Awards
Awards (modern awards) are legal documents that outline the minimum pay rates and conditions of employment.
There are more than 100 industry or occupation awards that cover most people who work in Australia. Find out which award covers you below.
On this page:
- Who do awards cover?
- Find my award
- Can an employer be covered by more than one award?
- Tools and resources
- Related information
Who do awards cover?
Awards apply to employers and employees depending on the industry they work in and the type of job worked. Every award has information about who it covers. To work out which award applies, read:
- the coverage clause (usually clause 4)
- the job classifications (usually in the pay clause or a schedule).
For information on how to read and apply job classifications, see Award classifications.
Awards don’t apply when an employer has a registered agreement in place. If your workplace has a registered agreement, go to our Agreements page.
Find my award
Find out which award applies to you.
If you can’t find your occupation or industry using the above you can also view the List of awards page.
Can an employer be covered by more than one award?
An employer can be covered by more than one award depending on the jobs the employees do.
Example: 2 awards applying to 1 employer
Jo runs a building and construction business. He has qualified carpenters as well as office staff who do administration work. 2 awards will apply to his business:
- Building and Construction Award – for his qualified carpenters
- Clerks Award – for his office staff.
If multiple awards apply to an employer, you can reuse this tool to find each separate award.
Tools and resources
- Modern awards fact sheet
- Hiring employees online learning course
- business.gov.au – Employment Contract Tool
- Fair Work Commission – Find an award database