Industrial Relations
In this section:
Agreements and Awards
All Neighbourhood Houses that are signed on to a neighbourhood house sector collective agreement must comply with the terms and conditions of that agreement.
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Neighbourhood Houses not signed on to a neighbourhood house sector collective agreement or where applicable, covered by their auspicing/managing organisation's agreement, are governed by the award system.
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What's changed in the 2024 NHACE Agreement
You can see a comparison document here.
If you have not yet joined the Agreement, you can see the instructions to do so here.
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Paytables
​Paytables for Neighbourhood Houses covered by Multi Employer Agreements made between 2010-2024:
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Changes to SCHADS Award 2027
The Fair Work Commission has released its provisional decision in the Gender-Based Undervaluation—Priority Awards Review for the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Award 2010 [(2026) FWCFB 137].
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The FWC concluded that significant gender-based undervaluation existed and that the Award required substantial changes to properly recognise the value, complexity and responsibility of the work.
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The changes come into effect on 1 October 2027.
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Resources
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Long Service Leave
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Most Victorian employees, including full time, part time, casual, seasonal and fixed term workers have an entitlement to Long Service Leave (LSL). The LSL Act 2018 outlines the minimum standards.
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Some Agreements, including the neighbourhood house Agreements, may have more generous provisions than the legislated minimum but can't fall below the standards outlined in the Act. Check the terms of your Agreement above.
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More information on the LSL Act 2018 can be found on the Business Victoria website including an online long service leave calculator and a clear readable guide to LSL.
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The State Government's Portable Long Service Leave Scheme
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Introduced on 1 July 2019, the Portable Long Service Leave Scheme ensures workers will be able to move from employer to employer without losing their accrued entitlements, provided they stay within the contract cleaning, security or community services sectors. Neighbourhood houses are covered by this compulsory scheme. The scheme does not replace existing Long Service leave schemes, but sits alongside them.
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Visit the Portable Long Service Leave Scheme website for more information.