Professional Employees Award Update - 16 September 2023

The Professional Employees Award 2020 is soon to be updated as per Fair Work’s determination earlier this year.   

This update relates to variations to the rules covering ordinary hours of work, overtime, penalty rates, records, and exemptions.  The variations are effective the first full pay period on or after 16 September 2023. 

If you have employees under this award and believe the new variations apply, make sure to review the full details in the determination.  We will briefly summarise the key points here: 

• Confirmation of 38 hours ordinary hours per week, with payment of overtime to employees who exceed this, including provisions for negotiating time off instead, and averaging the weekly hours. 
• Requirements for employers and employees to record overtime hours. 
• Penalty rates for hours worked outside of 6am – 10pm and Sundays/Public holidays.
• Exemptions for the above if an employee has a contractual entitlement to an annual salary 25% or more above the minimum annual wage for their classification. 

Once again, see the full details in the determination and if you need to make any changes in your platform, here’s some relevant help articles: 

• Build or Update an Award or Agreement 
• Add a New Position to an Award & Rates Book 
• Add a position to a new employee
• Change, edit, or delete a permanent position
• Change, edit, or delete a casual position