Is your practice ready for the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 changes?
A significant change to the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (the Award) takes effect from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026.
For healthcare and allied health practice owners, this is not simply another increase to minimum Award rates. A new classification structure will also apply to health professional employees covered by the Award.
The changes may affect employed psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, podiatrists and other health professionals. Practices should review their arrangements now to ensure employees are correctly classified and paid under the new structure.
1. Confirm which employees are covered by the Award
The first step is identifying which employees are covered.
Practices with a mix of clinical, administrative and other employees should not assume that the same Award or classification applies across the team.
Review employment contracts and payroll records to confirm the Award coverage and current classification recorded for each health professional employee.
2. Check qualifications and experience
Under the new structure, the classification of some health professional employees will depend on their qualification level and years of professional experience.
Importantly, relevant experience may include experience gained before the employee joined your practice.
This means practice owners may need to review information that is not currently captured in payroll, including:
- professional qualifications
- relevant qualification level
- previous professional experience
- time practising in the profession
3. Review what the employee actually does
Job titles do not always reflect the role an employee is performing in practice.
An employee may have taken on senior clinical, specialist, supervisory, educational or managerial responsibilities since their employment agreement was first prepared.
Those duties can affect classification under the new Award structure.
One of the most common issues we see is that employment documentation has not kept pace with how a role has evolved. This is a useful time to compare the written position description with the employee’s actual responsibilities.
Unsure how the new classifications apply to your team?
Talk it through with Daniela Cecere-Palazzo, Senior Lawyer at You Legal.
4. Earlier classification changes for health support services employees
As a reminder, changes to the classifications of some health support services employees including dental assistants and pathology collectors took effect on 1 April 2026. Schedule J of the Award sets out the arrangements for translating employees who were already employed in these roles on 31 March 2026 into the updated support services classifications.
Practices should ensure that each affected employee’s previous classification, qualifications and industry experience have been considered, that the correct translated classification and minimum rate are being applied, and that the assessment has been properly documented.
5. Translate existing employees into the new structure
Practices should review each health professional employee’s existing classification and determine their correct classification and pay point under the new structure commencing on 1 October 2026.
Practices should confirm the applicable minimum rate and document how each classification was determined, rather than treating the change as a simple payroll update.
6. Do not rely only on paying above the Award
Paying an employee above the published minimum rate does not necessarily mean no further action is required. Practices should still determine the correct Award classification and ensure their remuneration arrangements properly satisfy the employee’s Award entitlements.
Incorrect classification can create underpayment exposure even where the practice genuinely believes the employee is being paid well above the Award.
Why periodic agreement reviews matter
Employment agreements, position descriptions and payroll arrangements should reflect how a role actually operates within the practice.
As clinics grow, employees often take on additional clinical leadership, supervision or management responsibilities, while Award requirements and minimum rates also continue to change.
The 1 October 2026 changes provide a sensible opportunity for practice owners to check that classifications, employment documentation and payroll arrangements remain aligned.
If you are unsure whether the Health Professionals and Support Services Award applies to members of your team, how an employee should be classified under the new structure or whether your existing arrangements remain compliant, contact Daniela, Senior Lawyer at You Legal, to discuss what the changes mean for your practice.
This information is general in nature and is not legal advice.
Book a call with Daniela to review your practitioner agreements and payment structure.
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This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Every practice is different and the law can differ across Australian jurisdictions. Please seek advice tailored to your circumstances before acting.