Medical Centres (Multi-Practitioner) Back-Office Services

The Award: typically the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020, with nurses under the Nurses Award 2020

Which award applies depends on the business, the work each employee actually performs, their classification and whether they are full-time, part-time or casual. The Fair Work Ombudsman's coverage summaries place the health industry — the delivery of health care, medical, pathology and dental services — under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 for support staff (medical receptionists and clerks are listed) and for health professionals such as physiotherapists, psychologists and dieticians, while nurses working in a medical practice are covered by the Nurses Award 2020. Doctors are not covered by either award, and the Medical Practitioners Award 2020 summary says it does not cover general practitioners working in private practice, so an employed GP's terms come from their contract, which must still meet the National Employment Standards. Check coverage for your own business rather than assuming one award covers everyone, and use the Fair Work Pay Calculator for the current rate for a given award, classification and shift.

Classifications: Multi-award: same as GP Practices but larger scale with potential for allied health, pathology collection, and pharmacy on-site.

Ordinary hours: 38 hours per week, extended hours operations common.

Penalty rates: the award sets separate rates for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, and for overtime, evening, night or shift work where it provides them, and they vary by classification and by whether the employee is full-time, part-time or casual — casual employees have their own rates in the award's penalty table. Rather than work from a remembered percentage, look up the current rate for the specific classification and shift on the Fair Work Pay Calculator and apply the rate in effect on the day worked.

Minimum engagement: 3 hours for casuals (Health Professionals and Support Services Award clause 11.2, read 8 September 2026).

Key allowances: on-call, shift, uniform, professional development.

Getting these provisions wrong creates systematic underpayment that compounds with every pay period. The Fair Work Ombudsman actively monitors compliance in this sector, and the penalties for deliberate underpayment were significantly increased under recent legislation. Valont's payroll specialists configure your payroll software with the exact award rules for each employee classification, eliminating manual interpretation errors.

Sources: award coverage — the Fair Work Ombudsman's summaries of the Health Services Award [MA000027], the Nurses Award [MA000034] and the Medical Practitioners Award [MA000031] and the award texts of the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027] and the Nurses Award 2020 [MA000034] (read 8 September 2026); pay and award rules — Fair Work Ombudsman and the Fair Work Commission; superannuation, BAS and tax — the Australian Taxation Office.