Earned Wage Access (EWA) gives you access to your money as you earn it instead of waiting for payday. To be eligible for EWA, you must meet some specific criteria.
This article contains:
Eligibility
Can I get EWA?
These are the seven criteria you need to meet to be eligible for EWA.
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You must be paid in arrears
- Explanation: If your wages are paid in arrears, you are likely to be eligible for EWA.
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You must have been paid 2 times
- Explanation: You must have received your pay a minimum of two consecutive times.
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You must not be about to leave your job
- Explanation: If you have an upcoming termination date, you will be ineligible for EWA.
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You must be at least 16
- Explanation: You must be over 16 years old to be eligible for EWA.
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Your leave affects your balance
- Explanation: Any leave within a pay cycle will impact your EWA available balance.
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Your timesheets must have been approved
- Explanation: Your manager must ensure that your timesheets have been approved.
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Use an email address associated with an organisation using Employment Hero
- Explanation: We need an employee account that is associated with an organisation using Employment Hero. If you are using a different email address as your account email, you will need to change your email address.
Additional eligibility criteria
How do pay cycles affect eligibility?
Monthly pay cycle
If you are paid monthly in advance, you will not be eligible for earned pay access. However, if you are paid monthly, with half in arrears and half in advance, you will be eligible for EWA for the two weeks in the month that you are paid in arrears.
Fortnightly pay cycle
If you are paid fortnightly in arrears, you will be eligible for earned pay access during your pay cycle after you complete the first day of work in the cycle. If you are paid fortnightly, with half in arrears and half in advance, you will only be eligible for EWA for the arrears part.
Weekly pay cycle
If you are paid weekly in arrears, you could be eligible for EWA.
What are the eligibility differences between salaried and timesheet employees?
If you are paid monthly on a salary basis, you will be eligible for EWA for the period you are paid in arrears. If you are paid fortnightly based on the timesheets you submit, you will only be eligible for earned wage access based on the approved timesheets you have for your next pay run.
If you are paid monthly in advance, you will not be eligible for earned pay access. However, if you are paid monthly, with half in arrears and half in advance, you will be eligible for EWA for the two weeks in the month that you are paid in arrears.
Fortnightly pay cycle
If you are paid fortnightly in arrears, you will be eligible for earned pay access during your pay cycle after you complete the first day of work in the cycle. If you are paid fortnightly, with half in arrears and half in advance, you will only be eligible for EWA for the arrears part.
Weekly pay cycle
If you are paid weekly in arrears, you could be eligible for EWA.
What are the eligibility differences between salaried and timesheet employees?
If you are paid monthly on a salary basis, you will be eligible for EWA for the period you are paid in arrears. If you are paid fortnightly based on the timesheets you submit, you will only be eligible for earned wage access based on the approved timesheets you have for your next pay run.
| Pay Frequency | Arrears or Advance | Eligible for EWA |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Arrears | Yes |
| Advance | No | |
| Fortnightly | All arrears | Yes |
| All advance | No | |
| 1/2 arrears, 1/2 advance | Yes - Week in arrears | |
| Monthly | All arrears | Yes |
| All advance | No | |
| 1/2 arrears, 1/2 advance | Yes - Week/s in arrears |
Is EWA available at any time?
EWA is not available if a pay run is in progress. A pay run is an action your payroll admin takes to process pay for all employees, and it is typical for a pay run to take two to three days, i.e., if you are normally paid on the 15th, your payroll admin may start the pay run on the 13th. You must have these approved and paid in arrears if paid based off timesheets.
Accessing your money
What pay can I take out with EWA?
EWA will advise you how much you can withdraw from your already-earned wages on your Income page in Money feature of the Swag app. There is no minimum withdrawal amount. Any withdrawals made through EWA will be shown as a deduction on your next payslip.
How often can I access EWA?
The withdrawal amount available to the employee is half of their accrued wage. Employment Hero calculates EWA weeks as a seven-day period, starting on the first day of your pay cycle.
How long does EWA take to process?
Most funds should be transferred immediately. If your EWA funds are taking longer than stated above to process, get in touch with Swag Support.
Why can I not access EWA?
If EWA is currently unavailable, this could be for the following reasons:
- You are about to leave your current position.
- You have taken leave within your pay cycle, which we factored into your available balance.
- You have not worked for two consecutive pay periods.
- The organisation you belong to is not currently eligible for EWA.
- Your organisation does not use Employment Hero payroll.
- You have not accrued any income during your current pay cycle.
- Your timesheets may not have been approved.
Can I take out all of my upcoming pay with EWA?
No. EWA amounts are limited to 50% of an employee's unpaid net pay owed, with a weekly cap of £500. For permanent employees, your EWA balance is based on accrued entitlements from hours already worked.
I am a casual employee. Can I access EWA?
At this stage, EWA is not available to casual employees. We hope to offer EWA to casual employees in the future.
Still need help?
Ask for further assistance via the Swag app.
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