What SCHADS rate applies to a sleepover shift?

What counts as a sleepover

A sleepover is when the employer requires an employee to sleep overnight at the premises where the client they are responsible for is located, including respite care. It does not include a 24 hour care shift under clause 25.8 or an excursion under clause 25.9, which have their own rules. The sleepover is a continuous period of 8 hours. The employer must provide a separate room with a bed and clean linen, access to facilities, and free board and lodging.

The sleepover allowance

Clause 25.7(d) sets the allowance at 4.9 per cent of the standard rate for each night. Clause 3.1 defines the standard rate as the minimum wage for a social and community services employee at level 3, pay point 3, so the allowance is the same whatever the employee's own classification. Because that wage changes each year, the dollar value changes too. When the new classification structure starts on 1 October 2027, the Fair Work Commission has said it intends to reduce the percentage so the dollar value stays the same. The final determination is due closer to that date.

If the worker is woken to work

Clause 25.7(e) says that if the employee has to perform work during the sleepover period, the time worked is paid at the prescribed overtime rate, with a minimum payment as for one hour worked. If the work lasts longer than one hour, overtime is paid for the whole time worked. Record the start and finish times of any disturbance in your timesheet or progress notes so it can be paid correctly.

Work before and after the sleepover

Clause 25.7(f) lets the employer roster work immediately before and after the sleepover, but the employee must be rostered or paid for at least four hours' work for at least one of those periods. The allowance is paid on top. This is separate from the general minimum payment in clause 10.5, which is 2 hours for part-time and casual employees doing home care or disability services work.

Since 1 June 2026, under [2026] FWCFB 79, a sleepover is not a break and the work on both sides forms one shift. By agreement, the shift can include up to 12 ordinary hours, with no more than 8 ordinary hours before or after the sleepover. Shift loadings are assessed separately for the work before and after. For part-time and casual employees, overtime applies to time worked beyond 10 hours in a day or in a shift. Check that your payroll system reflects these changes.

Where to check the current figure

Do not rely on a dollar amount from a roster app or an old pay guide. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes pay guides for the award with the current allowance amounts, and these change with the annual wage review. If an enterprise agreement covers your workplace, check its sleepover terms. If you think a sleepover has been underpaid, raise it with your employer first, then contact the Fair Work Ombudsman or your union.