Terms and Conditions

 

Terms and Conditions of Use for Simply Secretarial, ABN 23 667 474 294 (“Simply Secretarial”)

LAST UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 2026

1. Introduction

These Terms and Conditions govern your access to and use of this website and the provision of all virtual assistance, payroll support, transcription, and administrative services by Simply Secretarial (ABN: 23 667 474 294) ("we", "us", "our"). By accessing this website, scheduling a consultation, or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to these terms, you must immediately cease using this website and refrain from engaging our services.

2. Services Provided

Simply Secretarial provides professional, remote virtual administrative and operational support. Services include, but are not limited to:

  • General secretarial and administrative support

  • Document preparation, data entry, and audio transcription

  • Operational payroll administration, timesheet compilation, and award interpretation data entry

  • CRM, database, and system maintenance

  • Digital administration and workflow coordination

All services are delivered remotely during standard operating hours and are subject to calendar availability and capacity limits. Simply Secretarial provides administrative execution and data processing support; our services do not constitute formal legal, taxation, industrial relations, or certified financial advice.

3. Scope of Work

All services are delivered strictly within the agreed specifications, deliverables, and allocated hours set out in your formal Proposal, Service Agreement, or confirmed written brief.

Out-of-Scope Requests: Any work, revisions, or administrative support requested beyond the agreed scope will be billed separately at our standard Ad-Hoc Rate ($82.50 per hour inc. GST).

Urgent & Priority Requests: Any tasks requested with a required turnaround of less than 24 hours, or outside agreed operational hours, are subject to capacity and will be billed at our Priority Rate ($121.00 per hour inc. GST).

Submission of Instructions: Work requests must be submitted in writing with clear instructions and necessary source files at least 48 hours prior to the requested delivery time.

Time Tracking: Ad-hoc and out-of-scope services are tracked and billed in 15-minute increments.

4. Fees & Payment Terms

100% Upfront Payment: Simply Secretarial operates strictly on an advance-payment model. All ad-hoc bookings, initial project retainers, and monthly retainer fees must be paid in full prior to the commencement of any work or the release of completed deliverables.

Monthly Retainers & Non-Rollover Policy: Retainer packages are invoiced and payable in advance of each monthly billing cycle via automated electronic billing or direct transfer. Retainers reserve dedicated calendar capacity; unused retainer hours do not roll over into subsequent billing periods and are strictly non-refundable.

Currency and GST: All published rates, estimates, and invoices are quoted in Australian Dollars (AUD) and are inclusive of 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST), unless expressly noted otherwise.

Direct Expenses: Any client-approved external costs or disbursement expenses (e.g. software licences, postage, regulatory filing fees) must be funded in advance by the client before being incurred.

Suspension of Services: If an invoice or scheduled recurring payment fails to clear, work will immediately cease, access to shared systems will be paused, and no further tasks will be scheduled until the account is fully cleared.

5. Confidentiality & Data Protection

Confidentiality Undertaking: Simply Secretarial treats all client information, payroll figures, employee records, audio recordings, and commercial trade secrets as strictly confidential. Confidential materials will not be disclosed, published, or shared with any third party without your prior written consent, unless required by Australian law.

Data Security & Credential Handling: We apply rigorous administrative and technical safeguards to protect your information. All client logins and sensitive access keys must be shared and stored exclusively via secure, encrypted credential management software utilising end-to-end encryption. Client credentials are never stored in unencrypted plain text or unsecured spreadsheets. All administrative devices and accounts are protected by multi-factor authentication (MFA) and device encryption.

Privacy Compliance: In handling any personal information provided by the client, Simply Secretarial complies with the statutory requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and adheres to the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Third-Party Software Providers: While we maintain high-level security practices, Simply Secretarial is not liable for data loss, breach, or disruption resulting from outages, hardware failures, or cyber incidents occurring directly on third-party cloud platforms (e.g. accounting software, telecommunications networks, or file-sharing hosts).

Data Retention and Return: Upon the termination of services and receipt of all outstanding payments, Simply Secretarial will securely return all client-owned working materials and revoke/delete shared credentials upon written request, retaining only records required to satisfy statutory Australian taxation and accounting compliance obligations.

6. Client Responsibilities

Timely Provision of Information: You must provide clear instructions, accurate source data, and verified system access in a timely manner. Simply Secretarial is not responsible for missed deadlines or project delays caused by late, incomplete, or ambiguous client submissions.

Statutory Employer Responsibility & Payroll Sign-Off: The client acknowledges that they remain the legal employer and retain sole statutory responsibility for compliance under the Fair Work Act 2009, applicable Modern Awards, superannuation guarantee obligations, and Australian Taxation Office (ATO) reporting. Simply Secretarial acts exclusively in an administrative and data-processing capacity.

Mandatory Payroll Approval: All draft pay runs, calculated timesheets, award interpretations, leave adjustments, and Single Touch Payroll (STP) summaries require formal written sign-off and approval from the client prior to final processing, file lodgement, or ABA file distribution. Simply Secretarial accepts no liability for errors, back-pay claims, or regulatory penalties arising from incorrect source records, misclassified roles, or unverified client data.

Review of Deliverables: You are required to review all completed work (including transcriptions, document drafts, and database entries) within five (5) business days of delivery. Any identified discrepancies must be flagged within this period. If no revisions are requested within five business days, the work is deemed accepted in full.

Authority to Disclose: You warrant that you have full legal right, ownership, and authority to supply all files, audio recordings, customer data, and software credentials provided to Simply Secretarial for processing.

7. Intellectual Property

Client Materials and Deliverables: You retain all intellectual property rights and copyright in the source materials, brand assets, and raw data you provide to Simply Secretarial. Upon full receipt of cleared payment, all intellectual property rights in the bespoke final deliverables created specifically for you (such as completed transcriptions, client-specific manuals, and bespoke reports) transfer to you.

Conditional Transfer: Intellectual property rights in any completed deliverable do not transfer to you until all associated fees have been paid in full. Simply Secretarial reserves the right to withhold deliverables or revoke permission to use completed work if payment is not cleared.

Pre-Existing and Proprietary Materials: Simply Secretarial retains sole ownership, copyright, and all rights in any pre-existing materials, proprietary templates, standard operating procedures (SOPs), spreadsheets, checklists, macros, or system frameworks utilised during the service. Nothing in this agreement transfers ownership of our underlying operational methodologies or generic administration tools to the client.

8. Limitation of Liability and Indemnity

Australian Consumer Law (ACL): Nothing in these Terms and Conditions operates to exclude, restrict, or modify any statutory consumer guarantees, rights, or remedies conferred upon you by the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) or Australian Consumer Law that cannot be lawfully excluded.

Exclusion of Consequential Loss: To the maximum extent permitted by Australian law, Simply Secretarial shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential loss or damage whatsoever. This includes, without limitation, loss of business revenue, lost profits, loss of goodwill, business interruption, loss or corruption of data, statutory penalties, ATO or Fair Work fines, or back-pay claims arising from your use of, or inability to use, our services.

Aggregate Liability Cap: To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability to you for any and all claims, disputes, or causes of action (whether in contract, tort including negligence, equity, or statutory breach) arising out of or in connection with our services is strictly limited to the total fees actually paid by you to Simply Secretarial for the specific task or service invoice giving rise to the claim, or the resupply of the relevant services at our sole discretion.

Client Indemnity: You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Simply Secretarial from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, or legal expenses (on a solicitor-client basis) resulting from:

  1. Any inaccurate, fraudulent, or incomplete information, timesheets, or instructions provided by you;

  2. Any failure by you to review and provide written sign-off on payroll, STP lodgements, or regulatory calculations; or

  3. Any breach by you of these Terms and Conditions or applicable Australian employment laws.

9. Turnaround Times, Cancellations and Rescheduling

Standard Operating Hours and Booking Notice: Simply Secretarial operates during standard Queensland business hours (Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays). All standard service requests, task submissions, and calendar appointments must be submitted with a minimum of 48 hours' advance notice via our scheduling platform or written communication.

Standard Turnaround Times: Turnaround times vary according to the scope, complexity, and current capacity of Simply Secretarial. Estimated completion timelines will be confirmed upon review of your brief and receipt of cleared payment.

Priority and Rush Requests: Any task or revision requested with a required completion timeframe of less than 24 hours, or required to be completed outside standard operating hours, will be accepted strictly subject to availability and billed at our Priority Rate ($121.00 per hour inc. GST).

Consultation and Meeting Rescheduling: Any scheduled phone, video, or onboarding consultations must be rescheduled at least 24 hours prior to the confirmed booking time. Appointments cancelled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours' notice, or missed without notice, will not be refunded and may count toward your allocated project or retainer hours.

Monthly Retainer Cancellation: Ongoing monthly retainer agreements may be cancelled by providing a minimum of 14 days' written notice prior to the commencement of the next billing cycle. No refunds, pro-rata reimbursements, or rollover credits will be issued for the current, active billing period or for any unused hours remaining at the time of cancellation.

10. Termination of Services

Termination for Convenience: Either party may terminate an ongoing monthly retainer agreement by providing a minimum of 14 days' written notice prior to the start of the next billing cycle. Work will continue through the end of the paid billing period; no pro-rata refunds will be issued for unused hours.

Immediate Termination for Cause: Simply Secretarial reserves the right to suspend or terminate services immediately, without notice or penalty, if the client:

  1. Fails to make required upfront payments or recurring retainer payments;

  2. Engages in unreasonable, abusive, threatening, or unprofessional behaviour towards Simply Secretarial;

  3. Requests services that are illegal, fraudulent, unethical, or violate Fair Work, ATO, or other statutory regulations; or

  4. Commits a material breach of these Terms and Conditions.

Post-Termination Obligations: Upon termination for any reason:

  1. All access granted to Simply Secretarial for client platforms, shared drives, and accounting systems must be promptly revoked by the client;

  2. Any outstanding ad-hoc fees, approved disbursement expenses, or costs incurred up to the date of termination become payable immediately; and

  3. Simply Secretarial will securely return all client-owned working materials and delete stored credentials in accordance with our Data Protection policy.

11. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

Informal Resolution First: In the event of any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms and Conditions or the services provided, both parties agree to first attempt to resolve the matter in good faith through direct written negotiation for a period of not less than fourteen (14) days before commencing formal legal proceedings.

Governing Law & Jurisdiction: These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Queensland, Australia. Each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland and any courts entitled to hear appeals from those courts.

12. General Provisions

Entire Agreement: These Terms and Conditions, together with any signed Service Agreement, approved Proposal, or written statement of work, constitute the entire agreement between you and Simply Secretarial, superseding all prior representations, arrangements, and understandings.

Severability: If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by an Australian court or tribunal, that provision will be severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

Force Majeure: Simply Secretarial will not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where such failure arises from circumstances beyond reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, widespread telecommunications or power outages, cyberattacks, severe illness, or major software infrastructure disruptions.

Modifications to Terms: Simply Secretarial reserves the right to review and amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. Any updates will take effect immediately upon being published on this website. Continued engagement of our services or use of the website following the posting of amendments constitutes binding acceptance of the updated terms.

Contact Information: For any queries regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact:

  • Simply Secretarial

  • Email: admin@simplysecretarial.com.au

  • Website: https://www.simplysecretarial.com.au/