Registered and Licensed Clubs Award

If you operate a registered or licensed club in Australia, such as a community, sporting, RSL, bowling or golf club, and employ staff who are not otherwise award-free, the Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2020 (MA000058) generally applies. Hotels and pubs usually fall under the Hospitality (General) Industry Award, and a standalone restaurant under the Restaurant Industry Award, so where a club runs distinct operations, confirm the right coverage for each against the Fair Work source before setting pay.

The award sets minimum weekly and hourly rates by classification level, running from entry-level service roles up through skilled, supervisory and senior positions across the club's functions. Place each employee at the level matching the duties they actually perform, apply a junior percentage if relevant, and add any loading, penalties and allowances. Because rates change each July, read the current figure for the level on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on memory.

Casual club employees are paid a loading on top of the minimum hourly rate, commonly 25% across modern awards, to compensate for the paid leave and other entitlements casuals do not receive. This loading also flows through to weekend, late-night and public holiday rates for casuals. Because clubs roster many casuals, confirm the exact loaded figure and the minimum engagement per shift on the Fair Work source rather than estimating it yourself.

Saturday and Sunday work attracts weekend penalties on top of the ordinary rate, and on a club's late-trading roster these can combine with evening or late-night loadings. As a guide across awards, Saturday is commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50% above the ordinary rate, with casuals on a higher loaded basis. The figures for this award depend on the shift and employment type, so always confirm the current weekend rates on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before paying.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a premium under MA000058, which as a guide can reach up to 150% of the ordinary rate, with casuals on a higher loaded basis, and a minimum engagement may apply. Employees who would normally work that day but have it off are generally entitled to their ordinary pay. Public holidays vary by state and territory, so check both the gazetted days and the current rate for the relevant shift on the Fair Work source.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond their ordinary hours or outside the agreed span, with the award setting rates that step up after the first hours and separate rates on Sundays and public holidays. Casuals are paid overtime on a higher loaded basis. The exact multipliers and the ordinary-hours span differ by day and employment type, so confirm the current overtime rates for this award on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before paying.

Yes. Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award requires the agreed hours, days and times to be set out in writing, with changes agreed in the same way. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same minimum rates as full-timers for their classification, plus the relevant penalties for the hours they work. Check the part-time provisions in the award for the full requirements before setting a roster.

Clubs employ many young workers, and MA000058 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 depends on the junior's age, and some roles, such as certain gaming or service positions, may have their own treatment. Because the underlying adult rate changes each July, always calculate junior pay from the current figure on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than from memory.

MA000058 provides allowances geared to club work, which can include a clothing or laundry allowance where employees maintain their own uniforms, a first aid allowance, a meal allowance for qualifying overtime, and allowances for particular duties or conditions. Which ones apply depends on each role's duties. Because the amounts are reviewed each year, identify the allowances relevant to each employee and confirm their current values on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on remembered figures.

Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of base pay when an employee takes paid annual leave, and under this award it is 17.5% of the ordinary rate, or the weekend and shift penalties the employee would otherwise have earned for the period, whichever is greater. It is paid to full-time and part-time employees; casuals do not accrue annual leave. Apply the loading at pay time and confirm the calculation on the Fair Work source.

Minimum rates and many 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%. To stay compliant you must apply the new rates from that pay period, not the calendar date, so verify the current figures for each classification and allowance on the Fair Work Pay Calculator every year.

Gaming, keno and TAB roles are covered by the award's classification structure like other club functions, placed at the level that matches the skill and responsibility of the work, and they attract the same weekend, late-night and public holiday penalties for the hours worked. Supervisory or cash-handling responsibilities can move an employee up a level. Classify each gaming role by its actual duties and confirm the current rate and any relevant allowance on the Fair Work source.

Start by confirming each employee's correct classification across the club's functions, then map rosters to the award's weekend, late-night, public holiday and overtime rates, apply junior rates and any allowances, and refresh every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator after each 1 July increase. Accurate time and roster records are essential, especially for a large casual workforce. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for clubs, mapping rosters to the correct classifications, penalties and allowances so the right amount is paid every cycle.

Pubs, hotels and catering operations are covered by Hospitality (HIGA).

A standalone restaurant business is the Restaurant Award; a restaurant inside a registered club can fall under the Clubs Award.