The Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS Award) governs employment conditions for thousands of Australian workers in sectors like disability support, aged care, community services, and home care.

One of the most complex and frequently discussed provisions of this award is the broken shift allowance—a clause that directly impacts rostering, pay, and operational planning. In this guide, we break down exactly what a broken shift is, how allowances work, and what both employers and employees should understand to stay compliant.

What is a Broken Shift?

A broken shift is when an employee works multiple periods in a single day with unpaid breaks in between (excluding meal breaks). This is especially common in industries like disability and home care, where demand often spikes in the morning and late afternoon, but dips during midday hours.

For example:
A support worker works from 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM and again from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM, with a large unpaid break in the middle. This is a classic broken shift.

What the SCHADS Award Says About Broken Shifts

Who Can Be Scheduled for Broken Shifts?

Only certain employees can be rostered in this way:

• Home care employees providing services in clients’ homes.
  
  
• Disability support workers under the “Social and Community Services” stream.
  
  

Structure and Maximum Span

• A broken shift can include up to two work periods and one unpaid break.
  
  
• A third work period (with two unpaid breaks) is allowed only with the employee’s agreement.
  
  
• The total shift span (from the start of the first work period to the end of the last) must not exceed 12 hours.
  
  
• Any time worked beyond the 12-hour span must be paid at double time.
  

Broken Shift Allowance Rates

The SCHADS Award includes allowances to compensate employees for the inconvenience of spread-out work periods.

Minimum Engagement Rules for Broken Shifts

To protect casual and part-time workers:

• Each work period in a broken shift must meet the minimum engagement period of two hours.
  
  
• Even if the actual work takes less time, the employee must be paid for at least two hours.
  
  

This means:
A casual employee rostered from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM and again from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM must be paid two hours for each shift, even though they only worked one hour in each.

Common Compliance Challenges for Employers

Rostering Without Consent

Employers must not roster an employee for a second unpaid break (i.e., three work periods) unless the employee agrees. This consent should be recorded and ideally included in the employment contract or roster acceptance.

Payroll System Miscalculations

Many outdated payroll systems:

• Fail to calculate the allowance based on current award rates.
  
  
• Do not automatically apply minimum engagement periods.
  
  
• Miss the double-time calculation for shifts exceeding 12 hours.
  
  

Non-Compliance Consequences

Incorrect application of broken shift rules can result in:

• Back payments to staff.
  
  
• Penalties from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
  
  
• Damage to reputation and trust, especially in NDIS-funded services where audits are routine.
  
  

Example Scenario: Putting It All Together

Scenario:
Emma is a disability support worker employed casually. She is rostered to work:

• 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM
  
  
• 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
  
  

This qualifies as a broken shift with one unpaid break. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Hours worked: 6 hours
  
  
• Span of shift: 11.5 hours (under the 12-hour limit)
  
  
• Minimum engagement: Met (3 hours and 3 hours)
  
  
• Allowance payable: 1.7% of the standard rate for that broken shift
  
  

Her payslip should reflect:

• 6 hours of casual pay
  
  
• Broken shift allowance
  
  
• Any applicable weekend or evening penalty rates
  
  

Final Takeaways

The Social, Community, Home Care, and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS Award) governs broken shift allowances, which apply when employees work multiple periods in a day with unpaid breaks in between. This is common in disability support and home care sectors. The SCHADS Award allows a shift span of up to 12 hours, with any overtime paid at double time. Employees receive a broken shift allowance of 1.7% for one unpaid break and 2.25% for two breaks (with consent).

Employers must ensure each work period is at least two hours, and non-compliance with these rules can lead to penalties and back payments. Accurate payroll systems are critical to ensure compliance, and broken shift allowances must be clearly shown on payslips.

To stay compliant and simplify your payroll process, Imploy’s Single Touch Payroll solution ensures all broken shift allowances and award conditions are accurately calculated and clearly reflected on payslips—giving you peace of mind and saving valuable admin time.

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