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.

Schedule E—Agreement for Time Off Instead of Payment for Overtime

Link to PDF copy of Agreement for Time Off Instead of Payment for Overtime.

Name of employee: _____________________________________________

Name of employer: _____________________________________________

The employer and employee agree that the employee may take time off instead of being paid for the following amount of overtime that has been worked by the employee:

Date and time overtime started: ___/___/20___ ____ am/pm

Date and time overtime ended: ___/___/20___ ____ am/pm

Amount of overtime worked: _______ hours and ______ minutes

The employer and employee further agree that, if requested by the employee at any time, the employer must pay the employee for overtime covered by this agreement but not taken as time off. Payment must be made at the overtime rate applying to the overtime when worked and must be made in the next pay period following the request.

Signature of employee: ________________________________________

Date signed: ___/___/20___

Name of employer representative: ________________________________________

Signature of employer representative: ________________________________________

Date signed: ___/___/20___

6. Requests for flexible working arrangements

[6 substituted by PR763279 ppc 01Aug23]

Requests for flexible working arrangements are provided for in the NES.

NOTE: Disputes about requests for flexible working arrangements may be dealt with under clause 29—Dispute resolution and/or under section 65B of the Act.