Pre-modern award
Pre-modern awards are awards that were in place before 1 January 2010. This term encompasses both award-based transitional instruments and transitional minimum wage instruments.
Pre-modern awards were the standards and regulations governing employment conditions and wages before the introduction of the modern award system in 2010. These awards included various rules for different industries and occupations. Post-2010, many of these were consolidated or replaced by modern awards, but some transitional arrangements remained in place to smooth the changeover.
Do pre-modern awards still apply?
No. Pre-modern awards were replaced by modern awards from 1 January 2010, and the transitional arrangements that followed have ended. Today employees are covered by a modern award, an enterprise agreement or, if they are award and agreement free, the National Employment Standards and the national minimum wage. The term is still useful when reviewing old contracts or historical pay records. For example, a long-serving employee's original contract may refer to a pre-modern state award that no longer applies.
Read our guide to modern awards.
General information only
This content is general information about Australian employment law, current at the date it was last reviewed. It does not take your circumstances into account and is not legal advice. For advice about your situation, call Employment Compass on 1300 144 002.
Last reviewed: October 2026
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