Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award

If you manufacture, process or finish textiles, clothing, footwear or associated products in Australia and employ staff who are not otherwise award-free, the Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award 2020 (MA000017) generally applies. Retailing finished clothing or footwear is usually covered by the General Retail Industry Award instead. If any of your work is performed by outworkers from home, the award's outworker provisions apply; confirm coverage for your operation against the Fair Work source before setting pay.

Match the employee to the level that reflects the work they actually perform, using the award's classification definitions, which describe the skills, training and responsibilities for each level across the TCF streams. A trained machinist or cutter sits above an entry-level process worker. Title alone is not enough; assess the real duties, then read the current minimum rate for that level from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual TCF employees are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of the paid leave and other entitlements casuals do not receive. The loading can combine with weekend, shift and public holiday penalties when casuals work those times, so it is not always a flat add-on. Treat 25% as a guide and confirm the exact loading and how it interacts with penalties for this award on the Fair Work source before running pay.

Ordinary hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays attract penalty rates under the award. As a guide, Saturday loadings are commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50%, but MA000017 sets its own figures and casuals may be treated differently. Always confirm the current Saturday and Sunday rates for your employee type on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay, particularly where production runs across the weekend.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a significant premium, which across awards 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 under the National Employment Standards. Check the current public holiday entitlement for MA000017 against the Fair Work source before running a pay period that includes one.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond the ordinary hours set by the award, such as exceeding the daily or weekly limits or working outside the spread of ordinary hours. Production deadlines can push factory hours into overtime. Overtime is paid at penalty rates that step up after the first couple of hours, with higher rates on Sundays and public holidays; confirm the applicable multipliers on the Fair Work source.

Yes. Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award requires a written agreement setting out the agreed hours, days and times, with any changes also agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same minimum rates as full-timers for their classification. Check the part-time provisions in the award for the full requirements, including how additional hours are treated.

Outworkers who perform TCF work from home have particular protections under MA000017, including specific minimum rates, hours arrangements, record-keeping and registration-style requirements aimed at preventing underpayment and exploitation. These obligations are detailed and stricter than for ordinary employees, and they can extend up the supply chain. If you engage outworkers, do not treat them informally; confirm the full outworker provisions and current rates against the Fair Work source.

The award provides allowances that can include a leading hand allowance, a meal allowance for qualifying overtime, and special clothing or laundry allowances, along with specific outworker-related entitlements such as make-up pay and reimbursements. Which apply depends on the role and the work, and they are paid on top of the base rate. Identify the relevant allowances for each employee and confirm current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than using remembered figures.

Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of base pay when an employee takes annual leave. Under this award it is 17.5% of the minimum rate of pay, and it applies to full-time and part-time employees taking paid annual leave. Casuals do not accrue annual leave. Where an employee normally earns shift loadings, the leave loading is designed so they are not worse off taking leave; apply it when processing leave payments and confirm the calculation against the Fair Work source.

Minimum rates, apprentice rates, outworker 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 the new rates from that pay period, not the calendar date, and refresh every figure, including outworker rates, from the Fair Work Pay Calculator each year so your TCF payroll stays compliant.

Where a TCF business takes on apprentices, the award sets apprentice rates as a percentage of the relevant adult rate, increasing as the apprentice progresses through their training, and junior rates may apply to some non-apprentice roles. Because the underlying adult rate changes each year, apply the correct percentage to the current rate rather than carrying a dollar amount forward, and confirm the figure on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

The risks with MA000017 sit in the detail: meeting the full outworker obligations, the right classification across the TCF streams, shift loadings and industry allowances, weekend and overtime penalties, apprentice rates, and figures refreshed every July. Anchor every figure to the Fair Work Pay Calculator and review pay each 1 July, keeping the records the award requires, especially for outworkers. Valont's People Hub runs award-compliant payroll for TCF employers, mapping classifications, allowances and penalties so the right amount is paid every cycle.