Published by Valont’s People Hub — general information, reviewed against the official Fair Work instruments; not legal advice. See our editorial policy.
The Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 — often called HIGA — covers most employees in pubs, restaurants, cafés, hotels and catering. It's one of the most operationally complex awards a small business runs, combining split shifts, late-night and weekend penalties, casual loading and a long list of allowances.
Who it covers
Employees of restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels and catering businesses
Front- and back-of-house roles across hospitality classification levels
Casual, part-time and full-time hospitality staff
How pay is structured
Minimum rates are set by hospitality classification level (introductory through to the higher grades), with adult, junior and casual rates and a casual loading. 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
HIGA layers weekend, public-holiday, evening and overtime penalties on the base rate, plus split-shift and a range of allowances. The interaction of casual loading with penalties, and the rules around split shifts, are where most errors occur — the Fair Work source sets out the exact figures.
For the exact current figures — rates, allowances and penalty percentages by classification — use the official source: Fair Work Ombudsman — Hospitality Industry (General) 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 Hospitality Award (HIGA) compliance traps
Split-shift mistakes
Splitting a shift across a quiet afternoon has specific rules and allowances under HIGA. Treating two halves of a day as ordinary hours is a frequent underpayment.
Late-night and weekend penalties
Evening, Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday loadings all differ. A flat hourly rate for a Friday-night-to-Sunday roster almost always underpays.
Casual loading stacking
Casual loading applies on top of penalties in defined ways. An 'all-in' casual rate usually fails the award on weekends and public holidays.
Annual 1 July increase
HIGA minimums rose 4.75% from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 — rosters costed on last year's rates need re-checking.
FAQ
Common questions about the Hospitality Award (HIGA)
Most café, pub, restaurant, hotel and catering staff are covered by the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009), often called the HIGA. It covers front-of-house, kitchen, bar and gaming roles across licensed and unlicensed venues. Some operations — like fast food or stand-alone restaurants in certain structures — may fall under different awards. To confirm coverage for your venue and roles, check the coverage clause of the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
Under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, a split shift is when an employee works a broken shift with an unpaid break beyond a normal meal break — common in venues busy at lunch and dinner. The award sets rules on how breaks are arranged and, in defined cases, an allowance or condition for working the split. Misapplying these is a frequent payroll error. Check the broken-shift provisions and any current allowance on the Fair Work source for the exact rules.
Hospitality payroll is difficult because the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 layers many rules at once: late-night, weekend and public-holiday penalties, casual loading commonly at 25%, split-shift conditions, numerous allowances, and overtime — often across a shifting roster of casuals. Small misreads compound into underpayments fast. Valont's People Hub runs award-compliant hospitality payroll under the HIGA, applying the penalties, loadings, allowances and annual 1 July increases so the complexity is handled correctly.
Casual employees under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 receive a casual loading on top of the minimum hourly rate, commonly 25%, to compensate for no paid leave and less security. This applies in addition to weekend, late-night and public-holiday penalties, which stack on hospitality rosters. The percentage is a structural feature of the HIGA rather than a fixed dollar amount, so confirm the exact current casual loading for the classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before paying.
The Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 applies penalty rates for weekend, late-night and public-holiday work. As a guide, Saturday and Sunday penalties are commonly around 25% and 50%, varying by classification and employment type, while public holidays can reach 150%. These percentages are structural, but the exact figure depends on the role and whether the employee is casual, so always confirm the current penalty on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before finalising the roster.
Minimum rates under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 are set by classification level, based on the employee's duties and skill — for example, an introductory-level food-and-beverage attendant sits below a qualified cook or supervisor. 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 the classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.
The Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 includes many allowances, such as a laundry or special-clothing allowance, a meal allowance for qualifying overtime, a cold-work allowance, a split-shift allowance, and higher-duties and tool-related payments where relevant. These are paid on top of the base rate when conditions are met. Hospitality is allowance-heavy, and the values are reviewed each 1 July, so confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on old figures.
Yes. The Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 provides overtime for hours worked beyond the rostered ordinary hours or outside the permitted span, at penalty rates that step up after a set point, and casuals can be entitled to overtime too. Overtime is separate from, and paid on top of, weekend, late-night and public-holiday penalties and casual loading. The exact rates and ordinary-hours limits are in the HIGA, so confirm them at Fair Work for your situation.
Under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, part-time employees must have their guaranteed minimum hours and the pattern of work agreed in writing, with a mechanism for varying it. Hours worked outside the agreed arrangement can attract overtime. This trips up many venues that treat part-timers as flexible fill-ins. Any change to agreed hours should be properly recorded. Check the part-time provisions of the HIGA on the Fair Work Ombudsman website for the precise requirements.
You can, but the arrangement must leave the employee better off overall than the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020. The 'better off overall' test requires the salary to cover what they'd earn including penalties, overtime, loadings and allowances — demanding given hospitality's penalty load. The HIGA also has specific annualised-wage and salary-absorption rules. Keep reconciliation records and review at each 1 July increase. Check the annualised wage and BOOT requirements on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
Yes. The Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 sets junior rates as a percentage of the relevant adult rate that increase with age, and separate apprentice rates that step up by year of the apprenticeship. These are standard award features. The percentages, qualifying ages and apprenticeship stages are defined in the HIGA, and the resulting dollar amounts change each 1 July, so always confirm the current rate for the role 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 heavier fines for serious or deliberate breaches. Hospitality underpayments often come from missed penalties, mishandled split shifts or overlooked allowances under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 rather than intent. Accurate time records and correct classification are the best protection, and any error should be rectified and back-paid promptly once identified.
Under Fair Work law, you must keep accurate time-and-wages records and give each employee a payslip within one working day of payment, showing pay, hours, penalties, loadings, allowances and superannuation. For hospitality this is critical because penalty, overtime and split-shift hours under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 must be evidenced. Records generally must be kept for seven years. The full record-keeping and payslip rules are set out on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
A standalone restaurant business is covered by the Restaurant Award.
Takeaway and quick-service food is the Fast Food Award.
Registered and licensed clubs have their own award.
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