Storage Services and Wholesale Award

If you operate a warehouse, distribution centre, cold store or wholesale business in Australia and employ staff who receive, store, pick, pack, dispatch or wholesale goods and are not otherwise award-free, the Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2020 (MA000084) generally applies. Some adjacent work falls under other awards such as Road Transport and Distribution or General Retail. Confirm coverage against the Fair Work source before setting pay and conditions.

Place each employee at the grade that matches the work they actually perform, using the classification descriptors in the award, which reflect the skills, equipment competencies and responsibilities at each grade. Operating a forklift or other handling equipment, or holding greater responsibility, can lift the grade. A job title alone is not enough; assess the real duties, then read the current minimum rate for that grade from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual employees are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, commonly 25% across modern awards, to compensate for the paid leave and other entitlements casuals do not accrue. Treat 25% as a guide only; the award sets the operative figure and may vary how it applies alongside shift and weekend penalties. Confirm the current casual loading for this award from the Fair Work source before processing pay for casual storeworkers.

Ordinary hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays attract weekend penalties under the award, which matters for distribution operations that dispatch across the weekend. As a guide, Saturday loadings are commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50%, but the award sets the actual figures and they can combine with shift loadings. Always confirm the current weekend rates for the relevant shift and employment type on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a premium under MA000084, which as a guide can reach up to 150% of the minimum rate, and a minimum engagement may apply. Employees who would normally work that day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their ordinary pay. Verify the current public holiday entitlement, including arrangements for staff who do not work the day, against the Fair Work source.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond the ordinary or rostered hours the award provides, which is common during peak dispatch periods. It is paid at penalty rates that step up after the initial period, with higher rates on weekends and public holidays. Identify which hours count as overtime for each employee and confirm the current overtime multipliers on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Yes. Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award requires a written agreement recording the agreed hours, days and times, with changes also agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same minimum rates as full-timers for their grade. Check the part-time provisions in the award for the full requirements before engaging part-time warehouse staff.

Where the award provides junior rates, employees under a set age are paid a percentage of the relevant adult classification rate, with the percentage rising as they get older. This can apply to younger storeworkers in entry-level roles. Because both the adult base and the junior percentages change with the annual review, confirm the current junior rate for the employee's age and grade on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

The award provides for allowances that depend on the role and conditions, which can include cold-chamber or freezer work allowances and meal allowances for qualifying overtime. Not every allowance applies to every position, and the amounts change with the annual review. Identify which apply to each role and confirm the current figures 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. Under this award it is 17.5% of the minimum rate of pay, and it applies to full-time and part-time staff taking annual leave. Casual employees do not accrue annual leave. Apply the loading when processing leave payments and confirm the calculation against 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%. Apply increases from the correct pay period, not the calendar date, and pull the new figures for each grade and allowance from the Fair Work Pay Calculator to stay compliant.

Operating a forklift or similar handling equipment is reflected in the classification structure and can place an employee at a higher grade. Holding a licence is not the same as being required to use it, so assess the actual duties. Confirm the correct grade for the role against the Fair Work source before setting pay.

Start by confirming each employee's correct storeworker grade, including any equipment operation, then apply the current minimum rate, the right shift, weekend and public holiday penalties, any casual or junior adjustments, and applicable allowances, refreshing every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator after each 1 July increase. Accurate time and pay records matter across shift work. Valont's award-compliant payroll service handles this classification, rate and penalty mapping for warehousing and wholesale employers so the right amount is paid every cycle.