11 Jul Fair Work Commission: Minimum Wage Increase & New Award Rates!
Fair Work Commission Changes
The Fair Work Commission announced a 3.0 % increase to minimum wages. Various Awards will also be increasing in line with the minimum wages at 3.0%. This applies to any wages paid for the period after the 1st July 2019. As a company it is your responsibility to ensure that your staff whether employed directly, through sub-contractors or via a labour hire company are paid the correct and fair wages as stipulated by the industry specific award.
What is an Award?
An award is a legally binding document made and reviewed annually by the Fair Work Commission. It contains the minimum pay and employment conditions which apply across an industry. In general, an award applies to employees in a specific industry or occupation. Some companies have Enterprise Awards that cover their own specific needs and are agreed upon by employees and employers then reviewed by the Fair Work Commission (FWC). Awards are put in place to set out a minimum safety net of conditions for employees. These include minimum wage, industry allowances and more.
If you are looking for information on a specific award information is available on the Fair Work Ombudsman website here.
Award Pay Rates Have Increased!
Along with the national minimum wage increase the award conditions have also changed in many industries. For example, see below the new minimum wages for a casual construction labourer (level 1A worker in the classification) based on the Building & Construction Award.
Normal hourly pay rate has increased from $26.14 to $26.91; penalty rates have also increased. These rates are applicable from the 1st July. Meal allowance has increased from $15.06 to $15.38. Daily Fares and Travel allowance remains the same at $17.43 per day.
How Do I Ensure That I Pay My Employee’s The Correct Entitlements?
You can use the PACT (Pay and Conditions Tools) to help calculate base pay rates, allowances and penalty rates. This can be found here.
Increased Pay Rates – Fair Work Commission
The team at HLH Group have been working hard with getting to grips with the updated award. We have increased all relevant pay rates of our staff in line or above the award rates. If you are looking to ensure your labour hire workforce is paid in line with the correct industry award then please don’t hesitate us today directly on 02 8985 2019. Alternatively fill in our online contact form here and we will be in touch soon!
Labour Hire – Do The Right Thing
Remember it’s your responsibility to ensure that staff you engage via labour hire are paid their legal entitlement. By using Hunter Labour Hire over some of our competitors not only will you receive an excellent service, you will also have peace of mind that the company you have engaged are also doing the right thing by their workers!
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