Modern awards and staff rosters
A modern award sets minimum pay and conditions for an industry or occupation, and most of what a roster runs into is in it. What to look up in an award before you roster, and a guide to each of the awards small business rosters meet most.
General information only, not legal advice. Rules differ between awards, agreements, contracts and states, and what applies depends on the employee. Check the official source, and ask a workplace relations professional when it matters.
The short answer
Modern awards are made by the Fair Work Commission. Each sets minimum pay and conditions for employees in an industry or occupation, on top of the National Employment Standards. Where an enterprise agreement applies to an employee, it applies instead of the award.
Which award covers an employee depends on the business and the work they do. That comes before everything else, because each award sets its own ordinary hours, minimum engagement, breaks and penalty rates.
Roster Flow does not interpret awards. It records the roster and the hours, and multiplies hours by the rates and multipliers a business enters.
| Topic | Where to look in the award |
|---|---|
| Coverage | The coverage clause and the classifications, to confirm the award applies and at what level |
| Ordinary hours and rostering | The clause on ordinary hours of work and rostering, including the span of hours |
| Roster notice and changes | Any notice for publishing or changing a roster, and the consultation clause on changes to rosters or hours |
| Minimum engagement | The minimum engagement for casual and part-time employees |
| Breaks | Meal and rest breaks, and the break between shifts |
| Weekends and public holidays | Penalty rates for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays |
| Overtime | When hours become overtime, and how overtime is paid |
The award guides
Each names the award and its code, who it generally covers, the clauses to read before rostering, and the situations the trade meets.
Official sources
Check the rule against these, in their current versions, before relying on it.
| Source | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Fair Work Ombudsman: find my award | Which award covers an employee |
| Fair Work Act 2009 | Part 2-3, modern awards |
Worked examples
General examples of where to look. They are not advice about any particular employee.
| Situation | What to check |
|---|---|
| A cafe with a takeaway window | Whether the Restaurant Industry Award or the Fast Food Industry Award covers the work, from each award’s coverage clause |
| A pub with a bistro | Which award covers the kitchen staff, and whether it is the same one as the bar |
| A gym that runs a swim school | The coverage clause of each award that might apply |
Employer checklist
- Confirm the award covers the business and the work, and each person’s classification
- Read the ordinary hours and rostering clause before building the roster
- Note the minimum engagement for casual and part-time employees
- Put breaks on the roster where the award says they are due
- Look up weekend, public holiday and overtime rates and enter them as your roster multipliers
- Check the award again after each annual wage review, and whenever it is varied
What Roster Flow records, and what it does not decide
- The roster and the hours worked, with every change and who made it
- An estimated wage cost, using the rates and multipliers you enter
- Approved hours, sent to payroll where pay is worked out
- Which award covers an employee, or their classification
- What any clause of an award requires
- What anybody is paid
Review log
13 September 2026: written by Roster Flow from the structure of the National Employment Standards and modern awards.
18 September 2026: every statement on this page checked against the official sources it names, by Roster Flow. It is general information, not advice from a workplace relations professional.
What that check covers, and what to confirm for your own situation:
- How modern awards and enterprise agreements are described
- The coverage described for each award in the guides
- That each award keeps its rules under the topics listed
- That every source link opens the current version of the source
Questions
What is a modern award?
A set of minimum pay and conditions made by the Fair Work Commission for an industry or occupation, sitting on top of the National Employment Standards. Where a registered enterprise agreement covers an employee, it applies instead of the award.
How do I know which award covers my staff?
It depends on the business and on the work each person does, which is why it comes before every other question: each award sets its own ordinary hours, minimum engagement, breaks and penalty rates. Read the coverage clause of each award that might apply, and use the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Find my award tool.
Can one business be covered by more than one award?
Yes. A pub with a bistro, or a gym that runs a swim school, can have people under different awards doing different work in the same building. Coverage follows the work, not the address.
Does Roster Flow interpret awards?
No. It records the roster and the hours, and multiplies those hours by rates and multipliers the business enters itself. Which award covers an employee, what any clause requires and what anybody is paid all stay with the business and its payroll system.