Published by Valont’s People Hub — general information, reviewed against the official Fair Work instruments; not legal advice. See our editorial policy.
The General Retail Industry Award 2020 sets the minimum pay and conditions for most retail employees in Australia — from a single boutique to a multi-store operation. It's one of the most penalty-heavy awards a small business deals with, because so much retail trade happens on weekends and public holidays.
Who it covers
Retail employees in shops selling goods or services directly to the public
Supermarkets, fashion and specialty stores, and online retailers
Casual, part-time and full-time retail staff across classification levels
How pay is structured
Minimum rates are set by retail classification level, with separate adult, junior and casual rates. Casuals receive a loading in place of leave entitlements. Minimum rates under this award are reviewed by the Fair Work Commission every year and rise from the first full pay period on or after 1 July — the 2026 review lifted modern award minimum wages by 4.75%. Because the exact dollar figure changes each year, confirm the current rate for the relevant classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before you set pay.
Penalties & loadings
Retail is penalty-rate intensive: weekend work commonly attracts a 25% loading on Saturday and 50% on Sunday, public holidays can reach 150%, and evening and overtime loadings apply depending on classification and employment type. The precise percentages are set out at the Fair Work source.
For the exact current figures — rates, allowances and penalty percentages by classification — use the official source: Fair Work Ombudsman — General Retail Industry Award summary and pay guide. We deliberately don’t republish dollar figures here because they change each 1 July; the Fair Work source is always current.
Where employers get caught
Common Retail Award compliance traps
Weekend and public-holiday underpayment
The single biggest retail risk: paying the flat ordinary rate for Saturday, Sunday or public-holiday shifts. Penalty loadings must be applied per the award and per classification.
Junior rate errors
Junior rates step up with age. Forgetting to move a junior to the next bracket on their birthday is a slow, compounding underpayment.
Casual loading vs penalties
Casual loading and penalty rates stack in specific ways. Treating 'casual' as a flat all-in rate usually short-changes weekend and public-holiday work.
The 1 July reset
Retail minimums rose 4.75% from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. POS and payroll rates set last year are now below the award.
FAQ
Common questions about the Retail Award
Most retail employees are covered by the General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004). It applies to staff in shops, supermarkets, fashion and specialty stores, and many online retailers — covering sales assistants, checkout operators, visual merchandisers and retail managers up to a point. Some specialised retail (like fast food or pharmacy) falls under different awards. To be certain, check the coverage clause of the General Retail Industry Award 2020 on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
Under the General Retail Industry Award 2020, employees are paid penalty rates for working weekends. As a guide, Saturday is commonly around a 25% penalty and Sunday around 50%, with casuals and different classifications varying. Public holidays attract a higher rate, commonly up to 150%. These percentages are structural, but the exact figure depends on the employee's classification and employment type, so always confirm the current penalty on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before rostering.
Stay compliant by applying the correct penalty for each hour worked — weekday evenings, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays each carry their own rate under the General Retail Industry Award 2020 — and layering casual loading and overtime correctly on top. The risk is highest with mixed shifts and casuals across a seven-day trading week. Valont's People Hub runs award-compliant retail payroll, applying penalties, loadings and the annual 1 July rate rises so the roster maths is done right.
Often yes. The General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004) can cover employees of online and mail-order retailers — people picking, packing, dispatching and handling customer sales — not just those on a physical shop floor. Coverage turns on the nature of the work, not whether you have a storefront. Warehousing-heavy operations may instead fall under a storage or distribution award. Check the coverage and classification clauses on the Fair Work Ombudsman website for your specific roles.
Minimum rates under the General Retail Industry Award 2020 are set by classification level (Retail Employee Level 1 and up), based on the duties and responsibility of the role. Each level has a minimum rate that rises from the first full pay period on or after 1 July each year; the 2026 Annual Wage Review lifted modern award minimums by 4.75%. Confirm the current rate for your employee's classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on last year's figure.
Casual retail employees under the General Retail Industry Award 2020 receive a casual loading on top of the minimum hourly rate, commonly 25%, to offset the lack of paid leave and notice. This loading applies in addition to weekend, evening and public-holiday penalties, which can stack significantly across trading hours. The percentage is a fixed feature of the award, but confirm the exact current casual loading for the classification at the Fair Work source before processing pay.
Yes. The General Retail Industry Award 2020 requires a public-holiday penalty rate for employees who work a public holiday, commonly reaching up to 150% of the base rate, with casuals and classifications varying. Employees who would normally work but have the day off may be entitled to be paid for it. Public-holiday entitlements are among the costliest to get wrong, so confirm the exact rate and any substitute-day rules on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.
Under the General Retail Industry Award 2020, overtime applies to hours worked beyond the ordinary daily or weekly hours, or outside the rostered span, at penalty rates that increase after a set point. Casuals can also be entitled to overtime. Overtime is separate from, and paid in addition to, weekend and public-holiday penalties and casual loading. The exact rates and the ordinary-hours thresholds are in the award, so confirm them at Fair Work for your roster.
Yes. The General Retail Industry Award 2020 sets junior rates as a percentage of the relevant adult classification rate, stepping up with the employee's age until the adult rate applies. This is a standard, lawful feature of the award. The percentages and the qualifying ages are defined in the award, and the actual dollar amounts change each 1 July, so always confirm the current junior rate for the classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.
You can pay above-award arrangements, but the employee must be better off overall than under the General Retail Industry Award 2020. The 'better off overall' test means any salary or higher base rate has to cover what they'd otherwise earn including penalties, overtime and loadings — which is demanding in penalty-heavy retail. Keep records reconciling pay against award entitlements and review them at each 1 July increase. Check the award's terms on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
The General Retail Industry Award 2020 includes allowances such as a meal allowance for qualifying overtime, a laundry or special-clothing allowance, a first-aid allowance, and a cold-work allowance where relevant. These are paid on top of the base rate when the conditions are met. Allowance values are reviewed and generally rise each 1 July, so don't rely on an old figure — confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.
You'll generally have to back-pay the full shortfall, and the Fair Work Ombudsman can investigate, issue compliance notices and pursue penalties, with larger fines for serious or deliberate breaches. Retail underpayments commonly arise from missed weekend or public-holiday penalties and casual loading rather than intent. The General Retail Industry Award 2020's penalty structure makes errors easy to accumulate across a roster, so accurate records and prompt correction of any shortfall are essential.
Under Fair Work law, employers must keep accurate time-and-wages records and issue a payslip within one working day of paying staff, showing gross and net pay, hours, penalties, loadings, allowances and superannuation. For retail this matters because penalty and overtime hours under the General Retail Industry Award 2020 must be evidenced. Records generally must be kept for seven years. The detailed record-keeping and payslip requirements are set out on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
Selling takeaway food is Fast Food; selling goods over a counter is Retail.
Community pharmacy staff are covered by the Pharmacy Award.
Salons and beauty services sit under the Hair and Beauty Award.
Can't find the answer you're looking for? Get in touch
Stay compliant with the Retail Award, automatically
We run award-configured payroll that applies the right classifications, penalties and allowances, and re-checks every 1 July. Compliance certainty without the spreadsheet.