*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
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Full-time, Part-time, Casual
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Adult Employee
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>= 21 years (or 20 years with more than 6 months tenure)
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Junior Employee
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< 21 years
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Apprentice
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Adult >=21 years
Junior <21 years
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Shift work
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Yes
|
Classifications
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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
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Ordinary hours per week
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Minimum hours
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Maximum hours
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Leave entitlements
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Full-time
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Average 38 hours
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N/A
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9 hours*
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Yes
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Part-time
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Less than 38 hours
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3 hours
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9 hours*
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Yes
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Casual
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No guaranteed hours
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3 hours (or 1.5 hours**)
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9 hours*
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Yes*
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*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
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Day workers (non Shiftworkers)
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Shiftworkers
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Ordinary hours span
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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
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9 hours per day (11 hours on one day a week). |
Average hours
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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:
- 7 hour 36 minute days over 5 days
- Varying length days
- 4 hours off per fortnight + rostered day off
- Fixed day off per 4 week cycle
- Rotating day off per 4 week cycle
- Accumulating day off per 5 week cycle (max of 5 days accumulated over 5 cycles)
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Ordinary hours
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Ordinary hours of work include rest breaks
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Ordinary hours of work include rest and meal breaks
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Rest break
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Paid 10 minutes
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Paid 10 minutes
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Meal break
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Unpaid 30-60 minutes
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Paid 30-60 minutes
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Rest period (break between shifts)
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Minimum of 12 hours between work one day and work the next day, otherwise paid at 200% until a 12 hour break is had.
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Day Worker & Shiftworker Breaks
Hours worked
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Paid rest breaks
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Meal breaks
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4 to 5 hours
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1 x 10 minute rest break
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No meal break
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> 5 and < 7 hours
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1 x 10 minute rest break
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1 x meal break
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>= 7 and < 10 hours
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2 x 10 minute rest breaks*
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1 x meal break
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10 or more hours
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2 x 10 minute rest breaks*
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2 x meal breaks
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* 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:
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Full-time and part-time employees
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Casual employees
(includes loading)
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Monday to Saturday—first 3 hours
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150%
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175%
|
Monday to Saturday—after 3 hours
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200%
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225%
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Sunday
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200%
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225%
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Public holiday
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250%
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275%
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Penalties/Loading
Penalty rates - Day workers
Time of ordinary hours worked
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Full-time and part-time employees
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Casual employees
(includes loading)
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Monday to Friday—after 6pm
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125%
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150%
|
Saturday - all ordinary hours
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125%
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150%
|
Sunday - all ordinary hours worked
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150%
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175%
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Public holiday - all ordinary hours
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225%
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250%
|
Penalty rates - Shiftworkers
(Other than baking production employees)
Ordinary hours worked on:
Monday to Sunday
|
Full-time and part-time shiftworkers
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Casual shiftworkers (includes loading)
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Midnight Sunday - Midnight Friday (Mon - Fri)
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130%
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155%
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Saturday
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150%
|
175%
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Sunday
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175%
|
200%
|
Public holiday
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225%
|
250%
|
For baker, junior and apprentice rates go to the award.
Allowances
Wage-related allowances
First aid allowance
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$11.69 per week
|
Liquor licence allowance
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$27.88 per week
|
Cold work allowance
|
Allowance
|
$ per hour
or part thereof
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Cold chambers, stocking and refilling
|
$0.32
|
Cold chambers below 0℃
|
$0.50
|
|
Broken Hill
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$1.06 per hour
|
Expense-related allowances
Meal allowance - more than 1 hours’ overtime without 24 hours notice
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$20.01 per occasion
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Meal allowance - further 4 hours overtime
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Additional $18.14 per occasion
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Special clothing allowance - full time
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$6.25 per week
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Special clothing allowance - part-time/casual
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$1.25 per shift
|
Motor vehicle allowance
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$0.91 per km
|
Leave
- Annual leave - NES
- Personal/carer’s leave and compassionate leave - NES
- Parental leave and related entitlements - NES
- Community service leave - NES
- 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.