This article was co-written by CAF and AustralianSuper.
Being paid correctly today can shape workers’ financial security in retirement.
In industries like commercial cleaning, where underpayment and unpaid superannuation remain ongoing risks, workplace conditions and retirement outcomes are deeply connected.
When workers do not receive their lawful wages and entitlements, they lose not only immediate income, but also the long-term compounding returns that help build financial security over time.
AustralianSuper co-founded the Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF) with the United Workers Union in 2012 to help address these challenges by promoting stronger supply chain accountability and better workplace protections for cleaning workers.
AustralianSuper has approximately 90,000 members employed in the Australian cleaning industry, and over $7 billion invested in Australian unlisted property assets (as at 31 March 2026).
As both an investor in property and a fund representing workers employed in commercial cleaning, AustralianSuper recognises the connection between labour standards, responsible procurement and long-term retirement outcomes.
Supporting fair and transparent employment practices is an important part of improving retirement outcomes for workers while strengthening accountability across the property services sector.
Why labour assurance matters
As modern slavery reporting obligations continue to evolve, labour conditions within outsourced workforces – including risks linked to wage underpayment, sham contracting and poor procurement practices – are becoming an increasingly important issue.
An industry-specific approach to labour standards is particularly important in property services, where complex subcontracting arrangements can leave workers exposed to exploitation, while also creating labour, human rights, governance and reputational risks for property owners and investors.
CAF’s Portfolio Certification, Building Certification and Contractor Prequalification programs are designed to strengthen oversight across outsourced supply chains, helping ensure workers are paid correctly, treated fairly and protected from harm.
At the centre of CAF’s certification model is worker voice, recognising that workers are often best placed to identify when something is not right in their workplace.
The positive impact of this worker-centred approach is reflected in CAF’s data.
In FY25, more than 2,570 cleaners participated in CAF worker engagement activities designed to help them speak up safely and have their concerns heard.
Approximately 70% of labour rights issues identified through CAF processes in FY25 – including underpayment and unpaid superannuation – are uncovered through worker engagement processes.
Successful remediation and ongoing oversight
AustralianSuper believes all workers should be treated fairly, respected at work and be able to retire with dignity.
Achieving this at scale requires more than policies or audits alone. Effective labour assurance depends on ensuring issues are identified and prevented from recurring over time.
CAF’s annual health checks and regular compliance activities are designed to achieve this – and the data suggests this approach is having an impact.
In 2020, 72% of workplaces undergoing CAF assessment processes faced underpayment issues. By 2025, that figure had reduced to around 35%.
The impact of ongoing oversight can also be seen in the kinds of workplace issues CAF continues to remedy across the property sector.
Between 2020 and 2025, CAF identified various underpayment issues relating to missed allowances, broken shift allowances, unpaid training and poor payroll practices across dozens of workplaces and employers, resulting in thousands of dollars in recovered wages and superannuation for affected workers.
Rather than treating these issues as isolated incidents, CAF focuses on addressing the underlying systems that enable underpayment and non-payment of full superannuation entitlements to occur.
The cleaners behind the statistics
For cleaners like Thidarat Kaewmanee, the role of CAF has real-life impacts.
Originally from Thailand, Thidarat has lived in Australia for around six years and has worked as a night shift cleaner at Sydney’s Angel Place building for the past four years.
Night shift cleaners can be particularly vulnerable to exploitation and isolation, with fewer managers and support systems present outside standard business hours.
As one of approximately 2,300 cleaners currently covered by CAF-certified buildings, Thidarat, an AustralianSuper member, says working within a certified site helps provide safer pathways for workers to speak up, raise concerns and understand their entitlements.
She recently became a CAF Representative because she wanted to support her coworkers to exercise their rights.
“I want my coworkers to feel supported and treated fairly,” she says. “I try to listen carefully and help guide people towards the support they need.”
Her experience reflects the broader role CAF Representatives play across certified sites – strengthening communication and supporting worker participation in trusted accountability processes.
Jennifer Alonso, CAF’s Worker Engagement Officer, oversees the CAF representative program. She says ongoing communication between workers and management means “issues can be identified early and addressed before they become serious.”
Adding: “For many cleaners, especially migrant workers, the most powerful thing is realising: ‘I’m not alone, I have rights, and my voice matters.’”
Building better long-term outcomes
Cleaners like Thidarat are often employed within complex supply chains where procurement pressures and low-cost contracting models can create risks around underpayment, unpaid superannuation and insecure work.
This matters not only for workers themselves, but also for institutions managing long-term retirement savings on behalf of millions of Australians.
AustralianSuper has long advocated for an inclusive, equitable and sustainable superannuation system that benefits all Australians. Supporting stronger labour standards, worker voice and responsible business practices is an important part of helping workers build long-term financial security and dignity in retirement.
By centring worker voice, CAF is helping demonstrate that fairer workplaces are built through ongoing oversight, transparency and collaboration – delivering better long-term outcomes for workers, industry and investors alike.
Sponsored by AustralianSuper Pty Ltd, ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.
This may include general financial advice which doesn’t take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a decision consider if the information is right for you and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement, available at australiansuper.com/PDS or by calling 1300 300 273. A Target Market Determination (TMD) is a document that outlines the target market a product has been designed for. Find the TMDs at australiansuper.com/TMD. The views expressed are those of the AustralianSuper member based on their particular circumstances.