Restaurant Award Penalty Rates 2025–26
Last updated: March 2026 · Rates effective 1 July 2025 · MA000119
If you work Sundays in a restaurant or café and your pay looks the same as a weekday, you're very likely being underpaid. Sunday shifts are the most frequently underpaid scenario across the entire award. This page shows every penalty rate you're entitled to and the calculator checks your actual shifts.
If you work Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, or late nights in any restaurant or café — this applies to you.
For the full Restaurant Award overview, see the Restaurant Award pay guide.
Real example
Scenario: Casual food and beverage attendant, Level 3. 6-hour Sunday shift.
What they were paid: $33.38/hr (standard casual rate)
What should have happened: Sunday casual rate at Level 3 — $46.73/hr
Underpayment: ~$80.10 for one shift. ~$4,165.20/year working one Sunday per week.
Why it happens: Employer pays the same casual rate every day. The Sunday multiplier is never applied.
At a glance — Restaurant Award penalty rate multipliers
- Saturday → 1.25× ordinary rate
- Sunday → 1.5× ordinary rate
- Public holiday → 2.25× ordinary rate
- Late night (10pm–midnight) → +$2.81/hr on top of base
- Early morning (midnight–6am) → +$0.00/hr on top of base
Note: Unlike the Hospitality Award, the Restaurant Award does not apply an evening loading before 10pm. The late-night loading begins at 10pm, not 7pm.
Level-dependent Sunday casual rates
Sunday casual rates differ by classification level — Level 1–2 workers attract a lower multiplier than Level 3–6 workers. This is a key difference from the Hospitality Award where a single Sunday multiplier applies across all levels.
| Level | Sunday (permanent) | Sunday (casual) | Public holiday (casual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $37.42/hr | $43.67/hr | $62.38/hr |
| Level 2 | $38.78/hr | $45.23/hr | $64.62/hr |
| Level 3 | $40.05/hr | $46.73/hr | $66.76/hr |
| Level 4 | $42.18/hr | $49.21/hr | $70.30/hr |
| Level 5 | $44.82/hr | $52.29/hr | $74.70/hr |
| Level 1 | $37.42/hr | $43.67/hr | $62.38/hr |
| Level 2 | $38.78/hr | $45.23/hr | $64.62/hr |
| Level 3 | $40.05/hr | $46.73/hr | $66.76/hr |
| Level 4 | $42.18/hr | $49.21/hr | $70.30/hr |
| Level 5 | $44.82/hr | $52.29/hr | $74.70/hr |
| Level 6 | $46.02/hr | $53.69/hr | $76.70/hr |
| Level 2 | $38.78/hr | $45.23/hr | $64.62/hr |
| Level 3 | $40.05/hr | $46.73/hr | $66.76/hr |
| Level 4 | $42.18/hr | $49.21/hr | $70.30/hr |
| Level 5 | $44.82/hr | $52.29/hr | $74.70/hr |
Rates based on the Fair Work Commission pay guide for MA000119, effective 1 July 2025.
Not sure of your classification? See the Restaurant Award classifications guide.
Not sure if your Restaurant Award pay is right?
Enter your shifts and find out in 2 minutes. Free, instant, based on official Fair Work rates.
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Late night and early morning loadings
These loadings are additions to your base rate, applied per hour. They compensate for the unsociable hours of late-night and early-morning work.
- 10pm to midnight: +$2.81/hr on top of your ordinary or penalty rate
- Midnight to 6am: +$0.00/hr on top of your ordinary or penalty rate
Mini example
You work a Saturday shift from 8pm to 1am.
- Hours 8pm–10pm = Saturday rate (no loading)
- Hours 10pm–midnight = Saturday rate + late-night loading
- Hours midnight–1am = Sunday rate + early-morning loading
Most employers pay Saturday rate for the whole shift. That's wrong from 10pm onwards.
Most payslips don't show these separately — but they must still be paid.
⚠️ Common penalty rate underpayments
Same rate on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays
One rate regardless of the day. Unless the flat rate has been formally assessed against every penalty scenario, this is almost always underpayment.
Sunday line missing from payslip
If your payslip doesn't break out Sunday hours separately with a different rate, it's likely the penalty isn't being applied.
No loading for shifts after 10pm
The late-night loading of +$2.81/hr applies from 10pm. If your late shifts show the same rate as an afternoon shift, the loading is missing.
Casual loading explained as covering weekends
The 25% casual loading and penalty rates are separate entitlements — both apply. See the Restaurant Award casual employees guide for how they stack.
If your employer isn't paying overtime on long shifts either, see the Restaurant Award overtime guide.
These issues rarely happen in isolation — and even one can result in hundreds or thousands in underpayments per year.
If any of these sound familiar, check your pay now — it takes 2 minutes.
Not sure if your Restaurant Award pay is right?
Enter your shifts and find out in 2 minutes. Free, instant, based on official Fair Work rates.
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Frequently asked questions
Can my employer pay a flat rate that covers all penalties?
Only if they can prove, with actual numbers, that the flat rate exceeds award entitlements in every scenario including public holidays, Sundays, and late-night shifts. In practice, most can't.
Do casual employees get penalty rates on top of the loading?
Yes. The 25% casual loading and penalty rates are separate entitlements — both apply. Any employer who says the loading covers weekends is wrong.
Is the Sunday rate different under the Restaurant Award compared to the Hospitality Award?
The multiplier structure is similar (1.5× for permanent Sunday), but the Restaurant Award has level-dependent Sunday casual rates — Level 1–2 workers attract a different casual Sunday multiplier than Level 3–6 workers.
What happens if my shift starts Saturday and crosses midnight into Sunday?
Sunday rates apply from midnight. The Saturday rate covers only the pre-midnight hours. Paying one rate for the whole overnight shift is a frequently missed issue.
Don't guess — small underpayments add up fast.
Enter your shifts below and see exactly what you should have been paid — including every penalty rate, late-night loading, and public holiday multiplier.
It takes 2 minutes — and you'll know for certain if you've been underpaid.
Based on official pay rates from the Fair Work Commission (MA000119).
Not sure if your Restaurant Award pay is right?
Enter your shifts and find out in 2 minutes. Free, instant, based on official Fair Work rates.
Check my pay nowNo sign-up required
Rates sourced from the Fair Work Commission pay guide for the Restaurant Industry Award 2020 (MA000119), effective 1 July 2025. General information only — not legal advice. Verify at fairwork.gov.au.