Following a two-year long case, engineers, IT professionals and game workers earning less than $102,000 per annum will be entitled to sector-wide rights to overtime pay and penalty rates.
On Monday 23rd January 2023, the Fair Work Commission drafted minimum overtime entitlements for salaried workers under the professionals award for the first time after considering some tech workers were working more than 60 hours a week.
Although Professionals Australia did argue for more extensive entitlements, including meal breaks, evening penalty rates after 6pm, weekend rates of up to 200 per cent and overtime set at 150 per cent for the first three hours before rising to 200 per cent, this is a huge win for many workers across the country.
Professionals Australia CEO, Jill McCabe said the union had achieved “an important victory” and that “graduates or professionals on moderate salaries, will be the biggest beneficiaries of these changes”.
“The Fair Work Commission’s decision now means professional employees who are reliant on the minimum award rates will be properly compensated for overtime during early mornings, late nights and over the weekend,” she said.
Parties have until Friday 10th February to make submissions to the proposed variation.