The Australian Federal Greens are calling for legislation to require employers to pay superannuation contributions for workers under 18 on the same schedule as wages.

This proposal seeks to address retirement savings equity for a generation of part-time and casual employees. By ensuring younger workers receive these contributions, the Greens said that the gap in long-term financial security for youth can be narrowed.

The push comes as the Albanese government prepares to implement Payday Super reforms, which are slated to commence on July 1, 2026 [2]. The Greens are urging the government to extend these reforms to cover employees under the age of 18, who are often employed in casual roles.

Such a change would impact more than 500,000 young Australians [1]. The reform would specifically affect those working for major retailers and fast-food chains, including Woolworths, Coles, McDonald's, Kmart, and Target [1]. These companies frequently employ large numbers of teenagers in entry-level positions.

Under the proposed changes, the government would mandate that superannuation be paid alongside regular wages rather than in quarterly or annual installments. This alignment is intended to prevent the loss of funds and provide immediate transparency regarding retirement savings for young staff.

The Federal Greens said the measure is necessary to ensure that the youngest members of the workforce are not excluded from the benefits of the new system. The proposal aims to create a standardized requirement across both large corporations and small businesses to protect the future earnings of teenagers.

“The Federal Greens are calling for legislation to require employers to pay superannuation contributions for workers under 18.”

If adopted, this reform would shift the financial responsibility of retirement savings onto employers for a demographic that has historically been overlooked in superannuation policy. By integrating these payments into the standard payday cycle, the government would reduce the risk of unpaid or forgotten contributions for casual youth workers, potentially altering the long-term wealth distribution for hundreds of thousands of young Australians.