Amusement, Events and Recreation Award

It covers employers in leisure, recreation, amusement and events: theme parks, amusement arcades, ten-pin bowling, go-kart tracks, sporting and exhibition complexes, museums, zoos, aquariums, agricultural shows, carnivals, golf facilities and exhibition-stand builders. If your venue fits this industry and you have no enterprise agreement, MA000080 is most likely the award that applies. Check coverage clauses on the Fair Work source if you're unsure.

Certain employers are specifically excluded, including registered clubs, the fitness industry, travelling shows, and trades such as building and construction, electrical contracting and joinery that are covered by their own awards. Being in a recreation-adjacent business doesn't automatically mean MA000080 applies. Confirm the exclusions in the coverage clause on the Fair Work source before classifying your staff.

Rates sit against a graded classification scale, from an Introductory level up through numbered Grades reflecting skill and responsibility, plus defined roles like exhibition employees and golf professionals. Juniors and apprentices are paid a percentage of the relevant adult rate. You classify each employee to the right grade, then read the current minimum from the Fair Work Pay Calculator, since exact dollar figures change every year.

Weekend work attracts penalty rates under the award. As a guide, Saturday penalties commonly run around 25% and Sunday penalties commonly around 50% above the ordinary rate, though the exact figures depend on the employee type and classification. Always confirm the current weekend penalty percentages against the Fair Work source, because they're reviewed and updated and shouldn't be paid from memory.

Public holiday work under MA000080 is paid at a significant penalty, commonly up to 150% of the ordinary rate, and minimum-engagement rules can also apply on the day. The precise public holiday rate varies with the employee's classification and employment type. Use the Fair Work Pay Calculator to confirm the current public holiday penalty before processing a pay run that includes one.

Casual employees are paid a casual loading, commonly 25%, on ordinary hours instead of paid leave entitlements. The loading generally applies to ordinary hours rather than stacking onto overtime in the same way, and casuals also have a minimum engagement per shift. Because the precise interaction of loading, overtime and penalties matters, verify the current treatment against the Fair Work source for your specific situation.

Yes. Eligible employees are entitled to annual leave loading of 17.5% on top of their base rate of pay when they take annual leave, in addition to the leave itself provided under the National Employment Standards. Casuals don't accrue paid annual leave. For the exact base rate the loading applies to and any conditions, refer to the award text on the Fair Work source.

Minimum rates increase from the first full pay period on or after 1 July each year, following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review. The 2026 review added 4.75% to modern award minimums. The increase applies from the start of the first full pay period after 1 July, not necessarily 1 July itself, so check your pay-period dates and read the current figures from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

The award includes several allowances, such as a first-aid allowance for designated first-aiders, an employee-in-charge allowance for staff running golf links, bowling greens or lawn tennis courts, meal and vehicle allowances, and flexible and supervisory loadings for exhibition employees. Some are all-purpose and feed into other calculations. Confirm exactly which allowances apply to each role, and their current values, on the Fair Work source.

Junior employees are paid a percentage of the relevant adult classification rate that increases with age, and apprentices are paid a percentage of a defined grade that rises through their apprenticeship, sometimes affected by whether Year 12 is completed. You first identify the adult or base rate, then apply the correct junior or apprentice percentage. The current percentages and resulting rates are available on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Part-time employees work fewer than 38 hours a week with reasonably predictable hours, and receive pay and conditions on a pro-rata basis equivalent to full-time staff. Their agreed hours should be set out in writing, and work outside the agreed pattern can attract overtime or penalty rates. For the exact part-time provisions, including how additional hours are treated, refer to the award on the Fair Work source.

Overtime is payable once an employee works beyond the ordinary-hours thresholds set by the award, such as daily or weekly limits, and is paid at higher loadings than ordinary time. The exact overtime multipliers, the points at which a higher rate kicks in, and how overtime interacts with casual loading all depend on the clause detail. Always confirm the current overtime rates and triggers against the Fair Work source before paying them.

Start by confirming MA000080 actually covers your venue, classify each employee to the correct grade, and apply the right loadings, penalties and allowances, updating rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July each year. Always read current figures from the Fair Work Pay Calculator. Many operators outsource this: Valont runs award-compliant payroll so SMEs in sectors like this stay accurate without tracking every annual change themselves.

Gyms and fitness centres are covered by the Fitness Industry Award.

Sporting bodies and clubs sit under the Sporting Organisations Award.

Registered and licensed clubs have their own award.