What the General Retail Industry Award (MA000004) asks of a roster — ordinary hours, weekend and public-holiday loadings, weekday evening rates, casual loading and overtime — and how Schedaddle flags each one as you roster. This is general information, not legal advice.
Rates verified: July 2025
The General Retail Industry Award (MA000004) is the modern award that covers most employees in the retail industry in Australia — from shop assistants to visual merchandisers — where an enterprise agreement does not apply. It is the primary award for Schedaddle’s Australian retail customers, and the reason a single weekday hour, a Saturday hour, and a Sunday hour worked by the same employee can each cost a different amount.
Rates are reviewed annually in the Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review and take effect on 1 July each year. Rates verified July 2025; figures derive from Schedaddle’s award engine — verify against the current award before relying on them.
| Band | Rate |
|---|---|
| Ordinary hours | Base rate (1×) |
| Weekday evening (after 18:00) | 1.25× the base rate |
| Saturday | 1.25× the base rate |
| Sunday | 1.5× the base rate |
| Public holiday | 2.5× the base rate |
| Overtime (first 3 hrs) | 1.5× the base rate |
| Overtime (after the first tier) | 2× the base rate |
| Casual loading | +25% on top of the applicable rate |
Want the full picture across weekend, Sunday and public-holiday work? Read the retail penalty-rates guide →
Pick the General Retail Industry Award in Settings and Schedaddle reads its penalty structure. As clocked shifts come in, the Award Hours Breakdown report classifies each into its band — ordinary, weekday evening, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday — applies casual loading and tiered overtime beyond the 9-hour ordinary cap and the 11-hour spread of hours, and shows the loaded labour cost of the roster per employee and per store.
Honest about the limits. General information only — not legal or payroll advice. Penalty rates carry classifications, allowances, and coverage tests this page does not evaluate, and they change annually. Confirm the current figures with the Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission, or your payroll provider before paying staff. Schedaddle’s figures are flags and estimates from a rate reference, not net pay, STP, or award interpretation guaranteed against your classifications and allowances.
Under the General Retail Industry Award (MA000004), the same hour is paid differently by day and time: Saturday is a 25% loading (1.25× the base rate), Sunday a 50% loading (1.5× the base rate), and a public holiday a 150% loading (2.5× the base rate). Casual employees also receive a 25% loading on top. Verify the current figures with the Fair Work Ombudsman — rates change annually on 1 July.
Schedaddle classifies every clocked shift into its penalty band — ordinary, Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, weekday evening — applies casual loading and tiered overtime, and shows the loaded labour cost of the roster in ordinary-hour-equivalent terms. It is reporting to verify, not a payroll calculation or legal advice.
Yes — under the MA000004 a casual’s 25% loading applies on top of the base rate, including where a penalty rate already applies. Schedaddle marks which employees are casual and weights their hours accordingly in the award report.
General information only — not legal or payroll advice. Penalty rates carry classifications, allowances, and coverage tests this page does not evaluate, and they change annually. Confirm the current figures with the Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission, or your payroll provider before paying staff.
Pick the MA000004 and Schedaddle shows penalty-rate hours and loaded labour cost — per employee, per store.