Starting your first job in Australia is exciting, but it can also feel like you're learning the English language from scratch again.
From awards to penalty rates to casual loading, understanding Australian workplace terms is essential to making sure you're paid correctly and know your rights.
Andres Trevino, International Student Support Worker at the Migrant Workers Centre (MWC), helps empower international students to find fair and safe work in Australia.
“International students should be aware that they are entitled to speak up to protect their rights at work. They should be aware that in Australia there is a range of workplace rights that must be enforced, and that there are many trustworthy organisations out there designed to support students when exploited at work, such as Study Melbourne, the MWC, and many others, but they need to approach us and ask for help first,” he says.
According to the MWC, here are some of the key Australian workplace terms every international student should know before accepting a job.
Award
An award is a legal document that outlines the minimum pay rates and conditions of employment for a particular type of work.
Andres says, “The Australian award system could be confusing and make wages difficult to understand. Some students know what the minimum wage is, but they don’t know that they might be entitled to a higher rate depending on the award they fall under.”
The award you’re paid under can also determine things like overtime, breaks, whether you’re paid penalty rates, so it’s definitely worth making sure you know which one covers your job before you start.
Casual vs Part-time
Although sometimes used (incorrectly) interchangeably, these two terms have very different meanings.
A casual employee doesn’t have guaranteed hours, and usually receives casual loading (usually an additional 25% on top of the permanent hourly rate) instead of paid leave entitlements, like sick leave or annual leave.
A part-time employee works regular agreed hours, and receives the standard permanent hourly rate alongside leave entitlements.
Andres says this is one of the most common misunderstandings he sees when working with newly employed international students.
“Many international students refer to part-time jobs when they mean casual. Understanding the difference is important to help you know what your entitlements and appropriate pay rate are,” says Andres.
Penalty rates
Depending on your award, working evenings, weekends or public holidays may mean you’re entitled to penalty rates (a higher rate of pay for working at certain times).
“Many students discover that they should’ve been paid a higher rate to work on weekends or public holidays months after the fact,” says Andres.
Understanding your award and making sure to check your payslip can help ensure you're receiving the correct pay.
Workers’ compensation
If you're injured while working in Australia, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation, which can help cover medical expenses and provide income while you recover.
“Many international students get injured in the workplace and don't claim workers’ compensation simply because they don't know it exists and, if eligible, they have the right to claim medical expenses and time off to recover."
Each state and territory of Australia has its own governing body for workers’ compensation. Make sure you know who to contact in case you’re injured at work!
Work experience
One of the things Andres helps his clients with at MWC is tailoring their resume to include relevant work experience for the job they are applying for.
“Most people think that work experience refers just to paid jobs, but experience can come from many other sources, such as volunteering, placements, internships, university projects, extra-curricular activities, work in family business, etc. It all depends on the wording in the resume,” he says.
Working hour limits
Many students misunderstand Australia’s student visa work restrictions.
"Most people understand the working hours limitation for international students as not working more than 24 hours a week. However, they can work more than that if they don't exceed 48 hours on any given fortnight,” Andres says.
For example, if you work eight hours one week, you can work up to 40 hours the following week, provided you don't exceed 48 hours across the fortnight (note: you can then only work eight hours the following week, as it’s tallied across any given fortnight).
Andres’ advice for gaining employment as an international student in Australia
When it comes to finding work, Andres says that simply submitting an online application and hoping for the best isn’t really enough.
“You need to step out of your comfort zone and develop connections through all the means within your reach. If what you’re looking for is a casual job, like hospitality or retail, you need to print your resume and walk into the restaurants or the stores, ask for the manager and hand your resume in person to them,” he says.
For more information about workplace safety and rights as an international student in Australia, visit the Migrant Workers Centre website.
