Clubs Award, explained for shift work.
Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2020 · Reviewed July 2026 by the MyGig compliance team
Registered and licensed clubs (RSL, sporting, social, and community clubs) and their hospitality-style operations: bars, gaming, functions, and kitchens inside clubs.
Penalties and loadings to know
- Casual loading of 25% on the ordinary hourly rate
- Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday penalties per the award tables
- Late-night loadings for club trading hours
Roles typically covered
Casual hourly rates under the Clubs Award
| Classification | Casual $/hr |
|---|---|
| Introductory | $32.18 |
| Level 2 - clerical grade 1 | $33.85 |
| Level 3 - clerical grade 2 | $34.96 |
| Level 4 - clerical grade 3 | $36.81 |
| Level 5 - clerical supervisor | $39.13 |
Adult casual hourly rates including the 25% casual loading, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, covering all 5 casual classifications in MyGig's award engine. Source: MyGig award engine, built from Fair Work Commission pay guides. Penalties, overtime, and allowances apply on top per the award.
Free download:the 2026 Casual Rates Card puts every award’s entry casual rate on one printable sheet.
Get the rates cardBreaks under the Clubs Award
| Min hours | Max hours | Break (mins) | Type | Paid | To be taken after | To be taken before | What the award says | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5+ | - | At least 30 | Meal | Unpaid | 1.5 hours after starting work | 5 hours after starting work | “If an employee, including a casual employee, is required to work more than 5 hours in a day the employee must be given an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes. The break must be given between 1.5 and 5 hours of the employee starting work.” | cl 17.1(a) |
| 5 | 5 | 30 | Meal | Unpaid | - | - | “An employee rostered for a 5 hour shift may elect to take an unpaid 30 minute meal break during the shift and the employer shall not unreasonably refuse.” | cl 17.1(b) |
| - | - | - | Meal | - | - | - | “If an employee is not given a meal break in accordance with clause 17.1 the employer must pay the employee 150% of the ordinary hourly rate from the end of 5 hours until either the meal break is given or the shift ends.” | cl 17.2 |
| - | - | 20 | Rest | Paid | 5 hours after the first meal break | - | “If an employee is required to work more than 5 hours after the employee is given the unpaid meal break in clause 17.1, the employee must be given an additional 20 minute paid break.” | cl 17.3 |
Quoted from the award text published by Fair Work, as at 20 August 2026. Clause numbers are the award’s own. The quoted words are the award’s. The structured columns are MyGig’s transcription of the quoted sentence in the same row, and a dash means the sentence does not state that value. Breaks vary with shift length, roster and agreement, so read the clause in full before relying on any row.
Span of hours
“A casual employee (other than a casual employee engaged solely as a bingo caller, assistant bingo caller or fitness instructor) is entitled to a minimum payment for 2 hours’ work on each occasion that they are required to attend work.”
cl 11.5 (the clause continues)Quoted from the award text published by Fair Work, as at 20 August 2026. Clause numbers are the award’s own.
Current minimum rates
Entry-level adult casual: $32.18/hr as at 1 July 2026, from MyGig's award engine (the same data that prices every shift). Award rates change with every annual wage review (first full pay period on or after 1 July). For the full classification tables, use the official pay guide, or let MyGig apply them for you: every shift estimate uses current rates, penalties included, clause cited.
Clubs Award FAQs
Why do clubs have their own award?
Registered clubs are a distinct industry with their own history and conditions: similar roles to pubs, but under MA000058 rather than the Hospitality Award, with differences in the detail. MyGig applies the Clubs Award for club venues automatically.
Do club casuals need an RSA?
For bar and gaming roles, yes: NSW RSA (and RCG for gaming) competencies are verified on MyGig before workers can accept shifts requiring them.
Where are current Clubs Award rates?
In the official MA000058 pay guide linked here, updated after each annual wage review.
General information only, not legal advice. The award itself (Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2020, MA000058) and the Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay tools are the authoritative sources: read the award. Back to all award guides or MyGig compliance & EOR.
Stop interpreting awards by hand.
MyGig employs your casual workers as EOR and applies this award automatically: rates, loadings, penalties, and super, with the clause cited.