Salary Packaging @ Macquarie Park Guidelines

Introduction

Salary packaging involves restructuring your salary by choosing to receive your salary as a combination of:

  • Cash
  • Benefits

As we understand that everyone's circumstances are different, Alphawest provides a range of benefits available through salary packaging. You have the flexibility to choose to salary package the benefits that best suit your individual needs.

The table below shows which benefits are provided by Alphawest and serviced by Remunerator.

Benefit / Location / Provider / Link
Food and Drink (consumed onsite only) / Macquarie Park / Remunerator / Remunerator
(username: alphawest password: benefits)
Optus Health Club / Macquarie Park / Remunerator / Remunerator
(username: alphawest password: benefits)

Effectiveness of Salary Packaging – an example

Example: Two employees who both earn $50,000 Mary pays $50 per week for food and $12 per week for the Gym, $2,000 for a laptop and Jane salary packages the same benefits.

Benefit / Mary - cash / Jane - Salary Packaging / Actual Gross Savings
Gross Weekly / Gross Annual / Gross Weekly / Gross Annual
**Food / $65 / $3,380 / *$51 / *$2,652 / $728
**Gym / $15 / $780 / $12 / $624 / $156
Laptop / $2,630 / *$1,870 / $760
Total / $6,790 / $5,146 / $1,644

*Cost include $52 per annum ($1 per week) administration fee
**Macquarie Park specific benefits

Your own personal circumstances can impact the tax effectiveness of salary packaging. It is therefore strongly recommended that you seek independent financial or taxation advice before making any packaging decisions.

Eligibility

All permanent full-time and part-time employees of Alphawest Services Pty Ltd. are eligible to salary package the benefits offered in this policy. To be eligible to receive this benefit you must also be located permanently at Optus Macquarie Park (OCS).

Note:all salary packaging arrangements must be entered into before you earn the income you salary package.

Salary packaging service fees

All salary packaging through Remunerator will incur an establishment and ongoing service fee as shown in the table below. The fee is in addition to any nominated salary packaging deduction.

Alphawest has decided to cover the $50 + GST annual salary packaging establishment fee.

The GST on all service fees will be refunded to you.

Note: this fee is in addition to any nominated salary packaging service fee charged.

Food and drink @ Macquarie Park

Introduction

The cost of food and drink (excluding alcohol) consumed at your work premises can be included in your salary package and is exempt from Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).

How does the benefit work?

1.  You complete an application form via Remunerator's website to salary package.

2.  The application form, approval and confirmation must be completed 15 calendar days prior to your next pay.

3.  You nominate in advance the monthly amount that you wish to salary package for food and drink.

4.  Each pay cycle this amount is deducted from your gross salary for the life of your package.

5.  Income tax is then calculated, and withheld, on your new lower gross salary (being your previous salary less the salary packaged amount).

6.  The salary packaged amount (which you have received tax free) is transferred to your ID card to be used by you to obtain food and drink at Macquarie Park. Note: the nominated monthly salary packaged amount is transferred each pay day.

7.  When you order food and drink rather than paying cash you use the salary packaged balance on your ID card, by swiping the card.

8.  Each time you receive food and drink you will obtain a detailed receipt of your purchase and the salary packaged balance on your card will be reduced.

9.  If you have no salary packaged balance available on your card you will not be able to obtain food and drink under salary package. Instead you will need to use cash for your purchase.

Salary packaging service fees

Alphawest will cover the $50 + GST annual salary packaging establishment fee.

There is a service fee of $52 + GST per FBT year (1 April – 31 March) deducted as $1 + GST per week to salary package for food and drink. The GST on all service fees will be refunded to you. If you cancel or leave without paying the full $52 + GST you will be charged any shortfall.

The $1 + GST per week covers the service fee for all onsite Macquarie park salary packaging including food and the Optus Heath Club.

The fee is in addition to the nominated deduction amount for food and drink.

Eligibility

All permanent full-time and part-time employees who have an Alphawest Macquarie Park ID pass are eligible to salary package the benefits offered by Alphawest.

Policy guidelines

To provide food and drink at Macquarie Park to employee’s through salary sacrifice, Optus, including its group of companies, has received a private ruling from the Australian Tax Office.

In essence this allows employees to:

"Salary package your pre tax income to receive food and drink consumed onsite, during your working day."

To ensure compliance with the private ruling the following policy guidelines must be adhered to by participating Alphawest employees:

  • To take advantage of salary packaging you have to use the Alphawest Macquarie Park ID card to receive food and drink.
  • You can only use the ID card for your own food and drink not that of anyone else. This means that you cannot use the salary packaged balance on your card to obtain food for your spouse, children, customers, suppliers, or any other Optus and/or Alphawest employee.
  • To ensure that you only use the salary packaged balance on your card to obtain food and drink for yourself, there will be a limit of $30 per day on your ID card. To obtain food and drink in excess of this limit you will need to use cash.
  • All food must be consumed onsite; therefore you are not permitted to take any food home that has been salary packaged.
  • You can only use your ID card for food or drinks consumed on days that you are working.
  • Food outlets will only allow employees to receive one meal at a time using ID card. Additional meals will require a cash payment.
  • You can not use ID Card for alcoholic drinks or for food at times when alcohol is available. To restrict this, the restaurant will not accept ID Card after 4pm when alcohol service starts.
  • Regular audits of consumption will be performed to ensure the guidelines are followed.

Failure to follow these guidelines will result in the removal of your ability to salary package for food and drink.

It is important to note there are no restrictions on using cash to purchase food or drink, as this is after tax income.

More details

For more details visit Remunerator's website or call Remunerator on 1300 654 834. Alternatively you may email the Remunerator consultant onsite at Macquarie Park.

Optus Health Club @ Macquarie Park

Introduction

You may salary package the full cost of your membership at the Optus Health Club.

The Optus Health Club is an onsite gym facility fully owned by Optus and managed by Peak Health Management (Peak). Optus is pleased to provide the latest cardio and resistance equipment, a range of group exercise classes and other health services to Alphawest employees.

How does the benefit work?

1.  You need tobook in complete a pre health assessment with Peak prior to joining the Optus Health Club.

2.  You complete an application form via Remunerator's website to salary package.

3.  The application form, approval and confirmation must be completed 15 calendar days prior to your next pay.

4.  You nominate which payment option you wish to follow: Annual Fee, Monthly fee (12 month minimum commitment) or 10 visit pass.

5.  Depending on your selection the appropriate amount is deducted from your salary.

6.  Income tax is then calculated, and withheld, on your new lower gross salary (being your previous salary less the salary packaged amount).

7.  Access to the Optus Health Club is set up on your Alphawest Macquarie Park ID card.

8.  If you purchase a 10 visit pass, each visit will be deducted when you enter the Gym.

Eligibility

All permanent full-time and part-time employees based at Macquarie Park are eligible to salary package the benefits offered by Alphawest.

Note: You are only able to salary package if you are a member at an employer provided gym facility.

Policy guidelines

The facility and equipment is owned by Optus and has been established for exclusive use by Optus employees and their immediate family members living in the same household, contractors, Alphawest permanent employees and Group Personnel as part of the company's overall Corporate Health and Wellbeing initiative.

  • Note: Immediate family members of Alphawest employees are not eligible to use the Optus Health Club Facility.

You must adhere to the terms and conditions of the gym.

Membership Fees

The charges for use of the gym are as follows.

Membership Option / Fee
Annual Gym / $TBC per year
Monthly Gym (12 month commitment) / $TBC per month
10 Visit Exercise Class Pass / $ TBC

The charge is the same whether employees choose to salary package the cost or pay with post tax funds.

Note: Cancellation fees apply if the annual or monthly commitments are terminated early.

A casual pass for exercise classes is available for $15 per visit. Employees are unable to salary sacrifice this charge.

Salary packaging service fees

Alphawest has decided to cover the $50 + GST annual salary packaging establishment fee.

There is a service fee of $52+ GST per FBT year (1 April – 31 March) deducted as $1+ GST per week to salary package for Optus Health Club. The GST on service fees will be refunded to you. If you cancel or leave without paying the full $52+ GST you will be charged any shortfall.

The $1+ GST per week covers the service fee for all onsite Macquarie park salary packaging including food, drink and the Optus Heath Club.

The fee is in addition to the nominated deduction amount for membership fees or passes.

More details

For more details visit Remunerator's websiteor call Remunerator on1300 654 834. Alternatively you may email the Remunerator consultant onsite at Macquarie Park.