How to Find and Read Your Enterprise Agreement (EBA) 2026
Find your enterprise agreement (EBA) on the Fair Work Commission register, read the pay tables, and check your pay is right — step-by-step guide.
Payroll & Compliance Editor · Registered BAS Agent, Cert IV Accounting & Bookkeeping
Step 1: Work out whether an EBA covers you
First, check whether you're on an enterprise agreement at all. The quickest signals: your payslip or contract names an "agreement" rather than just an award; your classification uses the employer's own level names; or you work for a large employer (most major supermarkets, hardware and fast-food chains run agreements). If none of that applies, you're most likely on the relevant modern award.
Step 2: Search the Fair Work Commission register
Every approved enterprise agreement is public. Go to the Fair Work Commission's Find an Enterprise Agreement database and search by your employer's name. You'll get the full approved agreement as a PDF, plus the decision approving it. If you're a union member, your union usually publishes the same agreement with a plain-English summary.
Step 3: Read the pay tables
Inside the agreement, find your classification level (the agreement defines what each level covers), then read across to your base hourly rate. Then check the schedules for penalty rates (weekends, evenings, public holidays), casual loading, allowances and overtime. Agreements often fold some of these into the base rate, so read how your "all-up" rate is built.
Step 4: Compare to the award and check the expiry
Compare the agreement's rates to the award floor — the agreement should leave you better off overall. Check the agreement's nominal expiry date: if it has passed, the agreement still applies, but your pay may be due for renegotiation. Our pay rate tools give you the current award baseline to compare against.
What if my pay is below the agreement?
If your actual pay is below what the agreement (or award) requires, that's an underpayment, and you can recover it — generally going back up to six years. Document your hours and payslips, raise it with your employer in writing, and if it isn't fixed, the Fair Work Ombudsman can help. Start by running the numbers through our underpayment checker and back pay calculator.
Have a workplace question?
Got a specific situation this article didn't cover? Ask our workplace advisor.
General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.
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Six years running payroll for a Western Sydney commercial builder before moving to compliance writing and contract payroll. Registered BAS Agent (TPB). Cert IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping. Writes about pay calculations, superannuation, and the 2026 Payday Super rollout. Based in Cabramatta, Sydney.