Car Parking Award

It covers employers in the business of providing parking and related services for cars and other vehicles on a commercial basis, along with their employees in the award's classifications. On-hire employees and trainees placed into that work are also covered. It excludes parking that is merely incidental to another industry, and roles covered by awards such as Clerks (Private Sector), General Retail, Hospitality, Local Government and Security Services. If you are unsure, check the coverage clause and the award summary on the Fair Work Ombudsman website before classifying staff.

Car Parking Officers sit in one of three levels. Level 1 is for employees with little or no industry experience who are in induction and generally within their first six months. Level 2 applies once they have more than six months' experience and have completed induction, exercising discretion across parking, cashiering, patrol, washing and cleaning duties. Level 3 covers extensive experience plus supervising and helping train others. Classify each person to the work they actually perform, and confirm the current rate for that level using the Fair Work source.

Minimum rates depend on the employee's classification level, so there is no single figure. We deliberately do not quote a dollar amount here because the rates change every year. The minimums rise from the first full pay period on or after 1 July, and the 2026 Annual Wage Review added 4.75% to modern award minimums. To get the correct current rate for a specific classification, use the Fair Work Pay Calculator, which always reflects the latest determination.

Casual employees under this award are paid a casual loading, commonly 25%, on top of the minimum hourly rate for their classification, in place of paid leave and certain other entitlements such as notice and redundancy. The loading generally applies to ordinary hours, and casuals also have their own overtime rates rather than the loading simply stacking on every hour. Because the precise rate and how it combines with penalties can change, confirm the current loading and its application against the Fair Work source before processing casual pay.

Weekend work is more highly paid under this award, with Saturday and Sunday each attracting their own penalty, and day workers and shiftworkers treated differently. As a guide, weekend loadings in many awards sit around 25% on Saturday and 50% on Sunday, but this award sets its own higher figures, so do not assume those numbers. Always verify the current Saturday and Sunday rate for the specific arrangement using the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than applying a standard percentage.

Work on a public holiday attracts a higher penalty under this award, which can be up to 150%. Employees not required to work a public holiday are generally entitled to the day off without loss of their ordinary pay. The exact public holiday rate and how it applies can change, so confirm the current entitlement against the Fair Work source. Outsourcing payroll to a provider like Valont helps make sure these higher rates are applied correctly every time.

Overtime under this award is paid at penalty rates that step up the longer overtime continues, and casual employees have their own, higher overtime scale. There are also rules requiring a rest break after overtime, with a penalty payable if an employee resumes work without enough rest between shifts. Because the exact multipliers and conditions are set by the award and can change, confirm the current overtime rates and the rest-period rules using the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing the hours.

The award includes several allowances, such as a first aid allowance for a qualified employee appointed to perform first aid, a laundering allowance where the employee launders a required uniform, an overtime meal allowance when overtime runs beyond a set period without notice, and transfer and accommodation allowances for travelling between jobs or being away from home. These are triggered by specific circumstances, not the role itself. Because each amount changes, confirm the current allowance figures against the Fair Work source and capture the qualifying conditions in your records.

Yes. Where the employer requires a uniform and the employee launders it, a laundering allowance is payable, with separate amounts for full-time employees and for part-time or casual employees on a per-shift basis. It can also apply by agreement, or where the employer requires but does not launder the uniform. The exact amounts change each year, so rather than relying on a remembered figure, confirm the current laundering allowance using the Fair Work Pay Calculator and record when uniforms are issued and laundered.

Employees working defined afternoon and night shifts are entitled to shift loadings, with a higher loading where a night shift does not rotate with other shifts. These loadings are separate from weekend and public holiday penalties and apply to the relevant shift hours. The specific percentages are set by the award and reviewed each year, so verify the current loading for the relevant shift type against the Fair Work source rather than applying a generic number.

An employee who reports for duty is generally entitled to a minimum of three hours' work or payment, and part-time and casual engagements carry their own minimum per engagement under this award. This means you cannot roster or send someone home for a very short period without meeting the minimum. Check the current minimum engagement and reporting provisions on the Fair Work source, and build them into your rostering so short shifts are paid correctly.

Yes. The standard annual leave loading of 17.5% applies on top of an employee's ordinary pay when they take annual leave. Shiftworkers are commonly entitled to the greater of the 17.5% loading or the shift and weekend penalties they would otherwise have earned during that period. Apply the loading to the correct base and check the current treatment for shiftworkers against the Fair Work source, as the interaction between loading and penalties is set by the award.

Start by classifying each employee to the right Car Parking Officer level for the work they do, then apply the current minimum rate, penalties and any allowances they qualify for, refreshing those figures from the Fair Work Pay Calculator at each annual review. Keep records of the conditions that trigger allowances like first aid and laundering, and of reporting and minimum engagement payments. Many SMEs reduce this risk by using an award-compliant payroll provider such as Valont, which keeps rate tables current and applies the correct entitlements each pay run.