Final round of increases to casual weekend penalty rates under the Hair and Beauty Award

Back in 2021, The Fair Work Commission announced a series of instalment increases to the weekend penalty rates for casual employees under the Hair and Beauty Award. These increases were to occur over a period of 2 years, spanning from January 2022 to December 2023.

As part of this decision, the 6^th and final instalment of increases will occur on the 31^st of December 2023. Considering this decision was originally announced some time ago; as a brief reminder, we have summarised below the relevant increase date and figures that you need to be aware of so you can ensure to prepare for these changes in your business.

Saturday Penalty rates

On the 31^st of December 2023 the Saturday Penalty rate for casual staff will increase to 158% (inclusive of the casual loading).

Sunday Penalty rates 

Likewise, on the 31^st December 2023, the Sunday penalty rate for casual staff will increase to 225% (inclusive of the casual loading).

In preparation of the increases, the pay guide released by the Fair Work Ombudsman earlier this year reflected the relevant dates and figures for the upcoming increases. A copy of this can be found here for reference.

If you need any guidance on these changes or how to apply these to your employees, please reach out to the HR advisory team.