The dispute arose after the Queensland Services Union filed action on behalf of an environmental health officer, arguing that the council’s salaried officers certified agreement was being breached under current rostering practices.

At the heart of the stoush was how “per day” allowances are calculated when a rostered on-call period spans multiple dates. The affected employee was required to be on call from Tuesday afternoon until the following Tuesday morning—a timeframe covering eight distinct calendar days. However, because the schedule only consisted of seven rostered shift blocks, the council paid seven instalments of the $60 allowance, leading the union to claim staff were being underpaid.

Ultimately, QIRC Deputy President Catherine Hartigan ordered in favour of the council, determining that no additional allowances were required. In her ruling, Ms Hartigan noted that by its very nature, an on-call arrangement is unlikely to fall neatly within a single calendar day. Sunshine Coast Council welcomed the decision, stating that it remains committed to fair and lawful employment practices.

For more details on the ruling, read the full coverage at The Courier Mail.