Hotels and Motels Back-Office Services

The Award: typically the Hospitality Industry (General) 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 summary places all types of tourist or residential accommodation — hotels, motels, serviced apartments, resorts and caravan parks — under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, together with the restaurants, function areas and convention facilities connected with them (for example, a restaurant at a hotel), and lists housekeeping, front office, reception and clerical staff among the employees covered; a club registered or recognised under state or territory legislation is covered by the Registered Clubs Award instead. 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: Front Office Level 1 (reception), Level 2 (reservations), Level 3 (night audit). Housekeeping Levels 1-3. Food and Beverage Levels 1-5 if dining.

Ordinary hours: 38 hours per week, shift work provisions for 24/7 operations.

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. Night shift allowance for overnight reception.

Minimum engagement: 2 hours for casuals (Hospitality Award clause 11.3, read 8 September 2026); some enterprise agreements set longer minimums for housekeeping.

Key allowances: shift allowance for night audit, meal allowance, uniform/laundry.

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 summary of the Hospitality Award [MA000009] and the award text of the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009] (read 8 September 2026); pay and award rules — Fair Work Ombudsman and the Fair Work Commission; superannuation, BAS and tax — the Australian Taxation Office.