Award Guides

General Retail Industry Award Guide 2022

September 15, 2022
0 min read
Award Guides

*Last updated 13/02/2023

General Retail Industry Award 2020: Complete Summary 

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.

About the General Retail Industry Award MA000004

The General Retail Industry Award covers most employees working in retail businesses in Australia. The retail industry is one of the biggest industries in the country and has had its fair share of news generated from award compliance. 

Key Takeaways - General Retail Industry Award (GRIA)

  • A maximum of 9 ordinary hours can be worked on a day 
  • Employees can work a maximum of 11 ordinary hours one day a week
  • 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)
  • The maximum number of consecutive days that can be worked is 6 (this includes both ordinary and additional hours) 
  • 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
  • Employees who regularly work Sundays must be rostered so that they have 3 consecutive days off (including Saturday and Sunday) per 4 week cycle

Classification

Types of Employment

Full-time, Part-time, Casual

Adult Employee

>= 21 years (or 20 years with more than 6 months tenure)

Junior Employee

< 21 years

Apprentice

Adult >=21 years

Junior <21 years

Shift work

Yes

Classifications

Retail Employee Level 1 - 8

  • Clerical Assistant Level 1 (subclass of Retail Employee Level 1)
  • Clerical Officer Level 2 (subclass of  Retail Employee Level 4)
  • Clerical Officer Level 3 (subclass of  Retail Employee Level 6)
  • Clerical Officer Level 4 (subclass of  Retail Employee Level 7)

Hours of work 

 

Ordinary hours per week

Minimum hours

Maximum hours

Leave entitlements

Full-time

Average 38 hours

N/A

9 hours*

Yes

Part-time

Less than 38 hours

3 hours

9 hours*

Yes

Casual

No guaranteed hours

3 hours (or 1.5 hours**)

9 hours*

Yes*

 

*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.

Condition

Day workers (non Shiftworkers)

Shiftworkers

Ordinary hours span

Monday to Friday, 7:00am - 9:00pm 

Saturday, 7:00am - 6:00pm 

Sunday, 9:00am - 6:00pm

(Newsagency from 5:00am, videoshop until midnight and until 11:00pm if  establishment trading hours are extended beyond 9pm Monday - Friday or 6pm on Saturday/Sunday)

N/A

Max Ordinary hours

9 hours per day (11 hours on one day a week).  

Average hours

Average of 38 hours per week over a period of up to 4 weeks:

(i) working 38 hours per week; or

(ii) working 76 hours over 2 consecutive weeks; or

(iii) working 114 hours over 3 consecutive weeks; or

(iv) working 152 hours over 4 consecutive weeks; or

(v) working an average of 38 hours per week over a longer period agreed between the employer and the employee.


FT 38 hours a week options: 

  1. 7 hour 36 minute days over 5 days 
  2. Varying length days 
  3. 4 hours off per fortnight + rostered day off
  4. Fixed day off per 4 week cycle 
  5. Rotating day off per 4 week cycle
  6. Accumulating day off per 5 week cycle (max of 5 days accumulated over 5 cycles)

Ordinary hours

Ordinary hours of work include rest breaks

Ordinary hours of work include rest and meal breaks

Rest break

Paid 10 minutes

Paid 10 minutes

Meal break

Unpaid 30-60 minutes

Paid 30-60 minutes

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.

Day Worker & Shiftworker Breaks

Hours worked

Paid rest breaks

Meal breaks

4 to 5 hours

1 x 10 minute rest break

No meal break

> 5 and < 7 hours 

1 x 10 minute rest break

1 x meal break

>= 7 and < 10 hours 

2 x 10 minute rest breaks*

1  x meal break

10 or more hours

2 x 10 minute rest breaks*

2 x meal breaks

* 1 rest break to be taken first half of shift, 1 rest break taken second half of shift

Overtime

  • Hours worked outside ordinary span of hours
  • Hours worked in excess of guaranteed hours (part-time employees)
  • Hours worked in excess of (average) 38 ordinary hours per week (full–time and casuals)
  • Hours worked outside of rostered hours
  • Hours worked past daily max hours
  • Ordinary hours worked on more than 19 days per 4 week cycle
  • ~~15.6 (i) In an establishment at which at least 15 employees are employed per week on a regular basis,the employer must not roster an employee to work ordinary hours on more than 19 days per 4 week cycle.
  • Shifts rostered past the weekly max (5 days a week, 6 & 4 days in two weeks)
  • Shifts worked in which the employee was entitled to have consecutive days off
  • ~~3 days off (including Sat/Sun) - employees regularly working Sundays
  • ~~2 consecutive days off per one week / 3 consecutive days off per 2 week cycle - all employees

Overtime is calculated on a daily basis.

Overtime rates (Day workers and Shift workers)

Overtime worked on:

Full-time and part-time employees

Casual employees

(includes loading)

Monday to Saturday—first 3 hours

150%

175%

Monday to Saturday—after 3 hours

200%

225%

Sunday

200%

225%

Public holiday

250%

275%

Penalties/Loading

Penalty rates - Day workers

Time of ordinary hours worked 

Full-time and part-time employees

Casual employees

(includes loading)

Monday to Friday—after 6pm

125%

150%

Saturday - all ordinary hours 

125%

150%

Sunday - all ordinary hours worked 

150%

175%

Public holiday - all ordinary hours 

225%

250%

Penalty rates - Shiftworkers

(Other than baking production employees)

Ordinary hours worked on:

Monday to Sunday

Full-time and part-time shiftworkers

Casual shiftworkers (includes loading)

Midnight Sunday - Midnight Friday (Mon - Fri)

130%

155%

Saturday 

150%

175%

Sunday

175%

200%

Public holiday

225%

250%

For baker, junior and apprentice rates go to the award.

Allowances

Wage-related allowances

First aid allowance

$11.69 per week

Liquor licence allowance 

$27.88 per week 

Cold work allowance 


Allowance

$ per hour

or part thereof  

Cold chambers, stocking and refilling

$0.32

Cold chambers below 0℃

$0.50

 

Broken Hill

$1.06 per hour 

Expense-related allowances

Meal allowance - more than 1 hours’ overtime without 24 hours notice 

$20.01 per occasion 

Meal allowance - further 4 hours overtime

Additional $18.14 per occasion 

Special clothing allowance - full time 

$6.25 per week 

Special clothing allowance - part-time/casual

$1.25 per shift 

Motor vehicle allowance 

$0.91 per km

Leave

  1. Annual leave - NES 
  2. Personal/carer’s leave and compassionate leave - NES
  3. Parental leave and related entitlements - NES
  4. Community service leave - NES
  5. Family and domestic violence leave - NES

Public Holiday Rates (Day Workers & Shift Workers)

Hours worked on a Public Holiday:

Full-time and part-time employees

Casual employees

(includes loading)

Ordinary & Penalty

225%

250%

Overtime 

250%

275%

  • Substitution of public holidays
  • ~~By agreement, a public holiday may be substituted for another day (including a part day public holiday) 
  • ~~If an employee works on the public holiday or on a day that is substituted for a public holiday, they are paid at public holiday penalty rates 
  • ~~If both the public holiday and substituted public holiday is worked, the employee is only paid for one of those days at public holiday penalty rates.
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