Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award

Start with a coverage check based on the actual work, not a shortcut based on a business label or job title alone, especially where design, mailhouse or newspaper work is involved.

• Check both the industry activity and the employee's classification before assuming coverage.
• The award reaches a wide range of printing, publishing, mailhouse and commercial art work.
• On-hire employees and group training arrangements can be covered if the underlying work is covered.

Classification is central under this award. Review new starters, mixed-duty workers and borderline coverage cases early.

• Use clause 17 together with Schedule A to classify employees.
• Level 1 is an induction level and Schedule A requires movement to Level 2 within the stated period.
• Where an employee performs higher rated duties, clause 17.4 requires payment at the highest rate for the work performed that day.
• If another award classification is more appropriate to the work and environment, this award may not be the right fit.

Get the engagement paperwork and minimum engagement rules right, especially if you run a newspaper operation or use short inserting shifts.

• Part-time employees need agreed hours, days, start and finish times, and classification recorded at engagement.
• Minimum engagements differ between standard work, newspaper publishing work and newspaper inserting work.
• Time worked beyond the agreed part-time arrangement goes to overtime.
• Casual employees receive a casual loading for ordinary time and have minimum payments linked to the kind of work performed.

Rostering and allowances drive payroll under this award. Build both into the same compliance check rather than treating them as separate issues.

• Day work ordinary hours are averaged under the award's cycle rules and sit within an ordinary spread unless the required agreement is made.
• Weekend ordinary hours for day workers depend on the agreement mechanism in clause 13.3.
• Meal breaks and allowances need to be handled as separate payroll events.
• The award identifies all-purpose allowances that flow into later calculations.

Keep award rules and NES rules distinct, especially for public holidays, leave related issues and allowance coding in payroll.

• The NES continue to operate alongside the award.
• Part-time public holiday treatment is dealt with separately and should not be handled by a blanket rule.
• Allowance payments should be separately identified in payroll records and payslips.

Separate allowance coding helps later checking of overtime, leave and public holiday payments if the business is audited or a dispute arises.

• Allowances must be separately identified in pay records and payslips.
• That matters where inserting, first aid, visual display terminal or meal allowances arise irregularly.

PR799280, PR799307, PR799464

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 and classification structure, 18 - Junior rates, 19 - Apprentice rates (other than adult apprentices), 22 - National training wage, 26 - Allowances, Schedule B - Summary of Monetary Allowances, Schedule D - Supported Wage System