Hospitality Award Complete Guide — MA000009 (2026)

What Is the Hospitality Award in Australia?

The Hospitality Industry (General) Award MA000009 is the primary modern award covering hospitality businesses in Australia. It sets the minimum pay rates, MA000009 penalty rates, allowances, and working conditions for employees in pubs, restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels, and catering operations under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). It is one of the most complex modern awards in the Australian employment law framework, with flat-dollar loadings, split shift provisions, and casual conversion obligations that differ significantly from other Awards.

For a comparison of how MA000009 requirements interact with the Restaurant Industry Award MA000119, or to understand which Award covers your venue, see Fitz HR’s HR software comparison for Australian hospitality.

The Hospitality Industry (General) Award MA000009 is a modern award made under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). It sets minimum pay rates, penalty rates, allowances, and conditions for employees in the hospitality industry across Australia. It is one of the highest-risk awards for non-compliance — the combination of complex penalty rate structures, flat dollar loadings, and casual conversion obligations creates frequent underpayment exposure for venues that don’t have specialist Award knowledge.

This guide is based on the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009) and Fair Work Commission determinations as at April 2026. Award rates are subject to annual Fair Work Commission review typically effective 1 July each year.

Penalty Rates (2026)

Penalty rates under the Hospitality Award apply on top of ordinary rates for full-time and part-time employees. Casual employees receive their 25% casual loading on top of these rates.

Common mistake: The evening and night loadings are flat dollar amounts — not percentages. Applying them as a percentage of the ordinary rate is a systematic underpayment error that compounds over time. See the complete 2026 Hospitality Award rates guide for classification-level breakdowns.

Classification Levels — How Employees Are Classified Under MA000009

Under the Hospitality Award MA000009, employees are classified based on their role, skill level, and responsibilities. Each classification level determines the minimum pay rate that applies. Misclassifying employees is one of the most common — and most expensive — compliance errors in Australian hospitality venues.

Classification levels under MA000009 include:

• Level 1: Introductory/entry-level roles with minimal experience — typically the first few months of employment before progression
• Level 2: Food and beverage attendants, kitchen hands, and equivalent roles — the most common classification in restaurants, cafes, and pubs
• Level 3: Employees with trade qualifications or equivalent skills, including experienced cooks and senior food and beverage roles
• Level 4–6: Specialist, supervisory, and management-equivalent classifications with higher minimum rates and additional entitlements

Paying a Level 2 rate to an employee who should be classified at Level 3 or above is a systematic underpayment — compounding for every shift worked. See the full MA000009 classification and pay rate breakdown for 2026, and explore how Fitz HR compares to HR consultants for Award interpretation.

Award Coverage — Who It Applies To

The Hospitality Award covers employees working in:

• Hotels, motels, and serviced apartments
• Restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops
• Pubs, bars, and licensed clubs (not covered by another Award)
• Catering operations
• Functions and events venues

It does not cover employees covered by the Restaurant Industry Award MA000119, or those working under a registered enterprise agreement that covers the same conditions.

Key Provisions — Topic by Topic

The Award contains specific provisions across all major HR topics. Each links to a detailed guide:

Common Hospitality Award Mistakes That Cost Venues Money

The following errors are the most frequently identified in Fair Work Ombudsman investigations of Australian hospitality venues. Each is a separate contravention with its own penalty exposure:

• Applying evening and night loadings as percentages — the $2.81/hr and $4.22/hr loadings are flat dollar amounts under MA000009, not percentages of the ordinary rate. Applying them as percentages systematically underpays lower-classification employees and overpays higher-classification employees
• Failing to offer casual conversion at 12 months — a written offer or written reasons must be provided to eligible casuals at the 12-month threshold. Missing this is a specific MA000009 requirement contravention, separate from any underpayment
• Incorrect employee classification — classifying employees below their actual skill and responsibility level creates ongoing underpayment exposure across every shift worked
• Recording rostered hours rather than actual hours — record-keeping obligations under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) require actual start and finish times. Rostered hours are not sufficient
• Absorbing casual loading into a flat rate — the 25% casual loading under MA000009 must be applied on top of the ordinary rate and all applicable penalty rates. Absorbing it into a single flat rate may still constitute underpayment when penalty rates apply

See the complete Fair Work compliance guide for hospitality and the Fair Work fines guide for Australian venues.

Fair Work Compliance — What Venues Must Do

Operating under the Hospitality Award MA000009 creates specific compliance obligations for hospitality businesses in Australia beyond just paying the correct rates:

• Record keeping: All employee records must be kept for 7 years, including actual start and finish times (not rostered times), pay rates, leave records, and superannuation contributions
• Payslips: Must be issued within one working day of pay day, and must include all required information under the Fair Work Regulations
• Casual conversion: Written offer or written reasons must be provided to eligible casuals at the 12-month mark
• Overtime: Applies after ordinary hours limits — must be paid at the correct overtime rate, not absorbed into a flat hourly rate

See the complete Fair Work compliance checklist for hospitality, the Fair Work compliance pillar guide, and learn how Fitz HR compares to HR consultants for ongoing Award compliance support.

Frequently Asked Questions