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Building and Construction General On-site Award (MA000020)

Updated

The article provides guidelines on using the pre-built Building and Construction General On-site Award. For further information about this industry award, refer to Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020

Key updates

  Select the current financial year tab to see award updates for the 2026/27 financial year, while all previous updates before this time you can find in the historical financial years tab.

Current financial yearHistorical financial years
July 2026

1st

We have updated the award to reflect the Fair Work Commission's National Minimum Wage increase detailed in the Annual Wage Review 2026 decision, and also includes updates to expense-related allowances. You can find more information on the Determinations here and here.

These changes come into effect from the first full pay period on or after the 1st July 2026. Please install these updates after you have finalised your last pay run before the first full pay period beginning on or after the 1st July 2026.

Install the pre-built award package

To read details on how to install and configure this Pre-built Award Template, please review the following article. Before relying on the award information, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness, and relevance for their purposes. You should also obtain appropriate professional advice.

The award default Rule Set Period is set to Weekly that ends every Sunday. If you follow a different work pattern or roster period, you can review and set the rule-set period date that applies to your organisation. 

Conditions of pay

Ordinary hours of work and overtime
  Clause Conditions
Ordinary hours or work. 16.1 7am-6pm Monday-Friday (day workers).
Overtime.

17.2(i)

17.1(i)

29.4

29.9

30.1

Shift workers paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate

Day workers: 

  • Monday-Friday, First 2 hours paid at 150% of ordinary hourly rate then 200% of ordinary hourly rate thereafter.

  • Saturday before noon: First 2 hours paid at 150% of ordinary hourly rate then 200% of ordinary hourly rate thereafter.

  • Saturday after noon: paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate.

  • Sunday paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate.

Public Holidays: paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate.
Time worked in a day.

16.9

17.2 (c(ii) 

 Eight hours.
Maximum hours over a period. 16.1 
  • Average 38 hours per week.
  • Updated to exclude the leave work types in preferred matches condition.
Rostered Days Off (RDO).

16.2

17.2(d)(i)

 Accrue 0.4 of RDO per eight hours worked (including Public Holidays and paid leave taken).
Time off instead of payment for overtime (TIL).  29.13 (e) The employee is entitled to take the same amount of overtime hours worked. 
Penalties
  Clause Conditions
Public Holidays. 30.1 (c). Paid at 250% of ordinary hourly rate.
Shiftwork.

17.2 (a)

17.2 (m)

17.2 (n)

Civil sector

  • Day shift: Shifts starting on or after 6.00 am and before 10.00 am.

  • Afternoon shift: Shifts starting at or after 10.00 am and before 8.00 pm are paid at 115% of ordinary hourly rate.

  • Night shift: Shifts starting at or after 8.00 pm and before 6.00 am are paid at 115% of ordinary hourly rate.

  • Permanent night shifts are paid at 130% of ordinary hourly rates.

  • Less than five successive shifts worked in a week are paid at 150% of ordinary hourly rates.

17.1 (a)

17.1 (b)

17.1(d)

17.1(e) 

17.1(h)

General building and construction and metal and engineering construction sectors

  • Afternoon shift: starting at or after 1.00 pm and before 3.00 pm.
  • Night shift: starting at or after 3.00 pm and before 11.00 pm
  • Early morning shift: commencing at or after 11.00 pm and before 4.30 am.
  • Morning shift: starting at or after 4.30 am and before 6.00 am
  • Early afternoon shift: starting on or after 11.00 am and before 1.00 pm
  • Employed continuously for 5 shifts (Mon-Fri inclusive of PH)
    • afternoon, night and early morning shift—150% of the ordinary hourly rate;
    • morning and early afternoon shifts—125% of the ordinary hourly rate
  • Broken shifts: 150% for the first 2 hours and 200% thereafter (less than 38 ordinary hours worked over 5 consecutive shifts)
  • Saturday and Sunday work performed will be paid as overtime. But, an ordinary night shift starting before and extending beyond midnight Friday, will be regarded as a Friday shift.
Weekends.

17.2 (k)

17.1 (h)

Shiftworker: 

  • Saturdays are paid at 150% of ordinary hourly rate.

  • Sundays are paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate.

General building and construction and metal and engineering construction sectors

  • Saturday and Sunday are paid as overtime
Work during meal break—day workers.

29.6 (a).

Paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate.
Work during meal break—overtime. 29.6 (a)

Paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate.
Work during RDO.

17.2(h)(ii)

16.6(b)

Day work: Paid Saturday penalty rates.

Shiftwork: Paid at overtime rates for all hours worked. 
Work Conditions
  Clause Conditions
Auto meal break.

18.1

18.2

Day workers receive a 30-minute unpaid meal break after five hours of work, automatically deducted from hours worked.

Shift workers should receive a 30-minute ‌meal break, counted as time worked.

Excludes Public Holiday not worked
Break Between Shifts

29.8 (d)

Where employees have worked without having had ten or eight consecutive hours off duty would be paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate.
Higher duties. 19.10

Where employees work more than two hours on a higher classification, they would be paid the higher rate for the whole day.

Otherwise, employees are paid the higher rate for time worked only.
Higher of Annual leave. 31.2 (c)

Shiftworker: Employees would receive a 17.5% annual leave loading, or the penalty loading had they not been on leave - whichever is higher.
Inclement weather.

24.6

24.7

Applicable to “general building and construction, and civil construction” sector only.

  • Concrete pour are paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate

  • Not able to perform work are paid at base rate
Minimum shift engagement.

12.3

30.2

  • Casual: Minimum four hours 

  • Saturday: Minimum three hours (day worker)

  • Sunday/PH: Minimum four hours (day worker)

  • Adjusted to exclude Recalled to work - overtime work type.
Presenting for work but not required.

19.4.

Permanent: Minimum eight hours base rate

Casual: N/A 
Recall to work overtime.

17.2 (o)

30.1 (e)

29.5(a)

  • Minimum three hours

  • Shiftworker: Monday-Sunday: paid at 200% of ordinary hourly rate for each occasion

  • Public holiday: Paid at 250% of ordinary hourly rate

  • Day worker: Paid at overtime rates
Travelling time.

25.6 (a) and (b).

Payment at the minimum hourly rate (including any relevant all-purpose allowance) for travel time from the transport terminal to work. Maximum payment of eight hours per day, for forward and return journey

Special notes

  • Please make sure to assign the tags for the appropriate Tool allowance.
  • For employees who accrue and have the tag RDO, leave requests must be applied in the timesheets to ensure the RDO deduction applies correctly via rules. 
  • Categories (work types, tags, pay categories) that have been marked with an (*asterisk) are no longer used in rules. It still remains visible in the platform for auditing/reporting purposes.
  • Any Pay Rate Templates or Employment Agreements marked with an asterisk (*) are historical versions and are no longer updated. Please ensure that employees are moved to the corresponding Employment Agreement or Pay Rate Template, as we will no longer update the old versions.
  • The RDO accrual rule does not function effectively when an employee worked and took partial leave on the same day and will require manual intervention.
  • The base rate for the following classification levels may not match the rate indicated on the pay guide due to a rounding issue with the system's calculation of casual loading and/or the all-purpose industry allowance. Please review and make manual adjustments where required.
    • Permanent - General Building Residential - Level 3 (CW/ECW 3)
    • Permanent - Level 5 (CW/ECW 5)
    • Permanent - Level 8 (CW/ECW 8)
    • Permanent - Level 9 (ECW 9)
    • Casual - Level 5 (CW/ECW 5)
    • Casual - Level 8 (CW/ECW 8)
    • Casual - Level 9 (ECW 9)
    • Apprentice pay rate templates
Time off Instead of Payment for Overtime 

If the employee requests at any time, to be paid for overtime covered by an agreement under clause 29.13 but not taken as time off, the employer must pay the employee for the overtime, in the next pay period following the request, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.

If time off for overtime that has been worked is not taken within the period of six months mentioned in clause 29.13(f), the employer must pay the employee for the overtime, in the next pay period following those six months, at the overtime rate applicable to the overtime when worked.

Clauses not included in the award
Clause no. Clause Name Details
Schedule D National training wage.

Need to create Pay Rate Templates and Employment Agreements.

Schedule D sets out minimum wage rates and conditions for employees undertaking traineeships.

36.2

36.3

 Substitution of certain public holidays by agreement at the enterprise.

Need to customise rules:

  • (a) An employer and employee may agree to substitute another day for a day that would otherwise be a public holiday under the NES.
  • (b) An employer and employee may agree to substitute another part-day for a part-day that would otherwise be a part-day public holiday under the NES.

Work types

Work types are a description of the kind of shift you are working, and you select them when you record a timesheet. The following is a list of work types employees can select on their timesheet, and the meaning of each item.

A - F
Annual Leave Taken. Choose this work type when annual leave is taken.
Compassionate Leave Taken. Choose this work type when compassionate leave is taken.
Distant work.
 		 Choose this work type for distant work.
G - L
Inclement weather.
 		 Choose this work type for inclement weather.
Inclement weather - concrete pour. Choose this work type for inclement weather - concrete pour.
Leave Without Pay Taken Choose this work type when any unpaid leave is taken.
Living away from home - daily fares.
 		 Choose this work type for living away from home - daily fares.
Living away from home - not required to live in a camp.
 		 Choose this work type for living away from home - not required to live in a camp.
Long Service Leave Taken. Choose this work type when any unpaid leave is taken.
M - R
Meal Allowance - not distant job/no meal provided.
 		 Choose this work type if you require a meal allowance.
No rest period after overtime
 		 Choose this work type if an employee works extensive overtime and has not had a minimum of 10 consecutive hours off duty between shifts to ensure any hours are paid at 200% of the ordinary hourly rate.
Paid Community Service Leave Taken Choose this work type when community service leave is taken.
Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave Taken. Choose this work type when paid family and domestic violence leave is taken.
Personal/Carer's Leave Taken. Choose this work type when personal and/or carer's leave is taken.
Presenting for work but not required.
 		 Choose this work type for presenting for work but not required.
Public Holiday not worked. Choose this work type where a Permanent employee is not required to work on a shift falling on a gazetted public holiday that the employee would have otherwise worked, had it not been a public holiday.
Recalled to work overtime.
 		 Choose this work type for recalled to work.
Rostered Day Off. Choose this work type when rostered day off is taken
S - Z
Time In Lieu Taken. Choose this work type when time in lieu is taken.
TIL Accrual. Choose this work type if the employee elects to accrue time in lieu of being paid overtime for a shift.
Travel time.
 		 Choose this work type for travel time.
Travelling cost of transport/transporting tools - return journey. Choose this work type for travelling cost of transport/transporting tools - return journey.
Travelling meal - forward/return journey.
 		 Choose this work type for Travelling meal - forward/return journey.
Underground allowance.
 		 Choose this work type when doing underground work.
Vehicle Allowance per km. Choose this work type to claim vehicle allowance.
Weekend return home.
 		 Choose this work type for weekend return home.
Work during RDO. Choose this work type when working during RDO.
Work during meal breaks.
 		 Choose this work type when working during meal breaks. Applies to day worker.

Shift conditions

Shift Conditions are further details you can add to a shift where more than one condition applies to your shift. Shift conditions are selected when you edit a timesheet record, or when clocking on using the ClockMeIn Time and Attendance or Swag apps. The following is a list of Shift Conditions employees can select on their timesheet, and the meaning of each item.

A - F
Camp meal per day - no meal provided. Select this shift condition to claim daily meal allowance while in camp.
Camp meal per week - no meal provided.
 		 Select this shift condition to claim weekly meal allowance while in camp.
Daily fares allowance.
 		 Select this shift condition when an employee is required to work on a construction site/on-site.
M - R
Multistorey allowance - 16th to 30th floor level. Select this shift condition to claim multistorey allowance - 16th to 30th floor level.
Multistorey allowance - 31st to 45th floor level.
 		 Select this shift condition to claim multistorey allowance - 31st to 45th floor level.
Multistorey allowance - 46th to 60th floor level.
 		 Select this shift condition to claim multistorey allowance - 46th to 60th floor level.
Multistorey allowance - 61st floor level onwards.
 		 Select this shift condition to claim multistorey allowance - 61st floor level onwards.
Multistorey allowance - buildings or structures (including towers) over 15 metres high without regular storey levels.
 		 Select this shift condition to claim multistorey allowance - buildings or structures (including towers) over 15 metres high without regular storey levels.
Multistorey allowance - commencement of building to 15th floor level.
 		 Select this shift condition to claim multistorey allowance - commencement of building to 15th floor level.
S - Z
Service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 16th to 30th floor level Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 16th to 30th floor level.
Service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 31st to 45th floor level Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 31st to 45th floor level.
Service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 46th to 60th floor level Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 46th to 60th floor level.
Service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 61st floor level onwards Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 61st floor level onwards.
Service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - commencement of building to 15th floor level Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - less than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - commencement of building to 15th floor level.
Service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 16th to 30th floor level. Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 16th to 30th floor level.
Service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 31st to 45th floor level. Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 31st to 45th floor level.
Service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 46th to 60th floor level.
 		 Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 46th to 60th floor level.
Service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 61st floor level onwards.
 		 Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - 61st floor level onwards.
Service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - commencement of building to 15th floor level.
 		 Select this shift condition to claim service cores allowance - more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure - commencement of building to 15th floor level.

Tags

Employee Tags are specific conditions typically related to the employee’s agreement. These are often conditions negotiated and agreed between the employer and the employee, or unique characteristics of the employee’s role. Payment of these provisions is usually of a recurring and ongoing nature.

A - F
Air-conditioning industry and refrigeration industry allowances. Assign this tag to an employee engaged as air-conditioning tradesperson and a refrigeration mechanic.
Carpenter-driver. Assign this tag to an employee engaged as carpernter-driver.
Computing quantities allowance. Assign this tag to an employee required to compute or estimate quantities of materials in respect of the work performed by other employees
 
Daily hire.
 		 Assign this tag to a daily-hire employee.
Electrician’s licence allowance.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee engaged and working as an electrical tradesperson and who holds an appropriate electrician’s licence.
First aid - higher than minimum qualifications.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee who holds a higher first aid certificate.
First aid - minimum qualifications.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee who holds the minimum qualifications for a first aid certificate
G - L
In charge of plant. Assign this tag to an employee who is in charge of the plant.
Laser safety officer.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee appointed by the employer to carry out the duties of a laser safety officer.
Leading hand - 1 person.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee appointed to be a leading hand in charge of one person.
Leading hand allowance - 2 to 5 persons.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee appointed to be a leading hand in charge of 2 to 5 persons.
Leading hand allowance - 6 to 10 persons.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee appointed to be a leading hand in charge of 6 to 10 persons.
Leading hand allowance - more than 10 persons.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee appointed to be a leading hand in charge of more than ten persons
Lift Industry Allowance Assign this tag to an employee who perform work in the lift industry
M - R
Mobile cranes. Assign this tag to an employee required to get an additional 40 tonnes over a maximum lifting capacity of 100 tonnes.
Operator employee.
 		 Assign this tag to an operator's employee.
Permanent night shift.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee who works on a night shift which does not rotate or alternate with another shift or with day work.
RDO.
 		 Assign this tag to an employee if they accrue RDO.
S - Z
Scaffold or rigging certificate allowance. Assign this tag to an employee who is the holder of a scaffolding certificate or rigging certificate issued by the appropriate certifying authority and is required to act on that certificate whilst engaged on work requiring a certificated person
 
Tool allowance - Caster fixer floorlayer specialist or plasterer. Assign this tag to an employee engaged as caster, fixer, floorlayer specialist, or plasterer.
Tool allowance - others. Assign this tag to an employee engaged as artificial stoneworker, carpenter and/or joiner, carpenter-diver, carver, bridge and wharf carpenter, floor sander, letter cutter, marble and slate worker, stonemason or tile layer.
Tool allowance - Refractory bricklayer or bricklayer. Assign tag to an employee engaged as refractory bricklayer or bricklayer
Tool allowance - Roof tiler, slate-ridger or roof fixer, tradespersons in M&E sector. Assign tag to an employee engaged as roof tiler,slate-ridger or roof fixer, tradespersons in the metals and engineering construction sector
 
Tool allowance - Signwriter painter or glazier. Assign this tag to an employee engaged as a signwriter, painter, or glazier.

System limitations

Please note that rules will not be able to interpret or calculate the below clauses due to platform limitations and will require manual intervention. 

Clause 16.5 (a) RDO banking

The number of accrued RDOs banked must not exceed five at any time.

Clause 23.3(f) Service cores

Service cores allowance more than 15 metres above the highest point of the main structure is paid only for one additional 15 metres, not for each extra 15 metres. Manual intervention is required for any further height increases beyond 15 metres.

Clause 24.8 Inclement Weather 

If an employee starts employment during a 4-week period, the employee will be credited with:

  • Thirty-two hours where the employee starts on any working day within the first week;
  • Twenty-four hours where the employee starts on any working day within the second week;
  • Sixteen hours where the employee starts on any working day within the third week; and
  • Eight hours where the employee starts on any working day within the 4th week of any 4-week period.
Clause 29.8 Consecutive hours off duty (Minimum break between shifts)

If an employee has not had at least 10 consecutive hours off duty (for a day worker) or 8 hours (for a shift worker) after working excessive overtime in the previous shift, the "No Rest Break After Overtime" work type must be applied in the timesheet.

This ensures they are paid at 200% of the ordinary hourly rate for the time worked under such conditions.

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