7. Facilitative provisions

[Varied by PR751090; corrected by PR761391]

7.1 A facilitative provision provides that the standard approach in an award provision may be departed from by agreement between an employer and an individual employee, or the majority of employees in the enterprise or part of the enterprise concerned.

7.2 Facilitative provisions in this award are contained in the following clauses:

(a) clause 13.2—Ordinary hours—day workers;

(b) clause 13.3—Ordinary hours—shiftworkers;

(c) clause 19.8—Time off instead of payment for overtime;

[7.2(d) deleted by PR751090; corrected by PR761391 ppc 01May23]

[7.2(e) renumbered as 7.2(d) by PR751090; corrected by PR761391 ppc 01May23]

(d) clause 21.10—Annual leave in advance;

[7.2(f) renumbered as 7.2(e) by PR751090; corrected by PR761391 ppc 01May23]

(e) clause 21.11—Cashing out of annual leave; and

[7.2(g) renumbered as 7.2(f) by PR751090; corrected by PR761391 ppc 01May23]

(f) clause 26.3—Substitution of public holidays by agreement.

Part 2—Types of Employment and Classifications

13. Ordinary hours of work

13.1 Ordinary hours

(a) Maximum weekly hours and requests for flexible working arrangements are provided for in the NES.

(b) Except as provided elsewhere in this award:

(i) the ordinary hours of work for a full-time employee are an average of 38 per week; and

(ii) an employee will not work more than 10 ordinary hours per day or 152 over 28 days.

13.2 Ordinary hours—day workers

(a) Ordinary hours for a day worker may be worked on any or all days, Monday to Friday. Ordinary hours may also be worked on Saturday and Sunday, subject to agreement between the employer and a majority of affected employees, or the employer and an individual employee. If agreement is reached in accordance with clause 13.2(a), the additional rates in clause 20.2 apply.

(b) Ordinary hours of work are to be worked continuously, except for meal and rest breaks, at the discretion of the employer, between the hours of 5.00 am and 5.00 pm. The spread of hours (5.00 am to 5.00 pm) may be altered by up to one hour at either or both ends of the spread, by agreement between an employer and the majority of affected employees, or in appropriate circumstances, between the employer and an individual employee. Any change to regular rosters or ordinary hours of work is subject to the consultative provisions in clause28––Consultation about changes to rosters or hours of work.

(c) The employer and a majority of affected employees may agree that the ordinary hours for a day worker be up to 12 hours per day.

13.3 Ordinary hours—shiftworkers

(a) Ordinary hours for a shiftworker may be worked on any or all days, Monday to Sunday. The ordinary hours are up to 10 hours per day, inclusive of meal breaks.

(b) The employer and a majority of affected employees may agree that the ordinary hours for a shiftworker be up to 12 hours per day, inclusive of meal breaks, worked Monday to Sunday.

(c) Shift notice

(i) An employee must be given at least 48 hours’ notice of a requirement to work shiftwork and any alteration to their hours of work. By agreement between an employer and an employee, the notice requirement may be waived.

(ii) The hours for a shiftworker when fixed may be varied for breakdowns or other causes beyond the control of the employer.

(iii) See clause 28—Consultation about changes to rosters or hours of work.

19. Overtime

[Varied by PR723953, PR747390, PR763279]

19.1 Definition of overtime

Overtime is any work done outside ordinary hours as provided in clause 13—Ordinary hours of work.

19.2 Overtime rates

Where an employee works overtime the employer must pay to the employee the overtime rates as follows:

For overtime worked on | Overtime rate% of ordinary hourly rate

Monday to Saturday—first 3 hours | 150

Monday to Saturday—after 3 hours | 200

Sunday—all day | 200

Public holiday—all day | 250

NOTE: See Schedule B—Summary of Hourly Rates of Pay for a summary of hourly rates of pay including overtime rates.

19.3 For the purposes of calculating overtime payments, each day will stand alone.

19.4 Minimum payment periods—overtime

The following minimum payment periods apply in relation to overtime:

(a) An employee required to work overtime on a Saturday must be paid for a minimum of 3 hours;

(b) An employee required to work overtime on a Sunday or public holiday must be paid for a minimum of 4 hours.

[19.4(c) inserted by PR747390 ppc 14Nov22]

(c) Hours of work performed immediately before or after a part-day public holiday, that form part of one continuous shift, are counted as part of the minimum payment/engagement period in clause 19.4(b).

[19.5 substituted by PR723953 ppc 20Nov20]

19.5 The casual loading prescribed by clause 11.2(a)(ii) will not be paid for overtime hours worked.

19.6 Call back

(a) An employee recalled to work overtime after leaving the employer’s business premises (whether notified before or after leaving the premises) must be paid for a minimum of 3 hours at the overtime rates each time the employee is called back.

(b) Clause 19.6(a) does not apply where it is customary for an employee to return to the employer’s premises to perform a specific job outside the employee’s ordinary hours or where the overtime is continuous, subject to a reasonable meal break, with the completion or commencement of ordinary hours.

19.7 Rest period after overtime

(a) When overtime work is necessary it must, wherever reasonably practicable, be arranged so that an employee has at least 10 consecutive hours off duty between the work of successive working days.

(b) An employee, other than a casual employee, who works so much overtime between the termination of their ordinary hours on one day and the commencement of their ordinary hours on the next day that the employee has not had at least 10 consecutive hours off duty between those times must, subject to the other provisions of clause 19.7, be released after completion of the overtime until the employee has had 10 consecutive hours off duty without loss of pay for ordinary hours occurring during such absence.

(c) If on the instructions of the employer, an employee resumes or continues work without having had the 10 consecutive hours off duty the employee must be paid at 200% of the ordinary hourly rate until the employee is released from duty for such period. The employee is then entitled to be absent until the employee has had 10 consecutive hours off duty without loss of pay for ordinary hours occurring during the absence.

(d) The provisions of clause 19.7 apply in the case of a shiftworker as if 8 hours were substituted for 10 hours when overtime is worked:

(i) for the purpose of changing shift rosters; or

(ii) where a shiftworker does not report for duty and a day worker or a shiftworker is required to replace the shiftworker; or

(iii) where a shift is worked by arrangement between the employees themselves.

19.8 Time off instead of payment for overtime

(a) An employee and employer may agree in writing to the employee taking time off instead of being paid for a particular amount of overtime that has been worked by the employee.

(b) Any amount of overtime that has been worked by an employee in a particular pay period and that is to be taken as time off instead of the employee being paid for it must be the subject of a separate agreement under clause 19.8.

(c) An agreement must state each of the following:

(i) the number of overtime hours to which it applies and when those hours were worked;

(ii) that the employer and employee agree that the employee may take time off instead of being paid for the overtime;

(iii) that, if the employee requests at any time, the employer must pay the employee, for overtime covered by the agreement but not taken as time off, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked;

(iv) that any payment mentioned in clause 19.8(c)(iii) must be made in the next pay period following the request.

NOTE: An example of the type of agreement required by clause 19.8 is set out at Schedule E—Agreement for Time Off Instead of Payment for Overtime. There is no requirement to use the form of agreement set out at Schedule E—Agreement for Time Off Instead of Payment for Overtime. An agreement under clause 19.8 can also be made by an exchange of emails between the employee and employer, or by other electronic means.

(d) The period of time off that an employee is entitled to take is the same as the number of overtime hours worked.

EXAMPLE: By making an agreement under clause 19.8 an employee who worked 2 overtime hours is entitled to 2 hours’ time off.

(e) Time off must be taken:

(i) within the period of 6 months after the overtime is worked; and

(ii) at a time or times within that period of 6 months agreed by the employee and employer.

(f) If the employee requests at any time, to be paid for overtime covered by an agreement under clause 19.8 but not taken as time off, the employer must pay the employee for the overtime, in the next pay period following the request, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.

(g) If time off for overtime that has been worked is not taken within the period of 6 months mentioned in clause 19.8(e), the employer must pay the employee for the overtime, in the next pay period following those 6 months, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.

(h) The employer must keep a copy of any agreement under clause 19.8 as an employee record.

(i) An employer must not exert undue influence or undue pressure on an employee in relation to a decision by the employee to make, or not make, an agreement to take time off instead of payment for overtime.

(j) An employee may, under section 65 of the Act, request to take time off, at a time or times specified in the request or to be subsequently agreed by the employer and the employee, instead of being paid for overtime worked by the employee. If the employer agrees to the request then clause 19.8 will apply, including the requirement for separate written agreements under clause 19.8(b) for overtime that has been worked.

[Note varied by PR763279 ppc 01Aug23]

NOTE: If an employee makes a request under section 65 of the Act for a change in working arrangements, the employer may only refuse that request on reasonable business grounds (see section 65A(3) of the Act).

(k) If, on the termination of the employee’s employment, time off for overtime worked by the employee to which clause 19.8 applies has not been taken, the employer must pay the employee for the overtime at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.

NOTE: Under section 345(1) of the Act, a person must not knowingly or recklessly make a false or misleading representation about the workplace rights of another person under clause 19.8.

21. Annual leave

[Varied by PR751090]

21.1 Annual leave is provided for in the NES. Annual leave does not apply to a casual employee.

21.2 Definition of shiftworker

For the purpose of the additional week of annual leave provided for in section 87(1)(b) of the Act, a shiftworker is a 7 day shiftworker who is regularly rostered to work on Sundays and public holidays.

21.3 Payment for annual leave

An employee will be paid annual leave at the base rate of pay as prescribed by the NES.

NOTE: Where an employee is receiving over-award payments such that the employee’s base rate of pay is higher than the rate specified under this award, the employee is entitled to receive the higher rate while on a period of paid annual leave (see sections 16 and 90 of the Act).

21.4 Annual leave loading

In addition to the amount prescribed in clause 21.3, during a period of annual leave an employee must be paid:

(a) for a day worker—a loading of 17.5% calculated on the base rate of pay; or

(b) for a shiftworker—the greater of:

(i) a loading of 17.5% calculated on the base rate of pay; or

(ii) the shift rate including the relevant weekend penalty rate payments the employee would have received in respect of ordinary hours of work, where the employee would have worked shift work had the employee not been on leave during the relevant period.

21.5 Direction to take annual leave during shutdown

[21.5 renamed and substituted by PR751090 ppc 01May23]

(a) Clause 21.5 applies if an employer:

(i) intends to shut down all or part of its operation for a particular period of pre-planned maintenance or the installation of machinery (temporary shutdown period); and

(ii) wishes to require affected employees to take paid annual leave during that period.

(b) The employer must give the affected employees one months’ written notice of a temporary shutdown period, or any shorter period agreed between the employer and the majority of relevant employees.

(c) The employer must give written notice of a temporary shutdown period to any employee who is engaged after the notice is given under clause 21.5(b) and who will be affected by that period, as soon as reasonably practicable after the employee is engaged.

(d) The employer may direct the employee to take a period of paid annual leave to which the employee has accrued an entitlement during a temporary shutdown period.

(e) A direction by the employer under clause 21.5(d):

(i) must be in writing; and

(ii) must be reasonable.

(f) The employee must take paid annual leave in accordance with a direction under clause 21.5(d).

(g) In respect of any part of a temporary shutdown period which is not the subject of a direction under clause 21.5(d), an employer and an employee may agree, in writing, for the employee to take leave without pay during that part of the temporary shutdown period.

(h) An employee may take annual leave in advance during a temporary shutdown period in accordance with an agreement under clause 21.10.

(i) In determining the amount of paid annual leave to which an employee has accrued an entitlement, any period of paid annual leave taken in advance by the employee, in accordance with an agreement under clause 21.10, to which an entitlement has not been accrued, is to be taken into account.

(j) Clauses 21.7 to 21.9 do not apply to a period of annual leave that an employee is required to take during a temporary shutdown period in accordance with clause 21.5.

21.6 Payment of leave on termination

On termination of employment, an employee must be paid for annual leave accrued that has not been taken at the appropriate wage calculated in accordance with clauses 21.3 and 21.4.

21.7 Excessive leave accruals: general provision

NOTE: Clauses 21.7 to 21.9 contain provisions, additional to the NES, about the taking of paid annual leave as a way of dealing with the accrual of excessive paid annual leave. See Part 2.2, Division 6 of the Act.

(a) An employee has an excessive leave accrual if the employee has accrued more than 8 weeks’ paid annual leave (or 10 weeks’ paid annual leave for a shiftworker, as defined by clause 21.2).

(b) If an employee has an excessive leave accrual, the employer or the employee may seek to confer with the other and genuinely try to reach agreement on how to reduce or eliminate the excessive leave accrual.

(c) Clause 21.8 sets out how an employer may direct an employee who has an excessive leave accrual to take paid annual leave.

(d) Clause 21.9 sets out how an employee who has an excessive leave accrual may require an employer to grant paid annual leave requested by the employee.

21.8 Excessive leave accruals: direction by employer that leave be taken

(a) If an employer has genuinely tried to reach agreement with an employee under clause 21.7(b) but agreement is not reached (including because the employee refuses to confer), the employer may direct the employee in writing to take one or more periods of paid annual leave.

(b) However, a direction by the employer under clause 21.8(a):

(i) is of no effect if it would result at any time in the employee’s remaining accrued entitlement to paid annual leave being less than 6 weeks when any other paid annual leave arrangements (whether made under clause 21.7, 21.8 or 21.9 or otherwise agreed by the employer and employee) are taken into account; and

(ii) must not require the employee to take any period of paid annual leave of less than one week; and

(iii) must not require the employee to take a period of paid annual leave beginning less than 8 weeks, or more than 12 months, after the direction is given; and

(iv) must not be inconsistent with any leave arrangement agreed by the employer and employee.

(c) The employee must take paid annual leave in accordance with a direction under clause 21.8(a) that is in effect.

(d) An employee to whom a direction has been given under clause 21.8(a) may request to take a period of paid annual leave as if the direction had not been given.

NOTE 1: Paid annual leave arising from a request mentioned in clause 21.8(d) may result in the direction ceasing to have effect. See clause 21.8(b)(i).

NOTE 2: Under section 88(2) of the Act, the employer must not unreasonably refuse to agree to a request by the employee to take paid annual leave.

21.9 Excessive leave accruals: request by employee for leave

(a) If an employee has genuinely tried to reach agreement with an employer under clause 21.7(b) but agreement is not reached (including because the employer refuses to confer), the employee may give a written notice to the employer requesting to take one or more periods of paid annual leave.

(b) However, an employee may only give a notice to the employer under clause 21.9(a) if:

(i) the employee has had an excessive leave accrual for more than 6 months at the time of giving the notice; and

(ii) the employee has not been given a direction under clause 21.8(a) that, when any other paid annual leave arrangements (whether made under clause 21.7, 21.8 or 21.9 or otherwise agreed by the employer and employee) are taken into account, would eliminate the employee’s excessive leave accrual.

(c) A notice given by an employee under clause 21.9(a) must not:

(i) if granted, result in the employee’s remaining accrued entitlement to paid annual leave being at any time less than 6 weeks when any other paid annual leave arrangements (whether made under clause 21.7, 21.8 or 21.9 or otherwise agreed by the employer and employee) are taken into account; or

(ii) provide for the employee to take any period of paid annual leave of less than one week; or

(iii) provide for the employee to take a period of paid annual leave beginning less than 8 weeks, or more than 12 months, after the notice is given; or

(iv) be inconsistent with any leave arrangement agreed by the employer and employee.

(d) An employee is not entitled to request by a notice under clause 21.9(a) more than 4 weeks’ paid annual leave (or 5 weeks’ paid annual leave for a shiftworker, as defined by clause 21.2) in any period of 12 months.

(e) The employer must grant paid annual leave requested by a notice under clause 21.9(a).

21.10 Annual leave in advance

(a) An employer and employee may agree in writing to the employee taking a period of paid annual leave before the employee has accrued an entitlement to the leave.

(b) An agreement must:

(i) state the amount of leave to be taken in advance and the date on which leave is to commence; and

(ii) be signed by the employer and employee and, if the employee is under 18 years of age, by the employee’s parent or guardian.

NOTE: An example of the type of agreement required by clause 21.10 is set out at Schedule F—Agreement to Take Annual Leave in Advance. There is no requirement to use the form of agreement set out at Schedule F—Agreement to Take Annual Leave in Advance.

(c) The employer must keep a copy of any agreement under clause 21.10 as an employee record.

(d) If, on the termination of the employee’s employment, the employee has not accrued an entitlement to all of a period of paid annual leave already taken in accordance with an agreement under clause 21.10, the employer may deduct from any money due to the employee on termination an amount equal to the amount that was paid to the employee in respect of any part of the period of annual leave taken in advance to which an entitlement has not been accrued.

21.11 Cashing out of annual leave

(a) Paid annual leave must not be cashed out except in accordance with an agreement under clause 21.11.

(b) Each cashing out of a particular amount of paid annual leave must be the subject of a separate agreement under clause 21.11.

(c) An employer and an employee may agree in writing to the cashing out of a particular amount of accrued paid annual leave by the employee.

(d) An agreement under clause 21.11 must state:

(i) the amount of leave to be cashed out and the payment to be made to the employee for it; and

(ii) the date on which the payment is to be made.

(e) An agreement under clause 21.11 must be signed by the employer and employee and, if the employee is under 18 years of age, by the employee’s parent or guardian.

(f) The payment must not be less than the amount that would have been payable had the employee taken the leave at the time the payment is made.

(g) An agreement must not result in the employee’s remaining accrued entitlement to paid annual leave being less than 4 weeks.

(h) The maximum amount of accrued paid annual leave that may be cashed out in any period of 12 months is 2 weeks.

(i) The employer must keep a copy of any agreement under clause 21.11 as an employee record.

NOTE 1: Under section 344 of the Act, an employer must not exert undue influence or undue pressure on an employee to make, or not make, an agreement under clause 21.11.

NOTE 2: Under section 345(1) of the Act, a person must not knowingly or recklessly make a false or misleading representation about the workplace rights of another person under clause 21.11.

NOTE 3: An example of the type of agreement required by clause 21.11 is set out at Schedule G—Agreement to Cash Out Annual Leave. There is no requirement to use the form of agreement set out at Schedule G—Agreement to Cash Out Annual Leave.

26. Public holidays

[Varied by PR747390]

26.1 Public holidays are provided for in the NES.

26.2 Where an employee works on a public holiday they will be paid in accordance with clauses 19.2 or 20.2.

26.3 Substitution of public holidays by agreement

(a) An employer and employee may agree to substitute another day for a day that would otherwise be a public holiday under the NES.

(b) An employer and employee may agree to substitute another part-day for a part-day that would otherwise be a part-day public holiday under the NES.

[26.4 deleted by PR747390 ppc 14Nov22]

Part 7—Workplace Delegates, Consultation and Dispute Resolution

[Part 7—Consultation and Dispute Resolution renamed by PR774786 from 01Jul24]