Annual Wage Review 2026 Decision Day: When, Where and How to Watch

The Fair Work Commission's Expert Panel on the Annual Wage Review hands down its decision in the first or second week of June 2026. Based on the history of the last decade, the most likely day is Tuesday 2 June or Wednesday 3 June 2026, announced at 10:00am AEST.

The new rates take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. So even if your pay cycle ends mid-week, the new rate doesn't apply until your next full pay period that begins on or after 1 July.

The decision affects more than 2.6 million workers on the National Minimum Wage and modern award minimum rates. Workers paid above-award (private contracts that already exceed the award) are not automatically increased — only the award floor moves.

Authoritative sources: Fair Work Commission — Annual Wage Review 2026, Fair Work Commission homepage.

The Expert Panel has settled into a consistent pattern of early-June Tuesday or Wednesday announcements:

• 2025 — Tuesday 3 June, 10:00am AEST. Announced 3.5% increase.
• 2024 — Monday 3 June, 10:30am AEST. 3.75% increase.
• 2023 — Friday 2 June, 10:00am AEST. 5.75% increase to award rates, 8.6% to the National Minimum Wage.
• 2022 — Wednesday 15 June, 10:30am AEST (later than usual). 5.2% to NMW, 4.6% to award rates.
• 2021 — Wednesday 16 June, 10:30am AEST. 2.5% increase, with staggered rollout.
• 2020 — Friday 19 June (delayed by COVID submissions). 1.75%, with delayed application for some industries.

For 2026, hearings concluded by mid-May, written submissions are closed, and the Expert Panel is in deliberations. Based on this calendar and the recent run of early-June announcements, expect the decision Tuesday 2 June or Wednesday 3 June 2026. The Commission publishes the announcement timetable on its website typically 1-2 weeks before the actual hearing, so confirm closer to the day.

The Expert Panel decision is delivered in a hearing held at the FWC's Melbourne registry, but it's livestreamed and the written decision is published online within minutes of the announcement.

To watch live:

• FWC Annual Wage Review page at fwc.gov.au/.../annual-wage-review-2026 — the livestream link appears at the top of the page on the morning of the decision.
• The FWC also typically streams via its YouTube channel — search "Fair Work Commission Australia" on YouTube on the day.
• ABC News and the major networks usually cross to the announcement live and run a wrap immediately afterwards.

What you'll see in the announcement (approx 30-45 minutes total):

1. The Panel President opens the hearing and summarises the legal context (around 5-10 minutes).
2. The Panel reads the percentage increase — both for the National Minimum Wage and the modern award minimum rates. (These are sometimes the same percentage, sometimes different — in 2023 they were materially different.)
3. The Panel addresses any sectoral or staggered rollout (e.g. delayed application for industries facing specific pressures).
4. The full written decision (typically 200-400 pages) is published on the FWC website at the moment of the verbal announcement.

The headline number — the percentage increase — is what gets reported by media. The underlying detail (which awards, when, how rounded) is in the written decision.

The new rates take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. So if your pay cycle is fortnightly running 25 June – 8 July, the old rate applies to that whole period; the new rate applies from 9 July.

What changes automatically:

• The National Minimum Wage (currently $948.10/week, or $24.95/hr in 2025-26).
• All modern award minimum classification rates.
• Allowances tied to a percentage of the standard rate (these flow through automatically).
• Casual rates (the casual loading is applied to the new base).
• Junior rates (calculated as a percentage of the relevant adult rate, so they flow through proportionally).
• Apprentice rates (same flow-through logic).

What does not change automatically:

• Above-award contract rates — your private agreement only increases if it has an indexation clause referencing the award.
• Enterprise agreement rates — these change only when the agreement itself is varied or replaced.
• Salary packages quoted as a total cost — the breakdown shifts but the total may not.
• Allowances expressed as a fixed dollar amount — these change only when the FWC specifically decides them.

The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes updated pay guides for every award within 7-10 days of the decision. The FWO's Pay and Conditions Tool (calculate.fairwork.gov.au) typically updates within 2-3 business days of the decision.

1. Watch or read the announcement at 10am AEST. Check the FWC site or news at the time. The headline percentage tells you most of what you need.
2. Find your award classification. If you don't know it, the FWO's Find My Award tool helps. Knowing your exact classification (e.g. "Hospitality Industry Award Level 2") matters because the increase applies to the per-classification base rate.
3. Check whether your contract is at-award or above-award. If above, the increase doesn't automatically reach you. Ask your employer about how their above-award rates flow through (some employers maintain a fixed percentage above award; others don't).
4. Note your first full pay period after 1 July 2026. The new rate applies from that period — not before, not on 1 July if 1 July falls mid-period.
5. After your first post-1-July payslip arrives, reconcile. Was the new rate applied? Was the casual loading applied to the new base? Were any allowances updated? Use the FWM tools listed below to verify.
6. If you're underpaid, raise it in writing. Email payroll referencing the decision and the new pay guide. The FWO's Pay and Conditions Tool gives you the authoritative figure to point to.

1. Watch the announcement live or read the headline within an hour. The percentage tells you the order of magnitude; the written decision tells you the per-classification application.
2. Schedule a payroll review for the period after 1 July 2026. All award-derived rates need to update. Most modern payroll systems (Xero, MYOB, KeyPay, Employment Hero) push automatic award updates within 1-2 business days of the FWO publishing the new pay guides.
3. Identify any above-award arrangements that won't auto-update. Salary letters, contractor rates, EBA pay points referenced to the award.
4. Update allowances expressed as percentages of the standard rate. Most allowances flow through automatically in payroll software, but custom or in-house allowances may not.
5. Communicate with staff. A simple all-staff note at the start of the new financial year confirming "the FWC awarded a X% increase, your new pay rate from your first pay period on or after 1 July is $Y" prevents confusion and FWO complaints.
6. Verify Single Touch Payroll reporting — the new rate, year-to-date totals, and accrued leave balances all need to roll over correctly.

Will the 2026 increase be retrospective if the announcement is delayed?
No. The Expert Panel's decision applies from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, regardless of when the actual decision is announced. There is no retrospective application.

Does the increase affect superannuation contributions?
Yes — Super Guarantee is 12% of ordinary time earnings (OTE), so when the underlying base rate goes up, the SG amount goes up proportionally.

Are public sector workers affected?
Federal public service rates are set by enterprise agreements, not the Annual Wage Review, so directly no. State public service workers similarly — state EBAs set those rates. The decision affects modern-award workers and the National Minimum Wage floor.

Does the increase affect pay rates set in an enterprise agreement?
The agreement remains in force on its own terms. However, the Better Off Overall Test (BOOT) requires that EBA rates be at least equivalent to the modern award. After 1 July 2026, an EBA rate that was previously at or just above the award may now sit below the new minimum. The employer must then pay at least the award rate (the higher of the two), even if the EBA hasn't been varied.

What if I work for a small business?
Small businesses are bound by the same award and minimum wage rules as larger employers. There is no "small business exemption" from the Annual Wage Review.

Where can I find the full written decision after announcement?
The FWC publishes it on the Annual Wage Review 2026 page at the moment of announcement. It will appear under "Decision" in the document list.