Home Care Award
Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 — Home Care
Ask FairWork Mate AI about the Home Care Award
Plain-English answers grounded on the full MA000100 document — every clause, variation, and classification. From $499/mo (50% off first month).
Who does this award cover?
The Home Care Award covers employees working in home care, including the following common roles:
Pay rates by classification
| Classification | Base (per hour) | Casual (+25%) | Weekly (38h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Care Employee Level 1 | $24.95 | $31.19 | $948.10 |
| Home Care Employee Level 2 | $25.52 | $31.90 | $969.76 |
| Home Care Employee Level 3 | $26.65 | $33.31 | $1012.70 |
| Home Care Employee Level 4 | $28.51 | $35.64 | $1083.38 |
Rates shown are hourly permanent (base) and casual (base + 25% loading). Always verify with the official FWC document — rates change annually on 1 July following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review.
Penalty rates
How casual overtime is calculated
One of the most common payroll questions under the Home Care Award: when a casual works overtime or weekend hours, does the 1.5× or 2× multiplier apply to the base rate, or to the 25%-loaded casual rate? The answer depends on how the award is drafted.
Method for the Home Care Award
Separate — overtime on the base rate only, loading does not apply
Source: Clause 10.4 / Clause 11 (Home Care stream) · Inferred from industry pay guides — verify edge cases via FWO PACT
Same treatment as the main SCHADS stream: 25% loading on ordinary hours only; overtime calculated on base rate without the loading. Cross-check edge cases via FWO PACT.
| Method | Calculation | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Additive | $25.52 × 175% | $44.66 |
| Compounded | $31.90 × 150% | $47.85 |
| Separate (used by this award) | $25.52 × 150% | $38.28 |
Worked example: casual Level 2 (base $25.52/hr), first block of overtime at 150%. Different awards produce different hourly rates from the same base because the 25% loading is applied differently.
Calculate casual overtime for any scenario →Break entitlements
| Shift length | Meal break | Rest break | Paid? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 hours | — | — | No |
| 5–7.6 hours | 30 min | — | No |
| 7.6–10 hours | 30 min | 10 min | Yes |
| 10+ hours | 60 min | 20 min | Yes |
Home Care Award enforcement cases
Real Fair Work Commission, Federal Court, and FWO outcomes citing this award.
Want the full MA000100 document?
This page covers the headline rates, penalties, and break rules. The full award has dozens more clauses: allowances, overtime formulas, rostering rules, dispute procedures, and classification descriptors. FairWork Mate AI answers plain-English questions grounded on every clause. The Business API returns structured data for payroll and HR systems.
Question about the Home Care Award?
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