Supported Employment Services Award

If you operate a supported employment service or Australian Disability Enterprise that provides employment designed to support people with disability in Australia, the Supported Employment Services Award 2020 (MA000103) generally applies to your supported employees and the staff who support them. Some disability services work falls under other awards such as the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award, so confirm coverage against the Fair Work source before setting pay and conditions.

Supported employees are generally paid under a supported wage assessment, where an independent assessment of their productive capacity sets pay as a proportion of the relevant minimum rate. The dollar figure follows the assessed percentage rather than a flat classification rate, so a current, valid assessment is essential. Confirm the assessment process and the current underlying figures for this award against the Fair Work source before setting an individual's pay.

A supported wage assessment is an independent evaluation of an employee's productive capacity for their role, used to set a fair proportion of the relevant minimum rate for employees whose disability affects their productivity. The award ties supported employee pay to this assessment, and it should be kept current. Make sure each supported employee's pay is based on a valid assessment, and confirm the mechanics and current figures via the Fair Work source.

Support workers, supervisors and trainers who assist supported employees are paid against standard classification levels that reflect their skills, qualifications and responsibilities, not the supported wage system. Place each role at the level matching the work they actually perform, using the award's classification descriptors. Once you have the correct level, read its current minimum rate from the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on a remembered figure.

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 interact with the supported wage for supported employees engaged casually. Confirm the current casual loading and how it applies for this award from the Fair Work source before processing pay.

Ordinary hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays attract weekend penalties under the award where those hours are worked. As a guide, Saturday loadings are commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50%, but the award sets the actual figures, and for supported employees they interact with the assessed wage. Always confirm the current weekend rates, and how they apply to the relevant employee type, on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a premium under MA000103, which as a guide can reach up to 150% of the minimum rate, and a minimum engagement may apply. For supported employees, public holiday entitlements interact with the assessed wage. Employees who would normally work that day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their usual pay. Verify the current public holiday entitlement against the Fair Work source.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond the ordinary hours the award provides, such as exceeding daily or weekly limits or working outside the spread of ordinary hours. 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 for supported employees how it relates to the assessed wage, then confirm the current multipliers on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

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 relevant minimum for their classification or assessed wage. Check the part-time provisions in the award for the full requirements before engaging part-time staff.

The award provides for allowances tied to particular duties or conditions, which can include a leading hand or supervisor allowance, a first aid allowance, and a meal allowance for qualifying overtime, among others depending on the role. 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 relevant rate of pay, and it applies to full-time and part-time staff, including supported employees, taking annual leave. Casual employees do not accrue annual leave. Apply the loading when processing leave payments and confirm how it is calculated, including for assessed wages, against the Fair Work source.

Minimum rates, the figures underlying supported wage assessments, 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, including the assessment base, from the Fair Work Pay Calculator to stay compliant.

The risks with MA000103 sit in the detail: valid, current supported wage assessments for supported employees, the right classification for support staff, weekend, public holiday and overtime entitlements that interact with assessed wages, the relevant allowances, and all figures refreshed every July. Anchor every figure to the Fair Work Pay Calculator and review pay each 1 July. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for supported employment services, mapping assessed wages, classifications, penalties and allowances so figures stay current and accurate.