Retail's weekend premium, costed.
Retail rosters live and die on weekends, and the General Retail Industry Award (MA000004) prices them accordingly. From 1 July 2026 the same 8-hour Level 1 casual shift costs $278.08 midweek, $333.70 on Saturday, $389.31 on Sunday, and $556.16 on a public holiday, in wages alone, before super and insurance.
The penalty map, Retail Employee Level 1 casual
Rates include the 25% casual loading; multipliers are the engine’s casual penalty table for day workers under MA000004.
| When | Multiplier | Casual $/hr | Wages, 8h shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday (before 6pm) | 1.0x | $34.76 | $278.08 |
| Weekday evening (after 6pm) | 1.2x | $41.71 | n/a (evening hours only) |
| Saturday | 1.2x | $41.71 | $333.70 |
| Sunday | 1.4x | $48.66 | $389.31 |
| Public holiday | 2.0x | $69.52 | $556.16 |
What the map means for a store P&L
A store that trades seven days runs at least three different labour prices for the same head count, and the gap compounds: staffing Saturday and Sunday with the same roster as midweek costs an extra $166.85 per worker per weekend in wages ($55.62 Saturday + $111.23 Sunday), roughly $8,000 a year per weekend worker before on-costs. Evening trade adds its own step: every hour after 6pm on a weekday runs at $41.71 instead of $34.76.
None of this is negotiable, it is the award floor. The lever retailers actually have is precision: match staffing to traffic by daypart, grade people correctly (Levels 2 to 8 step up from $35.56 to $42.49, full table on the Retail Award guide), and make sure any labour supplier itemises which day-type you are being billed for. A blended weekend rate is where margins hide. Preview any day and time in the shift calculator.
“From 1 July, the same retail shift has four prices: $278 midweek, $334 Saturday, $389 Sunday, $556 on a public holiday. Rostering is now a pricing decision.”
MyGig Workforce Insights, July 2026. Free to cite with attribution and a link to this page. Media and data requests: contact us.
Method
General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004), Retail Employee Level 1, adult casual: $34.76/hr including the 25% casual loading, effective first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, from MyGig's award engine (built from Fair Work Commission pay guides).
Engine casual penalty table for day workers: weekday evening after 6pm 1.2x, Saturday 1.2x, Sunday 1.4x, public holiday 2.0x, applied to the casual hourly rate. Shiftworker rates differ; overtime applies on top.
8h Saturday premium = $333.70 - $278.08 = $55.62; 8h Sunday premium = $389.31 - $278.08 = $111.23; combined $166.85/worker/weekend; x48 trading weeks = $8,008.80/yr in wages before super and workers comp.
General information, not legal advice; confirm against the award and official pay guides. Companion pieces: the warehouse pay ladder and Casual Australia. More research at MyGig Workforce Insights.
Weekend trade, priced before you roster.
Post a retail shift and see the exact day-type pricing before you book, with the award clause cited.