General Retail Industry Award Guide

*Last updated 06/06/2023
General Retail Industry Award (MA000004) : Complete Summary (Updated 2023)
This blog is a complete summary of the General Retail Industry Award, covering all main pay categories that determine the calculation of pay. The full version of the award can be found here.
Table of contents:
- Coverage
- Key Takeaways
- Full time employees
- Part time employees
- Casuals
- Ordinary hours
- Junior employees
- Rates
- Classifications of employees
- Breaks
- Allowances
Coverage:
The General Retail Industry Award covers employers and employees in the general retail industry throughout Australia.
This includes business such as :
- Retailers (supermarkets or grocery stores)
- Department stores
- Bakeries (food is baked and sold on premises)
- Furniture, household appliances, recreational goods stores
- Retail travel agencies
- Retail poultry stores
- Newsagents
- Clerical work in retail stores
Key Takeaways - General Retail Industry Award (GRIA):
- Clause 15.4 and 15.5 A maximum of 9 ordinary hours can be worked on a day, but employees can work a maximum of 11 ordinary hours one day a week
- Clause 10.9 and 11.2 The minimum daily engagement for part-time and casual employees is 3 hours (except secondary school students who are casuals may have a minimum daily engagement of 1.5 hours)
- Clause 15.7 - The maximum number of consecutive days that can be worked is 6 (this includes both ordinary and additional hours)
- Clause 15.7 Employees must be rostered to work so that they have 2 consecutive days off per week or 3 consecutive days off per 2 week cycle
- Clause 15.8 Employees who regularly work Sundays must be rostered so that they have 3 consecutive days off (including Saturday and Sunday) per 4 week cycle
- Clause 15.6 Full-time employees who work in an establishment with at least 15 employees on a regular basis, can be rostered for a maximum of 19 days in a 4 week cycle.
Full time employees:
Part time employees:
Casual employees:
* When a full-time secondary school student:
- is engaged to work between 3pm and 6.30pm on a school attendance day; and
- the employee’s parents/guardian agree to less than 3 hours of work;
- and longer employment is not possible due to operational needs or unavailability of the employee
** From 1 February 2023, all employees (including casuals) of non-small business employers can access 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12 month period. From 1 August 2023, all employees (including casuals) of small business employers can access 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12 month period.
Ordinary hours:
Junior Employees:
Adult rates are paid when an employee is 21 years of age or older, or when an employee is 20 years old and employed by the employer for more than 6 months.
A junior employee who is classified as a retail level employee level 1, 2 and 3 is paid the following minimum percentage :
Rates:
Refer to the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide for all minimum rates under this award. https://calculate.fairwork.gov.au/payguides/fairwork/ma000004/pdf
For apprentice rates go to the award.
Classification of employees:
- Retail Employee Level 1
- Retail Employee Level 2
- Retail Employee Level 3
- Retail Employee Level 4
- Retail Employee Level 5
- Retail Employee Level 6
- Retail Employee Level 7
- Retail Employee Level 8
Breaks:
Rest period (break between shifts) : Minimum of 12 hours between work one day and work the next day, otherwise paid at 200% until a 12 hour break is had.
* One rest break to be taken first half of shift, one rest break taken second half of shift
Allowances :
