Split Shifts & Minimum Engagement — Restaurant Award (MA000119)

What Is a Split Shift Under MA000119?

The Restaurant Industry Award MA000119 does not formally define “split shift,” but clause 21.3 refers to a broken working day — a day on which the employee’s work is divided into two or more separate periods, with a break between them that is longer than a meal break. The classic example is a restaurant employee who works the lunch service, has 3 hours off, then returns for the dinner service.

The maximum spread of hours for a split shift is set by clause 15.1(g) at 12 hours, measured from the start of the first work period to the end of the last. A roster that runs from 11am lunch start to 11pm dinner finish hits exactly the 12-hour cap.

Split Shift Allowance — $5.34 per Work Period

Under clause 21.3, an employee with a broken working day is paid an allowance of $5.34 for each separate work period of 2 hours or more (effective from 1 July 2025, subject to annual Fair Work Commission review).

Important conditions:

• Applies to full-time and part-time employees only — clause 21.3(a) explicitly limits the allowance to full-time and part-time employees. Casuals are not entitled to the split shift allowance under MA000119
• Per separate work period of 2 hours or more — a broken day with two qualifying work periods earns 2 × $5.34. A broken day with three qualifying work periods earns 3 × $5.34. Each qualifying period attracts the allowance
• Paid in addition to ordinary wages and any applicable penalty rates — the allowance is on top of pay for hours worked, not instead of it
• Annual indexation — the dollar amount is reviewed annually by the Fair Work Commission. The figure above reflects the Annual Wage Review 2024-25 determination

Minimum Engagement — By Employment Type

Minimum engagement determines the smallest amount of work time an employee can be rostered for. Under MA000119, the rules differ significantly between casual and part-time employees, and rosters that combine the two often misapply one rule to the other.

Casual minimum engagement is 2 hours. Even if a casual works fewer than 2 hours, they must be paid for 2 hours. This is the same minimum as the Hospitality Industry (General) Award MA000009, despite a common misconception that the Restaurant Award casual minimum is 3 hours.

Part-time minimum daily engagement is 3 hours. The 3-hour figure relates to the part-time daily roster cap, not casuals. Part-time employees must also have at least 2 days off each week (clause 10.7(c)) and cannot be rostered outside their agreed availability under clause 10.4.

Maximum Spread of Hours — The 12-Hour Cap

Under clause 15.1(g) of MA000119, the maximum spread of hours for an employee who works split shifts is 12 hours. The spread is measured from the start of the first work period to the end of the last work period — including all break time in between.

Practical examples:

• Lunch shift 11am–3pm, dinner shift 5pm–11pm: spread of hours is 11am to 11pm = 12 hours (at the cap)
• Lunch shift 11am–3pm, dinner shift 6pm–11pm: spread of hours is 11am to 11pm = 12 hours (at the cap)
• Brunch shift 9am–2pm, dinner shift 6pm–10pm: spread of hours is 9am to 10pm = 13 hours (exceeds cap)

Where the spread exceeds 12 hours, the employee may be entitled to overtime or additional payments depending on circumstances. Reviewing rosters for spread-of-hours breaches is a basic compliance check that catches systematic Award contraventions.

Other Rostering Constraints Under MA000119

Beyond split shifts and minimum engagements, clause 15.1 imposes additional rostering rules that apply across the workforce:

• Minimum break between shifts: 10 hours between finishing ordinary hours one day and starting ordinary hours the next (8 hours for a roster changeover) — applies to all employees other than casuals
• 10+ hour shifts limit: An employee rostered to work more than 10 ordinary hours on more than 3 consecutive days is entitled to a break of at least 48 hours after the last consecutive day. Maximum 8 such days in any 4-week cycle
• Days off: Minimum of 8 full days off in a 4-week period for any employee
• Junior employees under 18: Cannot be required to work more than 10 hours in a shift (clause 13.3)

Common Split Shift & Engagement Mistakes in Restaurants

• Paying the split shift allowance to casuals — clause 21.3 only entitles full-time and part-time employees. Casuals are not entitled to the split shift allowance under MA000119. Paying it anyway is voluntary, but it does not satisfy any other Award obligation
• Failing to pay the split shift allowance for each qualifying period — a 3-period broken day attracts 3 × $5.34. Paying a single allowance for the whole day is an underpayment
• Underpaying casuals for the 2-hour minimum — sending a casual home after 90 minutes still requires payment for 2 hours under clause 11.3
• Rostering part-timers for less than 3 hours — clause 10.7(b) prohibits rostering a part-time employee for fewer than 3 hours in a day. This is a separate breach from the casual 2-hour minimum
• Exceeding the 12-hour spread — a brunch-and-dinner roster that opens at 9am and closes at 10pm is a 13-hour spread, breaching clause 15.1(g)
• Confusing MA000119 with MA000009 minimum engagements — the Hospitality Award also has a 2-hour casual minimum, so the rules align there. But the split shift allowance under MA000119 is structured as a flat per-period allowance, while the equivalent under MA000009 has different conditions. See Hospitality vs Restaurant Award differences

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