Employment contracts
Changes to fixed term contracts
From 6 December 2023, there will be new rules that limit the use of fixed term contracts.
This is part of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay changes to the Fair Work Act.
Find out more from Pay secrecy, job ads and flexible work.
An employment contract is an agreement between an employer and employee that sets out terms and conditions of employment. A contract can be in writing or verbal.
On this page:
- Contracts and legal minimum entitlements
- Pay secrecy in employment contracts
- Tools and resources
- Related information
Contracts and legal minimum entitlements
An employment contract can’t provide for less than the legal minimum entitlements set out in:
- the National Employment Standards (NES)
- awards, enterprise agreements or other registered agreements that may apply.
All employees are covered by the NES, regardless of whether they’ve signed a contract. A contract can’t leave employees worse off than their minimum legal entitlements.
Use our 3-step Find my award tool to help work out your award. If you know your award, you can access it on our List of awards page.
Covered by a registered agreement? Search for it at Fair Work Commission – Find an agreement database.
You can check minimum award rates using our Pay and Conditions Tool. This includes penalty rates and allowances.
Pay secrecy in employment contracts
There are rules against including pay secrecy terms in employment contracts. Learn more at Pay secrecy.