The Fair Work Commission has announced a 3% increase to minimum wages. The increase will apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2014. The increase only applies to employees that get their pay rates from the national minimum wage, a modern award or in some cases a registered agreement.

The new national minimum wage will be $640.90 per week or $16.87 per hour. The national minimum wage applies to employees who aren’t covered by an award or agreement.

If you’re not sure which award applies to your employees, visit “How to find an award” .

NOTE: The increased pay rate applies to work performed after 1 July and then it only applies to the NEW pay period. So if a pay fortnight ends on the 5th July they get all the pay at the old rate and it is only the next FULL fortnight that gets paid at the new rate. Don’t change rates mid stream and don’t apply the new rate too early.

NOTE: For SGC it is different: For SGC the new 9.5% rate applies to any amount of pay that is paid to the employees after 30 June. So the fortnight that ends on the 5th July would have SGC applied at 9.5% because that is when they are being paid.