Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS)
Covers FIVE distinct sectors with separate rate scales and rule sets: (a) Social and Community Services (Sch B, 8 levels), (b) Crisis Accommodation (Sch C, 4 levels), (c) Family Day Care (Sch D, 5 levels), (d) Home Care Disability (Sch E, 5 levels), (e) Home Care Aged Care (Sch F, 6 levels). 50+ classifications total. Mandatory Equal Remuneration Order (PR525485) applies to SACS L2-L8 (123-145%) and Crisis L1-L4 (126-140%) - pay the ERO rate, not the underlying minimum. Standard rate = SACS L3 PP3 pre-ERO = $1,224.90/wk for percentage-based allowances (sleepover 4.9%, on call 2.0%/3.96%, broken shift 1.7%/2.25%, first aid 1.67%, heat 0.05%/0.06%). The most complex modern award: distinctive features include sector-dependent OT first-tier (3 hrs SACS/Crisis vs 2 hrs others), sleepovers, 24-hour care shifts (home care only, paid 8 hrs at 155%), client cancellation make-up time, remote work substitutional rates (NOT cumulative), broken shifts (sector-restricted to SACS-disability + home care), shiftworker AL loading (greater of 17.5% or replayed penalties), 9 default super funds.
Fully built. Rates, allowances, penalties and any required apprentice / junior rates are all wired to the rate resolver and have been verified against the consolidated award text and the latest pay guide.
Official Fair Work rates. This award’s minimum pay rates are synced directly from the Fair Work Commission’s Modern Awards Pay Database and updated automatically when the Commission changes them - including the annual wage review - so payroll always uses the current legal minimums without a manual update.
What's built
- All ~50 classifications across 5 sectors at PR786639 ppc 01Jul25 figures: SACS L1 PP1-PP3 (no ERO, $999.40 → $1,068.40); SACS L2-L8 with 123-145% ERO (L2 PP1 ERO $1,314.13 → L8 PP3 ERO $2,582.60); Crisis L1-L4 mirror SACS L3-L6 ERO; FDC L1-L5 ($1,000.60 → $1,744.70); HC Disability L1-L5 ($989.80 → $1,299.10); HC Aged Care L1-L6 substituted PR779153 ppc 01Jan25 ($1,182.80 → $1,472.00).
- Standard rate config = SACS L3 PP3 pre-ERO = $1,224.90/wk, verified against published $20.82 broken shift / $24.50 weekday on call / $48.51 weekend on call / $60.02 sleepover figures.
- All 9 cl 23.4 default super funds per PR794791 ppc 23Jan26: Aware Super, Prime Super, HESTA, Equipsuper, Australian Retirement Trust, CareSuper, NGS Super, AustralianSuper, HOSTPLUS Superannuation Fund.
- 15 allowances (cl 20): uniform / laundry / meal / first aid (1.67% std rate) / vehicle $0.99/km / on call weekday $24.50 / on call weekend $48.51 / broken shift 1 break $20.82 / broken shift 2 breaks $27.56 / sleepover $60.02 / heat 0.05%/0.06% / board & lodging deduction $31.35 + $19.52.
- Penalty rates correctly modelled: Sat ord 150% (FT/PT) / 175% (Casual additive cl 26.4); Sun ord 200% / 225%; PH 250% / 275%. Sector-scoped OT: SACS/Crisis 1.5x first 3hrs/2x after; Disability/HC/FDC 1.5x first 2hrs/2x after.
- 6 pay conditions: Full-Time / Part-Time / Casual / SACS - Disability Services Work / Home Care - 24-Hour Care / Sleepover.
- Span of ord hours Mon-SUN 06:00-20:00 (NOT Mon-Fri) - Sat and Sun ordinary hours allowed within span.
- Cl 31.4(b) shiftworker AL loading captured as advanced rule - GREATER OF 17.5% or replayed weekend/shift penalties during leave period. SCHADS shiftworker = 4+ ord hrs on 10+ weekends/year OR 8+ 24-hour care shifts/year (cl 31.2 - D12).
- Cl 23.5 SACS-only super continuation during paid leave + up to 52 weeks workers comp encoded as separate leave entitlement row + advanced rule (D15).
- Right to disconnect cl 25A inserted PR778073 from 26Aug24 with the on-call exception (cl 25A.4): employee MUST respond if receiving on-call allowance.
- 9 advanced rules (inactive by default) covering: SACS/Crisis 3-hr OT first tier, sleepover handler, 24-hour care, client cancellation, remote work substitutional rates, broken shift sector restriction, SACS non-disability casual 3-hr min engagement, shiftworker AL greater-of, SACS super continuation.
Known limitations
- Sleepover allowance dollar value is computed at seeding time ($60.02 = 4.9% × $1,224.90 standard rate). Payroll should recalculate dynamically if standard rate changes within the SCD2 effective period; the percentage is exposed as `sleepover_pct_of_standard_rate=4.9`.
- Sector-dependent OT first-tier (D4) needs the employment record to carry a current activity flag for SACS employees (disability vs non-disability work). Advanced rule has the override; default rules use 2-hr first tier.
- Casual minimum engagement (D6) - SACS non-disability casuals get 3 hrs, all others 2 hrs. Shift settings store 2 hrs default; advanced rule overrides to 3 for SACS non-disability casuals at runtime.
- Shiftworker AL 'greater of' rule (D13) requires per-shift penalty replay during AL accrual - application logic, not schema.
- Remote work rates (D10) are SUBSTITUTIONAL not cumulative. Resolver MUST detect remote work and apply the cl 25.10(d) rate set (15min/30min/1hr min payments + outside-span/Sat/Sun/PH percentages), not stack on top of OT/Sat/Sun/PH/shift premiums.
- Client cancellation make-up time (D9) - 12-hr notice / 6-week window / consult requirements need runtime enforcement; advanced rule captures parameters only.
- 24-hour care (D8) - schema records 8-hrs-at-155% pay rule; appropriate rate basis (weekday/Sat/Sun/PH) requires runtime selection.
Setup & special instructions
- Choose sector at hire (SACS / Crisis / FDC / HC Disability / HC Aged Care). The sector drives rate scale, OT first-tier, casual min engagement, broken shift availability, and applicable allowances.
- SACS L2-L8 + Crisis L1-L4 ERO is MANDATORY - pay the ERO rate, NOT the underlying minimum. SACS L1 has NO ERO.
- Standard rate for percentage allowances = $1,224.90/wk (SACS L3 PP3 pre-ERO). Verify allowance figures against this anchor - 1.7% = $20.82 broken shift, 2.0% = $24.50 on call weekday, 3.96% = $48.51 on call weekend, 4.9% = $60.02 sleepover.
- Sat/Sun casual rates are ADDITIVE per cl 26.4 NOTE: 175% Sat / 225% Sun (NOT 150% × 1.25 = 187.5%). The 25% loading is BAKED INTO the figure.
- OT first-tier is SECTOR-DEPENDENT: SACS/Crisis = 1.5x first 3 hrs Mon-Sat; Disability/HC/FDC = 1.5x first 2 hrs Mon-Sat. Sun OT 2x; PH OT 2.5x.
- Span of ordinary hours is Mon-SUN 06:00-20:00 (NOT Mon-Fri). Saturday and Sunday ordinary hours are allowed within span.
- Casual min engagement = 2 hrs ALL SECTORS EXCEPT SACS non-disability casuals = 3 hrs (cl 10.5).
- Sleepover (cl 25.7): 4.9% std rate per night ($60.02). Free board/lodging mandatory. 4 hrs work either before OR after. Work during sleepover at OT (min 1 hr).
- 24-hour care (cl 25.8): home care only, agreement only, 8 hrs paid at 155% appropriate rate, 8 hrs sleep guaranteed. Work over 8 hrs = OT.
- Broken shifts (cl 25.6): SACS-disability + home care employees ONLY. Other sectors cannot be broken-shifted. 12-hr max span; 10 hrs min between successive day broken shifts.
- Remote work (cl 25.10): SUBSTITUTIONAL rate set - NOT cumulative with OT/Sat/Sun/PH/shift premiums. Min payments 15min (on-call day) / 30min (on-call night) / 1hr (not on-call) / 1hr (meetings/training).
- Shiftworker AL loading = GREATER OF 17.5% or weekend/shift penalties they would have received. 5 weeks AL for shiftworkers.
- Right to disconnect cl 25A.4: employee MUST respond outside hours if receiving on-call allowance.
- SACS employees only: super continuation during paid leave AND up to 52 weeks workers comp absence (cl 23.5).
- • Disability services
- • Home care
- • Aged care home care
- • Social services
- • Community services
- • Crisis accommodation
- • Family day care
- • NDIS
- • SACS
- • Disability support workers
- • Case managers
- • Community development workers
The consolidated award text is the authoritative source. Always confirm specific obligations against the award itself - Mployr's implementation status reflects what we've seeded; it does not replace legal advice.
Want to see this award running on your data?
We can demo a pay run on the schads award using sample employees in a sandbox tenant - including any of the special-instruction steps above so you can see exactly what your team's day-to-day looks like.
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