FAIR WORK CHANGES – FEB 2025
Nurses Award
What’s changed
The Fair Work Commission (the Commission) is making changes to the Nurses Award (the Award) as part of the Work Value Case – Nurses and midwives.
These changes take effect at different times. The changes apply for:
- Nursing assistants from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 January 2025, and
- Registered and enrolled nurses from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 March 2025.
These changes may also affect the minimum pay rates for nurses working in aged care.
Nursing assistants
From 1 January 2025, the Nurses Award no longer covers nursing assistants who provide care services to older people in either residential aged care or home care settings.
These employees are covered by the Aged Care Award and Social and Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award instead.
For more information, see Award coverage for nursing assistants in aged care.
Registered nurses
From 1 March 2025, the minimum pay rates within the ‘registered nurse – aged care employees’ stream will be simplified by removing:
- annual progression through pay points for levels 1, 2 and 3
- grades for levels 4 and 5.
Increments will apply to employees classified as Registered nurse – aged care Levels 1 and 2 instead. Please see the final determination for details on how much experience is required for each one.
Newly qualified registered nurses working in aged care will start at the same level. Previously, these employees started at different minimum pay rates based on their qualifications.
You can read the full table of classifications in the final determination.
Enrolled Nurses
From 1 March 2025, enrolled nurses working in aged care will be paid a single higher minimum pay rate.
The pay points that previously applied have been removed.
Enrolled nurses in aged care may be required to supervise other direct care employees.
Translation arrangements
A new Schedule F – Translation Arrangement will apply from 1 March 2025.
This schedule outlines what classification existing employees will be after the changes.
It also maintains previous pay rates for employees if they were being paid a higher minimum pay rate on 28 February 2025.
You can read the full table of translations in the final determination.