As a result of the ongoing 4-year Award Review process, particularly a review of penalty rates, the Fair Work Commission handed down a decision in 2017 resulting in changes to the General Retail Award 2010. Those changes relate to casual penalty rates and shiftworker loadings.
Further to our previous newsletter articles, and the related Award amendments, the next wave of changes will apply.
Effective from 1 October 2019, penalty rates for casuals (other than shift workers) working on Saturdays or weekday evenings increases by 5%.
The new rates will be:
- 135% for evening work (Monday – Friday).
- 145% for Saturday work.
Further annual changes
As part of the 2017 decision, a transitional process will annually increase casual Saturday penalty rates until 2020 and weekday evening penalty rates until 2021. Additionally, a transitional process will annually reduce Sunday shiftworker penalty rates until 2020.
Subscribers whose employees work on these days and under those arrangements should make appropriate alterations to rates of pay for their casual employees effective from 1 November 2018.
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