing insurance or investment options, that fit better for you.

You can use the superannuation standard choice form from the ATO to nominate a different super fund. If you’re starting a new job at another school, your employer should provide this form.

It’s a good idea to check that your new employer has your preferred super details on file, just in case. If you discover you have multiple super accounts in your name, it means you may be paying multiple fees, and you should consider consolidating your super. Before consolidating, you should consider the effect it might have on your benefits including insurance cover.

If you’re unsure whether you have multiple super accounts, we can help you find your lost super.