Minimum pay in Australia

A minimum wage is an employee’s bottom level of pay for regular hours served, and it is normally based on the commercial tool that applies on their occupation (just for instance, a modern award, enterprise agreement, transitional salary level, or national minimum income order).

The lowest amount of wage attained by personnel in the national workplace relations structure are looked over by the Fair Work Commission yearly, with any changes taking effect on First July each year. The examination concerns the rates of wage inside the current awards as well as in the nationwide lowest pay.

The lowest salary obtained by employees within the national workplace relations system are determined on yearly basis by a specialist Minimum Income Panel of the Fair Work Commission (formerly named Fair Work Australia). Fair Work Australia’s 1st yearly pay review was declared on 3 June 2010. Any determinations given to adjust lowest pay in current awards or a nationwide lowest income order will apply from the first full pay time period on or soon after 1 July each year.

The Fair Work Commission must broadcast any changed wage amounts in a new award (on account of an Annual Wage Review Determination) preceding to 1st July each year. Variations to a national lowest pay order also needs to be posted as soon as realistic.

From 1st January 2010, new awards displaced nearly all existent awards and transitional salary scales, and detail the lowest terms and conditions for employees in specific sectors and positions. Whereas current awards include lowest pay, some modern awards include transitional workplace mediation provisions arranged, beneath which the wage-related aspects can be phased in over 5 years.

Business owners ought to assess their appropriate modern awards to work out if transitional measures apply. If there are no transitional arrangements, the modern award pay amounts are distributed from 1st January 2010.

The federal government lowest wage is currently $15.96 per hour or $606.40 per 38 hour week. Casual workers protected by the national lowest income will also get at least a twenty-two percent casual loading.

An employer must not contravene a term of a contemporary award or a national minimum income order. Suspected contraventions will be reviewed and enforced by the Fair Work Ombudsman. A contravention of a term of a modern award or a national minimum income order can potentially give rise to penalties of up to $10,200 for an person and $51,000 for a company.

The Fair Work Ombudsman consists of array of resources to assist hiring managers and employees find their proper wage. Majority of these resources can be accessed at fairwork.gov.au/pay internet page.