The Area and Scope clauses for three key state Clerks Awards have been updated to expand their coverage to a broader range of clerical employees.

The main changes to the coverage of the awards are:

• The Clerks (Commercial, Social and Professional Services) Award is now a broad-based occupational award that applies to all private sector clerical employees who are not covered by another WA award. The previous scope clause gave coverage only to employees who were employed by certain types of businesses.
• The Clerks (Wholesale and Retail Establishments) Award now applies to clerical employees working for any type of wholesale or retail establishment, regardless of the type of good being sold. The previous scope clause gave coverage only to employees who were employed by businesses selling particular types of goods.
• The Clerks (Hotels, Motels and Clubs) Award now applies to employees engaged in clerical work in the “hospitality industry”, rather than the industry of “Hotel, Motel, Club and Service Flats”. The definition of the hospitality industry is broader than Hotel, Motel, Club and Service Flats, and encompasses other accommodation, liquor and tourist establishments.

Other amendments to the area and scope clauses ensure that the awards:

• no longer exclude employees working in certain remote geographic locations within WA; 
• apply to clerical workers working for labour hire organisations;
• do not apply to employers and employees in the national industrial relations system; and
• apply to employers who are “connected to the State of Western Australia” and their employees while performing work covered by the award.

These changes, which are effective from 19 December 2023, were made as part of a process being undertaken by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission to update the scope of a number of private sector WA awards.

The Orders varying the Clerks Awards will be available on the  Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission website in due course.

Wageline’s WA award summaries for these Clerks Awards have been updated.