Glossary

Home »Glossary

Share on MySpace

Bookmark this site

Glossary

Skip to section: A - D | E - H | I - L | M - P | Q - T | U - Z |

Accident: An unplanned occurrence or incident that causes or contributes to personal injury or damage to property.
Agreement (industrial): See definition of Enterprise Agreement.
Apprenticeship: A form of on-the-job training where an apprentice is under contract (usually four years) to an employer to learn all aspects of a trade (e.g. mechanic, plumber, bricklayer, painter etc).
Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA): An approved individual contract/agreement offered to an employee by an employer, previously recognised under the federal industrial relations system.
Award (industrial, provisions): Legal document set by the Industrial Relations Commission that contains all your conditions of employment and entitlements such as rates of pay, hours of work, leave entitlements, allowances and penalty rates. An employer and employee cannot agree to work for conditions or pay less than an award covering their workplace, organisation, industry or occupation.
Award-free employees: Employees who have no award coverage. The terms of employment are agreed between the employer and employee. However, legislation protects basic entitlements such as annual leave and sick leave. Also in South Australia there is a current minimum wage (see 'Minimum Wage') that an employer has to legally pay an employee.
Break (in service): Normally when a worker takes a period of leave without pay from work or when the employment contract is terminated.
Breaks (meal): The time given to you to eat your lunch. Normally an unpaid break between 30 and 60 minutes that is taken after you complete five hours of work.
Breaks (rest): The time between working and completing overtime after one shift and the time you start your next shift. Most rest breaks are a minimum of eight hours.
Bullying: When the behaviour of a person or a group of people intentionally and repeatedly upset or hurt another person that creates a risk to their health and safety.
Business SA: The peak organisation that represents and provides advice to businesses in South Australia.
Cash payment (of wages): Receiving your wages in the form of cash.
Casual work: Casual work has no set hours of work and employees only work when the employer needs them. Casuals receive no paid sick leave, annual leave or public holidays but the rates of pay are generally higher to make up for this. Generally a casual employee is engaged for a minimum of 3 hours on each shift.
Conditions (of employment): These are the terms of your employment such as: the hours you work, the wages you get paid, what leave you are entitled to, what allowances and penalty rates you receive and what type of duties you should be doing.
Direct payment (of wages): When your wages are paid straight into your bank account (see also 'payslips').
Dismissal (constructive): When the employee is forced to resign from their job due to the actions of the employer and where the employee felt they had no choice but to resign.
Dismissal (unfair): Where an employer fails to dismiss an employee legally. An employer has to follow the 'rules' for dismissing an employee, e.g. provide a notice period of termination, have a valid reason for dismissing an employee etc. Sometimes referred to as 'wrongful dismissal'.

Employee Ombudsman: Provides advice to employees on their rights and obligations under awards and enterprise agreements.
Enterprise agreement: Agreements that are negotiated voluntarily between an employer and their employees, or the union representing those employees. Employees should not be worse off under the agreement compared to awards. They are not enforceable unless the SA Industrial Relations Commission has approved them. Agreements usually last for 3 years.
Entitlements: This refers to your annual leave (holidays), sick leave (including carers leave), bereavement leave, parental leave (maternity, paternity and adoption), long service leave and public holidays.
Harrassment: A range of offensive or threatening behaviour, often in the form of sexual advances, verbal or physcial behaviour that makes you feel afraid, offended or humiliated.
Hazard: Things in the workplace that can injure you or make you sick.
Hours of work (maximum): Should not exceed more than 38 ordinary hours per week, otherwise overtime may be payable (if covered by an award or enterprise agreement).
Hours (minimum): This varies if you are a part time or casual worker. Most part time workers work a minimum of 12 hours per week and most casual workers are entitled to work or be paid for a minimum of 3 hours when called into work by the employer.
Hours (spread of): The earliest time you can start and the latest time you can finish your ordinary hours on any day.

Induction: A structured process to introduce you to the workplace and should include information, training and instructions about the work you are to do.
Industrial Commission (Industrial Relations Commission of SA): Establishes legal conditions of employment to protect the workplace rights and interests of employees, employers and associations that are regulated by SA industrial laws and provides for the prevention and resolution of disputes (including unfair dismissals) between employers and employees.
Industrial Court (Industrial Relations Court of SA): The Court has power that covers the enforcement of most aspects of employment law and industrial offences. The Industrial Court is where you go when you wish to make any industrial relations claim.
Industrial relations: The relationship between employer and employee. Also refers to the system that determines minimum working conditions and pay.

Leave (Annual): Annual leave is paid holiday time that all employees (excluding casuals, pieceworkers, school-based apprentices or trainees) receive for each completed year of employment. May also be called recreation leave and is usually four weeks every 12 months.
Leave (Sick): This is the paid leave you are entitled to (excluding casuals, pieceworkers, school-based apprentices or trainees) each year. The actual entitlements vary between awards but the most common allowance is for ten days per year. Sick leave entitlements can carryover from year to year so that you can build up an entitlement that exceeds ten days.
Leave (Maternity): All female employees are entitled to 12 months unpaid leave to have and to care for a baby. You only get the leave if you have been with your employer for more than 12 months.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS): An information sheet about the chemicals you handle or work with at work. Includes basic information such as what personal protective equipment is required, emergency response and first aid, storage information etc.
Minimum wage: The minimum rate of pay set by the Industrial Relations Commission of SA for any type of work done that is not covered by an award or enterprise agreement (see ‘award-free employees’).
Occupational health, safety and welfare: Refers to protecting the health, safety and welfare of people engaged in the workplace.
Ombudsman (Federal): The Office of the Workplace Ombudsman is the federal agency that investigates complaints of industrial matters under Federal industrial relations legislation.
Overtime: Hours worked in excess of the ordinary daily or weekly hours of work (see ‘Hours of work (maximum)).
Part time work: The ordinary hours of work for a part time employee are normally set (usually by a roster system) are the same from week to week (also referred to as ‘regular and systematic hours) and are less than 38 hours per week but a minimum of 12 hours per week.
Payslip: The employer must give you one each pay day that shows the hours worked for the week, the rates of pay paid, gross wage, tax and net wage due. Pay slips also have information about how much superannuation (if relevant) has been paid by the employer (see ‘Superannuation’).
Penalty rates: The extra rate you receive if you work hours on the weekend, outside of ordinary hours or public holidays.

Rates (of pay): The rate of pay that an employer must pay you for the work you have done for them. Full time employees receive a weekly rate of pay and part time and casual employees receive an hourly rate of pay.

Records (time): The record you must keep to show the hours you work each day and week. This record must show starting times, finishing times and meal breaks.
Records (wages): The record an employer must keep to show what wages they have paid you. The record should show ordinary hours worked, overtime and penalty hours worked and the rate of pay for each as well as any deductions that are made (see also ‘Payslips')
Responsibilities (OHSW): Actions to be taken by your employer and you, to make sure you are not put at risk of injury or illness while at work.
Risk: The chances of you being injured or becoming sick because of your exposure to a workplace hazard/s.
SA Unions: The peak organisation that represents and provides advice to union organisations in South Australia.
SafeWork SA: The government department that promotes and enforces laws providing for safe, fair and productive working lives in South Australia by working with employers, employees, unions and industry representatives.
Salary: A fixed regular payment for work or services, by the week, day, fortnight or month or individual job performed. This is often paid regardless of the hours actually worked. Salaries are typically paid fortnightly or monthly unlike hourly paid or wages' employees who tend to be paid weekly.
Superannuation: The money put aside during your working life for use when you retire. An employer must generally contribute 9% of their employee's wages into a superannuation fund. Superannuation is an additional benefit on top of a wage or salary.
Termination (of employment) (also known as 'Dismissal'): The act of ending the employee/employer contract by either giving of notice, instant dismissal or resignation.
Traineeship: A type of job that combines formal training and work. Trainees undertake on-the-job work (usually four days per week) as well as training provided by a college or other training provider (usually a day each week).
Trial work: A trial period provides the employer with the opportunity to assess the performance and suitability of a new employee in the job and also gives the employee the chance to determine whether they want to do that kind of work on an ongoing basis.
The period of trial work should be determined prior to the employee commencing employment and the employee must be paid for all hours worked (see also ‘unpaid trial work’).

Underpayment of wages: When an employer does not pay you the correct wage as set out by the award or agreement.
Unpaid trial work: A common – and illegal – way of exploiting young people who are trying to gain work experience. Unpaid trial work should not be confused with legitimate school work experience programs.
Wages: The amount you receive for work performed for an employer.
WorkCover: The authority that provide a workers rehabilitation and compensation system for most South Australians.
Working environment: Any workplace where you are asked to work for an employer.
Young workers legal service: A service for young workers, providing free, confidential advice about employment related issues.

Last updated: 21 October, 2010

Telephone 1300 365 255

Employers and employees within South Australia can contact their local SafeWork SA office, or the Help Centre, for the cost of a local call. This service is available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm, and on Wednesdays from 8.30am to 4.15pm (excluding public holidays)

Email: help@safework.sa.gov.au