If your business provides cleaning services on a contract basis, or you have a labour hire business placing employees with contract cleaning businesses, then you’ll need to understand and comply with the Cleaning Services Award 2020 [MA000022].
From 1 July 2025, the Fair Work Commission increased modern award wages in Australia by 3.5%. This means employers covered by the Cleaning Services Award 2020 should review classifications, allowances, and penalty rates to ensure their employees receive the correct pay and entitlements.
In this guide, we explain who the Cleaning Services Award covers, how to classify employees under the Award, and what pay, leave, and penalty rules apply, so you can avoid underpayment or other Fair Work issues and maintain your business’s reputation.
Key Takeaways
- The Cleaning Services Award applies to most contract cleaning businesses in Australia and their employees. It also covers labour hire businesses and workers when they’re placed with a contract cleaning business.
- Employers have strict obligations under the Award regarding their employees’ pay, classifications, working hours, penalty rates, overtime, and allowances.
- Employees are entitled to specific entitlements under the Award, including minimum pay rates, breaks, annual leave, penalty rates, and other allowances, which must be correctly applied to remain compliant.
Cleaning Services Award Basics
The Cleaning Services Award is a modern national workplace award in Australia. It’s made by the Fair Work Commission under the Commonwealth Fair Work Act 2009, one of the country’s major employment laws.
The Award sets minimum pay rates, working hours, and leave entitlements for employers and employees in the contract cleaning industry. It ensures employees receive fair treatment and all entitlements required under Fair Work rules, while guiding employers on their obligations.
Employees covered by the Award receive minimum employment conditions under both the National Employment Standards (NES) and the Award. The NES provides 11 basic entitlements, including annual leave and notice periods.
Did You Know?
Like other modern awards in Australia, the Cleaning Services Award is divided into clauses and schedules. Clauses outline the main employment conditions (such as hours and leave), while schedules contain detailed tables, including classification levels and allowances.
Who’s covered under the Cleaning Services Award?
The Cleaning Services Award applies to most contract cleaning businesses in Australia and the people they employ. It also covers labour hire businesses and their employees when those employees are placed with a contract cleaning business.
A contract cleaning business provides cleaning services to clients under an agreed contract, rather than employing cleaners for its own premises. Under the Award, cleaning services include:
- Event cleaning, such as cleaning at sporting or entertainment events, or at cultural or scientific exhibitions.
- Trolley collection services.
- Hygiene and pollution control services.
- Minor property maintenance that’s related to cleaning work.
Examples of employers and employees covered by the Cleaning Services Award include:
- Office cleaners, shopping centre cleaners, and house or apartment cleaners employed by a contract cleaning business.
- Specialist cleaning businesses, such as those that clean gutters or bus shelters, or provide cleaning and restoration services for properties damaged by floods, fires, storms, or mould.
- Supermarket trolley collectors employed by a contract trolley business.
Who isn’t covered under the Cleaning Services Award?
The Cleaning Services Award doesn’t apply to the following employers and employees:
- Retail businesses, including supermarket trolley collectors employed directly by the retailer.
- Cleaners employed by businesses outside the contract cleaning industry, such as shops or hotels.
- Car wash or car detailing businesses and their employees.
- Laundry or dry-cleaning businesses and their employees.
- Cleaners working at civil construction sites.
The Cleaning Services Award also doesn’t apply to employers and employees when they’re covered by either the Hospitality Award [insert link] or the Retail Award [insert link].
Pro Tip
You can use the Fair Work Award Finder to confirm coverage based on your business type and the actual duties your employees perform.
Cleaning Services Award Classifications and Levels
The Award groups employees into employment types: full-time, part-time, or casual. It also distinguishes between adult employees (aged 21 or older) and junior employees (under 21).
Employment types
Full-time
Full-time employees work an average of 38 ordinary hours per week, which can be arranged in different ways, such as:
- 5 x 7.6-hour days per week.
- 19 x 8-hour days per month.
- Up to 10 hours per day by agreement between the employer and employee.
Part-time
Part-time employees have reasonably predictable hours, work fewer than the average of 38 ordinary hours per week, and receive the same entitlements as full-time employees, but on a pro rata basis. They also receive115% of the minimum hourly rate for ordinary hours worked.
Casual
Casual employees work on an intermittent or irregular basis. They’re paid a higher hourly rate, which includes a 25% casual loading to compensate for not receiving entitlements available to permanent employees.
You can find out more about these employee types in our Australian employment law guide.
Classifications
Employees in the contract cleaning industry are classified into levels under Schedule A of the Award based on the complexity of their work, skills, supervision requirements, and responsibilities.
| Employee level | Typical role | Typical tasks and responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning Services Employee Level One (CSE 1) | Entry-level cleaning worker performing routine and fundamental cleaning duties under supervision. | Performs basic cleaning work that doesn’t require specialised skills or complex decision-making. Works under routine supervision, either alone or as part of a team. Typical tasks include:
|
| Cleaning Services Employee Level Two (CSE 2) | Intermediate cleaner with broader skills, able to follow more complex instructions and potentially assist others. | Can work independently on more complex cleaning tasks, follow set procedures, and support other workers. Works under general supervision, either alone or as part of a team. Typical tasks include: performing routine and fundamental cleaning duties under supervision. Performs basic cleaning work that doesn’t require specialised skills or complex decision-making. Works under routine supervision, either alone or as part of a team. Typical tasks include:
|
| Cleaning Services Employee Level Three (CSE 3) | Advanced cleaning employee who performs higher-skill work and may provide leadership, supervision, or specialised services. | Combines advanced cleaning skills with some leadership or supervisory duties. May still perform hands-on cleaning work but with greater skill, responsibility, and independence. Typical tasks include: performing routine and fundamental cleaning duties under supervision. Performs basic cleaning work that doesn’t require specialised skills or complex decision-making. Works under routine supervision, either alone or as part of a team. Typical tasks include:
|
Cleaning Services Award Pay Rates and Entitlements
The Cleaning Services Award sets minimum pay rates for cleaning employees and is reviewed annually by the Fair Work Commission. As of 1 July 2025, pay rates rose by 3.5%.
Minimum base rates
Here’s what you need to pay adult cleaning services employees under the Award, according to their levels:
| Classification level | Minimum weekly rate (full-time) | Minimum hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $982.20 | $25.85 |
| Level 2 | $1,014.70 | $26.70 |
| Level 3 | $1,068.40 | $28.12 |
Note: There are also junior rates for employees of shopping trolley collection contractors.
If an employee undertakes work that’s usually done by a higher classification, they must be paid for higher duties as follows:
- 4 or more hours in a day: The employee is paid the higher classification rate for the whole day.
- Less than 4 hours in a day: The employee is paid the higher classification rate only for the time spent on those higher duties.
Did You Know?
The Fair Work Ombudsman provides advice and enforces compliance with the country’s workplace laws. Current pay rates for employees can be found in the Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay and wages or the Fair Work Commission’s Modern Awards Pay Database.
Penalty rates
Penalty rates are payable to full-time, part-time, and casual employees when they work particular times or days.
For shifts starting before 6:00 am or finishing after 6:00 pm (Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays), pay rates for adult employees are as follows:
- Full-time: 115% of the minimum hourly rate.
- Part-time: 130% of the minimum hourly rate.
- Casual: 140% of the minimum hourly rate.
For shifts finishing after midnight but not later than 8.00 am (Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays), adult pay rates are as follows:
- Full-time and part-time: 130% of the minimum hourly rate.
- Casual: 155% of the minimum hourly rate.
For weekends and public holidays, refer to the Award or use the Fair Work Pay Calculator.
Overtime rules and rates
Under the Award, employers can require employees to work reasonable overtime, which must be paid at overtime rates.
Overtime applies when employees work longer than their usual hours—typically:
- More than 38 hours in a week.
- More than 10 hours in a day.
Full-time, part-time, and casual adult employees covered by the Cleaning Services Award are entitled to the following overtime rates:
| Day/hours worked | Full-time & part-time (% of normal hourly rate) | Casual (with 25% loading) |
|---|---|---|
| First 2 hours, Mon–Sat | 150% | 175% |
| After 2 hours, Mon–Sat & all day Sun | 200% | 225% |
| All day on public holidays | 250% | 265% |
Breaks and allowances
Breaks
Under the Award, breaks differ between shiftworkers and non-shiftworkers. Shiftworkers are employees who work a roster and are regularly scheduled to work on any day of the week, including Sundays and public holidays.
Shiftworkers
- Entitled to a paid meal break of at least 20 minutes, taken 4–5 hours after the shift starts.
- Full-time shiftworkers on a straight shift also get a 10-minute paid rest break.
Non-shiftworkers
- Not entitled to paid meal breaks, but must have an unpaid meal break of 30–60 minutes.
- Can’t be required to work more than 4.5 hours (or 5 hours in an emergency) without a meal break.
- Entitled to two 10-minute paid rest breaks (morning and afternoon), which count as work time.
Allowances
When certain conditions are met, employees may be entitled to extra payments known as “allowances.” These allowances are intended to be compensation for additional costs or responsibilities connected with their work, and include:
| Allowance | Employer’s obligation | |
|---|---|---|
| Height allowance |
| |
| Leading hand allowance |
| |
| Meal allowance | If an employee works 2+ extra hours without prior notice, the employer must either:
| |
| Toilet cleaning allowance |
| |
| Vehicle allowance |
| |
For details of other allowances, including first aid and broken shift allowances, refer to the Award.
Leave
The Award incorporates the NES minimum entitlement for leave. It can set additional rules for leave management, but it can’t provide less than the NES, and where there’s an inconsistency between the NES and the Award, the NES prevails.
Annual leave
Let’s look at the key information for annual leave:
- Full-time and part-time employees (not casuals) accrue 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year, based on ordinary hours worked (pro rata for part-time), under the NES.
- Employees who regularly work Sundays and public holidays (“7-day shiftworkers”) accrue 5 weeks’ paid leave.
- During leave, employees receive the higher of:
- 17.5% annual leave loading, or
- The shift, weekend, or public holiday penalties they would have earned.
- Employers can direct employees to take leave in reasonable circumstances (e.g., temporary shutdown), but not unpaid leave or below NES minimums.
- Leave pay includes relevant allowances, such as leading hand, first aid, and, for eligible part-time shiftworkers, part-time allowances (refer to the Award for more details).
- Leave can be taken as accrued. Taking leave in advance or splitting it requires employer agreement.
- Employees may cash out up to 2 weeks of accrued leave per 12 months with a written agreement and proper records.
Did You Know?
The NES sets out leave entitlements for most employees in Australia. Full- and part-time employees get paid annual leave, which they can use for any purpose they want. Learn more in our Australian employment law guide or in the Fair Work Ombudsman’s fact sheet.
Other NES leave
Other types of leave covered by both the NES and the Award include:
- Personal/carer’s leave.
- Compassionate leave.
- Parental leave and related entitlements.
- Community service leave.
- Family and domestic violence leave.
Pro Tip
You can use the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Leave Calculator to check how much leave applies to your role.
How To Determine Cleaning Services Award Coverage
Before you set pay rates or entitlements for your employees, it’s best to check they’re covered by the Award. To determine coverage:
- Look at the nature of your employee’s work, meaning the actual tasks they perform and the responsibilities they have. Don’t just base your assessment on their job title.
- Check the nature of your business. Are you primarily active in the contract cleaning services industry, or are you providing employees on a labour hire basis to organisations active in that industry?
- Make sure your employee isn’t already covered by another award. If they are, they’re not eligible for coverage under the Cleaning Services Award.
- Refer to the employee classification structure in Schedule A of the Award to view specific job classifications.
- Use the Fair Work Ombudsman’s online tools and resources to review job classifications and make sure the employee is covered under a particular classification.
- Seek legal advice or contact the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Cleaning Services Award: A practical, real-world example
Let’s take the example of Amina, a 42-year-old commercial cleaner. She has 5 years of experience in the contract cleaning services industry and is employed part-time by a cleaning company that services office buildings.
Amina works Monday to Friday from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm (4 hours per shift), cleaning a large CBD office site.
In the course of her employment, Amina performs duties including:
- Vacuuming and mopping floors.
- Cleaning kitchens and break rooms.
- Cleaning and sanitising toilets.
- Emptying rubbish and recycling bins.
- Using powered cleaning equipment such as commercial vacuum cleaners.
Based on her skills, experience, and duties, Amina is classified as a Level 2 Cleaning Services Employee (CSE 2) under the Cleaning Services Award, as she performs tasks beyond basic cleaning and works independently with minimal supervision.
Under the Cleaning Services Award, Amina is entitled to:
- Pay and hours
- Rate: Level 2 minimum ($26.70/hr) plus allowances.
- Ordinary hours: 6:00 pm–10:00 pm, Mon–Fri, within a part-time roster (no overtime).
- Night penalty: 130% ($34.71/hr; $138.84 per 4-hr shift). Penalties/overtime apply for weekends, public holidays, or hours outside the roster.
- Allowances
- Toilet-cleaning allowance.
- Leading hand or broken shift allowances, if applicable.
- Minimum engagement
- Shifts must meet the Award minimum hours, even if work finishes early.
- Breaks
- No meal break for 4-hr shifts; meal break if shift exceeds the Award threshold.
Employer Obligations, Record-Keeping, and Common Mistakes
To comply with the Award and the Fair Work Act 2009, you need to ensure you fulfil your obligations when paying and classifying your employees. You also need to keep adequate records.
You’re required to:
- Ensure your employees receive at least the minimum pay rates applicable to their classification level.
- Properly classify your employees’ roles based on their duties, skill level, experience, level of supervision, and the equipment they use.
- Pay all applicable allowances, such as toilet cleaning allowance, broken shift allowance, leading hand allowance, and travel time and fares (where required).
- Correctly identify ordinary hours and overtime hours, and pay overtime rates when thresholds are exceeded (daily, weekly, or roster-based).
- Apply penalty rates for weekends, public holidays, and early morning or night work (where applicable).
- Make the Cleaning Services Award available to employees (or advise how to access it).
- Comply with the Fair Work Information Statement (FWIS) and Casual Employment Information Statements (CEIS).
- Respond appropriately to employee pay or classification queries.
Record-keeping
As an employer, you must maintain accurate, complete, and legible employee records for at least 7 years. These include:
- Employee details (name, start date, employment type).
- Award classification for the employee.
- Hours worked (especially important for casuals and part-time employees).
- Pay rates, loadings, penalties, and allowances.
- Overtime worked.
- Leave balances and leave taken.
- Superannuation contributions.
Common mistakes
To ensure compliance and fair practice, avoid these common errors:
- Incorrectly calculating overtime for part-time and casual employees, like not recognising overtime triggers by days worked or daily/weekly thresholds.
- Ignoring minimum engagement periods for part-time and casual cleaners, and paying for actual hours worked rather than the minimum rostered hours required based on the site size.
- Not paying for travel time and fares between jobs after the shift has started.
- Overlooking leading hand allowances for employees who supervise others but aren’t formally paid as a leading hand.
- Failing to pay broken shift allowances when employees work split shifts with long, unpaid breaks.
- Not applying the toilet cleaning allowance if cleaners are spending most of their time on toilet cleaning duties during a shift.
- Failing to observe the “right to disconnect” provisions and associated minimum payment obligations when employees are recalled for non-cleaning work.
Resources and Links
- Cleaning Services Award 2020 (MA000022): The full Fair Work Ombudsman document detailing all pay rates, conditions, and classifications under the Cleaning Services Award.
- Downloadable Guide—Downloadable Cleaning Services Award pay guide for the Cleaning Services Award [MA000022] from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
- Cleaning Award [MA000022]—Fair Work Ombudsman document summarising who is and isn’t covered by the Cleaning Award.
- Cleaning Services Pay Rates 2025/2026: Pay Rate Viewer and Classification Guide—Find pay rates and a summary of all Cleaning Services Award classifications.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Pay and wages: Find pay guides, calculators, and employer obligations under the Fair Work Act.
- Fair Work Information Statement: Key information every new employee must receive when starting a job.
- Fair Work Pay Calculator: Estimate pay, penalty, and overtime rates.
- Modern Awards Pay Database: Check up-to-date award rates for all classifications.
FAQs
What is the Cleaning Award?
The Cleaning Award’s full name is the Cleaning Services Award 2020, and it’s a modern Australian workplace award. It contains rules setting out the minimum employment conditions for employers and their employees providing contract cleaning services in Australia, including details on pay rates, working hours, and leave entitlements.
Are Cleaning Services Award pay rates increasing?
As of 1 July 2025, the Cleaning Services Award pay rates have increased by at least 3.5%. This means that all employees covered by the Award, which will be most employees of companies that provide cleaning services under a contract, are entitled to a pay rise.
Who is covered by the Cleaning Services Award?
The Cleaning Services Award covers employers in the contract cleaning services industry and their employees who fall within the award’s classifications. It also covers labour hire businesses and their employees who are placed with an organisation in the contract cleaning services industry. Check the Award for full information on who’s covered and the classification descriptions.
Disclaimer
The information provided here is a summary only and does not constitute legal advice. While we have made every effort to ensure the information provided is up to date and reliable, we cannot guarantee its completeness, accuracy, or applicability to your specific situation. Laws change frequently, and outcomes may vary depending on your business circumstances. We recommend consulting a qualified employment lawyer before making decisions related to workforce management. Please note that we cannot be held liable for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented on this website.