ARTICLE · 21 FEBRUARY 2023

More pay to hardworking professionals

Clifford Gouldson Lawyers

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Professional employees covered by the Professional Employees Award 2020 are entitled to received penalty rates.

AustraliaEmployment and HR

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On 20 January 2023, the Fair Work Commission handed down a decision that will entitle professional employees covered by the Professional Employees Award 2020 to receive penalty rates for additional and unsociable hours of work. This includes professionals in engineering, science, information technology, and quality auditing.

The intention of this decision is to address the low pay of certain professional full-time employees who are required to work significant additional hours without compensation, whilst balancing it against the flexibility that salaried employment offers to employers in covering 'reasonable additional hours'.

The primary changes that will be introduced include:

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