Why the PRT Base Rate Differs from the Award Pay Guide (All-Purpose Allowances) – Your Payroll Australia

Important

The rates, tags, and formulas below represent the structural logic of the Pay Conditions Engine. Always refer to the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) for exact, current dollar values.

When comparing the Pay Rate Template (PRT) in the payroll platform to the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) pay guides, you will frequently notice that the hourly rate inside the PRT is lower. This is expected and mathematically correct for any our pre-built award containing an All-Purpose Allowance (APA).

The FWO Pay Guide displays a fully combined, Hourly Rate. By design, the PRT holds only the Base Hourly Rate.

To comply with Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2 requirements, which strictly mandate the disaggregation of gross wages, we separates the base rate from any APAs or follow-job loadings. The platform's Pay Conditions Engine uses Rule Sets and Tags/ Work type to dynamically read an employee's profile, generate specific allowances as separate line items on the payslip, and sum them together before accurately calculating overtime and penalty multipliers.

Preparation

Before troubleshooting or configuring rates, ensure you have:

A solid understanding of the Pay Conditions Engine.
Familiarity with assigning and managing employee Tags/ Work type and Rule Sets.
Access to the specific Pre-built Modern Award configurations within the platform.

Award-Specific Configuration & Formulas

Different awards handle APAs differently. For awards that include APAs, we build them as separate pay categories rather than rolling them directly into the PRT base rate.

Important: The Golden Rule for Accurate Rates

While specific rules vary by award, the core logic remains the same. To ensure the base rate plus APAs exactly match the FWO Pay Guide, you must assign the correct Work Types and Tags to the employee profile. This includes specific allowance tags, apprentice stages, and engagement types (e.g., daily hire).

Below is a breakdown of how the platform constructs the loaded hourly rate for our current pre-built awards:

1. Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award [MA000036]

This award utilizes two distinct formulas depending on the specific worker classification.

Plumbing and Mechanical Services Worker

Formula:
Hourly Rate = Base Rate (PRT) + Industry Allowance + Special Fixed Allowance + Registration Allowance (if applicable) + Plumbing Trade Allowance (if applicable) + Lost Time Loading Allowance (if applicable) + Tool Allowance (if Apprentice)

Example Breakdown (Effective 14/10/2025):

Pay Guide Rate: Adult - Plumbing and mechanical services (Weekly hire, Level 2) = $30.20
PRT Calculation:
- Permanent ordinary hours (Base): $28.12
- Industry allowance: +$1.04
- Special fixed allowance: +$0.20
- Plumbing trade allowance: +$0.84
- Total: $30.20

Sprinkler Fitting Worker

Formula:
Hourly Rate = Base Rate (PRT) + Industry Disability Allowance + Space, Height and Dirt Money Allowance + Sprinkler Fitters Adjustment Allowance + Fire Sprinkler Fitting Trade Allowance (if applicable) + Tool Allowance (if Apprentice)

Example Breakdown (Effective 14/10/2025):

Pay Guide Rate: Adult - Sprinkler fitting (Weekly hire, Level 2) = $31.10
PRT Calculation:
- Permanent ordinary hours (Base): $28.12
- Industry disability allowance: +$1.07
- Space, height and dirt money allowance: +$0.98
- Sprinkler fitters adjustment allowance: +$0.93
- Total: $31.10

2. Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award [MA000025]

Formula:
Hourly Rate = Base Rate (PRT) + Industry Allowance + Tool Allowance (if applicable) + Electrician's Licence Allowance (if applicable)

Example Breakdown (Effective 01/07/2025):

Pay Guide Rate: Adult - Electrical worker grade 5 (Includes industry, tool and electrician’s licence allowances) = $30.76
PRT Calculation:
- Permanent - Ordinary Hours (Base): $28.12
- Industry allowance: +$1.04
- Tool Allowance: +$0.59
- Electrician's licence allowance: +$1.01
- Total: $30.76

3. Journalists Published Media Award [MA000067]

Formula:
Hourly Rate = Base Rate (PRT) + Sub-editing Procedures and Allowance (if applicable)

Example Breakdown (Effective 01/07/2025):

Pay Guide Rate: Country non-daily newspaper - Editorial employee band 1, level 1 = $30.68
PRT Calculation:
- Permanent Ordinary Hours (Base): $30.68
- Sub-editing Procedures and Allowance: +$0.00
- Total: $30.68

Warning: If the Sub-editing allowance does apply, the standard rates in the FWO Pay Guide should not be used. Instead, calculations must be verified using the FWO Pay and Conditions Tool.

4. Joinery and Building Trades Award [MA000029]

Formula:
Hourly Rate = Base Rate (PRT) + Industry Allowance (Glaziers / Non-Glaziers)

Example Breakdown (Effective 03/02/2026):

Pay Guide Rate: Adult - Joinery work, shopfitting, stonemasonry, outside work or engaged on other than factory glazing (Level 1) = $25.33
PRT Calculation:
- Permanent Ordinary Hours (Base): $24.28
- Industry Allowance (joinery work, shopfitting, stonemasonry or outside work): +$1.05
- Total: $25.33

Note: Corrected placeholder text from raw notes to match the Joinery award classification.

5. Building and Construction General On-site Award [MA000020]

Formula:
Hourly Rate = Base Rate (PRT) + Industry Allowance + Tool Allowance + Follow the Job Loading (if applicable)

Example Breakdown (Effective 24/02/2026):

Pay Guide Rate: Daily hire - General building and construction, residential work (Level 3 CW/ECW 3: Roof tiler, slate-ridger or roof fixer) = $30.96
PRT Calculation:
- Permanent Ordinary Hours (Base): $28.12
- Follow the job loading (Roof tiler, slate-ridger or roof fixer): +$0.94
- Tool allowance (Roof tiler, slate-ridger or roof fixer): +$0.55
- Industry Allowance: +$1.35
- Total: $30.96

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my employee's PRT rate lower than the FWO pay guide?
The PRT only holds the base hourly rate to comply with STP Phase 2 reporting rules. In contrast, the FWO guide shows an hourly rate that already includes All-Purpose Allowances (APAs).
Will this separate base rate affect how overtime and penalties are calculated?
The platform automatically adds the base rate and any relevant APAs together before applying the specific overtime or penalty multipliers for that award.
Why isn't a Tool Allowance or Licensing Allowance applying?
Many allowances depend on the employee's specific classification. Double check the employee's profile to make sure the right tag is applied (like Registered Tradesperson or Electrician's Licence). Also, ensure they are using the correct work type on their timesheet so the rules trigger correctly.
Why is my Weekly Hire construction worker missing the "Follow the Job Loading"?
Under the Building and Construction Award [MA000020], the "Follow the Job Loading" only applies to Daily Hire employees. It doesn't apply to Weekly Hires.