Waking up at the crack of dawn after a restless night suffering from crippling jet lag and walking around with blood shot eyes is the perfect way to make a good first impression...
In the build up to the big move, I was super excited about the new adventures ahead and I was really looking forward to sliding into the typical laid back Aussie style of working, but now that the day had finally arrived I felt like a kid on my first day at school all over again. Even though I had already made two trips out to Australia before the move and I knew all the staff members very well (mainly because I had personally interviewed most of them for their jobs!) I still felt a little nervous of the prospects which lay ahead.
Apart from the walk to the office which is just off St Kilda road, the rest of the day was pretty uneventful, so I'm not sure what I was too stressed about. Even though I am still working for the same company there was still the usual first day tasks to complete. Things like signing a new contract and completing new employee forms is all pretty standard stuff, but there are a few things to look out for. I guess some of these can be done before you arrive in Australia so make sure you know what your company is going to do for you and what you have to do yourself.
Firstly, you need to have a Tax File Number (this is the equivalent of a UK National Insurance number) which the tax office uses to track all your tax payments for as long as you work and earn in Australia. This can be done online and should be done before setting up your Super fund (see below). The bank also asks for this number but its fine to open your account and get back to them with the TFN. Bear in mind that tax in Australia is higher than the UK so get used to that idea before you leave!
The other thing you will need is a Superannuation fund, I think Wikipedia explains this well...
Superannuation in Australia refers to the arrangements which people make in Australia to have funds available for them in retirement. In Australia, superannuation arrangements are government-supported and encouraged, and minimum provisions are compulsory for employees.[1] For example, employers are required to pay a proportion of an employee's salaries and wages (currently 9%) into a superannuation fund, but people are encouraged to put aside additional funds into superannuation. The minimum obligation required by employers is set to increase to 12% gradually stepping annually from 2013 to 2020.[2]
There are plenty of websites which offer comparisons between Super funds and I think they are all pretty much alike. The key thing to look out for your Super is the fees. All funds have compulsory management fees etc, but these rates vary quite a bit and most sites tell you to go with the cheapest funds you can find. Most Super funds can be taken out online,so get browsing. We've gone with Australian Super which came highly recommended.
And then you can get back to your actual job!
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