Fair Work Commission limits part-time shifts to three days per week
The Fair Work Commission has cleared the way for award employees to work part-time after authorising changes to the award.
Under the changes, which were approved by a four-member panel yesterday, a part-time employee can work for no more than three days per week, with the days to be agreed in writing well ahead of time.
A part-time worker will also be prevented from working for any more than an average of 38 hours per week over a 28-day period.
If an employer directs its part-time employee to work on a non-agreed day, the worker will receive a 15 per cent loading on their cents-per-kilometre rate, their hourly driving rate and any award pay rates for loading and unloading.
All part-time employees paid by the cents per kilometre rate must get a minimum payment per day for 500km, and any employee engaged on an hourly rate must be paid for a minimum of eight hours.
The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) says the changes to the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2010 contain a range of measures designed to protect part-time employees, meaning their engagement could be quite complex.
The changes to the Award came into operation from 28 February, but will not take effect in the workplace until the start of the first full pay period on or after that date.