Your pay while suspended pending inquiry
You were suspended during an inquiry and worry about losing your pay.
What happens to your pay during a suspension?
Suspension during an inquiry does not automatically stop your pay. The details depend on your contract and company policy, so check your contract and any staff handbook for a clause on suspension pay.
It is a precaution to let the inquiry run, not a finding that you did anything wrong. If a dismissal follows and you challenge it, the employer must still prove just cause.1
What should you check while suspended?
Look for the wording your contract uses on suspension, since terms differ between employers. Ask in writing how long the suspension should last if no timeframe was given.
Keep a dated record of any pay you did or did not receive. If the suspension runs long with no update, a polite written follow-up creates a record either way.
How do you get through the wait?
Money worries during a suspension are understandable when the timeline is open. Look at your savings and any support you can reach, because planning around a gap is easier than reacting to it later.
Talk to family or close contacts if it helps. Looking after yourself is part of getting through the process well.
What should you do next?
Gather your contract and suspension letter and read them together. Read about what happens during the inquiry itself so you know what to expect when the suspension ends.
If the inquiry ends in dismissal, confirm your filing date within the 60-day window using the deadline calculator.2 If you want a lawyer to act, an employment lawyer can check whether your pay matched your contract terms and act on a claim if it did not.
You have been suspended and your pay or the process looks wrong. An independent employment lawyer can review your contract and the suspension notice, and act for you if there is a claim.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.
Common questions
Does suspension mean I have already been found guilty?
No. Suspension is treated as a precaution while an inquiry is prepared or held, not a finding against you. It is separate from the inquiry and from any final decision.
How long can a suspension usually last?
That depends on your contract and company policy, so check those documents instead of assuming a standard period. If no timeframe has been given, ask your employer in writing.
What should I check in my contract about suspension pay?
Look for a clause on suspension pending investigation or inquiry, since terms differ between employers. If nothing is specified and your pay has stopped, raise it in writing and keep the reply.
Can I still work another job while suspended?
That depends on your contract and any exclusivity clause, so check those before taking other work. Asking your employer in writing is the safer approach.
Sources
- The burden falls on the employer, not the employee, to prove the dismissal was for just cause or excuse. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
- A worker has 60 days from the dismissal date to lodge a written representation with the Director General of Industrial Relations. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
Keep reading
You have been suspended and your pay or the process looks wrong. An independent employment lawyer can review your contract and the suspension notice, and act for you if there is a claim.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.