The Fair Work Commission this morning handed down its annual National Minimum Wage decision.
The National Minimum Wage Case is the yearly review of Minimum and Award wages to determine if, and to what level wages should be increased.
The National Wage Case Decision
Today, the Fair Work Commission has directed that the National Minimum Wage and Award Wages will increase by 5.75% from the first pay period in July 2023.
What happens next?
The National Wage Case Decision has a clear flow-one effect to the wage rates in all Modern Awards. As a result, employers should review the wages paid to their employees and make alterations to wages as appropriate.
The Fair Work Commission will publish updated pay rates over the coming month. When published, these will be available from Pay guides – Fair Work Ombudsman. Please note that these sometimes take some time to be published – we will update this post when they are available.
What do you do if you pay above Award Wages?
Your minimum obligation is to pay the minimum wage or the Award rate applicable to employee.
This means that, if you pay above the award rate, you are not obligated to raise wages as long as the rate being paid remains equal to or greater than the applicable new Award rate.
This means, even if you believe your rates of pay exceed the Award, we recommend that you review your wages against the new Award rates in order to ensure you remain compliant.
Need Assistance with Implementing the National Wage Case?
You can access more information about the National Wage Case Decision at
Would you like any further information on this article or assistance with implementing practices ensuring compliance in your business? Please contact us on:
Telephone: 1800 HR Smartz (1800 477 627)
Email: hrsupport@peoplesmartz.com.au
Website: https://peoplesmartz.com.au/contact