13A. Employee right to disconnect

[13A inserted by PR778047 from 26Aug24]

13A.1 Clause 13A provides for the exercise of an employee’s right to disconnect under section 333M of the Act.

NOTE:

(a) Section 333M provides that, unless it is unreasonable to do so, an employee may refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact, or attempted contact, from:

(1) their employer outside of the employee’s working hours,

(2) a third party if the contact or attempted contact relates to, their work and is outside of the employee's working hours.

(b) Section 333M(3) lists matters that must be taken into account in determining whether an employee’s refusal is unreasonable.

(c) Section 333M(5) provides that an employee’s refusal will be unreasonable if the contact or attempted contact is required under a law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory.

(d) Section 333N provides for the resolution of disputes about whether an employee’s refusal is unreasonable and about the operation of section 333M.

(e) The general protections in Part 3–1 of the Act prohibit an employer taking adverse action against an employee because of the employee’s right to disconnect under section 333M of the Act.

13A.2 Clause 13A applies from the following dates:

(a) 26 August 2024—for employers that are not small business employers on this date and their employees.

(b) 26 August 2025—for employers that are small business employers on 26 August 2024 and their employees.

13A.3 An employer must not directly or indirectly prevent an employee from exercising their right to disconnect under the Act.

13A.4 Clause 13A.3 does not prevent an employer from contacting, or attempting to contact, an employee outside of the employee’s working hours in circumstances including to notify them of:

(a) an emergency roster change under clause 13.3(c)(ii); or

(b) a recall to work under clause 19.6.

13. Ordinary hours of work

13.1 Ordinary hours

(a) Maximum weekly hours and requests for flexible working arrangements are provided for in the NES.

(b) Except as provided elsewhere in this award:

(i) the ordinary hours of work for a full-time employee are an average of 38 per week; and

(ii) an employee will not work more than 10 ordinary hours per day or 152 over 28 days.

13.2 Ordinary hours—day workers

(a) Ordinary hours for a day worker may be worked on any or all days, Monday to Friday. Ordinary hours may also be worked on Saturday and Sunday, subject to agreement between the employer and a majority of affected employees, or the employer and an individual employee. If agreement is reached in accordance with clause 13.2(a), the additional rates in clause 20.2 apply.

(b) Ordinary hours of work are to be worked continuously, except for meal and rest breaks, at the discretion of the employer, between the hours of 5.00 am and 5.00 pm. The spread of hours (5.00 am to 5.00 pm) may be altered by up to one hour at either or both ends of the spread, by agreement between an employer and the majority of affected employees, or in appropriate circumstances, between the employer and an individual employee. Any change to regular rosters or ordinary hours of work is subject to the consultative provisions in clause28––Consultation about changes to rosters or hours of work.

(c) The employer and a majority of affected employees may agree that the ordinary hours for a day worker be up to 12 hours per day.

13.3 Ordinary hours—shiftworkers

(a) Ordinary hours for a shiftworker may be worked on any or all days, Monday to Sunday. The ordinary hours are up to 10 hours per day, inclusive of meal breaks.

(b) The employer and a majority of affected employees may agree that the ordinary hours for a shiftworker be up to 12 hours per day, inclusive of meal breaks, worked Monday to Sunday.

(c) Shift notice

(i) An employee must be given at least 48 hours’ notice of a requirement to work shiftwork and any alteration to their hours of work. By agreement between an employer and an employee, the notice requirement may be waived.

(ii) The hours for a shiftworker when fixed may be varied for breakdowns or other causes beyond the control of the employer.

(iii) See clause 28—Consultation about changes to rosters or hours of work.

19. Overtime

[Varied by PR723953, PR747390, PR763279]

19.1 Definition of overtime

Overtime is any work done outside ordinary hours as provided in clause 13—Ordinary hours of work.

19.2 Overtime rates

Where an employee works overtime the employer must pay to the employee the overtime rates as follows:

For overtime worked on | Overtime rate% of ordinary hourly rate

Monday to Saturday—first 3 hours | 150

Monday to Saturday—after 3 hours | 200

Sunday—all day | 200

Public holiday—all day | 250

NOTE: See Schedule B—Summary of Hourly Rates of Pay for a summary of hourly rates of pay including overtime rates.

19.3 For the purposes of calculating overtime payments, each day will stand alone.

19.4 Minimum payment periods—overtime

The following minimum payment periods apply in relation to overtime:

(a) An employee required to work overtime on a Saturday must be paid for a minimum of 3 hours;

(b) An employee required to work overtime on a Sunday or public holiday must be paid for a minimum of 4 hours.

[19.4(c) inserted by PR747390 ppc 14Nov22]

(c) Hours of work performed immediately before or after a part-day public holiday, that form part of one continuous shift, are counted as part of the minimum payment/engagement period in clause 19.4(b).

[19.5 substituted by PR723953 ppc 20Nov20]

19.5 The casual loading prescribed by clause 11.2(a)(ii) will not be paid for overtime hours worked.

19.6 Call back

(a) An employee recalled to work overtime after leaving the employer’s business premises (whether notified before or after leaving the premises) must be paid for a minimum of 3 hours at the overtime rates each time the employee is called back.

(b) Clause 19.6(a) does not apply where it is customary for an employee to return to the employer’s premises to perform a specific job outside the employee’s ordinary hours or where the overtime is continuous, subject to a reasonable meal break, with the completion or commencement of ordinary hours.

19.7 Rest period after overtime

(a) When overtime work is necessary it must, wherever reasonably practicable, be arranged so that an employee has at least 10 consecutive hours off duty between the work of successive working days.

(b) An employee, other than a casual employee, who works so much overtime between the termination of their ordinary hours on one day and the commencement of their ordinary hours on the next day that the employee has not had at least 10 consecutive hours off duty between those times must, subject to the other provisions of clause 19.7, be released after completion of the overtime until the employee has had 10 consecutive hours off duty without loss of pay for ordinary hours occurring during such absence.

(c) If on the instructions of the employer, an employee resumes or continues work without having had the 10 consecutive hours off duty the employee must be paid at 200% of the ordinary hourly rate until the employee is released from duty for such period. The employee is then entitled to be absent until the employee has had 10 consecutive hours off duty without loss of pay for ordinary hours occurring during the absence.

(d) The provisions of clause 19.7 apply in the case of a shiftworker as if 8 hours were substituted for 10 hours when overtime is worked:

(i) for the purpose of changing shift rosters; or

(ii) where a shiftworker does not report for duty and a day worker or a shiftworker is required to replace the shiftworker; or

(iii) where a shift is worked by arrangement between the employees themselves.

19.8 Time off instead of payment for overtime

(a) An employee and employer may agree in writing to the employee taking time off instead of being paid for a particular amount of overtime that has been worked by the employee.

(b) Any amount of overtime that has been worked by an employee in a particular pay period and that is to be taken as time off instead of the employee being paid for it must be the subject of a separate agreement under clause 19.8.

(c) An agreement must state each of the following:

(i) the number of overtime hours to which it applies and when those hours were worked;

(ii) that the employer and employee agree that the employee may take time off instead of being paid for the overtime;

(iii) that, if the employee requests at any time, the employer must pay the employee, for overtime covered by the agreement but not taken as time off, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked;

(iv) that any payment mentioned in clause 19.8(c)(iii) must be made in the next pay period following the request.

NOTE: An example of the type of agreement required by clause 19.8 is set out at Schedule E—Agreement for Time Off Instead of Payment for Overtime. There is no requirement to use the form of agreement set out at Schedule E—Agreement for Time Off Instead of Payment for Overtime. An agreement under clause 19.8 can also be made by an exchange of emails between the employee and employer, or by other electronic means.

(d) The period of time off that an employee is entitled to take is the same as the number of overtime hours worked.

EXAMPLE: By making an agreement under clause 19.8 an employee who worked 2 overtime hours is entitled to 2 hours’ time off.

(e) Time off must be taken:

(i) within the period of 6 months after the overtime is worked; and

(ii) at a time or times within that period of 6 months agreed by the employee and employer.

(f) If the employee requests at any time, to be paid for overtime covered by an agreement under clause 19.8 but not taken as time off, the employer must pay the employee for the overtime, in the next pay period following the request, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.

(g) If time off for overtime that has been worked is not taken within the period of 6 months mentioned in clause 19.8(e), the employer must pay the employee for the overtime, in the next pay period following those 6 months, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.

(h) The employer must keep a copy of any agreement under clause 19.8 as an employee record.

(i) An employer must not exert undue influence or undue pressure on an employee in relation to a decision by the employee to make, or not make, an agreement to take time off instead of payment for overtime.

(j) An employee may, under section 65 of the Act, request to take time off, at a time or times specified in the request or to be subsequently agreed by the employer and the employee, instead of being paid for overtime worked by the employee. If the employer agrees to the request then clause 19.8 will apply, including the requirement for separate written agreements under clause 19.8(b) for overtime that has been worked.

[Note varied by PR763279 ppc 01Aug23]

NOTE: If an employee makes a request under section 65 of the Act for a change in working arrangements, the employer may only refuse that request on reasonable business grounds (see section 65A(3) of the Act).

(k) If, on the termination of the employee’s employment, time off for overtime worked by the employee to which clause 19.8 applies has not been taken, the employer must pay the employee for the overtime at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.

NOTE: Under section 345(1) of the Act, a person must not knowingly or recklessly make a false or misleading representation about the workplace rights of another person under clause 19.8.

29. Dispute resolution

[Varied by PR763279, PR777307, PR778047]

29.1 Clause 29 sets out the procedures to be followed if a dispute arises about a matter under this award or in relation to the NES.

29.2 The parties to the dispute must first try to resolve the dispute at the workplace through discussion between the employee or employees concerned and the relevant supervisor.

29.3 If the dispute is not resolved through discussion as mentioned in clause 29.2, the parties to the dispute must then try to resolve it in a timely manner at the workplace through discussion between the employee or employees concerned and more senior levels of management, as appropriate.

29.4 If the dispute is unable to be resolved at the workplace and all appropriate steps have been taken under clauses 29.2 and 29.3, a party to the dispute may refer it to the Fair Work Commission.

29.5 The parties may agree on the process to be followed by the Fair Work Commission in dealing with the dispute, including mediation, conciliation and consent arbitration.

29.6 If the dispute remains unresolved, the Fair Work Commission may use any method of dispute resolution that it is permitted by the Act to use and that it considers appropriate for resolving the dispute.

29.7 A party to the dispute may appoint a person, organisation or association to support and/or represent them in any discussion or process under clause 29.

29.8 While procedures are being followed under clause 29 in relation to a dispute:

(a) work must continue in accordance with this award and the Act; and

(b) an employee must not unreasonably fail to comply with any direction given by the employer about performing work, whether at the same or another workplace, that is safe and appropriate for the employee to perform.

29.9 Clause 29.8 is subject to any applicable work health and safety legislation.

[Note 1 and Note 2 inserted by PR763279; deleted by PR778047 from 26Aug24]

[Note inserted by PR778047 from 26Aug24; varied by PR777307 from 27Aug24]

NOTE: In addition to clause 29, the Act contains dispute resolution procedures as follows:

For a dispute about rights under the Act to | Section

Request flexible working arrangements | 65B

Change casual employment status | 66M

Request an extension to unpaid parental leave | 76B

Exercise an employee’s right to disconnect | 333N

Part 8—Termination of Employment and Redundancy