Mannequins and Models Award

If you engage people as mannequins or models as employees in Australia - for parade, mannequin, photographic or hairdresser modelling work - the Mannequins and Models Award 2020 (MA000117) is generally the relevant award. It is a narrow, specialised instrument focused on modelling work. Genuinely independent contractors who run their own business may fall outside it, and some related work sits under other entertainment awards, so confirm coverage against the Fair Work source before setting pay.

Because this is a narrow award, its structure is simpler than most. It sets minimum rates for the modelling work it covers, and those rates can differ by the type of engagement and, in some cases, the length of an assignment rather than a standard weekly figure. You apply the minimum that matches the engagement, then add any applicable loadings. Always confirm the current minimum for the relevant type of modelling work on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on memory.

Yes. Most modelling work is engaged on a casual or short basis, and casual employees receive a loading on top of the minimum rate, commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of paid leave and other permanent entitlements. Treat 25% as a guide only, since the exact figure and how it interacts with any weekend or public holiday work is set by the award. Confirm the current casual loading for this award on the Fair Work source before paying.

Where the award provides for ordinary hours on weekends, work on Saturdays and Sundays can attract penalty rates. As a general guide across awards, weekend penalties commonly run around 25% on Saturday and 50% on Sunday, but a specialised award like MA000117 sets its own figures, and much of its work is casual. Confirm what actually applies to the engagement type and day against the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Public holiday entitlements flow from the National Employment Standards and the award. As a guide, public holiday work across awards can attract penalties of up to 150%, but the award's own provisions determine what applies to a given engagement, and the casual nature of much modelling work affects how this works in practice. Always verify the current public holiday entitlement for the relevant engagement on the Fair Work source before processing a pay run that includes one.

Overtime can apply where an engagement runs beyond the agreed or ordinary hours set by the award, for example a shoot or parade that extends well past its scheduled time. The award sets how overtime is calculated for the work it covers. Because modelling engagements are often defined by an assignment rather than a fixed shift, identify when ordinary hours end and confirm the applicable overtime treatment for this award on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Yes. While much modelling work is casual, a model can be engaged part-time, working fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern. Where the award provides for part-time work, a written agreement setting out the agreed hours and pattern is typically required, with changes agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the relevant minimum rates. Check the part-time provisions in the award for the full requirements before engaging someone on that basis.

Where younger people are engaged as models, junior considerations can apply, and there are also broader legal protections around the engagement of children that sit outside the award, including state and territory child employment laws. The award addresses minimum pay for the work it covers; the wider rules on hours, supervision and permits for minors are separate. Confirm both the applicable rate on the Fair Work source and any child employment requirements that apply in your state.

A narrow award like MA000117 carries fewer allowances than large industry awards, but it may provide for amounts or reimbursements relevant to modelling work, such as travel between assignments or other defined expenses tied to an engagement. Because the specifics are particular to this award, do not assume the allowance set of a larger award applies. Identify what MA000117 actually provides and confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of base pay when a permanent employee takes paid annual leave, set at 17.5% under this award. It applies to full-time and part-time models taking annual leave; casual models, who make up much of the industry, do not accrue annual leave and instead receive the casual loading. Apply the loading when processing leave for permanent employees and confirm the calculation against the Fair Work source.

Award minimum rates and any allowances are reviewed each year in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review increased modern award minimums by 4.75%. Even for a small award, you must apply the new figures from that pay period, so verify the current rates for the relevant engagement on the Fair Work Pay Calculator each year.

Who employs the model determines who must apply the award and meet its obligations. If a model is engaged as your employee, you carry the award responsibilities; if they are genuinely employed or supplied by an agency, the obligations may sit there, though sham contracting and on-hire arrangements have their own rules. Clarify the actual employment relationship for each booking, and confirm coverage and the correct minimum against the Fair Work source where it is unclear.

The traps with MA000117 are the specialised structure, the heavily casual and short-engagement nature of the work, and the contractor-versus-employee question. The safest approach is to confirm each person's employment status, apply the correct minimum and casual loading for the engagement, capture any weekend, public holiday or overtime entitlements, and refresh every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator each 1 July. Valont runs award-compliant payroll that maps engagements to the right rates, loadings and allowances so models are paid correctly every time.