How Do I Find Out Which Award Applies To My Employees?

Knowing what Award applies to your industry is one of the first things any business owner with employees should be aware of.

Use this Fair Work Award Discovery Tool to find out the potential industry award that covers your employees.

If you are interested in learning more, below is some more detailed information about Employment Awards.

Modern Employment Awards

A Modern Award is a document that sets out the minimum terms and conditions of employment on top of the National Employment Standards (NES). 

Modern awards provide entitlements such as:

• pay
• hours of work
• rosters
• breaks
• allowances
• overtime and penalty rates

The Fair Work Ombudsman has some excellent tools to find the right award for you. Check out their 3-step “Find my Award” tool here.

Some Employees May Be Award-Free

If you’re struggling to locate an award that applies, there’s a possibility that your employees might be classified as “award-free”. What does that mean?

While most employees are covered by an award or registered agreement, a few jobs and industries are not.

When an employee is not covered by an award or agreement, they are considered to be award and agreement-free.

While they may not be covered by an award, award-free employees are entitled to at least the:

• National minimum wage
• National Employment Standards (NES)

What to do if your employees are in the award-free category

If you suspect your employees might fall into the award-free category, there’s a series of questions you can ask:

• What is the industry of the employer?
• Is there an award covering the industry?
• Is there a classification for the employee in the industry award?

If the answer to the above is no: is there an occupational award for the employee’s occupation?

The Clerks-Private Sector Award 2010 is a good example of an occupational Award covering employees across multiple industries.

What if there is also no suitable occupational award?

If there is no occupational award,  the employee may be award-free.

Your next step would be to check with the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94. They’re always happy to help.

Need assistance? We can help with your HR

Knowing what Award applies to your business allows you to offer the right pay rates and entitlements to your employees. Getting it right the first time is smart.

So is finding an experienced HR Consultant to help you on your journey to success.

Check Greg’s profile here or call us today on 07 5576 4693