Entitlements for employees under the Cleaning Award
Learn more about what employees should get if they’re covered by the Cleaning Award.
On this page:
- Understanding employment entitlements
- Types of employment
- Hours of work and rostering
- Minimum rates, penalty rates, allowances and overtime
- Tools and resources
- Related information
Understanding employment entitlements
Employment entitlements can come from several places, including an enterprise agreement, award or contract.
To check if an enterprise agreement applies, follow our steps on Finding an agreement.
If there’s no agreement, the Cleaning Award will most likely apply. Most employees who work in the contract cleaning industry are covered by the Cleaning Award. To check award coverage, employers and employees can use our Pay and Conditions Tool.
Employees covered by a contract must still receive the minimum entitlements from the Cleaning Award and National Employment Standards (NES).
For more information about contracts, visit Employment contracts.
Use our industry filters
If you’re covered by the Cleaning Award look out for these boxes on our website for tailored information. Select the industry that applies to you.
Types of employment
There are 3 main types of employment covered by the Cleaning Award:
- full-time
- part-time
- casual.
Full-time employees
Full-time employees who work under the Cleaning Award must get an average of 38 ordinary hours a week. These hours can vary week to week and can be averaged over several weeks, so long as they equal 38 hours on average in that period.
For more information, visit Full-time employees.
Part-time employees
Part-time employees are engaged to work less than 38 ordinary hours a week. They must agree on how many hours they will work each week before starting their job. Part-time employees are also entitled to an additional 15% loading on top of their normal hourly rate for hours they work.
For more information, visit Part-time employees.
Casual employees
Casual employees have no guaranteed hours of work and their hours can be irregular or sporadic. Casual employees are also entitled to a 25% casual loading for all hours they work.
For more information, visit Casual employees.
Under the Cleaning Award, an employer can only employ a casual employee for specific reasons.
Example: The difference between part-time and casual employment
Taylor runs an office cleaning business. She wants to hire a new employee to work 15 hours a week but isn’t sure if they should be casual or part-time.
Taylor looks at information about part-time and casual employees on our website and in the Cleaning Award. She learns that under the Cleaning Award you can only employ a casual employee for one of 3 reasons:
- to work on an intermittent or irregular basis
- to work uncertain hours, or
- to replace a full-time or part-time employee who is rostered off or absent.
Taylor wants her new employee to work regular hours, so she needs to hire them as a part-time employee.
Under the Cleaning Award, part-time employees get paid a 15% part-time loading. Among other requirements, they also have:
- an agreed pattern of work that is less than 38 hours per week
- to get paid and accrue annual and sick leave
- to give or receive notice to end their employment.
Hours of work and rostering
Employees under the Cleaning Award need to be given a minimum number of hours each shift.
For part-time and casual employees, this amount changes based on the size of the area they need to clean. Even if the employee can finish the job early, they still must be paid the minimum hours based on the size of the cleaning area.
Employees can’t be paid per job.
For more information on when hours can be worked and how many hours need to be provided, visit Hours of work.
Example: Can't be paid per job
Jen works as a casual employee for a contract cleaning business. Jen’s supervisor asks her to clean a new office and tells her that she will be paid $50 for cleaning it. This work is to be done during normal business hours.
Jen doesn’t know how long it will take for her to clean this new office. She asks her supervisor the floor size and is told it is 4000 square metres.
Jen knows that for this size area she should be paid for at least 3 hours work.
As a Level 1 employee under the Cleaning Award, Jen is entitled to a minimum rate of $32.31 per hour. Therefore, she should receive more than $50.
Jen shows her supervisor the Cleaning Award and her supervisor agrees that she will be paid for the full 3 hours.
Minimum rates, penalty rates, allowances and overtime
An employee can’t be paid less than the minimum pay rate in the Cleaning Award.
Depending on the nature, type and time of work, employees may be entitled to other payments on top of their base pay rate.
You can use our Pay and Conditions tool to see what allowances or penalty rates might apply.
Allowances
An allowance is an additional payment made to employees for doing certain tasks, working in certain locations, using a special skill or for expenses incurred for doing their job.
Some examples of common allowances under the Cleaning Award include:
- refuse collection allowance
- toilet cleaning allowance
- uniform allowance
- travel allowance.
An employee who works a broken shift, where their hours are split up across a single day, may also be entitled to an allowance.
For more information, visit Allowances.
Penalty rates
Employees who work in the early morning, at night, on weekends and on public holidays may also be entitled to penalty rates for the hours they work.
Example: Minimum rates of pay
Carlos is an international student who works as a cleaner for a business, cleaning homes and apartments. This is Carlos’ first job in Australia and he is paid a flat rate of $20 per hour every day. Carlos’ friend tells him that doesn’t sound right and he should check it.
Carlos uses the Pay and Conditions Tool on our website to check his pay rate. Carlos learns he is a casual Cleaning Services Employee Level 1 and that his pay rate comes from the Cleaning Award. Under the Cleaning Award, minimum pay rates from 1 July 2025 for a casual Level 1 employee are:
- $32.31 per hour on weekdays
- $45.24 per hour on Saturdays
- $58.16 per hour on Sundays.
Carlos learns that other penalty rates and allowances can apply at other times. Carlos also reads that that minimum pay rates are reviewed every year and any increases usually apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July each year.
Carlos prints out the pay rates and shows them to his boss. His boss says they are too high, and he can’t pay Carlos those rates.
Carlos reads our information about Fixing a workplace problem. He calls us to discuss his situation and requests our help.
Carlos has kept evidence of the underpayment, including his pay slips and rosters, and explains that he couldn’t resolve the issue with his employer.
One of our officers contacts Carlos as part of our Dispute Assistance service. The officer also speaks to Carlos’s boss and the business agrees to back pay Carlos all the money he is owed and start paying him the correct minimum hourly rates, penalty rates and allowances.
Overtime
Overtime is when an employee works extra time and receives overtime pay rates. The Cleaning Award sets out the circumstances in which overtime rates apply.
For more information, visit When overtime applies.
