Commercial Sales Award

It is an occupational award covering employers Australia-wide in respect of three sales occupations: commercial travellers (off-site selling goods or soliciting orders), merchandisers (promoting products and arranging stock and displays away from the premises), and advertising sales representatives (selling advertising space or time). It does not apply to employees covered by the Clerks—Private Sector, Contract Call Centres or Graphic Arts awards, or to managerial, enterprise-award or public-sector staff. Confirm coverage against the Fair Work source if a role sits at the edges.

A commercial traveller works substantially away from the employer's premises soliciting orders or selling goods. A merchandiser also works off-site but focuses on promoting products, re-ordering or arranging stock and setting up displays. An advertising sales representative sells advertising space or time. Each is a distinct classification with its own minimum rate. The award sets out the precise definitions, so match each role to the right one using the Fair Work source before setting pay.

Identify which classification the role fits — probationary traveller, merchandiser, or commercial traveller / advertising sales representative — then read the current minimum weekly and hourly rate for it. Apply the relevant junior percentage if the employee is under the adult age, add the casual loading if casual, plus any applicable allowances and penalties. Because rates change every July, use the Fair Work Pay Calculator for the figure that applies on the relevant date rather than a remembered number.

No. Under this award commission can form part of remuneration, but it cannot be the sole payment and total earnings must still meet at least the minimum weekly rate for the classification. In practice that means reconciling each employee's actual earnings against the minimum every pay period and topping up in lean periods. Confirm the current minimum rate and the commission rules on the Fair Work source before structuring any commission arrangement.

Casual employees are paid a loading on top of the ordinary hourly rate, commonly 25%, to compensate for not receiving paid leave and other permanent entitlements. It applies to the casual's ordinary hours and is the starting point before overtime or weekend penalties are added. There are also minimum engagement rules for casuals. Treat the exact percentage and engagement minimum as things to verify on the Fair Work source, since they can change through award reviews.

The award applies higher rates for Saturday and Sunday work, with casual rates higher again, and work on a public holiday can attract a penalty of up to 150% (with an alternative of additional paid leave in some cases). As a guide across awards, Saturday is often around 25% and Sunday around 50% above the ordinary rate, but the exact figures for this award must be confirmed on the Fair Work source. Always check the current penalty for the specific day and classification before paying.

Work beyond the ordinary daily span or agreed hours is paid at overtime rates, which step up for weekend work, and casual overtime is calculated at a higher level again, generally with minimum engagement periods for Saturday and Sunday overtime. Ordinary hours are based around an average of 38 per week within a defined span. Confirm the exact overtime multipliers, the ordinary-hours span and any minimum engagements on the Fair Work source before paying.

Because staff work off-site, the award includes a motor vehicle allowance (a cents-per-kilometre rate for using a personal vehicle), a living-away-from-home allowance, a weekend-away allowance, a telephone allowance, and reimbursement of travel, accommodation, meals, laundry and relocation costs, among others. Each amount is reviewed annually, so confirm the current figure and the trigger for each allowance on the Fair Work source before paying it.

Where an employee is required to use their own vehicle for work, the award provides a per-kilometre allowance, with a separate (lower) rate for motorcycles, plus reimbursement of certain related costs such as required vehicle modifications and garaging in defined circumstances. The cents-per-kilometre figure is updated each year. Confirm the current rate and exactly when it is payable on the Fair Work source, and keep accurate records of work-related distances travelled.

Where leave loading applies it is commonly 17.5% on top of the base rate for the period of leave. This award has a specific rule for commission earners: an employee who earns commission generally receives, for annual leave, either their average commission over the preceding period or the 17.5% loading on the minimum rate — whichever is greater. Confirm the current treatment for both commission and non-commission employees on the Fair Work source rather than assuming a flat 17.5%.

Yes. Junior employees are paid a percentage of the relevant adult classification rate that rises with age, so a younger employee earns a defined proportion of the adult rate until they reach the adult age. The exact percentages and the ages they apply at are set by the award and are read against the adult minimum, which itself changes each July. Confirm the current junior percentages and the adult rate they apply to on the Fair Work source.

The frequent ones are: paying commission-heavy packages without topping up to the minimum weekly rate; assuming a salary or commission deal covers overtime, penalties and allowances for autonomous field staff; mishandling the vehicle and away-from-home allowances; and not updating rates each July. Each can create a rolling underpayment. Checking classifications and figures against the Fair Work source regularly is the simplest safeguard. Valont's award-compliant payroll service can run these checks for you.

Keep an accurate classification for every employee, reconcile commission earnings against the minimum each pay period, pay the correct vehicle and away-from-home allowances, apply the right weekend, public holiday and overtime penalties, and re-baseline rates each July — always verifying current figures against the Fair Work source. Many SMEs outsource this so it is handled consistently and on time; Valont provides award-compliant payroll and back-office support built around exactly these checks, with current rates confirmed from the Fair Work source.