Alpine Resorts Award

MA000092 covers employers throughout Australia who operate an alpine resort and their employees working at, or in direct connection with, the resort. An alpine resort is one that includes, among other things, an alpine lift. It also reaches labour hire and group training arrangements supplying staff into the industry. If you run lift, hospitality, retail or snowsports operations on the mountain, this is generally the relevant award - but confirm coverage against the award and the Fair Work Ombudsman, as some staff may fall under other instruments.

The award has two main streams. The Resort Worker stream runs from a Training rate through Resort Worker Levels 1 to 7, covering the broad on-mountain workforce in areas like lifts, hospitality, retail, grooming and maintenance. The Snowsports Instructor stream runs across Categories A to E, with Category A the most senior. Classify each worker by the duties they actually perform, place them in the correct stream and level, then read the current rate from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Snowsports instructors sit in their own stream under MA000092, classified across Categories A to E according to qualifications and responsibility, with Category A the highest. They are paid on this instructor scale rather than the Resort Worker scale, and some engagement rules (such as minimum hours) differ from other resort staff. Place each instructor in the correct category for the duties they perform and confirm the current rate for that category from the Fair Work source before running pay.

Always take current rates from the Fair Work Pay Calculator or the MA000092 pay guide rather than memory or an old spreadsheet. Rates differ by stream (Resort Worker or Snowsports Instructor), by level or category, and by employment type. They are reviewed annually and rise from the first full pay period on or after 1 July, so any figure has a use-by date. Valont keeps these rates current as part of award-compliant payroll for alpine operators.

Casual employees are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of the paid leave and other entitlements casuals do not receive. Casuals are generally engaged for a minimum period each time they work, though some rules differ for snowsports instructors. Treat 25% as a guide only and confirm the exact loading, minimum engagement and any casual conversion rules for this award from the Fair Work source before running pay.

MA000092 allows employees to be engaged as seasonal for a specified season, paid the hourly rate for their classification. Distinctively, if adverse climatic conditions hit, a seasonal employee's anticipated period of engagement may be reduced. Set out the season clearly when engaging seasonal staff, apply the correct classification rate, and confirm the seasonal provisions and any notice requirements against the Fair Work source so a short or shifting season is handled correctly.

MA000092 carries allowances tied to the alpine setting: a per-shift sewerage treatment plant allowance, an overtime meal allowance, a per-hour boot allowance where staff must supply their own footwear, and an equipment allowance where staff must supply their own ski or board gear. There is also airfare reimbursement for certain senior snowsports instructors and provision or reimbursement of protective clothing. Identify which apply to each role and confirm current amounts using the Fair Work Pay Calculator, as several are paid per shift or per hour.

Alpine resorts run seven days a week through the season, so weekend work can attract penalties on top of the ordinary rate. As a general guide, weekend penalties across awards commonly run around 25% on Saturday and 50% on Sunday, but the figures that actually apply depend on the classification, shift and employment type under this award. Do not assume a number - confirm what MA000092 provides for the relevant work against the Fair Work source before processing weekend pay.

Public holiday entitlements flow from the National Employment Standards and the award. As a general guide, public holiday work across awards can attract penalties of up to 150%, though MA000092's own provisions set what actually applies, and these can differ for snowsports instructors. Always verify the public holiday rate, and any arrangement for staff who do not work the day, for this award using the Fair Work Pay Calculator before running a pay period that includes a public holiday.

Overtime generally applies to hours worked beyond an employee's ordinary or rostered hours, with the award setting a higher rate after the first hours of overtime. There is also a separate penalty where an employee is required to work a rostered day off in an emergency, and they are granted another rostered day off in its place. Identify which hours count as overtime for each worker and confirm the applicable overtime rate for this award via the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

MA000092 does not set out an annualised wage arrangement, so you cannot simply pay an all-in salary and assume the award is met. Where staff are on salaries, you should still be able to show that pay covers the minimum rate plus every applicable penalty, loading and allowance for the hours actually worked. Confirm the award's hours, overtime and allowance provisions against the Fair Work source and reconcile salaries against them each season.

Full-time ordinary hours average 38 a week and can be averaged over a cycle of up to four weeks, which suits the peaks of a ski season. Ordinary hours may be worked across the days of the week up to a daily maximum, with overtime applying beyond ordinary or rostered hours. Part-time staff work agreed lesser hours. Set rosters to the award's averaging and daily-hours rules and confirm the detail for each employment type from the Fair Work source.

The risks with MA000092 sit in the detail: the right stream and level, seasonal and multi-hiring arrangements, the alpine-specific allowances, overtime and public holiday rates that differ from general guides, and figures refreshed every July - often mid-season. The safest approach is to anchor every figure to the Fair Work Pay Calculator and review pay each 1 July. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for alpine operators, mapping rosters to the correct classifications, allowances and penalties so figures stay current and accurate.