2. Definitions

[Varied by PR733854, PR774771, PR777289, PR792260, PR795682]

In this award, unless the contrary intention appears:

Act means the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

adult apprentice means an apprentice who is 21 years of age or over at the commencement of their apprenticeship.

cashier means an employee engaged to collect and/or process money or other payment tendered for retail sales of meat and/or meat products, and who is not a salesperson.

[Definition of casual employee inserted by PR733854 from 27Sep21; varied by PR777289 from 27Aug24]

casual employee has the meaning given by section 15A of the Act.

NOTE: Section 15A of the Act was amended with effect from 26 August 2024. Under clause 102(3) of Schedule 1 to the Act, an existing employee who was a casual employee of an employer under section 15A as it was immediately before that date is taken to be a casual employee of the employer for the purposes of section 15A after that date.

continuous service has the meaning in sections 22(1), (2) and (3) of the Act.

default fund employee means an employee who has no chosen fund within the meaning of the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth).

defined benefit member has the meaning given by the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth).

employee means national system employee within the meaning of the Act.

[Definition of employee organisation inserted by PR774771; substituted retrospectively by PR795682 ppc 01Jul24]

employee organisation has the meaning given by section 12 of the Act.

employer means national system employer within the meaning of the Act.

[Definition of enterprise inserted by PR774771 from 01Jul24]

enterprise has the meaning given by section 12 of the Act.

exempt public sector superannuation scheme has the meaning given by the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth).

fresh meat means meat that has not been cooked, pickled, cured or otherwise processed from the natural state, other than by chilling or freezing.

meat means cattle, calves, buffalo, horses, mules, donkeys, sheep, lambs, goats, pigs, camels, deer, kangaroos, emus, ostriches or marine reptiles, and any flesh or other organic products derived from any of them (excluding milk).

meat industry has the meaning given in clause 4.2.

meat manufacturing establishment has the meaning given in clause 4.2.

meat processing establishment has the meaning given in clause 4.2.

meat retail establishment has the meaning given in clause 4.2.

MySuper product has the meaning given by the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth).

NES means the National Employment Standards as contained in sections 59 to 131 of the Act.

on-hire means the on-hire of an employee by their employer to a client, where such employee works under the general guidance and instruction of the client or a representative of the client.

[Definition of regular casual employee inserted by PR733854 from 27Sep21]

regular casual employee has the meaning given by section 12 of the Act.

related company means a related company within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

relevant apprenticeship legislation means any awards and/or regulations made by any state apprenticeship authority.

rostered day off (RDO) means any continuous 24 hour period between the completion of the last ordinary shift and the commencement of the next ordinary shift on which an employee is rostered for duty.

[Definition of salesperson deleted by PR792260 ppc 14Oct25]

[Definition of small business employer inserted by PR774771 from 01Jul24]

small business employer has the meaning given by section 23 of the Act.

standard rate means the minimum weekly rate for a MI 7 in clause 16.1. Where an allowance is provided for on an hourly basis, a reference to standard rate means 1/38th of the weekly rate referred to in this definition.

[Definition of workplace delegate inserted by PR774771 from 01Jul24]

workplace delegate has the meaning given by section 350C(1) of the Act.

14. Ordinary hours of work and rostering

14.1 Ordinary hours and roster cycles

(a) The ordinary hours of work for a full-time employee must not exceed 38 hours per week or an average of 38 hours per week not exceeding 152 hours in 28 days.

(b) The ordinary hours of work for a part-time or casual employee will be in accordance with clause 10—Part-time employees and clause 12—Casual employees.

(c) The ordinary hours of work for a casual employee must not exceed 38 hours in any week.

(d) The ordinary hours of work must be worked continuously at the discretion of the employer, except for meal breaks or other breaks prescribed in the award.

(e) The maximum number of ordinary hours which may be worked on any day or shift must not exceed 10 hours.

(f) Any hours worked outside the spread of hours listed must be paid at overtime rates.

14.2 Cleaners

Regardless of the spread of hours in clauses 14.3(a), 14.4(a) or 14.5(a), cleaners may be employed to work ordinary hours between 6.30 am and midnight in any establishment under this award. A cleaner may be entitled to a payment under clause 24.4.

14.3 Meat processing establishments (except for employees of the establishment engaged in retail and/or wholesale sales of fresh meat and/or meat products and any ancillary products)

(a) Subject to clause 14.3(b), ordinary hours for these establishments are worked between:

Days | Spread of hours

Monday to Friday | 6.00 am–8.00 pm

(b) Where the employer and a majority of affected employees agree, ordinary hours may be worked on Saturday and Sunday. Agreement in this respect may also be reached between the employer and an individual employee.

(c) Payment for ordinary hours on weekends in accordance with clause 14.3(b) is provided in accordance with clause 24.1.

(d) The spread of hours may be altered by up to one hour at either side of the spread by agreement between:

(i) the employer and the majority of employees concerned; or

(ii) in appropriate circumstances, between the employer and an individual employee.

(e) Any work performed by an employee prior to the commencement of the spread of hours and which is continuous with the normal ordinary hours for the purpose, for example, of getting the plant in a state of readiness for processing work, may be regarded as part of the employee’s ordinary hours of work.

(f) Where an employee of the establishment is engaged in retail and/or wholesale of fresh meat and/or meat products and any ancillary products, clause 14.3 will not apply and clause 14.5 will apply to the employee.

14.4 Meat manufacturing establishments (except for employees of the establishment engaged in retail and/or wholesale sales of fresh meat and/or meat products and any ancillary products)

(a) Ordinary hours for these establishments are worked between:

Days | Spread of hours

Monday to Saturday | 6.00 am–6.00 pm

(b) In addition, up to 4 ordinary hours may be worked by an employee on Saturday between the hours of 6.00 am and 6.00 pm.

(c) Payment for ordinary hours worked on Saturday is provided in accordance with clause 24.2(a).

(d) Where an employee of the establishment is engaged in retail and/or wholesale of fresh meat and/or meat products and any ancillary products, clause 14.4 will not apply and clause 14.5 will apply to the employee.

14.5 Meat retail establishments (including employees of meat processing establishments and meat manufacturing establishments engaged in retail and/or wholesale sales of fresh meat and/or meat products and any ancillary products)

(a) Ordinary hours for these establishments are worked between:

Days | Spread of hours

Monday to Friday | 4.00 am–9.00 pm

Saturday | 4.00 am–6.00 pm

Sunday | 8.00 am–6.00 pm

(b) Payment for ordinary hours on weekends will be in accordance with clause 24.3.

(c) Load out areas

Notwithstanding clause 14.5(a), in load out areas involving the receipt, storage, inspection, load out and delivery of meat or meat products, the ordinary hours may be worked between 10.00 pm and 4.00 pm (the following day), Sunday to Saturday. Payment will be in accordance with clause 24.3(d).

(d) Weekends off

Once every 4 weeks, an employee who works ordinary hours on each Sunday over a 152 hour work cycle must be given 3 consecutive days off which will include Saturday and Sunday. Any alternative arrangements between the employer and the employee must be by mutual agreement and in writing and signed by each of the parties.

(e) Spread of hours for particular employees performing meat retail establishment duties

Where an employee of an establishment covered by this award is called upon to perform meat retail establishment duties, the hours of work provisions for the employee will be all the provisions associated with a meat retail establishment as contained in clause 14.5.

14.6 Methods of arranging ordinary working hours

(a) Clause 14.6 applies to all establishments.

(b) Matters upon which agreement may be reached include:

(i) how the hours are to be averaged within a work cycle established;

(ii) the duration of the work cycle for day workers provided that such duration does not exceed 3 months;

(iii) rosters which specify the starting and finishing times of working hours;

(iv) a period of notice of a rostered day off which is less than 4 weeks;

(v) substitution of rostered day off;

(vi) accumulation of rostered days off;

(vii) arrangements which allow for flexibility in relation to the taking of rostered days off; and

(viii) arrangements of ordinary hours overall.

14.7 Rostering

(a) The employer must post a roster in the premises, showing the starting and finishing times for ordinary hours for employees.

(b) Starting and finishing times appearing on the roster will be for a period which is not less than one week in length.

(c) This roster may be amended by the employer provided 36 hours’ notice is given. Any change to regular rosters or ordinary hours of work is subject to the consultative provisions in clause 32—Consultation about major workplace .

14.8 Make-up time

An employee may elect, with the consent of their employer, to work make-up time, under which the employee takes time off ordinary hours, and works those hours at a later time, during the spread of ordinary hours provided in the award.