Awards and agreements

Awards outline the minimum conditions of employment and operate as a safety net. Agreements are collective agreements establishing further conditions of employment and entitlements for specific employees and their employers. 

Agreements are negotiated between unions and employers on a more regular basis (generally every 2 or 3 years) and registered by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC). Once registered, the agreement’s provisions apply to all employees in the workplace who perform work covered by the industrial agreement.

It is important to read both the relevant agreement and the award for the specific occupational group to understand an employee’s full entitlements. As a general rule, an agreement overrides an award if they both contain clauses covering the same condition of employment and are contradictory. 

The following tables provide an overview of the industrial instruments applicable to Department employees.