Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award

Non-teaching staff at a school are generally covered by the Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2020 (MA000076). It applies to roles such as school administration, classroom support, grounds and operational, nursing, boarding supervision and preschool support. Teachers, principals, deputy principals and bursars are excluded and fall under separate arrangements, so confirm each role's duties against the award's coverage clause before classifying it.

No. MA000076 covers general (non-teaching) staff only. Teachers, principals and deputy principals are expressly excluded and are covered by a separate teachers' award. So are bursars or business managers and members of religious orders engaged for religious duties. If you employ both teaching and support staff, you will usually be applying more than one award and should check each employee's duties to place them correctly.

The award sets out eight levels (Levels 1 to 8), most with sub-levels, defined by skill, responsibility and the type of service performed rather than by job title. Read the classification descriptors in the award's schedule and match them to the employee's actual duties. When a role spans descriptors, classify to the level that best reflects the main responsibilities. The current rate for each level is on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual general staff are paid a casual loading on top of the minimum hourly rate for their classification, commonly 25%, in place of paid leave and other permanent-employee entitlements. The award also sets minimum engagement periods for casuals. Because the loading applies to the current minimum hourly rate, confirm the exact rate for the relevant classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before each pay run.

General staff who work ordinary hours on a weekend receive penalty rates: commonly around 25% extra for Saturday and around 50% extra for Sunday as a guide, with reduced weekend penalties for certain groups such as cooking or catering and boarding supervision staff. Overtime and casual rates differ again. Weekend penalties are among the figures reviewed each July, so always verify the current rate for the classification on the Fair Work source.

Work performed on a public holiday attracts a public holiday penalty that, as a guide, can reach up to 150% of the ordinary rate, with higher rates again for overtime on the day. Employees who would normally have worked but don't are generally entitled to be paid for the day. The exact rates and how they combine with overtime and casual loading are set in the award, so confirm the current figures on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Yes. The award provides annual leave loading of 17.5% on the ordinary rate of pay for most employees taking paid annual leave, with different treatment for some shiftworkers depending on their shift pattern. The loading is calculated on the current minimum rate for the employee's classification, so make sure your payroll applies it to the up-to-date figure from the Fair Work source.

MA000076 includes a first aid allowance, a sleepover allowance, an on-call and recall allowance, a meal allowance, a tool allowance, a uniform and protective clothing (plus laundry) allowance, a vehicle or per-kilometre allowance, and caretakers' accommodation arrangements. Whether each applies depends on the role and the work performed. All allowance amounts are reviewed annually, so check the current values on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on a fixed figure.

Where staff are required to sleep over or remain on call, the award provides a sleepover allowance and an on-call and recall allowance, with recall to work attracting a minimum payment at overtime rates. These are common in boarding and residential roles. Paying only ordinary hours for overnight cover usually underpays the employee, so apply the relevant allowance and confirm the current amount on the Fair Work source.

Modern award minimum rates and allowances change 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. Don't carry the previous year's figures past your first July pay period; refresh every wage, penalty and allowance from the Fair Work Pay Calculator to avoid creating back-pay liability.

Part-time employees are paid the same minimum hourly rate as full-time staff in their classification, pro-rata to their agreed hours, and accrue leave proportionately. The award requires agreed regular hours, and additional or out-of-pattern hours can attract overtime or penalty rates. Classify the role correctly first, then apply the current hourly rate from the Fair Work Pay Calculator to the agreed hours.

The award provides overtime for hours worked beyond ordinary hours, with rates that step up the longer the overtime continues and that are higher again on Sundays, public holidays and for casuals. Some groups, such as nursing services, have specific weekend overtime treatment. Because the multipliers and how they combine are set in the award and reviewed annually, confirm the current overtime rates for the classification on the Fair Work source before processing pay.

Start by classifying every role to the correct level, then map each person's pay, penalties, loadings and allowances to the current figures and refresh them every July when rates change. The detail in MA000076, especially weekend, sleepover and on-call rules, is easy to get wrong across many staff. Valont provides outsourced, award-compliant payroll for schools and other SMEs, interpreting the award and keeping rates current against the Fair Work source so underpayments don't accumulate.

Teachers, principals and deputies are covered by the Teachers Award; non-teaching school staff are the Schools General Staff Award.