Most modern Awards contain a provision that includes the minimum number of hours that a shift can be for casual employees. You’ll usually find this provision in the Types of Employment: Casual Employees section of the relevant Award.

Most Awards also specify that this also represents the minimum payment a person must receive – which means that if you send a casual home after, say, one hour, you may still need to pay them for the minimum period the Award provides for.

Examples of minimum shift lengths in some of the more common Awards are below:

General Retail Industry Award:3 hours (unless they are fulltime high school student)

Fast Food Industry Award:3 hours

Clerks Private Sector Award:3 hours

Building and Construction General Onsite Award:4 hours

Gardening and Landscaping Services Award:3 hours

Social, Community … (SCHCADS Award):

(i) social and community services employees except when undertaking disability services work—3 hours;

(ii) home care employees—1 hour; or

(iii) all other employees—2 hours.


This article includes general information only and does not represent specific or legal advice. If you’d like some information on the Award or Award provisions that are specific to your business, feel free to give us a call.