Wages & conditions

Wages and employment conditions are often one of the first things a potential employee will consider about a job. They are also an effective way to reward employees according to their skills and experience. That's why you need to understand your obligations as an employer to uphold the entitlements of your staff.

Entitlements for work conditions in many jobs are now governed by the Federal workplace relations system, which includes modern awards and the National Employment Standards (NES). The NES contain 10 minimum entitlements for employees, although not all of these apply to casual workers. The entitlements include:

• maximum weekly hours of work
• requests for flexible working arrangements
• parental leave and related entitlements
• annual leave
• personal/carer's leave and compassionate leave
• community service leave
• long service leave
• public holidays
• notice of termination and redundancy pay
• provision of a Fair Work Information Statement.

You may also have the option of setting out wages and conditions of employment in an agreement or written contract of employment if your employees are not covered by an award. This will act to protect your business and your employees' entitlements.

For more information about minimum rates of pay and other conditions under this system, view the pay and conditions page on the Fair Work Online website.