Meal and tea breaks
Under the Vehicle Award, employees can’t be required to work more than 5 hours without a 30-60 minute unpaid meal break. The working hours without a break can be extended to 6 hours by agreement with a majority of employees.
If an employee is required to work for more than 5 hours without a meal break, or if they are required to work during their meal break, they are entitled to an additional penalty rate until they take their meal break. This does not apply to maintenance staff repairing breakdowns. You can use PayCheck Plus to help you calculate penalty rates that will be payable.
You should also provide your employees with a 15 minute morning or afternoon tea break.
Breaks for driveway attendants, console operators and roadhouse attendants
If driveway attendants, console operators and roadhouse attendants are required to serve customers during their breaks, they are entitled to a 20 minute crib break per day. The 20 minute crib break is paid and counted as time worked.
Alternatively you can provide your driveway attendants, console operators and roadhouse attendants with meal and morning or afternoon tea breaks at your discretion.
This applies instead of the meal and tea breaks above. More information is available in clause 43.1 of the Vehicle Award.
Breaks for drafting, planning and technical employees
Employees doing day work in the drafting, planning and technical stream must receive their meal break between 11:30am and 2:00pm Monday - Friday, and a 10 minute break for morning tea. See clause 61 of the Vehicle Award for more information.
Breaks for shiftworkers
All shiftworkers on continuous work receive a 20 minute paid crib break per shift. Continuous work occurs where a business has consecutive shifts rostered for 24 hours per day at least 5 days per week without interruption. Further information is available in clauses 37.5, 54.1 and 61 of the Vehicle Award.
Breaks on Sunday and public holidays
Employees in the manufacturing stream and the drafting, planning and technical stream may be entitled to paid breaks for work on Sundays and public holidays. See clauses 55.1 and 61 of the Vehicle Award for more information.