Restaurant Industry Award

If your venue's main business is preparing and serving meals, such as a restaurant, a table-service cafe, a function centre or a catering operation, and you employ staff who are not otherwise award-free, the Restaurant Industry Award 2020 (MA000119) generally applies. Hotels, pubs and accommodation fall under the Hospitality (General) Industry Award, take-away under the Fast Food Industry Award, and clubs under the Clubs award, so confirm the right coverage for your venue on the Fair Work source before setting pay.

The award sets minimum weekly and hourly rates by classification level, broadly from an introductory level and attendant grades up through cooks and qualified chefs to supervisory roles. 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 restaurant 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 award has its own rules on how that loading combines with penalty rates and overtime, and minimum engagement applies. Because restaurants roster many casuals, confirm the exact loaded figure and the engagement minimum 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 restaurant's evening roster these can combine with late-night loadings. As a guide across awards, Saturday is commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50% above the ordinary rate, but the restaurant award sets its own figures, including for casuals. Always confirm the current weekend rates for the relevant day and employment type on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before paying.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a premium under MA000119, 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, and specific rules for casual overtime. Split shifts and long service periods make this easy to miss. Identify which hours count as overtime for each worker, then confirm the applicable overtime rate 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.

Apprentice cooks and chefs are paid a percentage of the relevant tradesperson rate that increases as they progress through their apprenticeship, while junior employees are paid a percentage of the adult rate for their classification that rises with age. The percentages depend on the stage or age reached. Because the underlying rates change each July, always calculate apprentice and junior pay from the current figure on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than from memory.

MA000119 provides allowances geared to restaurant work, which can include a laundry or special clothing allowance, a meal allowance for qualifying overtime, a split-shift allowance, and a tool allowance for cooks and apprentices who supply their own knives. 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.

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.

The Restaurant Industry Award (MA000119) covers businesses whose main activity is preparing and serving meals, such as restaurants, table-service cafes and caterers, while the Hospitality (General) Industry Award covers hotels, pubs, motels and accommodation. Some penalty and allowance details differ between the two, so a venue must apply the award that matches its primary business. If your operation sits at the edge, confirm the correct coverage for your business on the Fair Work source before setting pay.

Start by confirming each employee's correct classification across kitchen, waiting and bar roles, then map rosters to the award's weekend, late-night, public holiday and overtime rates, apply junior and apprentice 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 casuals. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for restaurants and caterers, mapping rosters to the correct classifications, penalties and allowances so the right amount is paid every cycle.

Counter or takeaway service without table service is the Fast Food Award.

Hotels, pubs and catering are Hospitality (HIGA), not the Restaurant Award.

A restaurant operated inside a registered club may fall under the Clubs Award.