17. Payment of wages

[Varied by PR719896]

NOTE: Regulations 3.33(3) and 3.46(1)(g) of Fair Work Regulations 2009 set out the requirements for pay records and the content of payslips including the requirement to separately identify any allowance paid.

17.1 Wages will be paid on a regular weekly basis or in a manner agreed between the employer and employee. If there is no agreement, payment must be made on the usual pay day each week Monday to Thursday.

17.2 Payment on termination of employment

[17.2 substituted by PR719896 ppc 11Jun20]

(a) The employer must pay an employee no later than 7 days after the day on which the employee’s employment terminates:

(i) the employee’s wages under this award for any complete or incomplete pay period up to the end of the day of termination; and

(ii) all other amounts that are due to the employee under this award and the NES.

(b) The requirement to pay wages and other amounts under clause 17.2(a) is subject to further order of the Commission and the employer making deductions authorised by this award or the Act.

NOTE 1: Section 117(2) of the Act provides that an employer must not terminate an employee’s employment unless the employer has given the employee the required minimum period of notice or “has paid” to the employee payment instead of giving notice.

NOTE 2: Clause 17.2(b) allows the Commission to make an order delaying the requirement to make a payment under clause 17.2. For example, the Commission could make an order delaying the requirement to pay redundancy pay if an employer makes an application under section 120 of the Act for the Commission to reduce the amount of redundancy pay an employee is entitled to under the NES.

NOTE 3: State and Territory long service leave laws or long service leave entitlements under section 113 of the Act, may require an employer to pay an employee for accrued long service leave on the day on which the employee’s employment terminates or shortly after.

20. Allowances

[Varied by PR718877, PR719030, PR729317, PR729502, PR740742, PR740907, PR762168, PR762334, PR773945, PR774114, PR786597, PR786765, PR799339, PR799495]

NOTE: Regulations 3.33(3) and 3.46(1)(g) of Fair Work Regulations 2009 set out the requirements for pay records and the content of payslips including the requirement to separately identify any allowance paid.

20.1 Employers must pay to an employee any allowances the employee is entitled to under clause 20.

NOTE: See Schedule C—Summary of Monetary Allowances for a summary of monetary allowances and method of adjustment.

20.2 Wage-related allowances

(a) Cold temperature allowance

[20.2(a) varied by PR718877, PR729317, PR740742, PR762168, PR773945, PR786597, PR799339 ppc 01Jul26]

A cold temperature allowance will be paid to an employee who is required to work in a temperature artificially reduced below zero degrees Celsius for every hour or part of an hour for which, in the aggregate, the employee is required to work:

Temperature range | $ per hour or part thereof

Below zero but not below -16°C | 0.77

Below -16°C but not below -18°C | 1.33

Below -18°C but not below -21°C | 1.88

Below -21°C | 2.56

(b) First aid allowance

[20.2(b) varied by PR718877, PR729317, PR740742, PR762168, PR773945, PR786597, PR799339 ppc 01Jul26]

A first aid allowance of $4.18 per day must be paid to an appropriately qualified employee who acts instead of and performs the duties of a full-time first aid officer or nurse.

(c) Leading hand allowance

[20.2(c)(i) varied by PR718877, PR729317, PR740742, PR762168, PR773945, PR786597, PR799339 ppc 01Jul26]

(i) A leading hand allowance of $17.91 per week must be paid to leading hands supervising at least 3 but fewer than ten employees (including juniors and apprentices).

[20.2(c)(ii) varied by PR718877, PR729317, PR740742, PR762168, PR773945, PR786597, PR799339 ppc 01Jul26]

(ii) A leading hand allowance of $25.74 per week must be paid to leading hands supervising ten or more employees.

20.3 Expense-related allowances

(a) Clothing allowance (meat processing establishments only)

[20.3(a)(i) varied by PR799495 ppc 01Jul26]

(i) A clothing allowance of $3.70 per week, or $0.74 per day, will be paid to employees required to launder their own outer working clothes.

(ii) The allowance is not payable where the employer launders the employee’s outer working clothes free of charge.

(b) Meal allowance

[20.3(b) varied by PR719030, PR729502, PR740907, PR762334, PR774114, PR786765, PR799495 ppc 01Jul26]

A meal allowance of $19.14 will be paid to an employee who is required to work overtime for one and a half hours or more after the employee’s rostered finishing time.

(c) Travelling and transfers

Where an employee is temporarily transferred during working hours from one location to another, the employer will pay the employee all reasonable costs of transit and travelling time.