Horticulture Award Guide [MA000028]

Horticulture Award Guide [MA000028]

Table of content

  1. What is the Horticulture Award ?
  2. Who is covered by the Horticulture Award ?
  3. How are the hours of work arranged in the Horticulture Award  ?
  4. How are wages and allowances calculated in the Horticulture Award ?
  5. How is the leave managed in the Horticulture Award ?
  6. How can Workstem assist you?

This article provides guidelines on the Horticulture Award  package. For more information on this award, please refer to the Horticulture Award .

What is the Horticulture Award ?

The Horticulture Award is an industrial award in Australia that outlines the terms and conditions of employment for workers in the horticulture industry, including wages, allowances, working hours, leave entitlements, and other employment conditions.

It applies to employers and employees covered by the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) who are involved in horticultural enterprises, plant nurseries, vineyards, silviculture and afforestation, or the wine industry. Its purpose is to ensure fair treatment and compliance with the National Employment Standards (NES) for horticulture industry employees.

Who is covered by the Horticulture Award ?

Coverage

The Horticulture Award applies to employers and eligible employees in the horticulture industry based on the award’s classifications.

The horticulture industry means:

  • activities connected with a horticultural enterprise such as, sowing, planting, raising, cultivating, harvesting, picking, packing, storing, grading or treating of horticultural crops
  • land preparation and treatment activities connected with a horticultural enterprise for raising horticultural crops eg. clearing, fencing, trenching and draining.

The Horticulture Award covers employers whose significant business activities involve the cultivation of horticultural crops, including fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, hops, nuts, fungi, olives, flowers, and other specialised crops (excluding broadacre field crops).

Examples of employees covered by the Horticulture Award  include:

  • labourers harvesting, planting, picking, thinning or pruning crops eg. fruit or vegetable pickers
  • sorters and packers, including employees using machines and equipment
  • drivers of lorries, harvesters, forklifts and tractors
  • employees performing inventory, store control and quality assurance/control.

The Horticulture Award applies to labour hire businesses and their employees placed within the horticulture industry.

The following employers and employees are not covered by the Horticulture Award:

  • wine industry
  • silviculture and afforestation
  • sugar farming and related sugar industry activities
  • cotton growing, harvesting and extracting of oil from seed, cotton ginneries, associated depots and cotton oil mills
  • plant nurseries.

Source: Horticulture Award [MA000028] clauses 2, 4 and schedule A.

How are the hours of work arranged in the Horticulture Award  ?

Ordinary hours of work

Employee Type

Maximum Ordinary Hours Work Days

Work Hours

Full-time and Part-time

152 hours over 4 weeks Monday to Friday (or Saturday by agreement) 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (or as varied by agreement)

Casual

304 hours over 8 weeks Any day, flexible

5:00 am to 8:30 pm (25% loading) or 8:31 pm to 4:59 am (15% loading)

Shiftworker 152 hours over 4 weeks Monday to Friday

Afternoon shift: after 6:00 pm to midnight, Night shift: after midnight to 8:00 am

Breaks

Meal break

  • Employees are granted a meal break of 30 minutes to one hour, to be taken within 5 hours of commencing work. The timing of the break can be agreed upon between the employer and the employee.
  • If an employee is required to work during their meal break, they must be paid at 200% of their regular hourly rate until they are released for a minimum 30-minute meal break.

Rest break

  • Employees are entitled to a paid rest break of 10 minutes each day or shift.
  •  If the employer and employee agree to an additional rest break, it will be unpaid and provided in addition to the employee’s ordinary hours of work.

10 hour break after ceasing work for the day

  • An employee is entitled to a minimum break of 10 hours between the end of one work shift or day and the start of the next shift or day.
  • If an employee is required to work without having had the 10-hour break, they will be paid overtime rates until they are released and able to take the required break.

How are wages and allowances calculated in the Horticulture Award ?

Minimum rates

 Adult employee

Classification

Minimum weekly rate (full-time employee)

Minimum hourly rate

Level 1

859.30 $

22.61 $

Level 2

882.80 $ 23.23 $
Level 3 906.90 $

23.87 $

Level 4 939.70 $

24.73 $

Level 5 995.00 $

26.18 $

Junior

Age

Percentage of appropriate adult rate%
Under 16 years of age

50 %

16 years of age

60 %

17 years of age

70 %

18 years of age

80 %

19 years of age

90 %

20 years of age

100 %

*For more information about minimum rates, please refer to the complete version of Fair Work.

Overtime

For non-casual employees:

  • Overtime on Monday to Saturday is paid at 150% of the ordinary hourly rate.
  • Overtime on Sundays (except during the harvest period) is paid at 200% of the ordinary hourly rate.
  • If employees are required to work on a Saturday but the majority choose to work on Sunday instead, the Sunday work will be paid at the rate prescribed for Saturday work.
  • During the harvest period, the first 8 hours of overtime in a week may include 5 hours of work on a Sunday, paid at 150% of the ordinary hourly rate. Any additional Sunday work beyond the 8th overtime hour or beyond 5 hours on a Sunday is paid at 200% of the ordinary hourly rate.
  • All employees required to work on a Sunday are entitled to a minimum payment for 3 hours of work.

For casual employees:

  • Each hour worked in excess of 12 hours per engagement, 12 hours in a single day, or 304 ordinary hours over an eight-week period is paid at 175% of the employee’s ordinary hourly rate, including the casual loading.

Allowance

Allowance Type

Description

Rate

Wage-Related Allowances

All-Purpose Allowances Included in rate of pay for penalties, loadings, and annual leave payments
Leading Hand Allowance Paid to leading hands based on the number of employees they supervise
In charge of 2 to 6 employees $26.71 per week
In charge of 7 to 10 employees $31.13 per week
In charge of 11 to 20 employees $44.37 per week
In charge of more than 20 employees $55.75 per week
Wet Work Allowance Paid to employees working in wet places without adequate protection $2.32 per hour
First Aid Allowance Paid to employees with recognized first aid qualifications appointed for first aid duty $11.85 per week

Expense-Related Allowances

Travelling Allowance
  • Time spent travelling for work is considered as time worked and paid for
  • Reimbursement for suitable accommodation if required to spend nights away from home
Tool and Equipment Allowance
  • Reimbursement for cost of tools and equipment if employees are required to supply their own
  • Does not apply if tools and equipment are paid for by the employer
Meal Allowance
  • Payment of $14.66 or suitable free meal for overtime work exceeding 2 hours without prior notice
  • Meal allowance applies again if work extends into subsequent meal breaks

How is the leave managed in the Horticulture Award ?

In the Horticulture Award , leave entitlements for employees are determined by the National Employment Standards (NES) and the classification of the employee.

Annual leave

Annual leave is provided for in the NES. Annual leave does not apply to a casual employee.

  • Employers can convert annual leave to hourly entitlement for administrative ease.
  • Employees should be paid the wages they would have earned if not on leave.
  • EFT payment can continue during annual leave. Employees also receive 17.5% annual leave loading.

Public holidays

Public holidays are provided for in the NES.

  • An employer and employee can agree to substitute another day for a public holiday.
  • An employer and employee can agree to substitute another part-day for a part-day public holiday.
  • Public holiday rates for non-casual employees are 200% of the ordinary hourly rate or piece rate.
  • Public holiday rates for casual employees are 225% of the ordinary hourly rate for their classification, including the casual loading.

How can Workstem assist you?

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Choose between our Standard and Advanced plans, and enjoy a range of benefits such as Fair Work compliance, an employee self-service App, and customised rule set.

Book a free demo with our payroll experts. Experience the efficiency and accuracy of Workstem today!

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