Modern Award · MA000020

Building & Construction Award.

Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020. Verified penalty rates, shift loadings, leave loading and RDO arrangements, with a live calculator under the NES.

Sun: 200%PH: 250%Formal RDO5-wk shift workers

✓ Free, no sign-up|Live|Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s.87

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What do you want to calculate?

State or territory

Employment type

Full-time38 hrs/weekPart-timePro-rataMost askedCasual25% loadingShift worker5-week rule

Hours per weekStandard FT week is 38 hours.

Hourly rate (AUD)

For loading & payout values.

Employment start

Calculate up to

Here's your entitlement

AU$6,268.17

Total annual leave value (incl. 17.5% loading) for 52 weeks of service.

4.0 wks

Entitlement

152.42 hrs

Accrued

19.1 days

Working days

See full calculationFair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s.87

Component	Formula	Value
Accrual rate (FULL-TIME)	4 wks × 38h ÷ 52	2.923 hrs/wk
Hours accrued	2.923 × 52 wks	152.42 hrs
Hourly base rate	-	$35.00
Base leave value	152.42 × $35.00	$5,334.62
17.5% leave loading	base × 0.175	+ $933.56
Total payout	-	$6,268.17

Where the value comes from

Base leave

$5,334

17.5% loading

$933

Reviewed bySarah Reid, CAHRICert IV Payroll · Sydney based

Verified expert

Disclaimer: This tool does not constitute legal or financial advice. Results may be inaccurate due to changes in legislation or your circumstances. This tool does not constitute legal or financial advice. We do not recommend taking actions based solely on these results. The calculator makes assumptions and results may be inaccurate due to changes in legislation, modern awards, or your personal circumstances. You use this information at your own risk. We can't guarantee to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong. For official guidance, visit Fair Work Ombudsman (fairwork.gov.au). Fair Work Ombudsman.

Penalty Rates

Building & Construction penalty rates at a glance.

Rates verified against the official modern award text on awards.fairwork.gov.au.

Hours worked	Full-time / part-time	Casual (incl. loading)
Ordinary hours	100%	125%
Saturday (first 2h / after)	150% / 200%	175% / 225%
Sunday	200%	225%
Public holiday	250%	275%
Afternoon shift	150%	175%
Night shift	150%	175%
Permanent night shift	130%	155%

All values are percentages of the base hourly rate. Casual rates shown are inclusive of the 25% casual loading on top of the FT/PT rate. Source: MA000020 on awards.fairwork.gov.au. For dollar amounts by classification, use the FWO Pay Calculator.

Building & Construction Snapshot

The numbers that drive this award.

Set by Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020) and the NES.

Sunday rate

200%

Of base hourly rate

Sunday work for full-time/part-time employees under this award.

Public holiday

250%

Of base hourly rate

Public holiday rate for FT/PT employees, paid in cash or substituted for time off.

Leave loading

17.5%

Annual leave loading on top

Flat loading on minimum hourly rate while taking annual leave.

Annual Leave, Loading & RDO

Award-specific provisions.

Where this award goes beyond, or sits at, the NES floor.

Annual leave5 weeks/year

Continuous-shift workers (rotating shifts on continuous production processes such as plant operations) get 5 weeks annual leave under NES s.87(1)(b).

Leave loading17.5%

Flat 17.5% loading on minimum hourly rate while taking annual leave. Run the numbers in the annual leave loading calculator.

Rostered Day Off (RDO)Yes

38-hour week with 0.4 hours/day RDO accrual, giving one paid RDO every 4 weeks. Standard on commercial construction sites.

Coverage

Who this award covers.

Industries, work types and exclusions taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman summary.

Industries

Work types

Notes & exclusions. Saturday is 150% for the first 2 hours then 200%. Includes formal RDO and 30+ industry allowances (tool, height, wet, dirt). Includes labour-hire businesses placed on covered sites.

Classifications

Roles paid under this award.

Each classification has its own pay grade. Use the FWO Pay Calculator for current dollar rates.

01labourer
02forklift driver
03excavator operator
04concrete worker
05bricklayer
06carpenter
07plasterer
08painter
09scaffolder
10tile layer
11apprentice
12traffic controller
13metal tradesperson

Building & Construction Q & A

Building & Construction Award questions, answered.

Penalty rates, leave entitlements and award-specific provisions under MA000020. Verified against the modern award text.

Who does the Building & Construction Award cover?

Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020) covers building, construction, civil engineering, metal and related industries. Common roles include construction, repair, maintenance, demolition. Saturday is 150% for the first 2 hours then 200%. Includes formal RDO and 30+ industry allowances (tool, height, wet, dirt). Includes labour-hire businesses placed on covered sites.

What is the Saturday penalty rate under the Building & Construction Award?

Full-time and part-time employees are paid 150% of their base hourly rate for the first 2 hours worked on Saturday, then 200% for any hours after that. Casual employees receive an additional 25% casual loading on top.

What is the Sunday rate under the Building & Construction Award?

FT/PT employees are paid 200% of the base hourly rate (2.00x) for Sunday work. Casuals receive 225% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading). This is one of the higher Sunday rates in the modern-award system.

What is the public holiday rate under the Building & Construction Award?

FT/PT employees who work on a gazetted public holiday are paid 250% of the base hourly rate (2.50x). Casuals receive 275% (the FT rate plus the 25% casual loading). Employees who don't work the holiday receive their ordinary day's pay if it would otherwise have been a working day.

How many weeks of annual leave do I get under the Building & Construction Award?

Standard full-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year under the NES. Continuous-shift workers (rotating shifts on continuous production processes such as plant operations) get 5 weeks annual leave under NES s.87(1)(b). The 5-week entitlement comes from NES s.87(1)(b), which the Building & Construction Award classifies eligibility for. Calculate annual leave accrual →

Is annual leave loading paid under the Building & Construction Award?

Yes. 17.5% loading is paid on the minimum hourly rate during periods of paid annual leave. There is no shift-worker variation in this award, so the loading is a flat 17.5% across employee types. Leave loading calculator →

What is the casual loading under the Building & Construction Award?

25% on top of the base hourly rate, in lieu of paid annual leave, paid personal leave and notice entitlements. Casual loading is added to the FT/PT rate when a casual works any of the penalty-rate hours above (Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, evening, night).

Does the Building & Construction Award include rostered days off (RDOs)?

Yes. 38-hour week with 0.4 hours/day RDO accrual, giving one paid RDO every 4 weeks. Standard on commercial construction sites. RDOs are paid days off, distinct from annual leave; they exist to balance ordinary hours over a fixed period. If you are paid out on termination, accrued RDO time is typically included.

Does the Building & Construction Award have evening or night-shift loadings?

Yes. Under this award, afternoon-shift work attracts 150% of the base hourly rate (1.50x); night-shift work attracts 150% of the base hourly rate (1.50x); permanent night shift attracts 130% of the base hourly rate (1.30x). Casuals receive an additional 25% casual loading on top of these penalty rates.

Where do I find current pay rates by classification under the Building & Construction Award?

Pay rates by classification under MA000020 change quarterly with Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review decisions. The official source is the FWO Pay Calculator, which always reflects the current rates. Open the FWO Pay Calculator →

Other Awards

Other modern awards.

If your role doesn't fit Building & Construction, one of these is likely your award.

Building & Construction Methodology

Verified against the modern award text.

Penalty rates, shift loadings and continuous-shift eligibility on this page were verified against Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 (MA000020) on the Fair Work Commission's awards.fairwork.gov.au.

For up-to-date pay rates by classification, refer to the FWO Pay Calculator. Modern awards are reviewed and varied periodically by the Fair Work Commission; check the source for the latest text.

Last verified10 May 2026

ReviewerSarah Reid, CAHRI

Primary sourceMA000020 (Fair Work Commission)

Federal floorFW Act 2009 (Cth)

RefreshQuarterly