This article provides guidelines about using the pre-built Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award [MA000076] Award package. For further information about this industry award, refer to the Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award.
Key updates
See the current financial year tab to see award updates for the 2026/27 financial year.
28th
We’ve made the following updates to the award:
- Updated the maximum units for the Laundry Allowance in all rule sets.
- Updated the rate for Apprentice 2nd Year (started before January 2014), including the On-Call Allowance.
- Updated the On-Call Allowance for Casual Level 1.3 (21 years and over) pay rate template.
1st
We have updated the award to reflect the Fair Work Commission's National Minimum Wage increase detailed in the Annual Wage Review 2026 decision, and also includes updates to expense-related allowances. You can find more information on the Determinations here and here.
These changes come into effect from the first full pay period on or after the 1st July 2026. Please install these updates after you have finalised your last pay run before the first full pay period beginning on or after the 1st July 2026.
17th
We have updated the award to reflect the recent changes to the Tool allowance, ensuring alignment with the Pay Guide and PACT.
- Adjusted the rules and rates, changing the calculation from per hour to per week across all applicable pay rate templates.
-
Retired the following unused pay categories, which are now marked with an asterisk (*) to prevent further use:
- *DNU - Tool Allowance PT/Cas - carpenter or joiner.
- *DNU - Tool Allowance PT/Cas - tradesperson.
30th
We have introduced a new suite of configurations for Salaried Employment Agreements to allow the employers to manage the salaried employees, who are under Individual flexibility arrangements, directly within the award instead of having to remove them.
This introduction, which is an enhancement rather than a legislative update requirement, includes the items below if they do not already exist within an award:
- Pay Categories (Salary and Salary - Public Holiday Not Worked).
- Leave Allowance Templates for “No loading” and “With loading”.
- Rule Set to disregard timesheets.
- Pay Rate Templates.
- Employment Agreements for all employee types (full-time, part-time, and casual).
For detailed information on the changes, please refer to our guide here.
We have also renamed all leave allowance templates by adding the award code as a prefix. This ensures each template can be accurately associated with its respective award, particularly in cases where template names are identical.
1st
We have updated the award to reflect the Fair Work Commission's National Minimum Wage increase detailed in the Annual Wage Review 2024-25 decision and also includes updates to expense-related allowances. You can find more information on the Determinations here and here.
These changes come into effect from the first full pay period on or after the 1st July 2025. Please install these updates after you have finalised your last pay run before the first full pay period beginning on or after the 1st July 2025.
23rd
We have updated the "Casual Dayworker" ruleset with the following changes to align with clause 14.3 where casual employees' ordinary hours of work will be a maximum of 38 hours per week.
- Updated the rule "9.1 Exceeding 38 hours" to apply overtime after 38 hours worked in a week by removing ruleset period "weekly" and "changing time worked in shift period" to "time worked in a week".
- Removed the following rules:
- 14.4b Exceeding 76 hours
- 14.4b Exceeding 152 hours
Installing the pre-built award package
For details on how to install and configure this Pre-built Award Template, please review the detailed help article here. While every effort is made to provide a high-quality service, Employment Hero does not accept responsibility for, guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness or up-to-date nature of the service. Before relying on the information, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.
The award default Rule Set Period is set to Weekly that ends on a Sunday. If you follow a different work pattern or roster period, you can review and set the rule set period date that applies to your organisation.
Conditions of pay
| Clause | Conditions | |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours of work. | 14.6 |
Day workers No more than 5 days in any 7 days. (a) Monday to Friday between 7.00 am and 6.00 pm
(b) Monday to Friday between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm
(c) Monday to Friday between 6.30 am and 6.30 pm
(d) Monday to Friday between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm and Saturday between 6.00 am and 12 noon:
(e) Monday to Saturday between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm
(f) Monday to Sunday between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm
|
| Maximum hours per day. |
15.1(c) 21.3(c)(ii)
|
Shift workers 10 hours inclusive of meal break. Part time employee 8 hours when additional hours are worked. |
| Maximum hours over a period. |
9.1 & 10.1 & 14.3 10.3 14.4 (b) |
Ordinary hours may be average except for casual shift workers:
Part time Agreed number of hours each day or actual starting and finishing times each day. Day workers
|
| Overtime. |
21.2 (a) 21.2 (c) |
Overtime will be calculated daily.
Nursing services employee
|
| TIL / RDO. |
14.8 (b) 21.4 (d) |
Day workers: RDO - will accrue 24 minutes for each 8 hour day worked. Time In Lieu - 1 hour OT for 1 hour time in lieu. |
| Annualised Wage Arrangements. | 14.5 | Applies to boarding supervision services employees. |
| Clause | Conditions | |
|---|---|---|
| Public holidays. | 28.2 | 250% of the minimum hourly rate. |
| Shiftwork. | 22.2 |
|
| Weekends. | 22.3 |
School operational services employee in the cooking/catering group, or a boarding supervision services employee:
|
| Clause | Conditions | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Leave Loading. | 23.3 |
Day workers 17.5% leave loading.
Shift workers higher of 17.5% leave loading or applicable shift loading. |
| Auto meal breaks. | 16.1 |
Day workers 30 minutes unpaid break after 5 hours of work on a day. |
| Break between shifts. | 16.3 (a) |
10 hours, paid at 200% of the minimum hourly rate until released from duty. Does not apply to:
|
| Broken shift. |
15.2 (d) 22.4 22.4(c) |
Shift workers 115% of the minimum hourly rate, except casual employee
|
| Casual loading. | 11.1 (b) | A loading of 25% of the minimum hourly rate. |
| Change of shift without 48 hours notice. | 15.2(c)(ii) |
Shift workers 150% of the minimum hourly rate. |
| Higher Duties. |
17.5 (b) 17.5 (c) |
Employees other than school operational services employees Performs duties for more than 5 days will be paid higher classification rate for the whole period during which the duties are performed. School operational services employees performs duties for one day or more will be paid higher classification rate for the whole period during which the duties are performed. |
| Minimum shift engagement. |
11.4(a) 11.4(b) |
Casual
|
| Reasonable additional hours - part time employees. | 21.3 | Paid at the applicable casual hourly rate for all hours worked that fall within the applicable daily spread of hours. |
| Work during sleepover. | 19.2(b)(ii) &(iii) |
150% of the minimum hourly rate
|
Special Notes
- Annualised Salary Employees
- Annualised Salary employees who use timesheet for tracking purposes will be paid by default plus any additional allowances if applicable.
- Please refer to this article for more information on setting up employees with annualised wage arrangements.
- The timesheet should have start and end times for the rules to apply correctly
- Leaves should be converted into a timesheet with the standard hours of work
- 6th day overtime
- Is counting per on a per shift and not on per day hence need to use “6th day overtime” work type
- To ensure the correct tool allowance is applied, please use the appropriate tag for the Carpenter/Joiner or Tradesperson Apprentice based on their specific circumstances. Refer to the following list of tags:
- C/J-Apprentice 2 completed yr 12 after Jan 2014
- C/J-Apprentice 2 not complete yr 12 after Jan 2014
- C/J-Apprentice 3 after Jan 2014
- C/J-Apprentice 3 before Jan 2014
- TP-Apprentice 1 completed yr 12 after Jan 2014
- TP-Apprentice 1 not complete yr 12 after Jan 2014
- TP-Apprentice 2 completed yr 12 after Jan 2014
- TP-Apprentice 2 started before Jan 2014
- Curriculum/resources services employee employed in outdoor education and boarding supervision services employee has a separate day worker ruleset.
- Employee receiving first aid allowance annually need to be added manually via payrun.
- When a shift is rostered on 2 periods of duty, “Broken shift” work type must be applied to both periods to ensure the minimum engagement requirement is met for each period.
- “Reasonable additional hours” should be entered as a separate line entry in timesheet.
- The clauses listed in the table below were not included in the award. If you need any of these clauses, it is necessary to create or customise the award.
| Clause no. | Clause Name | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 12.2 | Leave without pay during non-term weeks. |
Need to customise rules for this arrangement. Need to use this leave category/worktype during non-term weeks to accrue leave entitlement.
|
| 14.7 | Varied start and finish time. |
Need to customise rules for this arrangement. Where a daily span of hours is specified, and there is mutual agreement between the employer and the majority of employees in the particular group in clause 14.6, the starting and finishing times may be varied by up to one hour so long as the total hours remain unchanged. |
| 17.6 | Supported wage system. |
Need to create Pay Rate Templates and Employment Agreements. Employee receiving a supported wage (see Schedule E—Supported Wage System). |
| 17.7 | National training wage. |
Need to create Pay Rate Templates and Employment Agreements. Schedule E to the Miscellaneous Award 2020 sets out minimum wage rates and conditions for employees undertaking traineeships. |
| 28.3 | Substitution of public holidays by agreement. |
Need to customise rules for this arrangement.
|
Work types
Work types are a description of the kind of shift you are working, and you select them when you record a timesheet. The following is a list of work types employees can select on their timesheet, and the meaning of each item.
| 6th day overtime. | Choose this work type when employee is working overtime on the 6th day. |
| Annual Leave Taken. | Choose this work type when annual leave is taken. |
| Break between shift does not apply. | Choose this work type when break between shift does not apply per clause 16.3c |
| Broken Shift. | Choose this work type if employee is working on a shift that is rostered in 2 periods of duty. |
| Change of shift without 48 hours notice. | Choose this work type when employee is working on a change of shift without 48 hours notice. |
| Compassionate Leave Taken. | Choose this work type when compassionate leave is taken. |
| First Aid allowance. | Choose this work type if appointed to perform first aid duty. |
| Laundry Allowance. | Choose this work type if employer does not launder the items. |
| Leave Without Pay Taken. | Choose this work type when any unpaid leave is taken. |
| Long Service Leave Taken. | Choose this work type when long service leave is taken. |
| No minimum shift engagement. | Choose this work type when an employee does not require minimum shift payment. |
| On Call. | Choose this work type when employee is required by an employer to hold themselves available to be recalled to work. |
| Overtime Meal Allowance. | Choose this work type when a day worker employee is entitled to a meal allowance on each occasion during overtime. |
| Paid Community Service Leave Taken. | Choose this work type when community service leave is taken. |
| Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave Taken. | Choose this work type when paid family and domestic violence leave taken. |
| Personal/Carer's Leave Taken. | Choose this work type when personal and/or carer's leave is taken. |
| Public Holiday not worked. | Choose this work type where a Permanent employee is not required to work on a shift falling on a gazetted public holiday that the employee would have otherwise worked had it not been a public holiday. |
| Reasonable additional hours. | Choose this work type when a part time employee worked additional hours that fall within the applicable daily spread of hours. |
| Recalled to work. | Choose this work type when employee is recalled to work for overtime. |
| Rest Period - No loss of pay. | Choose this work type when an employee is entitled to be absent for 10 consecutive hours with no loss of pay for ordinary hours of work time which occur during this absence. |
| Rostered Day Off Taken. | Choose this work type when rostered day off is taken. |
| Sleepover. | Choose this work type when an employer requires employee to sleepover on the employer’s premises or at a school camp site for a period outside that of the employee’s normal rostered hours of duty. |
| TIL of OT. | Choose this work type if the employee elects to accrue time in lieu rather than be paid overtime for a shift. |
| Time In Lieu Taken. | Choose this work type when time in lieu is taken. |
| Uniform or protective clothing allowance. | Choose this work type when an employer requires employee to wear uniform or protective clothing. |
| Vehicle allowance - motor car. | Choose this work type if the employee uses their own car during working hours. The kilometres travelled should be entered into the 'units' field. |
| Vehicle allowance - motorcycle. | Choose this work type if the employee uses their own motorcycle during working hours. The kilometres travelled should be entered into the 'units' field. |
| Work during sleepover. | Choose this work type when employee worked during sleepover. |
Shift conditions
Shift Conditions are further details you can add to a shift where more than one condition applies to your shift. Shift conditions are selected when you edit a timesheet record, or when clocking on using the ClockMeIn Time and Attendance or Swag apps. The following is a list of Shift Conditions employees can select on their timesheet, and the meaning of each item.
| Broken Shift. | Select this shift condition if employee is working on a shift that is rostered in 2 periods of duty. |
| First Aid Allowance. | Select this shift condition if appointed to perform first aid duty. |
| Laundry Allowance. | Select this shift condition if employer does not launder the items. |
| No minimum shift engagement. | Select this shift condition when an employee does not require minimum shift payment. |
| Overtime Meal Allowance. | Select this shift condition when a day worker employee is entitled to a meal allowance on each occasion during overtime. |
| Uniform or protective clothing allowance. | Select this shift condition when an employer requires employee to wear uniform or protective clothing. |
Tags
Employee Tags are specific conditions typically related to the employee’s agreement. These are often conditions negotiated and agreed between the employer and the employee, or unique characteristics of the employee’s role. Payment of these provisions is usually of a recurring and ongoing nature.
| Boarding supervision services employee. | Assign this tag to an employee whose duty is to support the operation of a school’s boarding house in relation to the supervision of students. |
| C/J-Apprentice 2 completed yr 12 after Jan 2014. | Assign this tag to an employee who is a carpenter or joiner classified as 2nd year apprentice - completed year 12 (started after 1 January 2014) required to use their own tools in the performance of their duties. |
| C/J-Apprentice 2 not complete yr 12 after Jan 2014. | Assign this tag to an employee who is a carpenter or joiner classified as 2nd Year apprentice did not complete year 12 (started after 1 January 2014) required to use their own tools in the performance of their duties. |
| C/J-Apprentice 3 after Jan 2014. | Assign this tag to an employee who is a carpenter or joiner classified as 3rd year apprentice (started after 1 January 2014) required to use their own tools in the performance of their duties. |
| C/J-Apprentice 3 before Jan 2014 | Assign this tag to an employee who is a carpenter or joiner classified as 3rd Year apprentice (started before 1 January 2014) required to use their own tools in the performance of their duties. |
| Curriculum/resources services employee employed in outdoor education. | Assign this tag to a curriculum/resources services employee employed in outdoor education. |
| First Aid. | Assign this tag if the employee is appointed to perform first aid duties. |
| Instructional services employee. | Assign this tag to an instructional services employee. |
| Laundry Allowance. | Assign this tag to an employee where their uniform is not laundered at the expense of the employer. |
|
Nursing services employee. |
Assign this tag to an employee working as a registered nurse. |
|
Other school operational services. |
Assign this tag to employees whose duties are to support other services of a school including construction, plumbing, carpentry, painting and other trades; cleaning, maintenance, school facilities management; or bus driving/non-trade vehicle maintenance. |
|
Permanent Night Shift. |
Assign this tag to a shiftworker employee who works on a night shift and does not rotate or alternate with another shift or with day work. |
|
Preschool/childcare/out of school hours care services employee. |
Assign this tag to a preschool/childcare/out of school hours care services employee. |
|
RDO. |
Assign this tag to employees if they accrue RDO. |
| School operational services - cooking and catering group. | Assign this tag to employee whose duty is to support other services of a school including cooking and catering. |
| School operational services - Farming / gardening / turf maintenance group. | Assign this tag to employee whose duty is to support other services of a school including farming, gardening and turf maintenance. |
| School operational services - retail group. | Assign this tag to employee whose duty is to support other services of a school including retailing—canteens, uniform shops, book shops. |
| School operational services - security / caretaking / housekeeping / laundry services group. | Assign this tag to employee whose duty is to support other services of a school including security/caretaking, housekeeping and laundry services. |
| TIL of OT. | Assign this tag if an employee has agreed to have all overtime hours accrued as time in lieu of overtime. |
| Tool Allowance - Tradesperson. | Assign this tag to an employee engaged as a tradesperson and must be paid a tool allowance for supplying and maintaining tools (except apprentice with specific tool allowance tag). |
| Tool Allowance Carpenter/Joiner. | Assign this tag to an employee who is a carpenter or joiner required to use their own tools in the performance of their duties (except apprentice with specific tool allowance tag). |
| TP-Apprentice 1 completed yr 12 after Jan 2014. | Assign this tag to an employee who is classified as 1st year apprentice - completed year 12 (started after 1 January 2014) and engaged as a tradesperson who must be paid a tool allowance for supplying and maintaining tools. |
| TP-Apprentice 1 not complete yr 12 after Jan 2014. | Assign this tag to an employee who is classified as 1st year apprentice - did not complete year 12 (started after 1 January 2014) and engaged as a tradesperson who must be paid a tool allowance for supplying and maintaining tools. |
| TP-Apprentice 2 completed yr 12 after Jan 2014. | Assign this tag to an employee who is classified as 2nd year apprentice - completed year 12 (started after 1 January 2014) and engaged as a tradesperson who must be paid a tool allowance for supplying and maintaining tools. |
| TP-Apprentice 2 started before Jan 2014. | Assign this tag to an employee who is classified as 2nd year apprentice (started before 1 January 2014) and engaged as a tradesperson who must be paid a tool allowance for supplying and maintaining tools. |
| Uniform Allowance. | Assign this tag to an employee who is required by the employer to wear a uniform or protective clothing. |
System limitations
Please note that rules will not be able to interpret or calculate the below clauses due to platform limitations and will require manual intervention.
An employee’s ordinary hours of work may be averaged over a period of:
(a) for a curriculum/resources services employee employed in outdoor education, or a boarding supervision services employee—up to 12 months; and
An employee will not be entitled to more than 12 RDOs in any 12 months of consecutive employment.
Employees other than school operational services employees
Performs duties for more than 5 days will be paid higher classification rate for the whole period during which the duties are performed.
System is counting per on a per shift and not on per day hence need to manually remove higher classification if employee works less than 6 days.
School operational services employees
Performs duties for one day or more will be paid higher classification rate for the whole period during which the duties are performed.
System is counting on a per shift and not on per day hence need to manually remove higher classification if employee works less than a day only.
(e) Time off must be taken:
(i) within the period of 6 months after the overtime is worked; and
(ii) at a time or times within that period of 6 months agreed by the employee and employer.
(f) If the employee requests at any time, to be paid for overtime covered by an agreement under clause 21.4 but not taken as time off, the employer must pay the employee for the overtime, in the next pay period following the request, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.
(g) If time off for overtime that has been worked is not taken within the period of 6 months mentioned in clause 21.4(e), the employer must pay the employee for the overtime, in the next pay period following those 6 months, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.