General Retail Award.
General Retail Industry Award 2020. Verified penalty rates, shift loadings, leave loading and RDO arrangements, with a live calculator under the NES.
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| 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 |
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.
General Retail Award pay rates and penalties.
Dollar rates effective from 1 July 2026 after the Annual Wage Review increase. Penalty rates verified against the MA000004 award text.
Penalty rates by shift type
What each hour is worth as a percentage of the base rate, for permanent and casual employees.
Hourly rate by classification level
8 levels, measured from $0 so the gaps between them are true to scale.
- Level 1Retail Employee Level 1
- Level 2Retail Employee Level 2
- Level 3Retail Employee Level 3
- Level 4Retail Employee Level 4
- Level 5Retail Employee Level 5
- Level 6Retail Employee Level 6
- Level 7Retail Employee Level 7
- Level 8Retail Employee Level 8
National Minimum Wage, 4-year trend
Lifted each year by the Annual Wage Review. Up 23.7% since FY2023. Percentages are the movement in the NMW itself, which exceeded the award increase in the years the Commission realigned it to the C13 rate.
Where these numbers come from
- Dollar rates
- The MA000004 award text as consolidated by the Fair Work Commission, reflecting Annual Wage Review [2026] FWCFB 3500, effective 1 July 2026.
- Penalty rates and allowances
- MA000004 on awards.fairwork.gov.au, the official award text.
- Your own figures
- Check your classification in the FWO Pay Calculator.
Penalty rates in full
Every loading in the award, side by side for full-time, part-time and casual employees.
| Hours worked | Full-time / part-time | Casual (incl. loading) |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | 100% | 125% |
| Saturday | 125% | 150% |
| Sunday | 150% | 175% |
| Public holiday | 225% | 250% |
| Evening, after 6pm Mon-Fri | 125% | 150% |
| 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. For your own dollar amounts, use the FWO Pay Calculator.
These are the percentages. To turn them into dollars for a specific roster, the penalty rates calculator prices Saturday, Sunday, public holiday and shift hours against this award’s own classification rates.
Pay rates by classification
Weekly rates are for 38 ordinary hours. Casual hourly includes the 25% loading.
| Level | Classification | Weekly rate | Hourly rate | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Retail Employee Level 1 | $1,056.80 | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| Level 2 | Retail Employee Level 2 | $1,081.00 | $28.45 | $35.56 |
| Level 3 | Retail Employee Level 3 | $1,097.80 | $28.89 | $36.11 |
| Level 4 | Retail Employee Level 4 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Level 5 | Retail Employee Level 5 | $1,165.10 | $30.66 | $38.33 |
| Level 6 | Retail Employee Level 6 | $1,182.10 | $31.11 | $38.89 |
| Level 7 | Retail Employee Level 7 | $1,241.40 | $32.67 | $40.84 |
| Level 8 | Retail Employee Level 8 | $1,291.80 | $33.99 | $42.49 |
Rates effective from 1 July 2026 after the Annual Wage Review increase. Weekly rates are for 38 ordinary hours. Casual rates include the 25% loading on top of the hourly rate. Source: the MA000004 award text as consolidated to 1 July 2026.
Allowances
Paid on top of the base rate. Amounts effective from 1 July 2026.
| Allowance | Amount | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First aid allowance | $14.55 | per week | For an employee with a current first aid qualification who is appointed by the employer to perform first aid duty (cl 19.10). |
| Laundry allowance, full-time | $6.42 | per week | Where the employee is responsible for laundering special clothing, including a uniform, that they are required to wear (cl 19.3(c)(i)). |
| Laundry allowance, part-time or casual | $1.28 | per shift | Same trigger as the full-time laundry allowance (cl 19.3(c)(ii)). |
| Overtime meal allowance | $24.56 | per occasion | Overtime of more than one hour after the usual finishing time, without 24 hours notice, where the employee cannot reasonably go home for a meal. The employer may supply a meal instead (cl 19.2(b)). |
| Further overtime meal allowance | $22.27 | per occasion | Where that overtime exceeds 4 hours (cl 19.2(c)). |
| Motor vehicle allowance | $1.00 | per km | When the employer requests the employee to use their own motor vehicle in performing their duties (cl 19.7). |
| Cold work allowance | $0.38 | per hour | For an employee principally employed on the day to enter cold chambers or to stock or refill refrigerated storage such as dairy cases or freezer cabinets (cl 19.9(b)). |
| Cold work allowance, below 0C | $0.59 | per hour | Paid on top of the $0.38 where the cold chamber is below 0C (cl 19.9(c)). |
| Liquor licence allowance | $34.69 | per week | For an employee who holds a liquor licence under a State or Territory law (cl 19.12). |
| Broken Hill allowance | $1.26 | per hour | For work at a workplace within the County of Yancowinna, NSW (cl 19.13). |
The numbers that drive this award.
Set by General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004) and the NES.
Award-specific provisions.
Where this award goes beyond, or sits at, the NES floor.
A shiftworker regularly rostered on Sundays and public holidays where shifts run continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is a shiftworker for NES purposes and accrues 5 weeks annual leave (clause 28.2).
Day workers get the greater of 17.5% or the weekend penalty rates they would have earned during the leave, not both. Shift workers get the greater of 17.5% or the weekend and shift penalties they would have earned. Run the numbers in the annual leave loading calculator.
No formal RDO accrual cycle in this award. Time off in lieu of overtime (TOIL) may still be available.
Calculate your leave under this award
The General Retail Award sets your pay rates, but your paid leave runs on the National Employment Standards. Work out 4 weeks of holidays with the annual leave calculator, and your 10 days of paid sick and carer's leave with the personal leave calculator. To confirm which award applies to you and how it lifts entitlements above the NES floor, read our guide to modern awards.
Casuals under this award who want to become permanent use the employee choice pathway, which replaced casual conversion in 2024. See casual conversion and what replaced it for the 6 month rule, the 21 day employer response and the three grounds for refusal.
Who this award covers.
The General Retail Award (MA000004) is the common name for the General Retail Industry Award 2020. Industries, work types and exclusions are taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman summary.
Industries
Work types
Notes & exclusions. Evening work after 6pm Mon-Fri attracts a 25% loading (125% rate). There is no 11pm threshold: the 130% rate applies to clause 24.1 shiftwork, defined by a shift starting at or after 6.00pm and before 5.00am, and it then applies to every hour of that shift. Shiftworkers are paid 150% on Saturday and 175% on Sunday rather than the 125%/150% day-worker rates. Excludes community pharmacies, hair and beauty establishments, stand-alone butcher shops and nurseries, and restaurants, cafes, hotels, motels or fast food operations, which are covered by other awards (clause 4.2).
Roles paid under this award.
Each classification has its own pay grade. Use the FWO Pay Calculator for current dollar rates.
- 01shop assistant
- 02check-out operator
- 03store worker
- 04reserve stock hand
- 05trolley collector
- 06loss prevention officer
- 07clerical assistant
- 08forklift operator
- 09senior salesperson
- 10department or section manager
- 11service supervisor
- 12nightfill supervisor or leader
- 13visual merchandiser (Diploma)
- 14shop manager of a shop with departments or sections
General Retail Award questions, answered.
Penalty rates, leave entitlements and award-specific provisions under MA000004. Verified against the modern award text.
Who does the General Retail Award cover?
What is the Saturday penalty rate under the General Retail Award?
What is the Sunday rate under the General Retail Award?
What is the public holiday rate under the General Retail Award?
How many weeks of annual leave do I get under the General Retail Award?
How is annual leave loading calculated under the General Retail Award?
What is the casual loading under the General Retail Award?
Does the General Retail Award include rostered days off (RDOs)?
Does the General Retail Award have evening or night-shift loadings?
Where do I find current pay rates by classification under the General Retail Award?
Verified against the modern award text.
Penalty rates, shift loadings and continuous-shift eligibility on this page were verified against General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004) 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.