The words ‘board and lodging’ are usually used in awards to describe meals and accommodation.

Other awards may use the terms ‘camp facilities’ and ‘mess’ or ‘messing’. Examples include the Building Award, Plumbing Award and Timber Award. Camp and mess generally means accommodation and meals.

Quality of board and lodging

If the number of meals included in an employee’s ‘board’ isn’t specified in the award, 3 meals a day is generally treated as reasonable.

Some awards specify that board and lodging supplied by an employer must be ‘reasonable’. Some awards set out in detail what reasonable means in this context.

Example: Silviculture Award

The Silviculture Award says that reasonable board and lodging means lodging in a well kept establishment with 3 adequate meals each day, adequate furnishings, good bedding, good floor coverings, good lighting and heating and with hot and cold running water, in a single room.

Meal allowances or board and lodging

Sometimes an award will specify that an employee is to be paid an allowance as an alternative to being provided with board and lodging.

Awards should be read carefully to determine the purpose of the allowance, and what the employee will be entitled to.

Pastoral Award found employees or keep

The Pastoral Award provides some classifications of employees with meals and accommodations defined separately as found employees or keep. These terms are defined in the award.