Ordinary hours of work are the hours that you and your employees agree to be their normal and regular pattern of work within the limits explained below. Ordinary hours do not include overtime hours.
Under the Security Award, the maximum number of ordinary hours your employees can work is 38 hours per week. If you use a rostering system, your employees can work an average of 38 hours per week in any of the following ways:
- 76 hours over a 2 week roster
- 114 hours over a 3 week roster
- 152 hours over a 4 week roster
- 304 hours over an 8 week roster.
There are also minimum and maximum shift lengths that apply and any additional hours worked are overtime and must be paid at overtime rates.
Note: Clause 21.1(b) of the Security Award outlines what is included in ordinary working time. The following times are examples of what must be included in your employees’ ordinary working hours (and therefore paid for as time worked):
- crib breaks
- time spent by an employee filling in any time records or cards (except time spent checking in or out of the employer’s premises)
- time spent by an employee attending a court hearing in the interest of the employer or the employer’s client
- time spent at training courses which were at the direction of the employer (not including courses undertaken by employees in order to obtain a security licence).