Waste Management Award

If you operate in the waste management industry in Australia - collecting, transporting, sorting, recycling, treating or disposing of waste - and you employ staff who are not otherwise award-free, the Waste Management Award 2020 (MA000043) is generally the relevant award. Some functions, such as long-distance road transport of waste or clerical work, may fall under a different award. Confirm coverage for each role against the Fair Work source before setting pay and conditions.

MA000043 sets minimum rates against classification levels defined by the skills, training and responsibilities of each role, from general waste work up to collection driving, plant operation and supervisory duties. You assign each employee to the level matching the duties they actually perform, including any licences or tickets, then pay at least that level's minimum rate. Job title alone is not enough; assess the real work. Look up the current rate for the classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual employees in waste management are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, in place of paid leave and other permanent entitlements. Across modern awards this loading is commonly 25%, but you should treat that as a guide only and confirm the exact figure MA000043 sets, along with any minimum engagement and casual conversion rules, against the Fair Work source before running pay.

Ordinary hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays attract weekend penalties on top of the minimum rate, which matters because recycling and waste collection often run on weekends. As a general guide across awards, Saturday loadings commonly run around 25% and Sunday around 50%, and they can combine with early-start or shift loadings. The waste award sets its own figures, so confirm the current Saturday and Sunday 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 MA000043, and as a guide public holiday rates across awards can reach up to 150% of the ordinary rate. Employees who would normally work that day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their ordinary pay. Because collection schedules often shift around public holidays, confirm the current public holiday entitlement for each shift type against the Fair Work source.

Collection rounds often begin before dawn, and the award sets a span of ordinary hours along with loadings for early-morning or rotating shifts and for work outside that span. The treatment depends on the shift type and start time, so an early start is not always paid at the plain hourly rate. Map each shift's start time and confirm the applicable early-start or shift loading for it on the Fair Work source rather than applying a single flat figure.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond the ordinary hours set by the award, such as exceeding daily or weekly limits or working outside the agreed spread of hours. The award sets overtime rates that step up after the first couple of hours, with higher rates on Sundays and public holidays. Long collection rounds can push into overtime, so identify the overtime hours and confirm the exact multipliers for your situation 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 the agreed hours and days to be set out in writing, with changes also agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same minimum classification rates as full-timers. Review the part-time provisions in MA000043 for the full requirements before setting a roster.

Where the waste award provides for junior employees or apprentices, they are paid on a percentage scale set against the relevant adult or tradesperson rate, with the percentage rising as the junior ages or the apprentice progresses. Because the underlying adult rate changes with the annual review, the dollar figure for a junior or apprentice also changes. Confirm both the percentage and the resulting rate on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

The award provides for industry allowances that can include a leading hand allowance for employees in charge of others, a first aid allowance for designated first aiders, allowances for handling offensive or unpleasant materials, and meal and travel-related allowances in qualifying circumstances. Some are paid per shift or per occasion and are easy to overlook. Identify which apply to each role and confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator, as they change with the annual review.

Yes. 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. It applies to full-time and part-time employees taking annual leave. Casuals do not accrue annual leave. Where an employee regularly works shifts or weekends, 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 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%. 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 each year.

Start by confirming each employee's correct classification, including any driving or plant tickets, then apply the current minimum rate, the right early-start, shift, weekend and public holiday penalties, and any allowances, refreshing every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator after each 1 July increase. Accurate records of start times and hours are essential for pre-dawn collection rounds. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for employers like waste and recycling operators, mapping rosters to the correct classifications, penalties and allowances so the right amount is paid every cycle.

General road freight is the Road Transport and Distribution Award; dedicated waste collection and processing is Waste Management.