20. Penalty rates

[Varied by PR747390]

20.1 Definitions

For the purposes of this award:

(a) Early morning shift means a shift of ordinary hours commencing at or after 2.00 am and before 4.00 am; and

(b) Afternoon shift means a shift of ordinary hours finishing at or after 5.00 pm or, where the ordinary hours are extended by agreement, 6.00 pm and at or before midnight; and

(c) Night shift means a shift finishing after midnight and at or before 8.00 am; and

(d) Permanent night shift employee is an employee who:

(i) works night shift only; or

(ii) stays on night shift for a longer period than 4 consecutive weeks; or

(iii) works on a night shift which does not rotate or alternate with another shift or with day work so as to give the employee at least one third of their working time off night shift in each shift cycle.

20.2 An employee will be paid the following rates for all ordinary hours worked during the following periods.

Ordinary hours worked on: | % ordinary hourly rate

Monday to Friday—shiftworkers |

Early morning shift | 110

Afternoon shift or night shift | 115

Permanent night shift | 125

Weekend work—all employees (including shiftworkers) |

Saturday | 150

Sunday | 175

Public holiday | 250

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

20.3 A shiftworker who is required to work on a public holiday must be paid for a minimum of 4 hours.

[New 20.4 inserted by PR747390 ppc 14Nov22]

20.4 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 20.3.

[20.4 renumbered as 20.5 by PR747390 ppc 14Nov22]

20.5 A shiftworker who is required and works overtime must be paid overtime in accordance with clause 19—Overtime.

Part 6—Leave, Public Holidays

2. Definitions

[Varied by PR733892, PR774786, PR777307, PR795698]

In this award, unless the contrary intention appears:

Act means the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

adult employee means an employee 18 years of age and over.

afternoon shift means a shift of ordinary hours finishing at or after 5.00 pm or, where the ordinary hours are extended by agreement, 6.00 pm and at or before midnight.

all purposes means the payment will be included in the rate of pay of an employee who is entitled to the allowance, when calculating any penalties or loadings or payment while they are on annual leave (see clause 17.2(a)).

[Definition of casual employee inserted by PR733892 from 27Sep21; varied by PR777307 from 27Aug24]

casual employee has the meaning given by section 15A of the Act.

NOTE: Section 15A of the Act was amended with effect from 26 August 2024. Under clause 102(3) of Schedule 1 to the Act, an existing employee who was a casual employee of an employer under section 15A as it was immediately before that date is taken to be a casual employee of the employer for the purposes of section 15A after that date.

defined benefit member has the meaning given by the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth).

early morning shift means a shift of ordinary hours commencing at or after 2.00 am and before 4.00 am.

employee means national system employee within the meaning of the Act.

[Definition of employee organisation inserted by PR774786; substituted retrospectively by PR795698 ppc 01Jul24]

employee organisation has the meaning given by section 12 of the Act.

employer means national system employer within the meaning of the Act.

[Definition of enterprise inserted by PR774786 from 01Jul24]

enterprise has the meaning given by section 12 of the Act.

exempt public sector superannuation scheme has the meaning given by the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth).

leading hand means an employee who is given by the employer, or their agent, the responsibility for directing and/or supervising the work of other persons.

MySuper product has the meaning given by the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth).

NES means the National Employment Standards as contained in sections 59 to 131 of the Act.

night shift means a shift finishing after midnight and at or before 8.00 am.

on-hire means the on-hire of an employee by their employer to a client, where such employee works under the general guidance and instruction of the client or a representative of the client.

ordinary hourly rate means the hourly rate for the employee’s classification specified in clause 15—Minimum rates, plus any allowances specified as being included in the employee’s ordinary hourly rate or payable for all purposes.

permanent night shift employee is an employee who:

(a) works night shift only; or

(b) stays on night shift for a longer period than 4 consecutive weeks; or

(c) works on a night shift which does not rotate or alternate with another shift or with day work so as to give the employee at least one third of their working time off night shift in each shift cycle.

poultry processing industry has the meaning given in clause 4.2.

[Definition of small business employer inserted by PR774786 from 01Jul24]

small business employer has the meaning given by section 23 of the Act.

standard rate means the minimum hourly rate for the Level 2 classification in clause 15.1.

[Definition of workplace delegate inserted by PR774786 from 01Jul24]

workplace delegate has the meaning given by section 350C(1) of the Act.

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.