Award Increase 2026 and Mid-Year Employment Update: What Do Employers Need to Know?
17th of June 2026 | 7:30 PM AEST
The Fair Work Commission has now handed down the 2026 Annual Wage Review decision, bringing increases to the National Minimum Wage and Award minimum rates from July.
For many employers, the increase itself is only part of the picture. This year also brings other important workplace changes, including increases to superannuation and the ongoing preparation for future reforms such as Payday Super.
In this practical and informative session, Carli will break down the key employment and payroll changes employers need to understand, along with the practical steps businesses should take to remain compliant.
Whether you employ one person or one hundred, this session will help you understand your obligations and avoid some of the common mistakes that occur when workplace changes take effect.
We’ll cover:
- What the 2026 minimum wage and Award increases are
- When the increases apply and how to calculate the correct effective date
- What to do if you pay above Award rates, do you still need to increase wages?
- Classification checks and why they matter
- Payday Super and other upcoming employment law changes employers should start preparing for
- Practical steps employers should take before 1 July
We’ll also answer the questions we receive every year, including:
- We pay above Award. Why do we still need to review wages?
- Do we need to update employment contracts?
- What happens if employees are on salaries?
- How do we know if classifications are correct?
- What if we can’t afford the increase?
Please note: This session covers the Annual Wage Review and general employment law updates that affect employers across all industries.
If your business employs workers under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award, we will also be running separate industry-specific updates covering the upcoming Award classification and wage changes.
If you haven’t already, you can register for those updates here: Health Professional Award Updates
We understand business owners lead busy lives, so we’ve scheduled this session for the evening. Feel free to join us with a cup of tea, a glass of wine, or whatever gets you through Fair Work announcements.
Can’t make it live? Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording after the session.
