Cleaning Services Award rates in Australia 2025/2026
A practical guide to pay rates, penalties and compliance (MA000022)
• Rates effective: from the first full pay period on or afterFrom 1 July 2025
Written by
Steve Harris
This guide provides general information only about the Cleaning Services Award 2020 (MA000022) as consolidated by the Fair Work Commission up to and including 23 January 2026. It does not constitute legal advice, industrial relations advice, payroll advice, accounting advice, or professional advice of any kind, and must not be relied upon to calculate pay, determine entitlements, classify employees, or make compliance decisions for any individual employee or business.
Coverage under the Cleaning Services Award, employee classification, minimum pay rates, overtime, penalties, allowances, and other entitlements depend on the specific facts and circumstances, including (without limitation):
- The employer's operations and industry
- The employee's actual duties, skills, qualifications, experience, and level of responsibility
- Employment type (full-time, part-time, casual)
- Rostering arrangements and the hours and times actually worked
Not all employees working in cleaning are covered by the Cleaning Services Award. Some employees may instead be covered by a different modern award, an enterprise agreement, or another lawful instrument.
Minimum wages and employment conditions under modern awards may change due to Annual Wage Reviews, Fair Work Commission decisions, or legislative amendments. Employers must always verify current obligations using the official Award text, Fair Work Ombudsman pay guides, the Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT), and applicable legislation, including the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
If there is any inconsistency between this guide and an official source, the official source prevails.
Looking for MA000022?
This is it. MA000022 is the official Fair Work code for the Cleaning Services Award 2020, also known as the Cleaning Award. This guide covers all MA000022 pay rates, classifications, penalties and compliance requirements updated for 2025/26.
View official MA000022 on Fair Work →See how RosterElf interprets the Cleaning Services Award
This is an educational example showing how Cleaning Services Award (MA000022) penalty rates work. It demonstrates how RosterElf automatically calculates correct pay rates based on classification level, employment type, and shift times.
Cleaning Services Award penalty rates (MA000022)
Example weekly cost (38 hours)
Example only - not for payroll use
This is a demonstration of how RosterElf calculates award-compliant rates for cleaning services employees.
The actual cost for your employees will depend on:
- Their specific classification level and employment type
- Actual hours worked and shift times
- Whether they are part-time (15% part-time allowance applies to each ordinary hour)
- Any additional allowances (toilet cleaning, broken shift, first aid), overtime, or enterprise agreement provisions
- Current award rates (which change annually in July)
For accurate payroll calculations, always:
- Verify current rates with the official Fair Work pay guide for MA000022
- Confirm your employees' correct award coverage and classification
- Use award interpretation software or consult a payroll professional
- Review your specific enterprise agreement (if applicable)
Do not rely on this example for actual wage payments.
Stop calculating Cleaning Award rates manually
Let RosterElf handle MA000022 compliance automatically
Manual award calculations are time-consuming and error-prone. One mistake can lead to underpayments, compliance issues, and Fair Work penalties. RosterElf's award interpretation engine does the work for you — automatically applying Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, and early/late shift rates for cleaning employees.
How RosterElf automates award calculations
Create pay templates
Create pay templates for each classification level by adding award-compliant base rates and penalty multipliers. Once configured, RosterElf automatically applies the correct template to each shift based on the employee's classification, shift timing, and employment type.
Award interpretation →Define rate rules
Configure when different penalty rates apply — early starts before 6am, late finishes after 6pm, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. The system automatically detects which rate to use based on shift times and days.
Cleaning Services Award guide →Auto-apply to shifts
Every rostered shift automatically calculates the correct pay rate based on the employee's classification, employment type, and shift timing. No manual work required.
Payroll integration →Quick casual rates 2025/26 (MA000022)
Casual ordinary hourly rates (inclusive of 25% casual loading)
These are the casual ordinary hourly rates (Mon–Fri, standard hours) under the Cleaning Services Award 2020 effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025.
| Classification | Casual ordinary hourly rate (incl. 25% loading) |
|---|---|
| CSE 1 — Level 1 | $32.31 |
| CSE 2 — Level 2 | $33.38 |
| CSE 3 — Level 3 | $35.15 |
Note: Part-time employees receive an additional 15% part-time allowance on each ordinary hour worked (clause 12.3), on top of the permanent base rate. Penalty rates for early/late shifts, weekends, and public holidays apply separately.
Quick summary for time-poor owners (and payroll teams)
If you only read one section, read this:
Confirm coverage
The Cleaning Services Award 2020 covers employers in the contract cleaning services industry (cleaning under a contract), including event cleaning, trolley collection (with an important exclusion), and minor property maintenance incidental to cleaning.
Classify correctly (Levels 1–3)
Classification depends on duties, not job titles.
Pick the right employment type
Part-time: you must pay a 15% part-time allowance for each ordinary hour worked.
Casual: you must pay a 25% casual loading (instead of leave entitlements).
Rostering + timing drives cost
Penalties can apply for early starts / late finishes, weekends, and public holidays. Overtime rules apply when daily/weekly thresholds are exceeded, and casual overtime has different percentages. Smart rostering software helps avoid these costly errors.
Major traps in cleaning payroll
- Minimum engagement: minimum shift length is based on the cleaning area size (and a special small-site exception).
- Broken shifts: allowed, but they have a strict definition and require a broken shift allowance.
- Contract changes: specific consultation and notice obligations when contracts change hands.
Bottom line: Cleaning is a high-risk industry for underpayments because it combines part-time allowances, complex penalties, minimum engagements by site size, broken shifts, and contract change rules.
Award coverage decision tree (start here before checking rates)
Use this top to bottom to confirm coverage
Are you a contract cleaning business?
The Award covers employers in the contract cleaning services industry — i.e., providing cleaning services under a contract.
Does the work match the Award's scope?
The Award's definition includes:
- Cleaning (including event cleaning)
- Hygiene and pollution control
- Trolley collection (excluding trolley collection covered by the General Retail Industry Award 2020)
- Minor property maintenance incidental to cleaning
Final checks (strongly recommended)
Before relying on these rates:
- Confirm you're a national system employer under the Fair Work system (Some employers are in a state system)
- Check if you have an enterprise agreement (which can displace Award terms)
- If unclear, verify via Fair Work guidance and/or professional advice
What the cleaning Services Award actually is
The Cleaning Services Award 2020 (MA000022) sets the minimum legal pay rates and employment conditions for employees in the contract cleaning services industry.
It operates alongside the National Employment Standards (NES). The Award and NES together form the minimum safety net — you can pay above it, but not below it.
Who the Award covers (and common roles)
The Award covers employees of contract cleaning employers who are classified under Schedule A. The Award also covers on-hire employees working in the contract cleaning services industry and their on-hire employers, and trainees employed by a group training employer and hosted by an employer covered by the Award.
Typical covered work includes (examples)
Schedule A's indicative Level 1 tasks include (among others): sweeping/mopping, toilet cleaning (with allowance), rubbish collection, internal/external glass cleaning, domestic cleaning, and trolley servicing/collection.
2025/26 pay rates overview (what you must pay)
The rates below reflect the Award's minimum adult rates and schedules that were varied with pay increases from the Annual Wage Review effective from the first full pay period on or after 01 Jul 2025.
1) Minimum adult base rates (Table 2)
These are the minimum for ordinary hours (before you add penalties, overtime, allowances).
| Classification | Minimum weekly (FT) | Minimum hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning Services Employee Level 1 | $982.20 | $25.85 |
| Cleaning Services Employee Level 2 | $1014.70 | $26.70 |
| Cleaning Services Employee Level 3 | $1068.40 | $28.12 |
Quick search answer: Under the Cleaning Services Award, the Level 1 adult minimum hourly rate is $25.85 (before penalties/overtime/allowances).
2) Part-time allowance (15%) — critical
Part-time employees must be paid an extra 15% for each ordinary hour worked (in addition to the minimum hourly rate).
This means part-time "day" rates are higher than full-time day rates even before penalties.
Part-time ordinary + penalty rates (Schedule B summary)
| Level | Day | Early/late shift* | Permanent night | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | $29.73 | $33.61 | $33.61 | $42.65 | $55.58 | $68.50 |
| L2 | $30.71 | $34.71 | $34.71 | $44.06 | $57.41 | $70.76 |
| L3 | $32.34 | $36.56 | $36.56 | $46.40 | $60.46 | $74.52 |
*Early/late shift = a Mon–Fri shift starting before 6am or finishing after 6pm (excluding public holidays).
Quick search answer: Do part-time cleaners get an allowance? Yes — 15% per ordinary hour on top of the minimum hourly rate.
3) Casual loading (25%) — and what casual rates look like
Casuals must receive a 25% loading on top of the minimum hourly rate.
Casual ordinary + penalty rates (Schedule B summary)
| Level | Day | Early/late shift* | Permanent night | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | $32.31 | $36.19 | $40.07 | $45.24 | $58.16 | $71.09 |
| L2 | $33.38 | $37.38 | $41.39 | $46.73 | $60.08 | $73.43 |
| L3 | $35.15 | $39.37 | $43.59 | $49.21 | $63.27 | $77.33 |
*Early/late shift = a Mon–Fri shift starting before 6am or finishing after 6pm (excluding public holidays).
Quick search answer: Under this Award, a casual Level 1 minimum "day" rate is $32.31/hr (before allowances and subject to penalties/overtime rules).
Juniors (important: not what most people assume)
A key quirk of this Award: junior percentage rates are expressly set for employees of shopping trolley collection contractors.
Junior percentages (trolley collection contractors only)
Under clause 15.2, a shopping trolley collection contractor must pay juniors these percentages of the applicable adult rate:
- Under 16: 45%
- Age 16: 50%
- Age 17: 60%
- Age 18: 70%
- Age 19: 80%
- Age 20: 90%
Quick search answer: There are junior rates for employees of shopping trolley collection contractors under this Award. For general cleaning services employees, confirm coverage and classification carefully — don't assume the usual "junior % table" applies unless you're in that trolley collection contractor category.
Employment types (and what you must do at engagement)
The Award requires employees to be engaged as full-time, part-time or casual, and you must tell them the terms at engagement (including classification and usual location).
Part-time: written hours agreement required
When engaging a part-time employee, employer and employee must agree in writing on:
- hours each day
- days of the week
- start/finish times
...and any variation must be recorded in writing.
Casuals: when you can engage casually
A casual may only be engaged to perform work on an intermittent/irregular basis, uncertain hours, or to replace rostered-off/absent employees.
Minimum engagement (minimum shift length) — huge compliance risk
Unlike many awards, minimum engagement here depends on the site's total cleaning area:
| Cleaning area size | Minimum engagement |
|---|---|
| Only employee at small stand-alone location ≤300 m² (special rule) | 1 hour minimum (not practicable to work longer across 2+ locations) |
| Up to 2000 m² | 2 consecutive hours |
| 2000+ to 5000 m² | 3 consecutive hours |
| 5000+ m² | 4 consecutive hours |
Employees must be paid the minimum duration even if they work less.
Quick search answer: It depends on the cleaning area size (2/3/4 hours for most sites; special 1-hour exception only in narrow circumstances).
Penalty rates (when time of work changes the rate)
Penalty rates are set out in Table 7 (clause 20.2).
Penalty rate percentages (Table 7)
These are percentages of the minimum hourly rate:
| Time/Day | Full-time | Part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon–Fri (before 6am or after 6pm) | 115% | 130% | 140% |
| Permanent night shift | 130% | 130% | 155% |
| Saturday | 150% | 165% | 175% |
| Sunday | 200% | 215% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 265% | 275% |
Quick search answer: Saturday can be up to 175% for casuals; Sunday up to 225%; public holidays up to 275% (depending on employment type).
Overtime (and why casual overtime is different)
Overtime is addressed in clause 19.3 and Table 5. Importantly, the Award specifies different overtime percentages for casuals (which include the casual loading).
Overtime percentages (Table 5)
| Time/Day | FT/PT | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Mon–Sat first 2 hours | 150% | 175% |
| Mon–Sat after 2 hours | 200% | 225% |
| Sunday all day | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday all day | 250% | 275% |
Call-back minimums (common payroll miss)
If an employee is recalled to work overtime after leaving premises, they must be paid minimum 2 hours at overtime rate even if they work less.
There are also minimum paid hours when called back for admin/disciplinary duties (2 hours Mon–Fri, 3 hours Sat, 4 hours Sun at appropriate rates).
Broken shifts (split shifts) — definition + allowance
What counts as a broken shift?
A broken shift occurs when an employee is required to work a rostered shift in 2 periods of duty (excluding meal/rest breaks) within a maximum 13-hour spread, with a break between them of more than 1 hour.
Broken shift allowance (2025/26)
If an employee works a broken shift, the employer must pay a broken shift allowance of $4.50 for the day.
Quick search answer: $4.50 per day when the Award's broken-shift definition is met.
Allowances (common ones cleaning businesses miss)
The Award provides for monetary allowances in specified circumstances, and Schedule C summarises amounts.
Key allowances and 2025/26 amounts
| Allowance | Amount | Common trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet cleaning allowance | $3.53 per shift or $17.35 per week | When required to perform toilet cleaning |
| Refuse collection allowance | $4.48 per shift | When required to perform refuse collection work |
| First aid allowance | $16.11 per week | When appointed/required as first aid |
| Vehicle allowance | $0.99/km (motor vehicle) / $0.33/km (motorcycle) | When required to use their own vehicle for work |
| Meal allowance | $16.84 | Certain overtime/meal situations |
| Leading hand allowance | $54.77/wk (2–10 staff) / $76.32/wk (11–20) / $97.78/wk (21+) | When formally in charge of employees |
| Excess fares | $9.93 per day | Certain travel/fare circumstances |
Payslip and recordkeeping tip: The Award reminds employers that pay records and payslips must separately identify allowances (Fair Work Regulations).
Breaks (often missed in cleaning rosters)
Shiftworkers (where a shift penalty applies)
Employees working a shift that attracts a shift penalty are entitled to:
- a paid meal break of at least 20 minutes per shift (taken 4–5 hours after starting), and
- full-time shiftworkers on a straight shift get an additional 10-minute paid rest break.
Non-shiftworkers
- Unpaid meal break: 30 minutes to 1 hour, and cannot be required to work more than 4½ hours (or 5 hours in an emergency) without a meal break.
- Paid rest breaks: 10-minute paid morning and 10-minute paid afternoon rest breaks.
Breaks between shifts
Employees must have at least 8 consecutive hours between shifts; if required to start without it, overtime rates apply until released for 8 consecutive hours.
Leave and annual leave loading (and why cleaning payroll gets this wrong)
Annual leave is provided in the NES, and the Award sets how annual leave is paid, including loading.
Annual leave loading
For ordinary hours during annual leave, the employer must pay an additional amount that is the greater of:
- 17.5% of the employee's minimum hourly rate, or
- the shift/weekend/public holiday penalty rates the employee would have received for ordinary hours they would have been rostered to work.
What's included in "base rate" for annual leave calculation
For annual leave pay calculations, the base rate for ordinary hours includes certain amounts (where applicable), including:
- leading hand allowance
- first aid allowance
- part-time allowance for part-time employees working relevant shiftwork/rostered weekend ordinary hours
Superannuation (2025/26)
Employers generally must pay super on ordinary time earnings in line with superannuation law. The Super Guarantee rate is 12% from 1 July 2025.
Changing to permanent employment (employee choice pathway)
The Award points changes to casual employment status to the NES employee choice pathway. Eligible casuals can notify their employer in writing of an intention to change to permanent employment, and the employer can only refuse for limited reasons.
For practical steps and employer obligations, Fair Work Ombudsman guidance on becoming permanent is the best starting point.
Quick search answer: Can casual cleaners become permanent? Yes — eligibility and process sit under the NES (the Award points to it), and employers can only refuse in limited circumstances. Always document decisions carefully.
Right to disconnect (modern compliance requirement)
The Award includes an employee right to disconnect clause and states it applies from:
- 26 Aug 2024 (non-small business employers)
- 26 Aug 2025 (small business employers as at 26 Aug 2024)
This matters in cleaning because out-of-hours texts about roster changes are common. The Award clarifies it doesn't stop contact in certain circumstances like emergency roster changes and recall.
Workplace delegates' rights
The current Award includes clause 26A, which provides for the exercise of workplace delegates' rights under section 350C of the Fair Work Act. Employers must not unreasonably fail to deal with a workplace delegate, or prevent them from exercising their rights under clause 26A.
Contract changes (cleaning's unique high-risk rule set)
If a cleaning contract ends or won't be renewed, the Award requires consultation about change of contract, including written notice timing and content.
Key obligations include:
- written notice at least 28 days before the contract ends (or as soon as practicable)
- specify options for suitable alternative employment (if any)
- provide employees who are not offered suitable alternative employment with written notice including accrued entitlements + statement of service, and invite consent to share their name with the incoming contractor
- provide a list of consenting employees to the incoming contractor and organise a meeting
There are also redundancy interaction rules when a contract changes from one cleaning contractor to another.
Quick search answer: The Award has specific consultation + information obligations (and redundancy interaction rules). Treat contract handovers as a formal compliance workflow, not an ad-hoc process.
Step-by-step compliance plan (practical and audit-friendly)
Confirm you're in the national system
Check whether you're covered by the Fair Work system (national system employer).
Confirm Award coverage
Confirm you are providing cleaning services under a contract, and that no enterprise agreement applies.
Classify every employee by duties (not titles)
Use Schedule A and document why you chose the level.
Confirm employment type at engagement (and record it)
The Award requires engagement terms and records of classification/type.
For part-time: create a written hours agreement
Record hours/days/start-finish and record variations in writing.
Build minimum engagement into rostering rules
Roster minimums based on cleaning area thresholds, and pay the minimum even if the shift ends early.
Configure payroll for penalties and overtime
Implement Table 7 (penalties) and Table 5 (overtime) correctly, and ensure casual overtime uses the casual % table.
Allowances: set triggers + payslip coding
Pre-code toilet cleaning, refuse, vehicle, broken shift, first aid, leading hand etc and ensure allowances are itemised.
Annual leave loading: automate it
Annual leave loading is the greater of 17.5% or the penalties the employee would have earned if rostered.
Treat contract changes as a formal compliance event
Follow clause 29 notices, employee consents, incoming contractor lists, and redundancy interaction rules.
Common mistakes (real-world underpayment patterns)
Top 10 cleaning payroll errors
- Wrong award applied (e.g., treating contract cleaning as "in-house" without checking coverage)
- Missing the 15% part-time allowance (this is a frequent and expensive error)
- Minimum engagement breaches (paying only 1–2 hours when the site size requires 3–4)
- Broken shifts unpaid (or broken shift definition misunderstood)
- Weekend/public holiday penalties missed (especially for casuals)
- Toilet cleaning allowance not paid even when toilet cleaning is performed
- Annual leave loading not paid or incorrectly calculated
- Allowances not itemised on payslips / poor recordkeeping
- Contract change consultation ignored during tender transitions
- Casual conversion/employee choice requests handled informally without following NES process
Final takeaways
- The Cleaning Services Award is an industry award for contract cleaning and includes some unique areas like trolley collection (with exclusions).
- Part-time cleaners cost more per hour than full-time on day shifts because of the 15% allowance.
- The biggest payroll traps are minimum engagement by site size, penalties/overtime, and allowances (especially toilet cleaning and broken shifts).
- Treat contract changes like a compliance project with written notices and documentation.
- If you manage staff in multiple industries, check our other award rate guides like Hospitality and General Retail.
Appendix A — Classifications (practical starting point)
Important: Classification must be determined by comparing duties against Schedule A. Don't classify purely by job title.
Description
Schedule A describes CSE 1 as performing customary cleaning tasks using a range of materials/equipment, responsible for own work quality under routine supervision, working individually or in a team, and using discretion within skills/training.
Indicative tasks (non-exhaustive)
What changes vs Level 1
Schedule A states CSE 2 is a higher skill level than CSE 1, working from more complex instructions/procedures, assisting with on-the-job training, working under general supervision, and being responsible for quality of own work.
Key differences
- → May perform CSE 1 duties plus additional tasks
- → Works from more complex instructions/procedures
- → Assists with on-the-job training
- → Works under general supervision
About Level 3
Schedule A continues with higher classifications beyond Level 2. Level 3 typically includes advanced cleaning roles and supervisory positions.
Note: For publish-ready accuracy, you should quote/summarise the relevant parts of Schedule A for Level 3 (and any supervisor roles) directly from the Award and align your internal job descriptions to them.
Frequently asked questions
- The Award is the Cleaning Services Award 2020 (MA000022).
- Level 1 adult minimum hourly rate is $25.85 (before penalties/overtime/allowances).
- The Cleaning Services Award covers contract cleaning businesses. If cleaning is done in-house for a different main business, another award may apply.
- Yes — the Award includes trolley collection, but it excludes trolley collection covered by the General Retail Industry Award 2020.
Related award rate guides
Explore other Australian Modern Award pay rate guides
Manage Cleaning Award compliance with confidence
RosterElf automatically applies Cleaning Services Award rates, part-time allowances, penalties, and allowances—so you can focus on running your cleaning business, not calculating complex pay rules.