Gender Undervaluation Pay Rises: Which Awards Got a Raise from 1 April 2026?

The Fair Work Commission is conducting a priority review of modern awards where it believes workers have been underpaid because their industries are predominantly female. The logic is simple: work that's historically been done by women — caring, nursing, educating, supporting — has been valued less than equivalent male-dominated work.

This isn't about individual employers being sexist. It's about entire award pay structures that have undervalued certain types of work for decades. The FWC is correcting this at the award level, which means minimum rates go up for everyone covered.

The first award to receive increases from 1 April 2026 is:

• Health Professionals and Support Services Award — covering allied health workers, dental staff, support workers, lab technicians, and more

Other awards under active review include:

• Aged Care Award — already received a 15% increase in 2023, further changes expected
• Children's Services Award — early childhood educators and childcare workers
• Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award (SCHADS) — disability support workers, community services
• Nurses Award — registered nurses and enrolled nurses in private sector

The FWC hasn't announced exact dates for the remaining awards, but decisions are expected throughout 2026 and into 2027.

The increases vary by award and classification level. For the Health Services Award (the first tranche):

• Pay rises range from roughly 3% to 8% depending on classification
• Some workers benefit from reclassification into higher pay bands — which can mean a bigger jump
• The increases apply on top of any annual wage review increases from July

These are minimum rate increases. If your employer already pays above the award, you may not see a change unless you're close to the new minimum. Use our underpayment checker to see where you stand.

Follow these steps:

• Find your award: Check your employment contract or payslip. If you're not sure, use our pay rate lookup
• Check the FWC decisions: The Fair Work Commission publishes updated pay guides after each decision
• Compare your pay: Look at your hourly rate (before overtime/penalties) against the new minimum for your classification level
• Ask your employer: They should be proactively updating pay rates. If they haven't mentioned it, ask in writing

Award rates are legally binding minimums. Your employer cannot pay below them, even if your contract states a specific rate. If the award minimum goes up, your pay must go up with it.

If your employer hasn't updated your pay:

• Put your concern in writing (email is ideal)
• Reference the specific FWC decision and your classification level
• If they refuse or ignore you, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 — it's free
• You can also lodge an online complaint at fairwork.gov.au

Remember: underpayment can be backdated. If your employer is late updating your rate, they owe you the difference from the date the new rate took effect.

This is one of the most significant shifts in Australian workplace law in years. The FWC is formally acknowledging that gender has distorted award pay rates across entire industries. The flow-on effects include:

• Higher super contributions — 12% of a higher base rate means more in your super
• Higher penalty rates — penalties and overtime are calculated on base rates, so they go up too
• Better redundancy payouts — calculated on your base rate of pay
• Precedent for other awards — every decision makes the next one more likely