Clerks Award [MA000002] pay guide: Rates, allowances, and overtime

The Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020 sets the minimum pay and conditions for employees in clerical and admin roles across a wide range of industries.

Note: The information provided in this article is accurate as of August 2025. Please refer to the latest version of the Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020 for the most current information.

Clerks Award pay rates

Below, you can find everything you need to pay under the Clerks Award. This includes minimum rates, allowances, overtime, penalty rates for weekends and public holidays, and superannuation.

Clerks Award minimum pay rates

The Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020 sets a minimum weekly rate (different from the national minimum wage) for full-time clerical and admin staff. It also sets a corresponding minimum hourly rate for part-timers. For casual staff, you need to add a 25% loading to the hourly rates you see here:

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Clerks Award allowances

Under this award, you need to pay allowances on top of base wages each pay period to cover a range of extra costs or skills.

Clerks Award superannuation

The Clerks Award doesn't make the superannuation rules. They flow from the federal Superannuation Guarantee law, and the award just mirrors them. Here are the key bits to keep in mind:

• Super guarantee (SG) rate: Contribute 12% of each employee’s ordinary-time earnings (OTE).

• Who earns SG: Everyone 18 and over earns SG on every dollar. Under-18s only earn SG only when they work over 30 hours a week.

• Choice of fund: If an employee makes no choice, request their stapled fund from the ATO. If none exists, pay SG into a default fund named in the Clerks Award. For example, Australian Retirement Trust, AustralianSuper, CareSuper, or HESTA.

• SG lodgement deadlines: Send contributions to the fund on time. This is by 28 October, 28 January, 28 April, and 28 July each year (28 days after quarter-end).

• Voluntary employee contributions: Forward any salary-sacrifice or after-tax amounts to the fund within 28 days after month-end.

• Paid leave and workers’ comp: Keep paying SG on all paid leave. For work-related injuries, pay SG for up to 52 weeks while the employee remains on workers’ comp and employed.

• Record-keeping: Track OTE correctly, lodge SG on time each quarter, and store proof of contributions, choice-of-fund forms, and stapled-fund confirmations.

Clerks Award overtime and penalty rates (non-shiftworkers)

Overtime only kicks in once an employee’s total overtime for the week reaches 30 minutes.Basically, you treat the first half-hour of extra work in any week as ordinary time. Every minute after that half-hour attracts the overtime rate, though.

An employee earns penalty rates for ordinary hours worked on a Saturday. They also earn these rates for Sunday ordinary hours that are part of their regular roster. The same goes for the hours they work on a public holiday.

If they work on a Sunday that isn’t part of their normal roster, then you need to pay them overtime for those hours instead of penalty rates.

What counts as overtime?

• Working more than the ordinary weekly hours set under clause 13 or an agreed roster

• Working over 10 ordinary hours in a day (meal breaks excluded)

• Working outside the spread of ordinary hours

• Working on a rostered day off that the employee hasn't banked or swapped

• Any hours beyond their agreed ordinary hours (part-timers only)

• Minimum calls: three hours on Saturday (if the employee has already worked 38 hours Mon–Fri) and four hours on Sunday.

• Return-to-duty: at least three hours’ overtime pay if called back after finishing for the day.

Rest after overtime

• Aim for 10 consecutive hours off between shifts.

• If the employee starts ordinary hours without that break, you need to release them until they get 10 hours off. You also need to pay for any lost ordinary time.

• Alternatively, you need to pay 200% until you release them. They then need to take the 10-hour break with no wage loss.

Time-off-in-lieu (TOIL)

• You and the employee must put the agreement in writing each pay period.

• The employee must earn time off equal to the exact number of overtime hours they worked.

• The employee must take that time off within six months. If they don’t (or if they ask) you need to pay the outstanding hours at overtime rates.

• Keep a copy of the agreement in the employee’s file. 

Clerks Award overtime and penalty rates (shiftworkers)

A shiftworker earns overtime when they work more than their ordinary weekly hours, more than their ordinary daily hours on an ordinary shift, or work on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday that isn’t a normal working day for them.

Who counts as a shiftworker

A shiftworker is someone who works one or more of the following shifts:

• Afternoon shift: finishes after 7 pm but before midnight

• Night shift: finishes after midnight but before 7 am

• Permanent night shift: night shift that runs for more than 4 weeks in a row

What counts as ordinary hours on shifts

• An average of 38 hours per week over up to 12 months

• A maximum of 10 hours per day (paid breaks included)

• A maximum of 6 shifts a week

• Minimum calls: four hours if called in on a non-rostered weekend or public holiday.

Rest after shift overtime

• Aim for eight consecutive hours off between ordinary shifts.

• If overtime cuts into that rest time, you need to either release them until they get the full eight hours' rest and pay any ordinary hours they miss.

• Or if you require them to keep working, pay 200% until you release them, and then give the eight-hour break with no loss of pay.

• Penalty and overtime rates don’t stack. You need to pay the higher of the two.

• If a shift starts between 11:00 p.m. and midnight on a Sunday or a public holiday and runs into the next day, don’t apply the Sunday or public holiday penalty to the time they work on that Sunday or public holiday. 

• If a shift starts between 11:00 p.m. and midnight the day before a Sunday or public holiday and runs into it, apply the Sunday or public holiday penalty to the time they work on that day.

Clerks Award annual leave

Annual leave isn’t a Modern Award rule. It comes from the NES and applies no matter which award covers the employee. Every full-time and part-time employee has a right to paid annual leave. Casual employees don’t get annual leave ‌(they get the casual loading to make up for it).

Defined shiftworkers under the Clerks Award get five weeks a year.

How leave builds and carries

• Leave accrues progressively based on ordinary hours.

• Unused leave rolls over to the next year.

Public holidays during annual leave

• If a public holiday falls during an employee's annual leave, pay it as a public holiday. Don’t subtract it from the leave balance.

• Pay the public holiday separately as paid time.

Annual leave loading

During paid annual leave, you must pay an additional amount:

• For day workers, pay the higher of 17.5% of the minimum hourly rate or the minimum hourly rate including weekend penalty rates.

• For shiftworkers, pay the higher of 17.5% or the minimum hourly rate including shift and weekend penalties.

Taking leave and shutdowns

• An employee can take paid annual leave when you both agree to the dates. You must not unreasonably refuse a request.

• You can require paid annual leave during a shutdown if you give at least 28 days’ written notice.

• If someone hasn’t accrued enough leave, you can agree to leave in advance or unpaid leave.

Excessive leave balances

• Over eight weeks of banked up annual leave counts as excessive (10 for shift workers).

• First, try to agree on a plan to reduce the banked leave. If you can’t, you may direct an employee to take leave with reasonable notice.

Cashing out annual leave

• You can do this only through a written agreement.

• An employee must keep at least four weeks after cash-out.

• They can cash out a maximum of two weeks' annual leave in any 12-month period.

When employment ends

• Pay out all unused annual leave at the employee’s current base rate in their final pay.

Records you must keep

• You need to track annual leave accrual, usage, and balance for each employee.

• You must also show annual leave balances on payslips and keep copies of any leave agreements. For example, cash-out, in-advance, and shutdowns.

Other types of leave

• Personal/carer’s leave: Full-time and part-time employees get 10 days paid each year (part-time accrues pro rata).

• Compassionate leave: Employees get two days per occasion (paid for permanent staff and unpaid for casuals).

• Parental leave: Eligible employees can take up to 12 months unpaid and can request an extra 12 months.

• Community service leave: Employees can take unpaid community service leave. For jury duty, you need to pay make-up pay for the first 10 days for full-time and part-time staff.

• Family and domestic violence leave: All employees (including casuals) get 10 days paid each year.

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Rules for payment of wages under the Clerks Award

• How you pay: You can pay by cash, cheque, or EFT into the employee’s nominated account.

• Pay cycle: You can pay weekly or fortnightly. You can also pay monthly, but only by agreement. If you take this route, you need to pay two weeks in advance and two in arrears. You can pay casuals weekly, fortnightly, or at the end of each engagement.

• If payday lands on a day off (cash/cheque): Pay no later than the next working day (or the day before).

• Averaging system: If a roster swings week to week, you can agree to average the employee’s ordinary hours over a set period and pay that steady base each pay.

• Final pay on termination: You need to pay everything owing to the employee within seven days of termination, plus any other amounts due under the NES. The FWC can set different timing in some cases, for example, redundancy.

Clerks Award nuances

The Clerks Award encompasses a broad range of clerical and administrative roles, making it important for employers to understand and comply with its specific provisions. Here are some key nuances to be aware of:

Clerks Award pay compliance: 11-step checklist

Here are some steps you can follow to help you run payroll correctly under the Clerks Award:

1. Keep award rates current: Keep an eye on Clerks Award minimums, overtime, and penalty rates. They change every July and potentially at other times when the FWC varies the award.

2. Use reliable payroll software: Automate wages, overtime, penalties, leave loading, and super with payroll software. Set rule sets for full-time, part-time, and casual employees so calculations stay consistent.

3. Maintain accurate records: Keep a record of hours worked, classifications, agreed ordinary hours for part-timers, and any allowances. Give employees compliant payslips that list allowances separately.

4. Audit payroll regularly: Run a quarterly audit against the award and your enterprise agreements (if you have them). Fix errors fast and make any back pay straight away.

5. Document agreements: Put leave in advance, cashed out leave, and time off in lieu in writing and get signatures. Store the documents with explicit start and end dates.

6. Train your team: Teach HR and payroll teams the overtime triggers, penalty rates, spread of hours, and rest break rules. Remember to refresh training whenever the award changes.

7. Get expert advice when unsure: Ask an IR specialist or employment lawyer about edge cases like shutdowns, excessive leave, or tricky rosters. Update your internal guides and payroll settings based on their advice.

8. Manage leave properly: Track annual, personal/carer’s, compassionate, and other balances in real time. Apply public holiday rules correctly and keep each employee’s annual leave balance accurate.

9. Stay super compliant: Pay 12% of OTE on time and follow stapled fund steps before using a default fund. Send any salary sacrifice or after-tax deductions to super funds within 28 days after the month ends.

10. Communicate clearly: Explain how you calculate pay, overtime, penalties, and leave. Keep employees updated about any award changes that affect their pay.

11. Know the NES baseline: Use the NES as the floor for entitlements, not the ceiling. Never let a policy or practice fall below the NES.

Automate Clerks Award pay with Rippling

Rippling's HR and payroll software takes the stress out of complying with the Clerks Award. You set each employee's classification and ordinary hours once, and the system does the rest. It applies the right rates, loadings, penalties, overtime and TOIL rules. And it does it all automatically.

It takes care of leave (public holidays don’t deduct, loading applies where required), organises super at the current rate, and builds final pay with everything included.

Before you run payroll, Rippling flags anything that looks off, so you can fix it first. This might include missing allowances, roster breaches, or just odd hours. It provides compliant payslips, a clear audit trail, and settings that update when the award changes.

All you need to do is review the numbers, hit run, and everyone gets paid correctly and on time!

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