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Table of content
- What is General Retail Industry Award?
- Who is entitled to General Retail Industry Award?
- How is the shiftwork arranged in General Retail Industry Award?
- How are wages and allowances calculated in General Retail Industry Award?
- How is the leave managed in General Retail Industry Award?
- What is the employee termination process like in the Retail Industry Award?
- How can Workstem assist you?
This blog is only the summary of the General Retail Industry Award. Please check the full version on Fair Work General Retail Industry Award [MA000004].
What is General Retail Industry Award?
Award is an industrial instrument that sets out the minimum terms and conditions of employment for a group of employees in a particular industry or occupation.
General Retail Industry Award is a set of rules and regulations that govern the employment conditions and minimum wages for employees working in the retail industry in Australia. This modern award commenced operation on 1 January 2010. The terms of the award have been varied since that date.
Who is entitled to General Retail Industry Award?
Coverage
General Retail Industry means the retail sale or hire of goods or services for personal, household or business consumption including:
- clothing;and
- food;and
- furniture and household goods;and
- personal and recreational goods;and
- bakery shops at which the predominant activity is baking products for sale on the premises;and
- the provision of repair services for household equipment;and
- the provision of customer information or assistance at retail complexes;and
- the delivery of newspapers by employees of a newsagent
Types of employment
An employee covered by this award must be one of the following:
- a full-time employee (An employee who is engaged to work an average of 38 hours per week.);or
- a part-time employee (An employee who is engaged to work fewer than 38 hours per week on a regular basis.);or
- a casual employee (An employee who is engaged on an irregular or intermittent basis, with no expectation of ongoing employment.).
How is the shiftwork arranged in General Retail Industry Award?
Regarding hours of work, the award establishes standard working hours and provides guidelines for shiftwork, break, etc.
Hours of Work
|
Days |
Span of hours |
|
Monday to Friday |
7.00 am –9.00 pm |
| Saturday |
7.00 am –6.00 pm |
| Sunday |
9.00 am –6.00 pm |
Shiftwork
For an employee (other than a baking production employee) shiftwork means a shift starting at or after 6.00 pm on one day and before 5.00 am on the following day.
For a baking production employee shiftwork means a shift starting at or after midnight and before 6.00 am.
|
Time of hours worked |
Full-Time & Part-Time Employees
(% of minimum hourly rate of pay) |
Casual Employees
(% of minimum hourly rate of pay; inclusive of casual loading) |
|
12:00 am Sunday to 12:00 am Friday |
130% | 155% |
| Saturday | 150% |
175% |
| Sunday | 175% |
200% |
Breaks
|
Hours worked per shift |
Breaks | Meal breaks |
|
4 or more but no more than 5 |
One 10 minute paid rest break | |
|
More than 5 but less than 7 |
One 10 minute paid rest break | One unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes and not more than 60 minutes |
| 7 or more but less than 10 | Two 10 minute paid rest breaks (one to be taken in the first half of the shift and one in the second half) | One unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes and not more than 60 minutes |
| 10 or more | Two 10 minute paid rest breaks (one to be taken in the first half of the shift and one in the second half) |
Two unpaid meal breaks of at least 30 minutes and not more than 60 minutes |
How are wages and allowances calculated in General Retail Industry Award?
In the General Retail Industry Award, wages and allowances are calculated based on several factors outlined within the award.
Minimum rates
| Employee classification | Minimum weekly rate (full-time employee) |
Minimum hourly rate |
|
Retail Employee Level 1 |
939.60 | 24.73 |
|
Retail Employee Level 2 |
961.10 | 25.29 |
|
Retail Employee Level 3 |
976.00 | 25.68 |
|
Retail Employee Level 4 |
995.00 |
26.18 |
| Retail Employee Level 5 | 1035.90 |
27.26 |
| Retail Employee Level 6 | 1050.90 |
27.66 |
| Retail Employee Level 7 | 1103.60 |
29.04 |
| Retail Employee Level 8 | 1148.40 |
30.22 |
Overtime rates
The overtime rate payable to an employee depends on the time at which the overtime is worked:
|
When Overtime Is Worked |
Full-Time & Part-Time Employees
(% of minimum hourly rate of pay) |
Casual Employees
(% of minimum hourly rate of pay; inclusive of casual loading) |
|
Monday to Saturday – first 3 hours |
130% | 175% |
|
Monday to Saturday – after 3 hours |
200% |
225% |
| Sunday | 200% |
225% |
| Public holiday | 250% |
275% |
Penalty rates
|
Time of ordinary hours worked |
Full-time and part-time employees
(% of minimum hourly rate of pay) |
Casual employees
(% of minimum hourly rate of pay; inclusive of casual loading) |
|
Monday to Friday—after 6.00 pm |
125% | 150% |
|
Saturday—all ordinary hours |
125% |
150% |
| Sunday –all ordinary hours | 150% |
175% |
| Public holiday –all ordinary hours | 225% |
250% |
Allowances
| Meal allowance | work overtime of more than 1 hour; without at least 24 hours’ notice; cannot reasonably return home for a meal
$20.01 per occasion overtime exceeds 4 hours $18.14 per occasion |
| Special clothing allowance | $6.25 per week for a full-time employee
$1.25 per shift for a part-time or casual employee |
| Motor vehicle allowance | $0.91 for each kilometre travelled |
| Cold work allowance | $0.32 per hour while cold chambers or to stock or refill refrigerated storages
$0.50 per hour while cold chamber below 0℃ |
| First aid allowance | $12.23 per week |
| Liquor licence allowance | $29.17 per week |
| Broken Hill | $1.06 per hour |
How is the leave managed in General Retail Industry Award?
For the complete version of leave entitlement, you may refer to NES.
Annual Leave
Annual leave is provided for in the NES. It does not apply to casual employees.
During a period of paid annual leave, an employer must pay an employee an additional payment for the employee’s ordinary hours of work. The additional payment is payable on leave accrued.
For an employee other than a shiftworker the additional payment is the greater of:
- 17.5% of the employee’s minimum hourly rate for all ordinary hours of work in the period;or
- The employee’s minimum hourly rate for all ordinary hours of work in the period inclusive of penalty rates as specified in penalty rates.
Personal Leave
Casual employees are entitled to be absent from work to care for a person who requires care or support because of:
- illness or an injury;or
- an emergency
but they’re not entitled to be paid for time away from work.
Public holidays
An employer must pay an employee who works on a public holiday or on a day that is substituted for a public holiday at the public holiday penalty rate set out in penalty rates.
What is the employee termination process like in the Retail Industry Award?
Termination of Employment
|
Service with employer at end of day the notice is given |
Notice period |
|
Not more than 1 year |
1 week |
| Above 1 year but less than 3 years |
2 weeks |
| Above 3 years but less than 5 years |
3 weeks |
| Above 5 years |
4 weeks |
Redundancy
- The employer may give the employee notice of the transfer of at least the same length as the employee would be entitled as if it were a notice of termination given by the employer; or
- Transfer the employee to the new duties without giving notice of transfer or before the expiry of a notice of transfer, provided that the employer pays the employee.
How can Workstem assist you?
Workstem is a one-stop payroll & HR platform that has an award interpretation module to assist General Retail Industry Award employers in several ways. We understand the various provisions of the General Retail Industry Award and stay in compliance with Fair Work requirements, the customised attendance formulas can automatically calculate payments and will stay up-to-date with relevant regulations.
By utilising Workstem, retail employers can streamline their HR processes, reduce administrative burdens, and stay in compliance with Fair Work.
Learn More: Retail Award
