WageSafe
WageSafe

The story of WageSafe begins with Mark Jenkins, a data analytics veteran who spent over 20 years building Resurg Group before recognizing an issue in Australia's employment compliance sector. Jenkins understood that the country's industrial relations system, governed by the Fair Work Act, was creating massive risks for businesses of all sizes.

When Manual Meets Digital

"We are among those in the industry taking the lead ever since," Jenkins explains, referring to WageSafe's position as Australia's first real-time wage compliance solution. The company launched in 2020, but its foundation rests on something far more valuable than impressive algorithms: thousands of manual pay calculations accumulated over decades of expert work.

This human expertise became the cornerstone of WageSafe's award interpretation engine. Instead of starting from scratch with generic software, the team converted years of real-world compliance knowledge into automated systems that could handle the intricate demands of Australian employment law.

The Numbers Tell a Story

WageSafe's growth trajectory reflects the urgent need for such solutions. The company has achieved 100% year revenue growth, reaching millions of dollars in annual recurring revenue while serving 1,200 businesses, including what Jenkins describes as "one of the most reputable retail businesses in Australia."

These numbers become more significant when viewed against Australia's compliance challenges. The Fair Work Ombudsman recovered $473 million in unpaid wages for nearly 160,000 workers in the 2023–24 financial year alone. With wage theft becoming a criminal offense in January 2025, carrying penalties up to $8.25 million for companies, the stakes have never been higher.

Beyond Traditional Auditing

What makes WageSafe distinct from competitors is its strategy towards continuous monitoring. While most compliance solutions offer periodic reviews or spot checks, WageSafe provides what Jenkins calls "iron-clad wage compliance assurance" through real-time analysis of every employee's pay during every pay cycle.

The platform resolves all disparities between time-and-attendance systems and payroll systems, integrating with existing infrastructure through APIs without requiring businesses to overhaul their technology stack. This integration has proven crucial for large-scale implementations, including a fast-food chain with over 10,000 employees across more than 400 locations.

Looking at Tomorrow's Workplace

The future of payroll compliance will likely move from reactive monitoring to predictive prevention. WageSafe's current platform already processes data and handles billions in payroll dollars, providing the foundation for more advanced analytical capabilities.

The regulatory environment will continue demanding greater precision. Australia's upcoming requirement for superannuation contributions to be paid as part of wages by 2026, combined with updated definitions for casual employees, will create new compliance challenges that automated solutions are better positioned to handle than manual processes.

Mark Jenkins and WageSafe's success story illustrates a fundamental improvement in how businesses must approach regulatory compliance in the 21st century. The days of relying on periodic audits and manual reviews are ending, replaced by systems that provide continuous assurance and immediate alerts when problems arise.