Book Industry Award

Editorial and book-publicity staff at a book publisher are generally covered by the Book Industry Award 2020 (MA000078). It applies to national-system employees doing editing or publicity work for book publications. Managers, executives, and employees covered by another applicable award or an enterprise agreement are excluded. Always confirm coverage against the actual award wording and the employee's duties on the Fair Work source before you rely on it.

No. The Book Industry Award does not set separate Saturday or Sunday penalty rates, which makes it unusual compared with retail or hospitality awards. Weekend work is generally paid at the ordinary rate unless it triggers overtime. Public holidays are governed by the National Employment Standards rather than an award penalty. Because award terms can change, confirm the current position on the Fair Work source before processing weekend pay.

There are two streams. Editors run from Level 1 through Level 3 with graded steps, from a trainee editor up to a senior editor coordinating publishing projects. Publicists run from Grade 1 to Grade 7. Each classification has its own minimum weekly and hourly rate. Place each employee in the correct classification based on their actual duties, then take the current minimum for that classification from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual employees are paid a loading on top of the minimum hourly rate for their classification, commonly 25%. The award also sets a minimum engagement of three hours, so a casual called in must be paid for at least that period. The loading compensates for not receiving paid leave and other permanent entitlements. Confirm the current loading and the minimum engagement on the Fair Work source before paying casual staff.

Overtime is paid for approved work beyond ordinary hours, and the penalty steps up the more overtime is worked across the week. Casuals also attract overtime once they exceed the daily threshold. One important exception applies to the most senior classifications, which are exempt from overtime. Because the steps and thresholds are precise, take the exact overtime rates from the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than estimating them.

Yes. Senior Editors at Level 3 Grade 3 and Publicists at Grades 6 and 7 are exempt from the ordinary-hours and overtime provisions in the award. In exchange, they must still receive at least two days off each week. This is a common trap, since employers either wrongly pay them overtime or wrongly deny them the two days off. Check the exact classification definitions on the Fair Work source.

The award does not prescribe the usual list of expense allowances such as meal, vehicle, travel or first-aid allowances. Instead, employees are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses the employer has authorised. So before paying a flat allowance, confirm what is actually owed under the award on the Fair Work source, rather than assuming an allowance exists because other awards have one.

Ordinary hours average 38 per week and are generally worked Monday to Friday. The award allows several arrangements for spreading those hours, such as a standard weekly pattern or an averaging cycle over a fortnight or four weeks. Part-time employees have their hours agreed in writing. The senior exempt classifications sit outside these provisions but still receive at least two days off weekly. Confirm the detail against the current award 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. Apply the new rate from that first full pay period, not from 1 July itself if your pay cycle straddles the date. Take the updated rate for each classification from the Fair Work Pay Calculator so the figure is current.

Casuals receive the casual loading, commonly 25%, on top of the minimum hourly rate. Since the award has no Saturday or Sunday penalty rates, casual weekend work is generally paid at the casual rate without an extra weekend penalty, though overtime can still apply once daily limits are exceeded. Public holidays follow the National Employment Standards. Confirm the current loading and any overtime steps on the Fair Work source.

The award does not set a distinct public holiday penalty rate, so public holiday entitlements come from the National Employment Standards. Employees are generally entitled to be absent and paid for a public holiday that falls on a day they would normally work, and work performed on a public holiday can attract a loading commonly stated as up to 150%. Confirm the current public holiday treatment and rate on the Fair Work source before processing the pay.

Annual leave is provided under the National Employment Standards. Where annual leave loading applies, it is commonly 17.5%, but you should confirm whether and how it applies to your employees on the Fair Work source rather than assuming. Treatment can vary with the employee's classification and arrangements, so verify the current position before paying leave so the loading and the underlying rate are both correct.

The frequent errors are paying weekend penalties the award does not have, applying standard overtime to the senior exempt classifications, inventing allowances the award does not prescribe, and forgetting the annual 1 July rate increase. Each can cause an underpayment or overpayment. Valont runs award-compliant payroll and maps each editor or publicist to the right classification, with current rates pulled from the Fair Work source so the figures stay accurate.