Employer Information

P&C Associations often operate industries on school sites. These services typically provide affordable and quality products such as uniforms or food catering to the school community.

P&C Associations as Employers – P&C Associations as employers must meet all of the national legal obligations. It does not matter that the P&C Association is an organisation made up of parent volunteers, as an employer your P&C Association is treated no differently to private businesses.

Paying your employee the correct Award – P&C Associations must make sure that they pay their employees under the correct award. When looking for the suitable Award, you should look at the “COVERAGE CLAUSE” in the Award (typically point 4 in the modern awards), this clause must cover the employee. If so, then look at the “CLASSIFICATION CLAUSE” (typically found in schedule B). If both the coverage clause and the classification clause criteria are suitable then this is an appropriate award for your Employee.

Australian Modern Awards are established federally and information is provided by the FairWork Ombudsman which your P&C Association will find extremely useful.

Awards commonly used by P&C Associations
Uniform shop employees – MA000004 General Retail Industry Award 2010
Bookkeeper – MA000002 Clerks Private Sector Award 2010
Canteen employees – MA000003 Fast Food Industry Award 2010
Band manager – MA000104 Miscellaneous Award 2010
General Assistants – MA000104 Miscellaneous Award 2010
OOSH employees – MA000120 Child Services Award 2010

Employer obligations – P&C Associations should be sure to issue a copy of the ‘Fair Work Information Sheet’ to each employee as well as providing access to the relevant Award. Record keeping and pay slips must adhere to a particular standard which is described by the FairWork Ombudsman. Other materials available on this site that may be useful include checklists and template letters for communicating and consulting with employees.

Does your P&C Association need more information on employment, running a canteen or financial management and control? Contact our office to set up access to the P&C Member’s Portal.

Request access to the P&C Member’s Portal

What Award do we employ Canteen staff under?

The Fast Food Industry Award 2010 (MA000003). P&C Federation received notice from the Fair Work Ombudsman (November 2011) that this is the correct Award for employing all P&C Association employed school canteen staff.

What is the award definition?

Clause 3 of this Award defines the Fast Food Industry as shown below:

Fast Food Industry means the industry of taking orders for and/or preparation and/or sale and/or delivery of: meals, snacks, beverages, which are sold to the public primarily to be consumed away from the point of sale: Take away foods and beverages packaged, sold or served in such a manner as to allow their being taken from the point of sale to be consumed elsewhere should the customer so decide; and/or
Food and/or beverages in food courts and/or in shopping centres and/or in retail complexes, excluding coffee shops, cafes, bars and restaurants providing primarily a sit-down service inside the catering establishment.

What are the Classification Levels?

Schedule B of this Award gives 3 classifications. They are as described below:

Fast Food Employee Level 1

An employee engaged in the preparation, the receipt of orders, cooking, sale, serving or delivery of meals, snacks and/or beverages which are sold to the public primarily to take away or in food courts in shopping centres
A Fast Food Employee Level 1 will undertake duties as directed within the limits of their competence, skills and training including incidental cleaning.

Fast Food Employee Level 2

An employee who has the major responsibility on a day‐to‐day basis for supervising Fast Food Employees Level 1 and/or training new employees or an employee required exercising trade

Fast Food Employee Level 3

An employee appointed by the employer to be in charge of a shop, food outlet, or delivery outlet.

What Classification are your canteen employees?

The following table may be useful in finding the category that best suits your employee.

Fast Food Employee Level 1	Fast Food Employee Level 2	Fast Food Employee Level 3
This is the classification to pay Canteen Assistants. These staff are supervised and undertake a range of duties including food preparation, cooking, clean-up, tally orders, assist with stock control, service customers and handle money.	This would fit a second in charge staff member or a Canteen Manger who has significant assistance with menu design and policy / procedure development, financial management from the business owner, e.g. via a canteen committee. This staff member supervises other paid employees and volunteer food handlers.	This would fit a Canteen Manager who, in addition to the other tasks carried out at level one & two, is the primary individual responsible to the operator for running the canteen, designing and developing menus, canteen procedures & policies, (including those involving food safety & work, health & safety), ordering & stock control, organising and running staff and volunteer rosters as well as assisting the business owner in setting budget targets and appropriate menu pricing.

If you require further information or clarification contact P&C Federation’s Member Services Team

mail@pandc.org.au or 1300 885 982

Version: May 2020