The Pastoral Award 2020 [MA000035] sets out the minimum pay rates and working conditions for employees in the pastoral industry, including broadacre farms harvesting crops such as wheat, barley, oats, canola, and lupins.
If you’re part of a harvest crew this season, it’s important to know your rights and responsibilities under the Award, especially if you’re employed on a casual basis.
Who the Pastoral Award Covers
The Award covers employers and employees engaged in broadacre farming operations across Australia, including:
- Sowing, raising and harvesting of broadacre field crops.
- Operation and maintenance of farm machinery.
- Carting grain or performing general farm hand duties.
It applies to national system employers such as companies (Pty Ltd). (In Western Australia, sole traders and partnerships fall under the State industrial relations system, so the Pastoral Award does not apply to them.)
Casual Employment
Under clause 11, a casual employee is:
- Engaged by the hour.
- Informed they are casual at the time of engagement.
- Paid the ordinary hourly rate plus a 25% casual loading instead of receiving paid leave entitlements.
Casual loading compensates for the absence of annual leave, personal leave and other benefits available to permanent employees.
Minimum Engagement and Hours
- Ordinary hours cannot exceed 152 hours over a 4-week period (averaging 38 hours per week).
- Hours of work for a casual are not guaranteed, as they are not a permanent worker. Hours of work can be offered to a casual employee, and a casual employee has the ability to accept and reject these shifts. Remember, the flexibility goes both ways.
- The minimum engagement for a casual employee is 3 hours per day.
Overtime and Penalty Rates
Applicable rates are:
| Overtime worked | Pay Rate (% of ordinary hourly rate) |
| Monday to Saturday | 175% |
| Sunday – feeding and watering stock | 175% |
| Sunday – other than feeding and watering stock | 225% |
| Public holidays | 225% |
Public Holidays
If a casual employee works on a public holiday, they are entitled to be paid at 225% of the ordinary hourly rate.
If they don’t work, no payment is made, as casual employees do not have guaranteed hours of work or a set roster like a permanent employee does.
Record-Keeping and Payslips
Under the Fair Work Regulations, employers must keep clear, accurate records of:
- Start and finish times for each day worked.
- Overtime hours.
- Pay rates and loadings.
- Breaks and allowances.
Payslips must be issued within one working day of payment.
Accurate records are a legal requirement and protect both the employer and the employee if Fair Work conducts an inspection.
Remember, the records must be readily accessible and clearly show the breakdown of the above.
For full details on employee classifications, entitlements, and pay rates, refer to the Pastoral Award 2020.
At ProcessWorxAg, we are committed to helping farms strengthen their HR compliance. If you’d like to learn how ProcessWorx can assist with Human Resources or Work Health & Safety, please contact us on 08 9316 9896 or enquiries@processworx.com.au. Also watch an Introduction to ProcessWorx. Follow ProcessWorx on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X to keep up with the latest HR and Safety news.
