Awards, Pay Rates & Entitlements

Guiding You Through Your Workplace Challenges

Employers

If you are unsure what modern award, pay rates or other entitlements apply to your employees, or if you have been served with an underpayments claim, contact our team for a discussion to see where your business stands.

Employees

If you believe you have been underpaid by your current or former employer, contact our team for a discussion regarding your situation.

What Is a Modern Award?

Modern awards are instruments which dictate the minimum entitlements that employees are entitled to due to their occupation. Which modern award applies is determined by the employee’s industry they are working in and/or their occupation.

The entitlements within an award that apply to an employee is dependent on factors including:

Their qualifications and experience;
Their duties performed;
Where they work; and
The times they work between.

Entitlements prescribed by modern awards include:

Pay rates (including overtime and penalty rates);
Allowances;
Rostering and breaks; and
Leave entitlements (industry and occupation specific)

Who Does a Modern Award Apply To?

Modern awards apply to the majority of employees. However, some employees are not covered by an award. This is because they may:

Be covered by an enterprise bargaining agreement their employer has (where these exist, they usually apply instead of an award); or
Work in an industry or occupation which is not covered by a modern award (for example, accountants, solicitors, and most management positions).

Like modern awards, where there is an enterprise bargaining agreement in place, these will set out the minimum entitlements (pay rates, breaks etc) that an employee is entitled to.