2025 WAIRC 00541
Enrolled Nurses and Nursing Assistants (Government) Award


15. - MINIMUM ADULT AWARD WAGE

(1) No employee aged 21 or more shall be paid less than the minimum adult award wage unless otherwise provided by this clause.

(2) The minimum adult award wage for full-time employees aged 21 or more working under an award that provides for a 38-hour week is $953.00 per week.

The minimum adult award wage for full-time employees aged 21 or more working under awards that provide for other than a 38-hour week is calculated as follows: divide $953.00 by 38 and multiply by the number of ordinary hours prescribed for a full-time employee under the award.

The minimum adult award wage is payable from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2025.

(3) The minimum adult award wage is deemed to include all State Wage order adjustments from State Wage Case decisions.

(4) Unless otherwise provided in this clause adults aged 21 or more employed as casuals, part-time employees or piece workers or employees who are remunerated wholly on the basis of payment by results, shall not be paid less than pro rata the minimum adult award wage according to the hours worked.

(5) Employees under the age of 21 shall be paid no less than the wage determined by applying the percentage prescribed in the junior rates provision in this award (if applicable) to the minimum adult award wage, provided that no employee shall be paid less than any applicable minimum rate of pay prescribed by the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993.

(6) The minimum adult award wage shall not apply to apprentices, employees engaged on traineeships or government approved work placement programs or employed under the Commonwealth Government Supported Wage System or to other categories of employees who by prescription are paid less than the minimum award rate, provided that no employee shall be paid less than any applicable minimum rate of pay prescribed by the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993.

(7) Liberty to apply is reserved in relation to any special category of employees not included here or otherwise in relation to the application of the minimum adult award wage.

(8) Subject to this clause the minimum adult award wage shall –

(a) Apply to all work in ordinary hours.

(b) Apply to the calculation of overtime and all other penalty rates, superannuation, payments during any period of paid leave and for all purposes of this award.

(9) Minimum Adult Award Wage

The rates of pay in this award include the minimum weekly wage for employees aged 21 or more payable under the 2025 State Wage order. Any increase arising from the insertion of the minimum wage will be offset against any equivalent amount in rates of pay received by employees whose wages and conditions of employment are regulated by this award which are above the wage rates prescribed in the award. Such above award payments include wages payable pursuant to enterprise agreements, consent awards or award variations to give effect to enterprise agreements and over award arrangements. Absorption which is contrary to the terms of an agreement is not required.

Increases under previous State Wage Case Principles or under the current Statement of Principles, excepting those resulting from enterprise agreements, are not to be used to offset the minimum wage.

(10) Adult Apprentices

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this clause, the minimum adult apprentice wage for a full-time apprentice aged 21 years or more working under an award that provides for a 38-hour week is $791.30 per week.

(b) The minimum adult apprentice wage for a full-time apprentice aged 21 years or more working under an award that provides for other than a 38-hour week is calculated as follows: divide $791.30 by 38 and multiply by the number of ordinary hours prescribed for a full-time apprentice under the award.

(c) The minimum adult apprentice wage is payable from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2025.

(d) Adult apprentices aged 21 years or more employed on a part-time basis shall not be paid less than pro rata the minimum adult apprentice wage according to the hours worked.

(e) The rates paid in the paragraphs above to an apprentice 21 years of age or more are payable on superannuation and during any period of paid leave prescribed by this award.

(f) Where in this award an additional rate is expressed as a percentage, fraction or multiple of the ordinary rate of pay, it shall be calculated upon the rate prescribed in this award for the actual year of apprenticeship.



16. - CLASSIFICATION AND WAGES

16.1 Subject to subclause 16.3, the minimum weekly rate of wage payable to employees covered by this Award shall be as per the provisions comprising:

(a) Part A – Wages Adjusted by Arbitrated Safety Net Adjustments; or

(b) Part B – Expired Industrial Agreement Wages;

whichever are the greater.

16.2 Subject to subclause 16.3, the wage rates to apply for the purpose of the no-disadvantage test under the Industrial Relations Act 1979 shall be as per the provisions comprising:

(a) Part A – Wages Adjusted by Arbitrated Safety Net Adjustments; or

(b) Part B – Expired Industrial Agreement Wages;

whichever are the greater.

16.3 The rates contained in Part B – Expired Industrial Agreement Wages shall only apply to the employees and employers who are respondent to the WA Health - LHMU - Enrolled Nurses and Assistants in Nursing Industrial Agreement 2007 (AG 15/08), as replaced from time to time.

PART A: WAGES ADJUSTED BY ARBITRATED SAFETY NET ADJUSTMENTS

16.4 The rates of pay in subclause 16.7 include arbitrated safety net adjustments available since December 1993.

16.5 These arbitrated safety net adjustments may be offset against any equivalent amount in the rate of pay received by employees since 1 November 1991 above the rate prescribed in subclause 16.7, except where such absorption is contrary to the terms of an industrial agreement.

16.6 Increases in rates of pay otherwise made under the State Wage Case Principles, excepting those resulting from enterprise agreements, are not to be used to offset arbitrated safety net adjustments.

16.7 Subject to subclauses 16.1, 16.2 and 16.3, the weekly rate of wage payable to employees covered by this Award will be as follows:


Base Rate

$
Arbitrated Safety Net Adjustments
$
Weekly Rate

$
(a) Enrolled Nurse Level One



1st year of employment
418.80
638.70
1057.50
2nd year of employment
423.80
640.70
1064.50
3rd year of employment and thereafter
434.70
644.40
1079.10




(b) Enrolled Nurse Level Two



1st year of employment
427.60
641.90
1069.50
2nd year of employment
432.70
643.90
1076.60
3rd year of employment and thereafter
443.50
648.10
1091.60




(c) Enrolled Nurse Level Three
456.10
652.70
1108.80




(d) Assistant in Nursing



1st year of employment
377.40
621.00
998.40
2nd year of employment
387.80
624.00
1011.80
3rd year of employment and thereafter
398.30
627.00
1025.30

16.8 Assistant in Nursing (under 19 years of age)

The rate shall be a percentage of the total wage prescribed for an Assistant in Nursing in his/her first year of employment in paragraph 16.7(d) per week, as follows:-

Under 17 years of age
73%
Under 18 years of age
81%
Under 19 years of age
87%

16.9 Where an Assistant in Nursing undertakes duties other than providing care those duties shall be consistent with the range of duties undertaken by nurses generally in the setting in which the Assistant in Nursing is employed.

16.10 An Assistant in Nursing shall work within the limits of their competency as assessed consistent with nationally recognised training and competency standards applicable to assistants in nursing.

16.11 An Assistant in Nursing shall not be required to provide care other than under the direction of a person registered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (WA) Act 2010 and where that nurse remains professionally accountable for the care provided.

16.12 An Assistant in Nursing who has completed their first year of service and who is accepted for training as an Enrolled Nurse, will be paid not less than the employee would have received had the employee continued as an Assistant in Nursing.

16.13 An Assistant in Nursing in Training is paid in accordance with subclause 16.7 as an Assistant in Nursing in the first year of employment.

16.14 When the term "year of employment" is used in this clause it will mean all service whether full time or part time in any of the classifications contained in this Award with any hospital covered by this Award and will be calculated in periods of completed months from the date of commencement of work covered by this Award. Provided that:

(a) "Service" in this context will have the same meaning as it does in the long service leave conditions appropriate to the employee concerned, but confined to named employers party to this Award; except where the employer or the Commission deems it appropriate to include service with hospitals not a party to this Award.

(b) Employees will be paid the rates shown in this clause according to their year of employment calculated in accordance with the provisions of this subclause.

(c) Proof of previous service, if required by the employer, will rest on the employee; provided that production of the statement of employment referred to in subclause 7.7, will be sufficient proof for the purpose of this paragraph.

16.15 Re-registration and Length of Service

Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 16.14(b), an Enrolled Nurse who successfully completes a re-registration course following a break in service will commence employment on the rate prescribed as follows:

(a) Five year break in service - at third year of employment rate provided that the first and second year of service rates have previously been attained.

(b) Six year but less than eight year break in service - at second year of employment rate.

(c) Greater than eight year break in service - at the first year of employment rate.

16.16 Enrolled Community School Nurses on Days Not Required to Work

The wage rate for an enrolled community school nurse, where such a nurse is not required by the employer to present for duty on any day when the school is not open, will be calculated as follows:

Weekly wage = the normal rate for an enrolled nurse as prescribed in subclauses 16.7 multiplied by 48.5, and divided by 52.166.