Modern Award · MA000043

Waste Management Award.

Waste Management Award 2020. Verified penalty rates, shift loadings, leave loading and RDO arrangements, with a live calculator under the NES.

Sun: 200%PH: 250%Formal RDO
✓ Free, no sign-up|Live|Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s.87

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Standard FT week is 38 hours.
$
For loading & payout values.

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
ComponentFormulaValue
Accrual rate (FULL-TIME)4 wks × 38h ÷ 522.923 hrs/wk
Hours accrued2.923 × 52 wks152.42 hrs
Hourly base rate-$35.00
Base leave value152.42 × $35.00$5,334.62
17.5% leave loadingbase × 0.175+ $933.56
Total payout-$6,268.17

Where the value comes from

Base leave
$5,334
17.5% loading
$933

ⓘ Calculated under section 87 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and the National Employment Standards. Loading rate per the relevant modern award.

Sarah Reid, CAHRI
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

Waste Management penalty rates at a glance.

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

Hours workedFull-time / part-timeCasual (incl. loading)
Ordinary hours100%125%
Saturday (first 2h / after)150% / 200%175% / 225%
Sunday200%225%
Public holiday250%275%
Afternoon shift117.5%142.5%
Night shift130%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: MA000043 on awards.fairwork.gov.au. For dollar amounts by classification, use the FWO Pay Calculator.

Waste Management Snapshot

The numbers that drive this award.

Set by Waste Management Award 2020 (MA000043) 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
Or shift penalty earned during leave, whichever is greater (for shift workers).
Annual Leave, Loading & RDO

Award-specific provisions.

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

Annual leave4 weeks/year

Standard NES floor of 4 weeks per year of full-time service. Pro-rata for part-time.

Leave loading17.5%

Standard 17.5% on minimum hourly rate. Shift workers receive the GREATER OF 17.5% or the shift penalty they would have earned during the leave. Run the numbers in the annual leave loading calculator.

Rostered Day Off (RDO)Yes

Clause 13.3(a) sets the default ordinary-hours pattern as 19 days of 8 hours over a 4-week cycle, giving one rostered day off every 28 days on a 38-hour week. Up to 10 RDOs may be accumulated over 40 weeks.

Calculate your leave under this award

The Waste Management 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.

Coverage

Who this award covers.

The Waste Management Award (MA000043) is the common name for the Waste Management Award 2020. Industries, work types and exclusions are taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman summary.

Industries

  • waste management
  • waste collection and transport
  • recycling
  • landfill and transfer stations
  • liquid and industrial waste
  • alternative waste treatment

Work types

  • waste collection
  • driving waste vehicles
  • weighbridge operation
  • landfill and transfer station work
  • recycling and sorting
  • plant operation

Notes & exclusions. Saturday is 150% for the first 2 hours then 200%, and Sunday is a flat 200% with a 4-hour minimum. Day workers have no ordinary hours on a weekend, so all weekend work is overtime at the same rates. Unusually, casuals do not receive the 25% loading on overtime: they get the full-time overtime rate plus 10%. Distinct from the Water Industry Award (MA000113).

Classifications

Roles paid under this award.

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

  1. 01depot hand
  2. 02labourer
  3. 03weighbridge operator
  4. 04waste vehicle driver
  5. 05articulated vehicle driver
  6. 06earthmoving plant operator
Waste Management Q & A

Waste Management Award questions, answered.

Penalty rates, leave entitlements and award-specific provisions under MA000043. Verified against the modern award text.

Who does the Waste Management Award cover?
Waste Management Award 2020 (MA000043) covers waste management, waste collection and transport, recycling, landfill and transfer stations and related industries. Common roles include waste collection, driving waste vehicles, weighbridge operation, landfill and transfer station work. Saturday is 150% for the first 2 hours then 200%, and Sunday is a flat 200% with a 4-hour minimum. Day workers have no ordinary hours on a weekend, so all weekend work is overtime at the same rates. Unusually, casuals do not receive the 25% loading on overtime: they get the full-time overtime rate plus 10%. Distinct from the Water Industry Award (MA000113).
What is the Saturday penalty rate under the Waste Management 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 Waste Management 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 Waste Management 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 Waste Management Award?
4 weeks per year of full-time service under the NES, paid pro-rata for part-time. The Waste Management Award does not classify any of its workers as continuous-shift workers under NES s.87(1)(b), so the 5-week shift-worker entitlement does not apply. Calculate annual leave accrual →
How is annual leave loading calculated for shift workers under the Waste Management Award?
Shift workers receive the GREATER OF 17.5% leave loading on the minimum hourly rate, OR the shift penalty they would have earned during the period of leave. The award protects shift workers from earning less on leave than they would have working the shifts. Leave loading calculator →
What is the casual loading under the Waste Management 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 Waste Management Award include rostered days off (RDOs)?
Yes. Clause 13.3(a) sets the default ordinary-hours pattern as 19 days of 8 hours over a 4-week cycle, giving one rostered day off every 28 days on a 38-hour week. Up to 10 RDOs may be accumulated over 40 weeks. 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 Waste Management Award have evening or night-shift loadings?
Yes. Under this award, afternoon-shift work attracts 117.5% of the base hourly rate (1.18x); night-shift work 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 Waste Management Award?
Pay rates by classification under MA000043 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 Waste Management, one of these is likely your award.

G
Gardening & LandscapingMA000101
R
Registered ClubsMA000058
J
JoineryMA000029
C
Clerks (Private Sector)MA000002
F
Fast FoodMA000003
H
HospitalityMA000009
Waste Management Methodology

Verified against the modern award text.

Penalty rates, shift loadings and continuous-shift eligibility on this page were verified against Waste Management Award 2020 (MA000043) 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 verified21 July 2026
ReviewerSarah Reid, CAHRI
Primary sourceMA000043 (Fair Work Commission)
Federal floorFW Act 2009 (Cth)
RefreshQuarterly