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FOCUS HR  |  IR July Update 2026
FOCUS HR  |  IR July Update 2026
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has commenced a 
significant review of part-time employment provisions 
across modern awards, signaling the potential for 
some of the most substantial changes to part-time 
work regulation in recent years. 
The review is being conducted by an Expert Panel 
led by Fair Work Commission President Justice Adam 
Hatcher and follows recommendations arising from 
the Commission’s 2023–24 Modern Award Review. 
The review is the sixth and final priority matter 
identified by the Commission in its Modern 
Award Review Final Report and forms part of the 
Commission’s broader objective of making modern 
awards simpler, more consistent and easier to use. 
During the review process, the Commission identified 
significant inconsistency across modern award 
provisions dealing with part-time employment, 
with different industries adopting vastly different 
approaches to agreed hours, rostering arrangements, 
overtime triggers and flexibility provisions. 
Employer organisations generally advocated for 
greater flexibility in establishing and varying part-time 
hours, while unions argued for stronger protections 
around predictability, certainty of hours and employee 
control over working arrangements. 
As part of the review, the Expert Panel has indicated 
a provisional view that it will consider whether a 
standard model for part-time employment should be 
introduced across modern awards. 
The review will consider a number of fundamental 
questions regarding the future regulation of part-time 
work, including:
•	how part-time employment should be defined within 
modern awards;
•	how part-time employment should be distinguished 
from casual employment;
•	how employers and employees should establish 
agreed hours of work;
•	how agreed hours may be varied;
•	whether minimum and maximum daily or weekly 
hours should apply;
•	when part-time employees should be able to work 
additional hours;
•	how additional hours should be authorised and 
recorded; and
•	when overtime penalties should become payable
The review will initially focus on 11 modern 
awards selected by the Commission to provide a 
representative cross-section of industries with varying 
levels of part-time employment. 
These awards include:
•	Clerks – Private Sector Award 2020 [MA000002];
•	Fast Food Industry Award 2020 [MA000003];
•	General Retail Industry Award 2020 [MA000004];
•	Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 
[MA000009];
•	Manufacturing and Associated Industries and 
Occupations Award [MA000010];
•	Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 [MA000012];
•	Building and Construction General On-site Award 
2020 [MA000020];
•	Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2020 
[MA000058];
•	Social, Community, Home Care and Disability 
Services Industry Award 2020 [MA000100]; 
•	Restaurant Industry Award 2020 [MA000119]; and
•	Children’s Services Award 2020 [MA000120]. 
PROPOSED CHANGES TO PART TIME EMPLOYMENT 
FAIR WORK 
COMMISSION 
STATISTICS

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