What is clerks award?
The Clerks Award refers to the modern award known as the “Clerks – Private Sector Award 2020” in Australia. It is an industrial instrument that sets out the minimum terms and conditions of employment for clerical employees working in the private sector.
The Clerks Award covers a wide range of administrative and clerical roles, and provides guidelines on matters such as minimum wages, ordinary hours of work, overtime rates, penalty rates, leave entitlements, and other conditions of employment specific to clerical roles in the private sector.
For the complete version of the Clerks – Private Sector Award , please refer to Fair Work.
Who is entitled to the clerks award?
The clerks award covers:
- private sector employers throughout Australia in relation to employees wholly or principally engaged in clerical work; and
- private sector employees who are wholly or principally engaged in clerical work and who are employed by employers
Clerks pay rates
Workstem has developed a comprehensive guide to help compliance with the Clerks—Private Sector Award Rates.
If you’re uncertain about the applicable classifications, this guide can help you understand how to comply with Fair Work legislation, classify your employees correctly, and pay penalties and allowances in accordance with the clerks award.
Full-time and part-time employees
- Ordinary and penalty rates (other than shiftworkers)
| Adult employees | Junior employees | |
|
% of minimum/junior hourly rate |
||
|
Monday to Friday |
100% | 100% |
| Saturday | 125% |
125% |
| Sunday | 200% |
200% |
| Public holiday | 250% |
250% |
- Ordinary and penalty rates (shiftworkers)
|
Adult employees |
Junior employees | |
|
% of minimum/junior hourly rate |
||
|
Afternoon and night |
115% | 115% |
| Permanent night1 | 130% |
130% |
| Saturday, Sunday or
public holiday |
150% |
150% |
- Overtime rates (other than shiftworkers)
|
Adult employees |
Junior employees | |
|
% of minimum/junior hourly rate |
||
|
Monday to Saturday – first 2 hours |
150% | 150% |
| Monday to Saturday –
after 2 hours |
200% |
200% |
| Sunday – all day | 200% |
200% |
| Public holiday | 250% |
250% |
- Overtime rates (shiftworkers)
|
Adult employees |
Junior employees | |||
| % of minimum/junior hourly rate | ||||
|
Monday to Friday |
in excess of ordinary daily hours | first 2 hours | 150% | 150% |
|
after 2 hours |
200% | 200% | ||
| in excess of ordinary weekly hours | first 3 hours | 150% |
150% |
|
| after 3 hours | 200% |
200% |
||
| Saturday, Sunday or Public holiday | 200% |
200% |
||
Casual employees
- Ordinary and penalty rates (other than shiftworkers)
|
Adult employees |
Junior employees | |
|
% of minimum/junior hourly rate |
||
|
Monday to Friday |
125% | 125% |
| Saturday | 150% |
150% |
| Sunday | 225% |
225% |
| Public holiday | 275% |
275% |
- Ordinary and penalty rates (shiftworkers)
| Adult employees | Junior employees | |
| % of minimum/junior hourly rate | ||
| Afternoon and night | 140% | 140% |
| Permanent night | 155% | 155% |
| Saturday, Sunday or
public holiday |
175% | 175% |
*Rates in table are calculated based on the minimum hourly rate
How to make payroll efficient with Workstem?
Simplify your payroll processes with Workstem’s all-in-one platform, handling onboarding, time and attendance, award interpretation, payroll, STP2, superannuation and more.
Customise attendance entitlements, auto-track attendance data, streamline the payment process and keep compliance with Fair Work award through our AI Engine. Workstem provides a complete solution for efficient payroll management and regulatory compliance.
FAQs
Q: Do clerks award employers be required to pay award minimum wage?
A: Yes, the award minimum wage is the minimum legal requirement that an employee must be paid if they are covered through the clerks award. Employers are legally bound to comply with this.
Q: How do employers pay employees not covered under an award?
A: If a business owner is in the clerks award, but a particular employee is not covered by the clerks award, then either the FWC’s national minimum wage or the state minimum wage applies.