Note: Award coverage

When working out which award applies to an employee or business, you must first consider industry awards, then occupational awards. You can find out if an award is an industry award or occupational award in the coverage clause.

If the employee can’t be covered by an industry or occupational award, then consider whether the Miscellaneous Award can apply.

The employee will only be award free if no award can apply.

Maintenance persons are responsible for keeping buildings, facilities, and equipment in good repair. They're also called handypersons or maintenance technicians.

They often do a wide range of repairs and occasionally will construct or assemble items.

Maintenance persons can be qualified or unqualified.

Award coverage for maintenance persons depends on:

• the industry or industries their employer operates in
• the specific duties and qualifications of the employee.

Industry award coverage

An industry award covers maintenance persons if:

• their employer operates in the industry defined in the award
• there’s a classification which matches the employee’s duties and qualifications.

For example, a maintenance person may be covered by one of the following industry awards:

• Aged Care Award
• Alpine Resorts Award
• Amusement Award
• Cleaning Award
• Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award
• Gardening and Landscaping Award
• Health Services Award
• Hospitality Award
• Registered Clubs Award
• Restaurant Award
• Textile and Clothing Award

Example: Industry award coverage

Mario is a maintenance technician employed by a registered club. He’s worked for the club for 12 months.

He does basic maintenance and repairs of the clubrooms and uses equipment to maintain bowling greens and the grounds. He worked in the past as a general handyman but doesn’t have a trade qualification.

Mario is employed as a maintenance and horticultural employee level 2 under the Registered Clubs Award.

For information about trade qualified maintenance persons under the Hospitality Award see Award coverage for trade qualified maintenance persons in the hospitality industry.

To work out whether another industry award covers you, you may wish to contact us on your own situation.

Building and Construction Award

Most maintenance work involves smaller jobs that wouldn't be considered construction or renovation work.

However, maintenance persons engaged in construction or renovation work can be covered by the Building and Construction Award if:

• they work for an employer engaged in the on-site building, civil and engineering construction industry
• they work on a construction site
• there are classifications that cover the work that they are doing.

No industry award coverage

When there’s no industry award covering the employer of a maintenance person, the employee might be:

• covered by an occupational award, such as Manufacturing Award or the Joinery Award
• covered by the Miscellaneous Award, or
• award free.

This depends on the employee's duties and qualifications.

Occupational awards

A maintenance person who isn’t covered by an industry award may be covered by the Manufacturing Award or the Joinery Award on an occupational basis.  

Manufacturing Award

The Manufacturing Award can cover:

• employees without trade qualifications, and
• trade qualified employees including electrical tradespeople, welders and mechanical tradespeople.

They'll be classified based on their duties and qualifications.

Joinery Award

The Joinery Award can cover:

• employees without trade qualifications, and
• trade qualified employees including carpenters, painters and plasterers.

They’ll be classified based on their duties and qualifications. 

Example: Home handyperson working for a property maintenance company

Lillian is employed as a home handyperson by a property maintenance company. Her employer is in the building and construction industry.

As part of her role, she's required to hold a trade qualification. She has a Certificate III in Carpentry.

Lillian does odd jobs for customers at their private homes. The type of work she does includes fixing broken carpentry, fixing small holes in plaster walls, changing light bulbs, hanging shelves and mowing lawns.

The Building Award doesn’t cover Lillian because:

• her employer is not in the onsite building, civil and engineering construction industry
• she's not doing building work on a building site.

Lillian is covered by the Joinery Award on an occupational basis. She’s classified as a level 5, because she has a trade qualification.

Miscellaneous Award

The Miscellaneous Award can cover a maintenance person if they’re not:

• covered by an industry award or occupational award
• a managerial employee.

An employee may be considered a managerial employee due to the seniority of their role, for example if they are responsible for managing a handyperson business.

Employees will be classified based on their duties and qualifications.

Award free

Maintenance persons who aren’t covered by an industry award or the Miscellaneous Award are award free.

They’re entitled to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards.