General Retail Industry Award

The award is broad, but it has several important carve-outs. Mixed retail businesses often get this step wrong before payroll even starts.

• Start with the retail definition, then work through the exclusions for pharmacies, hair and beauty, warehousing, motor vehicles, hospitality, fast food and contractors.
• Do not assume coverage just because a business has a shopfront or sells food.
• If more than one award could apply, the most appropriate classification for the work and industry is what matters.

Part-time compliance is one of the biggest pressure points in retail because hours change often, especially in late trading stores.

• Employees may be full-time, part-time or casual, and moving to part-time requires written consent where the employee was previously full-time or casual.
• A part-time employee needs a written regular pattern covering guaranteed hours, start and finish times and meal breaks.
• Keep the written pattern from the start rather than trying to reconstruct it after a dispute.

Retail businesses often assume any extra hours can just be paid at ordinary rates. Under this award, the record of the agreement is what decides that question.

• Part-time hours can be varied by agreement, but the change must be recorded in writing before the relevant deadline.
• Hours above guaranteed hours, unless properly varied under the award, attract overtime.
• Part-time minimum engagement is 3 consecutive hours.

Retail rostering is detailed under this award. Late trading, rostered days off and full-time averaging need to be set consciously, not left to habit.

• Ordinary hours sit within different spans on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with special rules for newsagencies, video shops and late trading stores.
• Ordinary hours on a day are usually capped at 9, though one day a week can go to 11.
• Full-time hours need an agreed arrangement after an assessment of what suits the establishment, and larger establishments have a separate 19 day in 4 week rule unless agreed otherwise.

Retail job titles are often generic. The schedule definitions give more reliable guidance than titles like team member, sales assistant or supervisor.

• The classification structure starts with very broad Level 1 retail and clerical assistant functions, then moves to higher skill equipment roles at Level 2 and supervisory assistance or cash security type work at Level 3.
• Junior rate provisions are limited to retail employee levels 1, 2 and 3.
• Classify by the real work, not the label on the name badge.

Even where the base classification is right, retail payroll often fails on secondary items like clothing, travel or unplanned late work meals.

• Allowance issues commonly arise for unplanned overtime meals, special clothing or uniforms, temporary work at another location and extra travel time.
• These payments should be identified separately on payroll records and payslips.
• Overtime, penalty and shiftwork clauses also need to be checked once the roster leaves ordinary shop hours.

PR799280, PR799285, PR799443

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

Affected: 17 - Minimum rates, 19 - Allowances, Schedule B - Summary of Hourly Rates of Pay, Schedule C - Summary of Monetary Allowances, Schedule E - Supported Wage System