Fair Work has handed down their Annual Wage Review. The 2019 Minimum Wage Decision applies to all employees covered by the National Workplace Relations system.
If these changes apply, employers need to adjust employee wages accordingly in the next full pay period starting on or after the 1st of July 2019.
The new Federal weekly minimum full time wage has increased by 3.0% to $740.80 or $19.49 per hour.
- For award based employees – the increase may be absorbed in the pay rate where it is in excess of the award rate and there is specific contractual agreement between an employer and employee to do so.
- For non-award employees – the obligation is for employers to ensure that an employee is being paid more than the minimum wage rate for all their hours of work.
Following a couple of Fair Work Commission decisions in 2017 and 2018, some penalty rates in the following awards will also change from 1 July 2019:
- Fast Food Industry Award 2010
- General Retail Industry Award 2010
- Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2010
- Pharmacy Industry Award 2010
If your workforce contains permanent and/or casual employees, please ensure you understand and implement the changes. For further information on the updated penalty rates, please visit the Fair Work Australia website for more information. Penalty rates changes