Registered agreement
A registered agreement is a document between an employer and employees about employment conditions, which must be approved and registered with the Fair Work Commission. Examples include enterprise agreements and greenfields agreements.
Registered agreements detail the terms of employment, including wages, work hours, and other working conditions. They are tailored to specific workplaces or projects and need to be approved by the Fair Work Commission to ensure they meet legal standards. Enterprise agreements cover terms for existing businesses, whereas greenfields agreements apply to new business ventures.
Types of registered agreements
The main types under the Fair Work Act are single-enterprise agreements, multi-enterprise agreements and greenfields agreements for new projects before any employees are hired. Once approved by the Fair Work Commission, an agreement applies instead of the modern award, must pass the better off overall test and cannot provide less than the National Employment Standards. It keeps applying after its nominal expiry date until it is replaced or terminated. For example, a construction company may make a greenfields agreement for a new project before it hires the workforce.
Read our guide to enterprise agreements.
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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