Contract Call Centres Award

Coverage turns on the business model, not the technology used to contact customers. Internal support teams and contract call centres need different analysis.

• Check whether the business's principal function is supplying customer contact services to multiple clients on a contract basis.
• Do not assume the award applies just because employees answer calls, messages or emails.
• The labour hire limb is built into the industry definition, so outsourced staffing models still need review.

Coverage is broader than direct employment alone, but it is still subject to the standard exclusions and competing award rules.

• Group training arrangements can also be covered.
• Do not skip the enterprise award, enterprise instrument and state public sector exclusions.
• Where more than one award is relevant, the classification most appropriate to the work performed and work environment still matters.

Call centre flexibility often depends on part-time and casual labour, but this award regulates that flexibility closely.

• Part-time employees must be engaged on reasonably predictable hours and receive pro rata award conditions.
• They must be rostered for at least 3 consecutive hours on any shift.
• Overtime for part-time employees depends on the fixed pattern, the equivalent full-time daily hours and the 38 hour weekly cap for ordinary rates.
• Casual employees are entitled to payment for at least 3 hours on each attendance.

Blended workforces are common in this industry. The award expects employers to classify each stream deliberately, not compress everyone into one code.

• Classify every employee under Schedule A and pay them by the matching minimum rate structure.
• Use the skill level required for the principal functions of the job, not a generic centre wide pay code.
• Keep written classification records because customer contact, clerical, leadership and technical streams are separate.

The award is built for variable rosters, but it still uses hard boundaries around daily hours and 28 day cycles. Those boundaries should drive the roster design.

• Ordinary hours average 38 per week, or up to 38 for casual employees.
• Employees generally cannot be required to work more than 10 ordinary hours in a day or more than 152 ordinary hours in 28 consecutive days.
• The award allows several ways of arranging ordinary hours over the work cycle.

Many payroll disputes in this award start with a roster change or an overtime call, then flow into allowance and pay cycle problems.

• Once ordinary hours are set, changes to the arrangement or shift roster must follow the notice rules in clause 13.5.
• Day work spreads also need to be checked before managers assume any roster is ordinary time.
• Pay may be weekly or fortnightly at the employer's election under clause 16.1.
• First aid, vehicle, telephone and meal allowance issues can arise under clause 18 when overtime or offsite work occurs.

Flexibility, the NES and annualised wages are separate legal topics. They should not be mixed together in an informal side arrangement.

• Use a genuine written flexibility arrangement if varying award terms for an individual employee.
• Handle NES flexible work requests through the correct statutory pathway.
• If paying salary style remuneration, review the award's annualised wage clause rather than assuming the salary absorbs everything.

PR799280, PR799304, PR799461

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

Affected: 15 - Minimum rates, 18 - Allowances, Schedule B - Summary of Hourly Rates of Pay, Schedule C - Summary of Monetary Allowances, Schedule D - Supported Wage System