Table of content
- What is the Registered and Licensed Clubs Award?
- What changed for the 2026 pay rates?
- Registered Clubs Award overtime rates
- Casual rates under the Registered Clubs Award
- Meal breaks under MA000058
- Rosters matter under the Clubs Award
- Registered Clubs Award compliance checklist
- How payroll software can help with MA000058
- The bottom line
- Frequently Asked Questions
c The Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2020 [MA000058] sets minimum pay rates and employment conditions for employees working in covered registered and licensed clubs.
For 2026, the current consolidated award incorporates amendments effective up to 1 July 2026.
This guide summarises the key adult pay rates, penalty rates, overtime rates and compliance points employers should check.
Important: This is a practical 2026 guide, not a replacement for the full award. Where a pay guide or summary differs from the award, the award itself takes precedence.
What is the Registered and Licensed Clubs Award?
The Registered and Licensed Clubs Award covers work performed for or connected with registered and licensed clubs operating on a not-for-profit basis for the benefit of the community and club members.
Examples include clubs operating around:
- football grounds
- cricket grounds
- golf courses
- bowling greens
- other sporting grounds
Covered roles can include bar attendants, front-office staff, kitchen employees and other club workers.
The first step for any employer is therefore to confirm that MA000058 actually applies to the business and employee.
What changed for the 2026 pay rates?
The current award rates apply from 1 July 2026.
The Fair Work Commission consolidated version identifies the latest variations affecting minimum rates, allowances and penalty rates.
For adult full-time and part-time employees, the ordinary hourly rates in the current schedule range from the introductory level through Level 13.
Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2026 adult rates
| Classification | Ordinary hourly rate | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday |
| Introductory | $25.74 | $38.61 | $45.05 | $64.35 |
| Level 1 | $26.44 | $39.66 | $46.27 | $66.10 |
| Level 2 | $27.08 | $40.62 | $47.39 | $67.70 |
| Level 3 | $27.97 | $41.96 | $48.95 | $69.93 |
| Level 4 | $29.45 | $44.18 | $51.54 | $73.63 |
| Level 5 | $31.30 | $46.95 | $54.78 | $78.25 |
These figures are from the current Schedule B adult full-time and part-time rates applying from 1 July 2026.
Why classification matters
The award does not use a single hourly rate for every club employee.
For example, Level 1 includes classifications such as:
- food and beverage attendant grade 1
- guest service grade 1
- kitchen attendant grade 1
- PGA Associate year 1
Level 2 includes roles such as cook grade 1, food and beverage attendant grade 2, guest service grade 2 and other specified classifications.
The duties performed by the employee matter.
An employer should therefore not classify someone based simply on their job title.
Registered Clubs Award overtime rates
For adult full-time and part-time employees, overtime rates are based on when the overtime is worked.
| When overtime is worked | First 2 hours | After 2 hours |
| Monday to Friday | 150% | 200% |
| Saturday | 175% | 200% |
| Sunday | 200% | 200% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 250% |
For a Level 1 employee with an ordinary hourly rate of $26.44, this means:
- Monday-Friday first 2 hours: $39.66
- Monday-Friday after 2 hours: $52.88
- Saturday first 2 hours: $46.27
- Saturday after 2 hours: $52.88
- Sunday: $52.88
- Public holiday: $66.10
The award also contains specific provisions dealing with overtime and other working arrangements, so employers should not assume every additional hour is automatically treated the same way.
Casual rates under the Registered Clubs Award
Casual employees have different ordinary and penalty rates because casual loading is built into the applicable rates.
For adult casual employees, the current Schedule B rates are:
| Classification | Ordinary | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday |
| Introductory | $32.18 | $38.61 | $45.05 | $64.35 |
| Level 1 | $33.05 | $39.66 | $46.27 | $66.10 |
| Level 2 | $33.85 | $40.62 | $47.39 | $67.70 |
| Level 3 | $34.96 | $41.96 | $48.95 | $69.93 |
| Level 4 | $36.81 | $44.18 | $51.54 | $73.63 |
| Level 5 | $39.13 | $46.95 | $54.78 | $64? |
Check the current Fair Work pay guide for the complete classification table before using rates in payroll.
For payroll implementation, the important point is that casual rates cannot simply be derived by adding a generic percentage to any rate without checking the award’s detailed calculation rules.
Meal breaks under MA000058
The award contains specific meal-break rules.
Where an employee works more than 5 hours in a day, they generally must receive an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes within the specified period.
If the required meal break is not provided, the employee must generally be paid 150% of the ordinary hourly rate from the end of the fifth hour until the break is given or the shift ends.
This is an important payroll scenario because the issue may originate in attendance rather than payroll.
If the payroll system only receives an approved timesheet saying “8 hours worked”, it may not have enough information to determine whether a required break was actually taken.
Rosters matter under the Clubs Award
The award contains specific roster requirements for full-time and part-time employees.
Employers must prepare rosters showing normal starting and finishing times and the relevant employee details. The award also provides rules around changing rosters and notice.
This is why clubs should treat rostering as part of payroll compliance rather than as a separate operational task.
A roster can influence:
hours worked → penalty eligibility → overtime → final pay
Registered Clubs Award compliance checklist
Before each payroll cycle, employers should be able to answer:
- Is MA000058 the correct award?
- Is each employee’s classification correct?
- Are current 2026 minimum rates applied?
- Are Saturday and Sunday penalties correct?
- Are public holiday rates correct?
- Is overtime calculated according to when it is worked?
- Are casual employees using the correct casual rates?
- Are required breaks being captured?
- Are applicable allowances included?
- Are roster and attendance records consistent?
- Are pay records retained correctly?
How payroll software can help with MA000058
Manual award calculations become increasingly difficult when a club has multiple employee classifications, casual workers, variable rosters and weekend trading.
Workstem’s Australian award interpretation platform supports automated award calculations for ordinary hours, overtime, penalties and allowances and connects these calculations with attendance, rostering and payroll. It also states that award rates are updated through the Fair Work API.
That does not remove the need to verify classifications and award coverage.
It reduces the amount of manual calculation required after the employee has already worked the shift.
The bottom line
For 2026, the key compliance issue under MA000058 is not simply knowing one hourly rate.
Employers need to get the entire chain right:
Classification → Roster → Attendance → Award rules → Payroll
The current Registered and Licensed Clubs Award rates apply from 1 July 2026, but the detailed award rules around overtime, penalties, breaks and classifications determine what an employee is actually entitled to.
For payroll decisions, always check the current Fair Work award and pay guide rather than relying on an old rate table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2026?
A: The Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2020 [MA000058] is the modern award covering eligible employees in registered and licensed clubs. “2026” refers to the rates and award conditions applying during 2026; it is not the name of a separate 2026 award.
Q: What is MA000058?
A: MA000058 is the award code for the Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2020. Employers covered by the award need to apply its relevant classifications, minimum rates, penalty rates, overtime provisions, allowances and other employment conditions.
Q: When did the 2026 Registered Clubs Award rates take effect?
A: The current annual wage review increases and related rate changes apply from 1 July 2026. Employers should use the current Fair Work award and pay guide rather than relying on a previous year’s rates.
Q: How are Saturday and Sunday rates calculated under MA000058?
A: Saturday and Sunday rates depend on the employee’s classification and the applicable award provision. Employers should use the current MA000058 rate tables and check whether additional conditions apply to the employee’s work.
Q: What are the overtime rates under the Registered Clubs Award?
A: For adult full-time and part-time employees, MA000058 applies different overtime rates depending on when the overtime is worked. The award includes specific rates for weekday, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday overtime.
Q: Does the Registered Clubs Award apply to every employee working in a club?
A: No. Award coverage depends on the nature of the employer’s operations and the employee’s role. Employers should confirm coverage and classification rather than assuming that every club employee falls under MA000058.
Q: Do casual employees have different rates under MA000058?
A: Yes. Casual employees have different rates that incorporate casual loading and can also be affected by applicable penalty conditions. Employers should use the current casual rate tables rather than adding a generic loading manually.
Q: Why is classification important under MA000058?
A: Different classifications have different minimum rates and may cover different types of duties. Using the wrong classification can therefore produce an incorrect base rate and affect related overtime and penalty calculations.
Q: Does rostering affect Registered Clubs Award compliance?
A: Yes. Rostered hours and working patterns can affect overtime, penalty rates, breaks and other award conditions. The roster therefore forms an important part of the payroll compliance process.
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