Annualised salary arrangements in restaurant and hospitality awards are changing in September 2022.
After a review of the annualised arrangements in these awards, the Fair Work Commission has introduced changes that will make payments for salaried workers fairer.
Employers have been able to pay 25% on top of the base wage to allow for overtime and penalties. This meant they could do an annual reconciliation of actual hours worked to ensure the salary covered the overtime and penalties there were entitled to had they been paid by the hour. Any shortfall in wages could be paid with a single top-up payment each year.
The new arrangements bring in weekly outer limits to overtime and penalty hours. Employees who work more than 18 hours on weekends and public holidays within a week will need to be paid the hourly or penalty rate in addition to the regular wage.
If you’re paying staff an annual salary, the new rules mean you will need to review hours each week to check staff are not working more than the prescribed outer limits for extra hours. If they are, you will need to calculate the amount owing and pay it each week.
While an annual reconciliation of hours worked against the wages paid is still required, you can no longer wait until the end of the year to calculate and pay any shortfall.
The new system should make it fairer for salaried employees who will receive payment in the week that extra hours over the limits were worked. It should also assist with your business’s cash flow, as you’ll be paying wages during busy times, and the annual top-up payment should be smaller.
Review Your Annualised Salary Agreements
If you’re paying staff a salary, there are certain obligations you have to meet. We can help get systems in place to manage your employer obligations and make it as easy as possible to track time and perform the annual reconciliations of hours against wages paid. Book a time to talk to us about the new provisions for restaurant and hospitality workers and how to implement them in your business.
