Modern Award compliance, in plain English
Plain-English guides to Australia's 122 modern awards, who's covered, how pay and penalties work, and what changes each July. General information only, not advice.
Health & clinical
5 awardsNurses Award
Rotating shifts, stacked night and weekend loadings, on-call and recall make the Nurses Award hard to pay. Pay points, penalties, 1 July. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Medical Practitioners Award
On-call, recall and training pay points shape the Medical Practitioners Award for employed doctors. Pay and penalties, made plain. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Health Professionals and Support Services Award
Two streams and annual pay points set pay under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services Award
Bilingual and medication allowances catch employers out under the ATSI Health Workers Award. Plain-English pay and 1 July guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award
The paramedic skills allowance and combined-percentage penalties shape Ambulance Award pay. Plain-English coverage guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Care & community services
5 awardsAged Care Award
Sleepover allowances versus overnight work trip up Aged Care Award payroll. Plain-English guide to the care streams and 1 July changes. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award
Sleepovers, broken shifts, client travel and cancellation pay make the SCHADS Award hard to get right. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Supported Employment Services Award
Supported wage assessments tied to productive capacity set pay under the Supported Employment Services Award. Plain guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Children's Services Award
The educational leader and broken-shift allowances trip up centres. Children's Services Award guide to streams, pay and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Labour Market Assistance Industry Award
The supported-employment boundary and vehicle allowance shape the Labour Market Assistance Award. Plain-English guide to pay and traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Hospitality & food service
4 awardsHospitality Industry (General) Award 2020
Who the Hospitality Award (HIGA) covers, how rates, split shifts, casual loading and penalties are structured, what changed on 1 July, and the traps that catch hospitality employers. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Restaurant Industry Award
Split shifts, late-night loadings and a knife allowance for cooks. A plain-English guide to the Restaurant Industry Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Fast Food Industry Award
Sunday penalties differ by level: the Fast Food Award guide to the three levels, delivery allowances, junior rates and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Registered and Licensed Clubs Award
Gaming, TAB, bar and bistro under one roof with late-night loadings. A plain-English guide to the Registered and Licensed Clubs Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Food manufacturing & processing
5 awardsFood, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award
Continuous and non-continuous shifts carry different loadings in the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Meat Industry Award
Piecework and tally pay, cold-work allowances and three streams make the Meat Industry Award tricky. Coverage, pay, penalties, 1 July. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Poultry Processing Award
Chilled lines mean cold-work allowances and stacked penalties. A plain-English guide to the Poultry Processing Award: pay and traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Seafood Processing Award
Catches land at odd hours, bringing freezer allowances, overtime and call-back pay. A plain-English guide to this award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Sugar Industry Award
The crushing season, seasonal hires and continuous-shift mills shape the Sugar Industry Award, paddock to refinery. Guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Retail & personal services
4 awardsGeneral Retail Industry Award 2020
Who the General Retail Industry Award covers, how minimum rates, weekend and public-holiday penalties are structured, what changed on 1 July, and the traps that catch retail employers. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Pharmacy Industry Award
Community pharmacy only, with pharmacist bands and heavy evening and weekend penalties: the Pharmacy Industry Award made plain. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Hair and Beauty Industry Award
Junior and apprentice rates drive the Hair and Beauty Industry Award, and commission can't undercut the minimum. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Mannequins and Models Award
Short casual shoots and a contractor-or-employee trap define the Mannequins and Models Award. Plain-English guide to pay and the rules. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Building & construction trades
5 awardsBuilding and Construction General On-site Award 2020
Who the Building and Construction General On-site Award covers, how rates, allowances, RDOs and travel are structured, what changed on 1 July, and the traps that catch builders. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Joinery and Building Trades Award
Apprentice rates and the industry disability allowance catch out the Joinery and Building Trades Award. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award
Tool, travel and site allowances can dwarf the base rate in the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award. Coverage, pay, penalties, 1 July. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award
All-purpose allowances build into the rate: the Electrical Contracting Award guide to the graded levels, licence allowance and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Mobile Crane Hiring Award
Pay scales with crane capacity and licence, and travel time between sites trips employers up: the Mobile Crane Hiring Award made plain. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Manufacturing & materials
11 awardsManufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award
Built on the C10 trade benchmark and all-purpose allowances, the Manufacturing Award is a maze. A plain guide to pay and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Aluminium Industry Award
Continuous versus non-continuous shiftwork drives overtime under the Aluminium Industry Award. Plain-English pay guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award
Cement/lime levels and quarry grades in one: the Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award guide to the industry allowance, penalties and traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Concrete Products Award
Panels, pipes and pavers, not premixed: the Concrete Products Award guide to the five levels, all-purpose allowances and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Premixed Concrete Award
Agitator drivers, plant hands and waiting time on a delayed pour. A plain-English guide to the Premixed Concrete Award: pay, traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Asphalt Industry Award
All-purpose industry and weather allowances flow into every penalty under the Asphalt Award. Plain-English five-level pay guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award
Sales commission must still meet the minimum guarantee, and apprentice rates must step up, under the Vehicle Repair Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award
Strict outworker protections and record-keeping set the TCF Award apart. Plain-English guide to pay, penalties and traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Timber Industry Award
Multiple streams, multi-shift mills and dirty-work allowances make the Timber Industry Award easy to misapply. Plain guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Salt Industry Award
Solar salt fields are seasonal and weather-driven, with continuous-shift loadings. A plain-English guide to the Salt Industry Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Pharmaceutical Industry Award
A medicines manufacturing award, not retail pharmacy, built on continuous shift work: the Pharmaceutical Industry Award explained. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Energy, mining & resources
9 awardsBlack Coal Mining Industry Award
Five weeks' annual leave and roster-based pay set the Black Coal Mining Award apart. Plain-English roster-penalty guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Mining Industry Award
Continuous shift rosters, remote work and industry allowances run through the Mining Industry Award (not black coal). Pay and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Coal Export Terminals Award
Stockpiling and ship-loading, not Port Authorities: the Coal Export Terminals Award guide to streams, stacked shift penalties and traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Hydrocarbons Industry (Upstream) Award
Rotating roster cycles and a built-in industry allowance shape the Hydrocarbons Upstream Award. Plain-English guide to pay. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Hydrocarbons Field Geologists Award
An annual retainer plus a daily rig allowance defines the Hydrocarbons Field Geologists Award. Plain-English guide to mudlogger pay. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Oil Refining and Manufacturing Award
Continuous versus non-continuous shift work defines the Oil Refining and Manufacturing Award on a 24/7 plant. Pay, penalties, 1 July. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Gas Industry Award
On-call, standby and continuous-shift loadings run the round-the-clock Gas Industry Award. Plain-English guide to pay and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Electrical Power Industry Award
Round-the-clock supply means an availability-duty allowance: the Electrical Power Industry Award guide to career streams and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Water Industry Award
On-call, standby and call-out cover for 24/7 supply, plus continuous shifts, define the Water Industry Award. Guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Transport & logistics
7 awardsRoad Transport and Distribution Award
Driver grades turn on vehicle capacity, plus allowances for the load. A plain-English guide to the Road Transport and Distribution Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award
Cents-per-kilometre pay, fatigue law and two-up driving set this apart. A plain-English guide to the Long Distance Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Transport (Cash in Transit) Award
Armoured crews, the Industry and Mobile cash unit allowances and licence reimbursements define the Cash in Transit Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Passenger Vehicle Transportation Award
Broken shifts, vehicle-class grading and fatigue rules shape the Passenger Vehicle Transportation Award. Pay, penalties, 1 July. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Storage Services and Wholesale Award
Forklift grades and cold-store allowances drive pay under the Storage Services and Wholesale Award. Plain-English warehouse guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Waste Management Award
Pre-dawn collection rounds, the spread of hours and offensive-work allowances drive the Waste Management Award. Guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Rail Industry Award
A 24/7 network with three classification streams and stacking shift loadings. A plain-English guide to the Rail Industry Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Maritime
10 awardsSeagoing Industry Award
Voyage and swing cycles mean pay, hours and leave accrue at sea, not by the week. A plain-English guide to the Seagoing Industry Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Maritime Offshore Oil and Gas Award
Swings, tours of duty and offshore allowances define the Maritime Offshore Oil and Gas Award. A plain guide to pay, penalties and 1 July. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Marine Towage Award
A 24/7 on-demand port service where call-ins ride on overtime: the Marine Towage Award explained. Coverage, pay by ticket, penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award
Seven-day seasonal crews graded by ticket: the Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award made plain. Coverage, pay and weekend penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award
Tug, ferry and harbour-craft crews graded by certificate and watch roster. A plain-English guide to the Ports and Harbours Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Port Authorities Award
Ports run around the clock, so shift loadings stack with weekend penalties. A plain-English guide to the Port Authorities Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Stevedoring Industry Award
Guaranteed wage employees and round-the-clock, vessel-driven shifts define the Stevedoring Award. Plain-English pay guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Dredging Industry Award
Classifications hinge on the dredge's operational state, plus maritime allowances: the Dredging Industry Award guide to pay and traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Professional Diving Industry (Industrial) Award
Depth and decompression allowances drive a commercial diver's pay. A plain-English guide to the Professional Diving (Industrial) Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award
Weekend peaks and liveaboard trips shape dive-instructor pay. A plain-English guide to the Professional Diving (Recreational) Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Aviation
4 awardsAir Pilots Award
The Air Pilots Award pays annual salaries by classification, not hourly, with strict duty limits. Plain-English pay guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Aircraft Cabin Crew Award
Cabin crew pay runs on tour of duty and sign-on, not clock hours. Plain-English Cabin Crew Award guide to pay and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Airline Operations - Ground Staff Award
Four streams and ASIC card reimbursement define the Airline Ground Staff Award. Plain-English guide to pay and shift penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Airport Employees Award
Disability and remote-locality district allowances set the Airport Employees Award apart. Plain-English pay and penalties guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Education & training
5 awardsEducational Services (Teachers) Award
Annual salary with leave in the school calendar: the Teachers Award guide to accreditation-based levels, allowances and leave mechanics. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award
Sleepover and on-call rules for boarding staff catch schools out: the Schools General Staff Award guide to the eight levels. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Educational Services (Post-Secondary Education) Award
Sessional teaching engagements for VET and ELICOS colleges: the Post-Secondary Education Award guide to the three streams and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Higher Education Industry - Academic Staff - Award
Sessional lecturing, tutoring and marking each carry their own rate under the Higher Education Academic Staff Award. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Higher Education Industry - General Staff - Award
Level increments plus extended-hours shifts shape the Higher Education General Staff Award. Plain-English guide to pay. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Agriculture & primary industries
8 awardsHorticulture Award
Piecework agreements and a minimum-earnings safeguard sit at the centre of the Horticulture Award. Plain-English guide to harvest pay. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Nursery Award
A plant-growing award, not childcare, where propagators outrank retail and seasonal juniors abound: the Nursery Award explained plainly. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Pastoral Award
Shearing tallies per 100 head, piecework and keep deductions set the Pastoral Award apart. A plain guide to pay, penalties and 1 July. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Aquaculture Industry Award
A diving allowance for finfish attendants is a quiet trap in the Aquaculture Industry Award. Plain-English guide to the four levels. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Cotton Ginning Award
Overnight ginning brings night loadings and district contingency pay: the Cotton Ginning Award guide to the CG1-CG5 scale and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Silviculture Award
Remote planting crews bring travel and distant-work allowances and seasonal labour. A plain-English guide to the Silviculture Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Wine Industry Award
Vintage seasonal labour and cellar door staff, who sit outside retail, shape the Wine Industry Award. Plain guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Wool Storage, Sampling and Testing Award
Tied to the wool selling season, with three streams and testing-clothing allowances, the Wool Storage Award has its traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Racing & animal care
4 awardsHorse and Greyhound Training Award
Pre-dawn trackwork, split days and race-day allowances define the Horse and Greyhound Training Award. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Racing Clubs Events Award
Race-day casuals, public-holiday meetings and minimum engagements. A plain-English guide to the Racing Clubs Events Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Racing Industry Ground Maintenance Award
Early trackwork, weekend course prep and tractor-plant allowances. A plain-English guide to the Racing Ground Maintenance Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award
On-call rates that change by day, and a separate vet surgeon stream, define the Animal Care Award. Plain-English pay guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Professional, clerical & sales
12 awardsClerks, Private Sector Award 2020
Who the Clerks, Private Sector Award covers, how its minimum rates and penalties are structured, what changed on 1 July, and the compliance traps that catch employers. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Legal Services Award
Annualised wages and the law clerk versus clerical line catch out the Legal Services Award. Plain-English guide to support-staff pay. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Banking, Finance and Insurance Award
No flat weekend penalty: the Banking and Finance Award uses a Saturday window and overtime instead. Plain-English pay guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Market and Social Research Award
Evening and weekend interviewing drives the Market and Social Research Award, with a trainee rate, not junior. Pay, penalties, 1 July. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Commercial Sales Award
Commission can't be the whole pay packet: the Commercial Sales Award guide for field reps on classifications, allowances and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Contract Call Centres Award
Outsourced centres serving many clients: the Contract Call Centres Award guide to the two streams, span of hours and shift penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Telecommunications Services Award
On-call fault response, technician grades and tool allowances shape the Telecommunications Services Award. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Business Equipment Award
Technical, clerical and commercial-traveller streams, plus a salary exemption, shape the Business Equipment Award. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Surveying Award
An occupational award covering professional surveyors too, plus field staff, travel and remote allowances. Surveying Award guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Architects Award
An occupational award with no weekend penalties, the Architects Award still owes salaried staff overtime. Plain-English pay guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Professional Employees Award
Salaried engineers and scientists: additional-hours recognition, not weekend penalties. A plain-English guide to this award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Real Estate Industry Award
Commission-only agents qualify only where strict tests are met; otherwise the full minimum applies. A plain-English guide to the Real Estate Industry Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Media & entertainment
5 awardsLive Performance Award
Engagement by calls, with high late-night and Sunday penalties, defines the Live Performance Award. Plain-English guide to pay. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award
The cinema 8% penalty-averaging rule is a standout in the Broadcasting and Cinemas Award. Plain-English sector-grade guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Journalists Published Media Award
Cadet progression and expense allowances set pay under the Journalists Published Media Award. Plain-English guide to grading. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Book Industry Award
Built for editors and publicists, the Book Industry Award has no weekend penalties and exempt senior grades. Plain-English pay guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award
Press shifts mean afternoon and night loadings shape the Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award. Plain-English compliance guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Property & personal services
8 awardsCleaning Services Award
Split rosters trigger a broken-shift allowance: the Cleaning Services Award guide to the three levels, penalties and minimum engagements. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Dry Cleaning and Laundry Industry Award
Separate streams plus a foul-laundry allowance: the Dry Cleaning and Laundry Award guide to classifications, penalties and traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Gardening and Landscaping Services Award
Vehicle, travel and tool allowances drive pay under the Gardening and Landscaping Services Award. Plain-English compliance guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Car Parking Award
Commercial car parks: the Car Parking Award guide on the three officer levels, report-for-duty minimums, penalties and 1 July changes. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Security Services Industry Award
Broken shifts and around-the-clock night and weekend loadings define security pay. A plain-English guide to the Security Services Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Pest Control Industry Award
A mobile, on-call trade where travel time and after-hours call-outs catch employers out: the Pest Control Industry Award made plain. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Funeral Industry Award
On-call, standby and recall sit at the heart of the Funeral Industry Award's seven-day work. Plain-English guide to pay and penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Cemetery Industry Award
Exhumation and grave-deepening allowances set the Cemetery Industry Award apart. Guide to the six classes, weekday hours and pitfalls. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Public sector
5 awardsAustralian Government Industry Award 2016
A non-standard ordinary week, not 38 hours, drives pay under the Australian Government Industry Award. Plain-English AG-level guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →State Government Agencies Award
Narrower than its name: the State Government Agencies Award covers only national-system staff outside state instruments. Guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Local Government Industry Award
Award or enterprise agreement is the first question across the Local Government Industry Award's broad workforce. Plain-English guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Fire Fighting Industry Award
The 10/14 roster's 42-hour average defines the Fire Fighting Award. Guide to ranked levels, all-purpose allowances and shift penalties. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Corrections and Detention (Private Sector) Award
Private prisons run 24/7, with a dog handler allowance and rest-break rules: the Corrections and Detention Award guide to pay and traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Recreation, fitness & events
5 awardsFitness Industry Award
Casual loading splits weekday and weekend rates under the Fitness Industry Award. Plain-English guide to pay, penalties and the traps. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Sporting Organisations Award
No weekend loading, yet volunteers, game-day public holidays and overtime still catch clubs under the Sporting Organisations Award. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Amusement, Events and Recreation Award
An employee-in-charge allowance for golf links and bowling greens marks the Amusement and Recreation Award. Plain-English pay guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Alpine Resorts Award
Seasonal staff and a separate snowsports instructor stream define the Alpine Resorts Award. Plain-English pay and 1 July guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Travelling Shows Award
Travel, set-up and pack-down pay, no weekend loading and living-away allowances shape the Travelling Shows Award. Guide. General information, not advice.
Read the guide →Award compliance is one part of the back office. If you’re weighing up outsourcing more of it, see our comparison guides to the best payroll outsourcing providers in Australia, bookkeeping services and outsourced CFO services.
Unsure which award applies to your team? That’s exactly what we confirm during onboarding, and we run award-compliant payroll under whichever ones cover your people.
Not sure which award applies to your team?
We identify the right Modern Award for every role, classify correctly, and run award-compliant payroll that re-checks after each 1 July increase.