Changes to Retail Award to clarify overtime

Changes to Retail Award to clarify overtime

On 5 July 2024, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) varied terms in the General Retail Industry Award 2020 (Retail Award) to clarify the overtime provisions and how work can be rostered.

What are the overtime variations to the Retail Award?

The variations clarify the payment of overtime for different groups of employees (full-time, part-time and casuals) in two tables.

There is no change to how overtime is paid, the tables are only intended to make the overtime entitlement clearer.

Table 10 in the award specifies that all employees (i.e. full-time, part-time and casual) will be paid overtime penalties for any work performed outside the span of ordinary hours. In addition to this:

• Full-time employees will be paid overtime penalty rates when they work more than 38 ordinary hours in a week or outside their usual roster.
• Part-time employees are paid overtime where they work outside of their agreed hours, or outside of any agreed variation to their hours.

Casual employees can work up to 9 ordinary hours each day and will be paid overtime if they work beyond this. For one day a week, they can work up to 11 ordinary hours before overtime rates will apply.

Table 11 clarifies that:

• The first 3 hours of overtime worked on Monday to Saturday will be paid at 150% and the remaining hours will be paid at 200%
• All overtime worked on a Sunday is paid at 200%
• All overtime on a public holiday is paid at 250%.

The same penalties will be paid to casuals but will include an additional 25% loading.