Fast Food Industry Award

If you run a quick-service or take-away outlet where food is sold mainly to be consumed away from the point of sale, the Fast Food Industry Award 2020 (MA000003) almost always applies. It also covers food court vendors. Cafes, bars and restaurants offering primarily sit-down service usually fall under a different award. When in doubt, check coverage on the Fair Work website before setting pay.

The Fast Food Industry Award has three classification levels. Level 1 covers food preparation, serving and delivery; Level 2 covers day-to-day supervision of Level 1 staff, training, or trade-skilled work; and Level 3 covers an employee put in charge of an outlet, with two pay points based on how many people they manage. Classify each employee by the duties they actually perform, and confirm the current rate for each level with the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual fast food employees are paid a casual loading on top of the minimum hourly rate, commonly set at 25%, to compensate for entitlements such as paid leave and notice that casuals do not receive. This loading also flows through to weekend, late-night and public holiday rates for casuals. Because rates can change, take the exact loaded hourly figure from the Fair Work source rather than estimating it yourself.

Weekend work attracts penalty rates, commonly around 25% extra on Saturday as a guide, with Sunday higher. A key feature of this award is that the Sunday rate depends on classification level, with Level 2 and Level 3 staff paid more than Level 1. Casuals are paid on a higher loaded basis. Always confirm the current weekend penalties for each level and employment type using the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Yes. Ordinary hours worked late in the evening and overnight attract penalty rates under MA000003, recognising the late trading common in fast food. The penalty steps up the later into the night the hours fall, and casuals are paid on a higher loaded basis again. The exact percentages and the time bands they apply to should be confirmed against the current Fair Work source before you process pay.

Work performed on a public holiday is paid at a premium penalty rate, which can reach up to 150% on top of the minimum rate, with casuals on a higher loaded basis. Employees who would normally work that day but have it off are generally entitled to be paid as if they had worked their ordinary hours. Public holidays vary by state and territory, so check both the gazetted holidays and the current rate on the Fair Work source.

If an employee uses their own vehicle to make deliveries, MA000003 provides a per-kilometre motor vehicle allowance, with the rate differing between delivery use and other work use. Where late-night work leaves no regular transport home available, a transport reimbursement can also apply. These are easy to miss in delivery-heavy operations, so confirm the current allowance amounts via the Fair Work source.

MA000003 includes allowances such as a cold work allowance, a special clothing allowance where employees launder their own uniforms, a meal allowance for qualifying overtime, a per-kilometre motor vehicle allowance for delivery and other vehicle use, travelling-time and excess travel reimbursements, late-night transport reimbursement, and a Broken Hill allowance. Which ones apply depends on each role's duties and conditions. Always take the current dollar value of any allowance from the Fair Work source, as these amounts change.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond their ordinary hours, with a higher rate kicking in after the first couple of overtime hours, and Sundays and public holidays carrying their own overtime rates. Casuals are paid overtime on a higher loaded basis. The exact multipliers differ by day and employment type, so confirm the current overtime rates against the Fair Work Pay Calculator before paying.

Fast food employs many young workers, and MA000003 sets junior rates as a percentage of the relevant adult classification rate, increasing with the employee's age until they reach the full adult rate. The percentage that applies depends on the junior's age. Because the underlying adult rates change each year, always calculate junior pay from the current adult figure shown on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than from memory.

Modern award minimum rates, including those in MA000003, increase from the first full pay period on or after 1 July each year following the Annual Wage Review. The 2026 review added 4.75% to award minimums. Running the previous year's rates into the new financial year is a common source of underpayment, so update your payroll promptly and verify the new figures on the Fair Work source.

Yes. Permanent employees are generally entitled to annual leave loading of 17.5% on top of their base rate when taking annual leave, or the relevant weekend penalties they would have earned, whichever is greater. Casuals do not accrue annual leave, which is part of what their loading compensates for. Apply loading correctly at pay time and confirm the treatment for any shift arrangements via the Fair Work source. Valont's award-compliant payroll service applies these calculations against MA000003 automatically.

Start by correctly classifying each employee, then map rosters to the award's weekend, late-night, public holiday and overtime rates, apply junior rates and any vehicle or other allowances, and refresh the rates every 1 July. Always verify current figures using the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on memory. Many SMEs outsource this: Valont runs award-interpreted payroll against MA000003 so staff are paid correctly and your business stays compliant without you tracking every clause.

Made-to-order meals with table and waiter service point to the Restaurant Award; counter or takeaway service is Fast Food.

Pubs, hotels and catering operations sit under Hospitality (HIGA).