Some rules and classification definitions have changed in the Meat Award.
What's changed
The Fair Work Commission (the Commission) has made several changes to the Meat Award, including updated definitions. The Commission is the national workplace relations tribunal.
Definitions of industry specific terms and classifications in the Meat Award changed on 14 October 2025.
Rules about entry level employee progression have also been updated.
Access the full list of changes in the final determination.
Changes to definitions
Additional rules and definitions for industry specific terms and tasks have been added to Schedule A of the award. There is new clarification of classification levels in Schedule A.
These classifications give descriptions of the common duties and tasks for employees at different levels.
Review the classification of employees
It is best practice for employers to review the current classification of their employees to make sure it is still the most appropriate for their role.
This should happen following a change to an employee's duties or when the award is updated.
For more information on how to classify employees, visit Award classifications.
Changes to rules about progression
Entry level employees will no longer be required to work at Level 1 for a minimum of 3 months before they progress to Level 2.
These employees will now progress to higher levels when they are:
- able to perform productive work without assistance or training from another person, or
- are certified by their employer as able to perform higher level tasks.
Employees in the meat processing establishment stream will progress directly to Level 3 when they're able to demonstrate their ability.
Employees can still only be classified at Level 1 for no more than 6 months.
Example: Changes to entry level progression
Jason is hired for their first job in a meat processing facility under the Meat Award. They're classified as a Level 1 employee while they're being trained and gaining experience.
Jason's employer determines they're able to perform productive work earlier than expected and changes their classification to Level 3.
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