Charity Fails to Pay $150,000 in Superannuation to Former Staff

It happened on Thursday, 16 July 2026, at 6:39 am.

Sarah, a former staff member of PAWS Darwin, did not get her superannuation paid.

In short, the charity did not pay its staff's super.

Five former staff members are speaking out because the charity owes them over $150,000 in super.

Some former staff under 18 found that their super accounts did not exist.

What's next for the former staff?

The former staff want the Australian Taxation Office to investigate the issue.

Sarah loves taking care of animals.

She started working for PAWS Darwin in 2021 to help animals.

They helped animals that would have been put down and people who could not afford vet bills.

Sarah chose PAWS Darwin because she believes in its cause.

In 2024, Sarah got a letter from her super fund saying her policy would be canceled.

The letter said no contributions had been made to her super account for a year.

Sarah felt angry because her kids would not be provided for if something happened to her.

She was also shocked because her pay slips showed super contributions.

Sarah was told by the director that the charity had cash flow problems.

But the issue was not resolved, and Sarah left the charity in 2025.

She thinks she is still owed at least $15,000 in super.

More than $150,000 in super is owed to former staff.

Four other former staff also say they were deceived about their super.

Cody Farrow worked at PAWS Darwin and found out she was owed super after talking to other staff.

Cody said it's disgusting that the charity did not pay her super despite claiming to on her pay slips.

Cody feels bad for staff who worked at PAWS for years.

Cody checked her records after finding out others were not paid their super.

Another former employee, Claire, thinks she is owed between $6,000 and $10,000 in super.

Claire feels hurt and disappointed because she cared about the work at PAWS.

PAWS Darwin owes over $150,000 in super to staff, according to public records.

The charity's director, Lisa Leek, said she knows about the historical superannuation liabilities.

Lisa Leek said the charity had financial hardships and had to make difficult decisions.

Public records show PAWS Darwin had $212,000 in unmet liabilities, including $150,000 in unpaid super.

Lisa Leek recognizes that former staff have the right to feel disappointed and frustrated.

She acknowledges the contribution former staff made to the charity.

The financial difficulties at PAWS affected staff, volunteers, and clients.

Lisa Leek said she is working to address the outstanding superannuation obligations.

Some former staff under 18 found that their super accounts did not exist.

Seth Renshaw and Janica Jeffrey started working at PAWS in 2023 and found their super accounts did not exist.

Their pay slips said contributions were being made, but the accounts did not exist.

Seth and Janica contacted the super fund, which said there was no record of their accounts.

Lisa Leek denied intentionally misleading employees about their super.

She said any errors should be seen in the context of the payroll systems at the time.

There was a lack of communication from the charity and the ATO.

After Sarah left PAWS, she told the ATO again about the unpaid super.

She got a letter saying the ATO was investigating, but then she got some small payments that stopped.

The former staff have not heard from the ATO or PAWS in a year about their super.

The ATO said it takes non-compliance with super guarantee obligations seriously.

The ATO uses debt recovery powers to get unpaid super from employers.

If businesses do not address their super debts, the ATO will take further action.

Lisa Leek filed for bankruptcy in 2017, which ended in 2020.

PAWS Darwin failed to provide desexing services despite charging for them.

The charity owes over $213,000, including super and debts to other creditors.

A veterinary equipment company said PAWS breached its contract and owes $1,070.30.

The former staff want the ATO to take action.

A lawyer said the superannuation debt PAWS has is significant for a small charity.

The lawyer said the failure to pay super is a national issue, with over $6 billion owed to workers.

One in four employees have not received their super.

If employees cannot recover their super through the ATO, they can take court action.

The introduction of payday super will help workers check if their employer is making contributions.

But this change came too late for the former PAWS staff.

The former staff want the charity to be investigated and their super repaid.

Sarah said losing more years of super is a big deal for her.

She thinks the ATO needs to step up.

Cody agreed with Sarah.

It happened on Thursday, 16 July 2026, at 6:39 am.

It happened on Thursday, 16 July 2026, at 9:03 am.

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