The Fair Work Commission has recently announced a 1.75% increase to minimum wages. This applies to all Award wages.

This year, the increases are being implemented in 3 stages. There are 3 different dates for different groups of Awards.

Most employees are covered by an Award. If you’re not sure which award applies to your business, please book in for a call to get advice.For anyone not covered by an award or an agreement, the new national minimum wage will be $753.80 per week or $19.84 per hour. This applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2020.

Group 1
The new minimum wages will start in the following awards from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2020.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services Award

Aged Care Award

Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award

Banking, Finance and Insurance Award

Cemetery Industry Award

Children’s Services Award

Cleaning Services Award

Corrections and Detention (Private Sector) Award

Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award

Educational Services (Teachers) Award

Electrical Power Industry Award

Fire Fighting Industry Award

Funeral Industry Award

Gas Industry Award

Health Professionals and Support Services Award

Medical Practitioners Award

Nurses Award

Pharmacy Industry Award

Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award

State Government Agencies Award

Water Industry Award

Group 2
The new minimum wages will start in the following awards from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 November 2020.

Aluminium Industry Award

Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award

Aquaculture Industry Award

Architects Award

Asphalt Industry Award

Black Coal Mining Industry Award

Book Industry Award

Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award

Building and Construction General On-site Award

Business Equipment Award

Car Parking Award

Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award

Clerks—Private Sector Award

Coal Export Terminals Award

Concrete Products Award

Contract Call Centres Award

Cotton Ginning Award

Dredging Industry Award

Educational Services (Post-Secondary Education) Award

Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award

Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award

Gardening and Landscaping Services Award

Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award

Higher Education Industry-Academic Staff-Award

Higher Education Industry-General Staff-Award

Horticulture Award

Hydrocarbons Field Geologists Award

Hydrocarbons Industry (Upstream) Award

Joinery and Building Trades Award

Journalists Published Media Award

Labour Market Assistance Industry Award

Legal Services Award

Local Government Industry Award

Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award

Marine Towage Award

Maritime Offshore Oil and Gas Award

Market and Social Research Award

Meat Industry Award

Mining Industry Award

Miscellaneous Award

Mobile Crane Hiring Award

Oil Refining and Manufacturing Award

Passenger Vehicle Transportation Award

Pastoral Award

Pest Control Industry Award

Pharmaceutical Industry Award

Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award

Port Authorities Award

Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award

Poultry Processing Award

Premixed Concrete Award

Professional Diving Industry (Industrial) Award

Professional Employees Award

Rail Industry Award

Real Estate Industry Award

Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award

Road Transport and Distribution Award

Salt Industry Award

Seafood Processing Award

Seagoing Industry Award

Security Services Award

Silviculture Award

Stevedoring Industry Award

Storage Services and Wholesale Award

Sugar Industry Award

Supported Employment Services Award

Surveying Award

Telecommunications Services Award

Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award

Timber Industry Award

Transport (Cash in Transit) Award

Waste Management Award

Wool Storage, Sampling and Testing Award

Group 3
The new minimum wages will start in the following awards from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 February 2021.

Air Pilots Award

Aircraft Cabin Crew Award

Airline Operations-Ground Staff Award

Airport Employees Award

Alpine Resorts Award

Amusement, Events and Recreation Award

Commercial Sales Award

Dry Cleaning and Laundry Industry Award

Fast Food Industry Award

Fitness Industry Award

General Retail Industry Award

Hair and Beauty Industry Award

Horse and Greyhound Training Award

Hospitality Industry (General) Award

Live Performance Award

Mannequins and Models Award

Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award

Nursery Award

Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award

Racing Clubs Events Award

Racing Industry Ground Maintenance Award

Registered and Licensed Clubs Award

Restaurant Industry Award

Sporting Organisations Award

Travelling Shows Award

Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award

Wine Industry Award

If you currently pay above National Minimum Wage or Modern Award rates of pay are not obliged by this decision to increase their rates of pay, but you need to make sure that their rates remain equal to or higher than the applicable Award rates of pay, once the increase is applied.

If you have any Individual Flexibility Agreements, you will need to reassess those agreements to ensure employees remain “better off overall” when compared to the newly increased Modern Award rates.

If you pay any of your employees an annual salary, you will need to conduct an audit of those annualised salaries against the new Award rates and working patterns to ensure the annual salary compensates for award entitlements.

If you need help with checking you are paying your employees correctly, you can book in for a call:
https://booking.myhrpartner.com.au/10minintrocall