Award Changes: Horticultural Pieceworkers
Coming into effect from the first full pay period on or after the 28th of April 2022 are changes relating to the Horticultural Award 2020. These changes are direct primary at Pieceworkers – employees paid by output (not hours) e.g., Number of kilograms picked; bins produced etc.
The changes to Pieceworkers relate to the creation of a minimum hourly safety net and will require employers to pay pieceworkers under the award at least the minimum hourly rate for their classification for all hours worked.
To fulfil their obligations, employers will need to:
Define who is a competent pieceworker for the purposes of calculating the minimum piecework rate.
Ensure that a pieceworker working at the average productivity of competent pieceworkers earns at least 15% more each hour than the minimum hourly rate for their classification
Give pieceworkers a piecework record that includes the pieceworker’s task, piece rates, and unit measures, as well as a statement about their entitlement to be paid the minimum hourly rate for all hours worked
Keep accurate records that includes start times and dates, task descriptions, rate amount, minimum hourly rates for classification level.
Pay at least the minimum hourly rate for hours worked in a day regardless of output.
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