Data methodology

Primary sources by jurisdiction

We only use primary government sources for statutory rates. No rate is taken from a secondary aggregator, payroll vendor, or news article without verification against the original legislation or official guidance.

Update cycle

Statutory rates change on predictable schedules. We maintain a rolling review calendar aligned to each jurisdiction's legislative cycle:

• 6 April each year: UK: new tax year rates — income tax bands, NI thresholds, statutory redundancy pay cap (£751 for 2026/27), SMP/SPP/SAP rates, SSP rate, National Living Wage / NMW
• 1 January each year: US: state minimum wage changes, IRS withholding tables, Social Security wage base, federal poverty level (affects benefit calculations)
• 1 April each year: Canada: CPP contribution limits, EI premium rates, provincial minimum wage changes
• 1 July each year: Australia: National Minimum Wage order, Fair Work Act penalty rates, superannuation guarantee rate
• Within 5 working days: Any emergency legislative change or government announcement that affects a live calculator (e.g. Budget announcements, emergency statutory instruments)

Each calculator page displays a Rates verified badge with the date the figures were last confirmed against source. Pages without a badge are under review and will be updated before the next rate-change window.

Calculation logic and precision

All calculation engines are written in TypeScript and open to inspection. The logic follows the exact statutory formula from the relevant legislation — we do not simplify, round prematurely, or approximate where the law specifies a precise method.

• UK redundancy pay: age-banded multiplier applied to completed full years (not months or days), weekly pay capped at the current weekly pay cap, service capped at 20 years — per ERA 1996 s.162
• UK SMP/SMP: weekly pay reference period is the 8 weeks ending with the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth (EWC) — per SMP Regulations 1986 Reg 21
• US overtime: FLSA regular rate computed on actual workweek earnings before applying the 1.5× multiplier — not annualised rate ÷ 52
• Australian NES redundancy: floor brackets from Fair Work Act 2009 s.119 applied to completed full years; long service leave reduction applied at 10+ years
• Currency formatting: UK figures use £ with comma thousands separator; US figures use $ with comma thousands; AU figures use A$ prefix; CA figures use CA$ prefix
• Rounding: monetary results rounded to 2 decimal places at final output only; intermediate calculations use full float precision

Scope limitations

Calculators provide estimates for the statutory minimum (or standard rate) in each jurisdiction. They do not account for:

• Enhanced contractual terms (e.g. contractual redundancy pay above the statutory minimum)
• Industry-specific collective agreements or union agreements
• Individual employment contracts with bespoke terms
• Zero-hours or variable-hours contracts where pay is genuinely irregular
• Tribunal or court awards, which are fact-specific
• Tax treatment of individual circumstances (student loan plans, Scottish income tax divergence from rest of UK, US state income tax)

Where a calculation is affected by a notable scope limitation, we display a note alongside the result. Tools are labelled as estimates, not legal determinations.

Error reporting and correction

If you believe a figure is wrong or out of date:

1. Email [email protected] with: the page URL, the figure you believe is incorrect, and the source you are comparing it against (ideally a link to the official publication).
2. We investigate every report within one working day and compare the reported figure against the primary source.
3. If confirmed incorrect: the calculator code is corrected, the verified date is updated, and a correction note is added to the git commit for transparency.
4. We aim to publish corrections within two working days of confirmation.

We take accuracy seriously. Employment pay errors have real financial consequences for people — an employee who underestimates their redundancy entitlement may accept an underpayment without challenge. We treat every error report as urgent.

Not legal or financial advice

MyPayRights calculators provide general information and estimates only. They are not legal advice, tax advice, or financial advice. Employment situations involve facts and circumstances a calculator cannot assess — contract terms, continuous employment disputes, TUPE transfers, collective agreements, and more.

For any decision with financial or legal consequences, consult a qualified employment solicitor (UK), employment attorney (US), employment lawyer (CA/AU), or contact the relevant statutory body: ACAS (UK), DOL Wage and Hour Division (US), Employment Standards (CA), Fair Work Ombudsman (AU).