Book Industry Award

Coverage turns on the actual work, not the employer's label or the employee's job title alone. That is especially important for publicity and marketing roles.

• Check whether the employee is doing book editorial work or the specific book publicity or public relations work described in clause 4.2.
• Do not assume the award covers everyone in a publishing business. Executives, managers and workers substantially engaged in marketing fall outside the core coverage wording.
• If more than one award could apply, clause 4.5 says the correct classification is the one most appropriate to the work performed and the environment in which it is normally performed.

The award has a small classification structure, but it matters. A wrong grade affects both pay and how you manage the role.

• Use Schedule A to place the employee as a trainee book editor, book editor, senior editor or publicist at the correct grade.
• A trainee book editor remains at Level 1 for no longer than 12 months, so businesses should not leave a genuine trainee classification in place indefinitely.
• Classification drives the minimum rate structure in clause 14, so payroll and contracts need to use the same level and grade.

The engagement type is not just an admin choice. It changes the daily minimums, pay treatment and the written records you need to keep.

• Employees can be engaged as full-time, part-time or casual.
• A non-casual Level 1 employee is deemed employed by the fortnight, while Levels 2 and 3 are deemed employed by the month.
• Part-time employees must be rostered for at least 4 consecutive hours on any day, and their ordinary hours and days must be specified in writing before employment starts.
• Casual employees have a 3 hour minimum engagement and receive a 25% loading for ordinary hours.

Ordinary hours under this award are structured, not informal. Senior exemptions exist, but only for specific classifications.

• Full-time ordinary hours average 38 per week, Monday to Friday, and must be worked on one of the patterns listed in clause 12.1.
• The method used in an establishment or section must be settled under clause 12.2 by agreement between the employer and the majority of affected employees.
• Full-time employees are entitled to at least one meal break each day of between 30 and 60 minutes, but that break rule does not apply to Senior editor Level 3 Grade 3 or Publicist Grade 6 or 7.
• Those same senior classifications are exempt from clauses 12.1 and 12.2, but they must still receive at least 2 days off work each week.

Overtime is not just extra time on the same rate. The award has different rules for casual and non-casual employees, and time off in lieu needs a proper written paper trail.

• For non-casual employees, overtime is paid at 150% of the minimum hourly rate for the first 8 overtime hours in a week and 200% after that.
• For casual employees, overtime starts once work exceeds 7.5 hours in a day, and clause 18.2 pays that overtime at 150% of the minimum hourly rate.
• Time off instead of overtime pay is allowed only by a separate written agreement for the particular overtime worked, and the time off must be taken within 6 months unless the employee asks to be paid out earlier.

Final pay timing and reimbursement are express award obligations. They should not be left to ad hoc practice or goodwill.

• On termination, wages for the final complete or incomplete pay period and all other amounts due under the award and the NES must be paid within 7 days.
• Authorised out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred in the employer's service must be reimbursed.
• Small teams often miss these items because they sit outside the ordinary pay cycle, so they should be on a termination checklist.

PR799358

The current consolidated award incorporates these recent variation determinations. Use the consolidated wording when checking any affected clause, schedule, rate or allowance.

Affected: 14 - Minimum rates, Schedule B - Summary of Hourly Rates of Pay