{"id":73656,"date":"2025-12-01T06:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T19:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/?p=73656"},"modified":"2025-12-02T10:52:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T23:52:01","slug":"casual-workers-rights-you-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/blog\/casual-workers-rights-you-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Casual workers&#8217; rights you should know"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"73656\" class=\"elementor elementor-73656\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e0e3929 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"e0e3929\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31cc1e1 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"31cc1e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"846\" height=\"475\" src=\"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/harrasment2-846x475-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73663\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/harrasment2-846x475-1.jpg 846w, https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/harrasment2-846x475-1-600x337.jpg 600w, https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/harrasment2-846x475-1-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/harrasment2-846x475-1-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/harrasment2-846x475-1-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/harrasment2-846x475-1-770x432.jpg 770w, https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/harrasment2-846x475-1-270x152.jpg 270w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-611ec96 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"611ec96\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Casual workers' rights you should know this summer<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-72d91c4 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"72d91c4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Casuals get an extra 25% loading on top of their basic pay rate to compensate for having no annual leave entitlements, and there are a bunch of other important entitlements that apply to casuals that you may not realise.<\/p><p>All workers are covered by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fairwork.gov.au\/employment-conditions\/national-employment-standards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">National Employment Standards<\/a>. If you\u2019re a casual worker this holiday season, whether your work is ramping up, you\u2019re getting too many or too few shifts, or not working at all, we can help you maintain your UWU membership so that you&#8217;re covered. Here are a few tips for you to head into summer without the stress.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-643b1e9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"643b1e9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d30d390 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d30d390\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. Your summer salary boost - know your penalty rates!<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9fb5ae5 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9fb5ae5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>As a casual worker, you might not get paid time off for public holidays, but you&#8217;re entitled to higher pay rates (known as penalty rates) if you work on these days. Penalty rates can be a great boost to your income and also recognise you\u2019re working during times normally set aside for leisure or social activities. Always check your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fairwork.gov.au\/employment-conditions\/awards\/list-of-awards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">award<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fairwork.gov.au\/employment-conditions\/agreements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">agreement<\/a> for specific rates and remember that <b>conditions can be different depending on what state or territory you\u2019re working in<\/b>. If you&#8217;re not sure whether you&#8217;re employed under an award or agreement, <a href=\"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/blog\/do-you-think-youre-being-paid-enough\/\">read our blog on this topic<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d0ccf33 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d0ccf33\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PUBLIC-HOLIDAYS-IN-DECJAN.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73667\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PUBLIC-HOLIDAYS-IN-DECJAN.png 1920w, https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PUBLIC-HOLIDAYS-IN-DECJAN-600x338.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d763b1f sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d763b1f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. Your right to have breaks to rest<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd8c13b sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fd8c13b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Even during the busy holiday season, casual workers are entitled to breaks. Whether it&#8217;s a quick break for coffee or a longer break for lunch, make sure you know your rights to be able to rest and recharge. Your award or agreement will outline the specifics, so check on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fairwork.gov.au\/employment-conditions\/hours-of-work-breaks-and-rosters\/breaks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Fair Work<\/a> website.\u00a0 It\u2019s always important to <a href=\"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/blog\/do-you-think-youre-being-paid-enough\/\">know your award or agreement<\/a> so you know you\u2019re being paid properly.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b7ec2a4 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b7ec2a4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. The right to disconnect<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-06be4b9 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"06be4b9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>All workers, including casuals, have a right to no contact during non-working hours. This means your boss cannot expect you to be available 24\/7. It can be tricky with rosters, but managers also have rules around reasonable notice for roster changes. Find more info on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fairwork.gov.au\/employment-conditions\/hours-of-work-breaks-and-rosters\/right-to-disconnect\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">your right to disconnect<\/a> on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fairwork.gov.au\/employment-conditions\/hours-of-work-breaks-and-rosters\/right-to-disconnect\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Fair Work website<\/a>&nbsp;. You are entitled to uninterrupted time off work. If your boss tries to contact you outside your rostered hours, you are not obliged to pick up and cannot be penalised for being \u2018offline\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><b>Keep reading to download our Casual Worker Rights Guide below!<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e56e813 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e56e813\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f871dd4 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f871dd4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">4. Freedom to say no<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-138cee2 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"138cee2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Just because it&#8217;s a hectic time doesn&#8217;t mean you have to say yes to every shift. You have the right to refuse unreasonable work requests, especially on public holidays. Balance is key, so don&#8217;t be afraid to prioritise your own health and wellbeing. If your shifts drop off just because you refused one, you could be being victimised. Always contact your union if you think you are being treated unfairly. If your membership has lapsed or you\u2019re not already a member,<a href=\"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/why-join\/\"> join before work starts ramping up over summer<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc535ac sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cc535ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">5. Check your super is being paid. It's <i>your<\/i> money and <i>your<\/i> future<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e8699b8 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e8699b8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Even if you&#8217;re working casually, you still earn superannuation. This is your future money, so make sure it&#8217;s being paid into your account. If you&#8217;re not sure, ask your employer or you can check your payslip and super fund account if you suspect there\u2019s something missing. If you&#8217;re unsure about how to check, we&#8217;ve made a downloadable guide for you.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/4thpj.share-ap1.hsforms.com\/2h-L8e8R8TWO6psQovvxeZA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Download our handy payslip checker.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ef82659 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ef82659\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">6. Conversion to permanent employment<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-118ce42 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"118ce42\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Did you know casual workers can request to become permanent? If shifts drop off over summer, think about converting to permanent employment. When you&#8217;ve been working regular shifts for a while, you might be eligible to switch to a part-time or full-time role. This could mean more stability and benefits down the line. Check if you&#8217;re eligible and have a chat with your employer. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fairwork.gov.au\/starting-employment\/types-of-employees\/casual-employees\/becoming-a-permanent-employee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Find more info on the Fair Work website<\/a>. And if you bring it up and your employer makes it difficult for you, contact UWU Member Rights Team.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e503809 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e503809\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Final tip<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40c9d73 sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"40c9d73\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Always keep a record of your shifts, payslips, and any work agreements. A \u2018paper trail\u2019 can be your best friend if you ever need to query your pay rate or entitlements. Know your rights and try to take some time to enjoy the hectic summer season!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7088bb5 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7088bb5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1731a4c sc_fly_static elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"1731a4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><script charset=\"utf-8\" type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/js-ap1.hsforms.net\/forms\/embed\/v2.js\"><\/script>\n<script>\n  hbspt.forms.create({\n    portalId: \"8094439\",\n    formId: \"b8bc80d9-0e1f-482a-a511-84eda45e898c\",\n    region: \"ap1\"\n  });\n<\/script><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Casual workers&#8217; rights you should know this summer Casuals get an extra 25% loading on top of their basic pay rate to compensate for having no annual leave entitlements, and there are a&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":73663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[187,60],"tags":[261],"class_list":["post-73656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-blog","tag-casual-workers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/71"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73656"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74446,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73656\/revisions\/74446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}