Ordinary hours of work vs spread of hours

For instance, under the Health Professional and Support Services Award 2020 and the Nurses Award 2020, the ordinary hours of work for a full-time employee is an average of 38 hours per week in a fortnight or four-week period. 

On the other hand, the spread of hours refers to the range of hours within which an employee's ordinary hours can be scheduled. It's the time between the earliest and latest start and finish times an employee can work, based on their employment contract or relevant industry award.

Below is an excerpt of what the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 outlines as the spread of hours for day workers. 

For example, an employee's ordinary hours may be from 9am to 5pm, but the spread of hours may be from 7am to 7pm. This means the employee may be required to work outside of their ordinary hours, such as starting work at 7am or finishing at 7pm, but they would still be within the allowable spread of hours.

It's important for employees and employers to understand the difference between ordinary hours and spread of hours, as it can impact an employee's pay and entitlements, as well as their work-life balance.

	Workplace Relations Support  Workplace Relations Support can provide general guidance to members on what the Health Professional and Support Services Award and Nurses Award defines as ordinary hours for the different employment status’. You can contact us via phone (07) 3872 2222 and email support workplacerelations@amaq.com.au.
	Workplace Relations Toolkit  Workplace Relations Toolkit subscribers receive contract templates that outline the agreed hours of work by an employer and employee in line with modern award regulations for part-time and full-time employees.
	Workplace Relations Consultancy Workplace Relations Consultancy can assist members through tailored and comprehensive advice if you need to alter an employees agreed hours and are unsure on the best practice approach in navigating this with your staff.