Hotel SA September 2023

W O R K P L A C E R E L A T I O N S
example under the Food and beverage stream a
Food and beverage attendant grade 2 (wage level 2)
classification is defined as an employee:
“… who has not achieved the appropriate level of training
and who is engaged in any of the following:
• Supplying, dispensing and mixing liquor, including
selling liquor from the bottle department;
• Assisting in the cellar or bottle department
• Undertaking general waiting duties for food and
beverages or both, including cleaning tables;
• Receiving money;
• Attending a snack bar;
• Performing delivery duties; and
• Taking reservations, greeting and seating guests.”
Once the classification wage level in Schedule A has
been determined we can then ascertain the minimum
hourly rate (excluding loadings) for the employee by
cross checking the classification wage level with the
corresponding wage level contained in Clause 18 of the
HIGA – Minimum Rates.
APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF TRAINING & TRADE
QUALIFICATIONS
A number of classification definitions in Schedule A
make reference to the term appropriate level of training.
There are several instances where an employee will be
classified at a higher classification level in the respective
stream where they have achieved the appropriate level
of training.
Appropriate level of training under the HIGA is defined
under Clause 2 as an employee who:
“(a) has completed an appropriate training program that
meets the training and assessment requirements of
a qualification or one or more appropriate units of
competency forming part of a training package; or
(b) has been assessed by a qualified skills assessor as
having skills at least equivalent to those attained in
an appropriate training program; or
(c) as at 30 June 2010, has been doing the work of
a particular classification for a period of at least
3 months.”
Those who are recruiting and subsequently classifying
employees for roles need to ensure that when
onboarding employees they obtain records of any
relevant training that the new employee may have
previously undertaken (e.g. Certificate II, III or higher in
hospitality or cookery).
The HIGA in Schedule A also makes references to
grades that contain a tradesperson classification.
For example the cooking stream refers to Cook
Grade 3 (tradesperson) (wage level 4), Cook Grade
4 (tradesperson) (wage level 5), and Cook Grade 5
(tradesperson) (wage level 6).
Where the classification level refers to tradesperson,
the employee will need to be able to produce to the
employer relevant trade qualifications as proof of
evidence that they are trade qualified in order to be
classified within that tradesperson classification level.
NATIONAL STRUCTURE
The HIGA is a national modern award which contains
a classification structure under Schedule A which is
applicable to employers and employees across Australia
in the hospitality industry.
The classification structure is a national structure and
therefore does not contain references to any state or
territory based legislation. We often get enquiries at
the AHA|SA about whether an employee’s approval
as a gaming employee or manager under the Gaming
Machines Act 1992 (SA) or responsible person approval
under the Liquor Licensing Act 1997 (SA) affects the
level that the employee should be classified under. As
there is no reference to these South Australian Acts,
the HIGA does not make any distinction between
classification levels based on whether an employee is
approved as a gaming manager, gaming employee or
responsible person.
Ultimately the employee’s classification is defined
according to the definition outlined within the
classification level. For example one of the duties
outlined under the Food and Beverage attendant grade
3 (wage level 3) classification level is “attending a
wagering terminal, electronic gaming terminal or similar
terminal”. This is the only reference to gaming (outside
of casinos) under the HIGA, there is no distinction as to
whether someone is approved as a gaming employee or
gaming manager under the Gaming Machines Act 1992
(SA).
MANAGERIAL CLASSIFICATION
The HIGA provides a classification level under Schedule
A.2.9 for managerial staff. There are parameters around
which roles can be classified under the managerial
classification.
Firstly for a role to be considered under the managerial
staff classification the employee needs to be employed
in a hotel. A hotel is defined under Schedule A.2.9 as:
“hotels, resorts, casinos, taverns, wine saloons, wine and
spirit merchants retailing to the general public and other
retail licensed establishments in or in connection with
accommodation, with the selling of drinks, preparing and
servicing food and drinks, cleaning and attending to the
premises and all other associated services. “
Having determined that the establishment is a hotel, we
then need to look at the employees’ duties and level of
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