A decision by the Fair Work Commission this week has agreed with the HSU that casual employees working in aged care facilities should receive 25% casual loading in addition to their penalty rates for weekends and public holidays.
The Fair Work Commission have decided to vary the Aged Care Award to reflect this, and the changes will affect residential aged care workers Australia-wide.
The provisional timetable to phase in the new weekend and public holiday rates for casuals is below:
| Saturday | Sunday | Public holidays | |
| 1 Dec 2019 | 160% | 185% | 260% |
| 1 Jul 2020 | 175% | 200% | 275% |
The Full Bench also upheld the HSU’s claim that, when rostering broken shifts for causal and part-time staff, employers have to observe the two hour minimum engagement for each portion of the shift. The Full Bench emphasised that minimum engagement provisions were important to prevent exploitation of employees.
The HSU secured these wins despite strong opposition from employer groups and peak bodies in the aged care sector.
The decision may be read on full in the link below:
HSU celebrates historic day for gender equality after Fair Work decision
The Health Services Union is today celebrating an historic decision, with the Fair Work Commission finding minimum award rates of pay for several health, care, and support sector occupations have been undervalued based on gender.
New study reveals multi-billion dollar economic benefit of implementing universal reproductive leave in Australia
Giving workers the equivalent of one day of leave a month to care for their reproductive needs would mitigate the economic costs of reproductive health conditions, which are estimated to cost the Australian economy more than $21 billion per year, and improve mental health and workforce retention, according to a new report.
Federal Budget 2025
HSU welcomes groundbreaking Medicare budget, but more needed for workers The Health Services Union (HSU) has strongly endorsed the Albanese government’s record investments to strengthen Medicare