Further Update on Enterprise Bargaining and Improved Pay Offer and Entitlements
On 20 July 2026 the Government made a further updated pay offer as part of the current ACT Public Sector Enterprise Agreement bargaining. This offer retains all entitlements included in the previous offers released on 9 December 2025 and 11 March 2026, while further strengthening the package in response to the issues raised during negotiations.
Pay Offer
The Government has maintained the proposed three-year agreement term and salary increases totalling 9%. The pay offer comprises percentage increases payable twice a year in July and February as outlined in the table below. Strengthening this offer from that made in March, employees will benefit from employer superannuation contributions increasing to 13% from 1 January 2028, six months earlier than proposed in the previous offer.
This offer acknowledges the risk that 3% annual pay increase may not keep pace with cost-of-living pressures. To address this risk, the offer includes a $600 cost-of-living payment where the ACT’s annual CPI reaches 3.5% or higher, increasing to $1,000 where the relevant CPI figure reaches 4% or higher. This strengthened offer is a response to the feedback that the Government received from industrial partners throughout bargaining.
Subject to employee approval of the Agreement, salary increases will be backdated to July 2026, ensuring employees receive the full benefit of the agreed wage increases from that date.
Agreement Year
Percentage Increase | Date of Effect | |
Year 1 | 3% | 1.5% July 2026 1.5% February 2027 |
Year 2 | 3% | 1.5% July 2027 1.5% February 2028 |
Year 3 | 3% | 1.5% July 2028 1.5% February 2029 |
Superannuation | +0.5% (reaching 13%) | 1 January 2028 |
Cost of Living Payment | $600 if CPI reaches 3.5% in the June quarter Or $1,000 if CPI reaches 4% in the June quarter. | If threshold met, September 2027 and/or 2028 |
Leading the Way on Leave Conditions and Entitlements
This offer further includes a revised parental leave framework, with all new parental leave provisions applying from the commencement of the Agreement. Replacing the previously proposed delayed introduction of 1 July 2027. These changes simplify and consolidate existing parental leave provisions to improve clarity and accessibility and include:
- The existing 24 weeks paid leave to birthing parents;
- 18 weeks paid leave for non-birthing parents;
- Expanded access to parental leave for both parents, with the option to take leave concurrently and flexibly within a 24‑month period; and
- Removal of the 12‑month service requirement for permanent employees to access the new Parental Leave entitlement.
This offer further strengthens employee wellbeing, workplace safety and inclusion through a range of new and enhanced entitlements, including:
- Increasing the cap on personal leave without the need for evidence from 7 to 10 days.
- Increasing rest relief from 8 hours plus travel, to a minimum of 10 hours inclusive of travel time between shifts.
- Strengthened provisions on workload management, safe staffing levels and classification reviews to better support employees in their roles.
- Employees who are breastfeeding will continue to have access to one hour for breastfeeding or expressing milk, with the introduction of additional reasonable time provided, including when an employee cannot access appropriate facilities and they are required to travel from their workplace to feed their infant or to express their milk.
- Introduction of a new clause addressing the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
- New provisions enabling the cultural expertise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees to be recognised as equivalent to formal qualifications and relevant experience for accelerated increments.
- The Attraction and Retention Incentives (ARIns) framework has been broadened to explicitly recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural expertise, acknowledging and remunerating the additional cultural knowledge and skills required for certain roles.
Leave Conditions and Entitlements included in the previous offer
The following entitlements, all of which were included in the previous offer, will continue to form part of the final offer:
- Remove the existing cap on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Leave, ensuring employees can access the leave they need without restriction. In addition, strengthen the range of supports available to employees experiencing, or have previously experienced these circumstances.
- Increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ceremonial leave, doubling the current entitlement to provide up to 10 days paid leave per year. New provisions will also enable employees to work from Country following a ceremony or Sorry Business, fostering connection to Country.
- New supports and leave entitlements for parents who experience pregnancy loss.
- Additional paid parental leave entitlements for premature birth ensuring employees continue to receive their full paid parental leave entitlement, by providing additional paid leave when a baby is born before 37 weeks’ gestation.
- Broaden the eligibility for Reproductive Leave and double the current leave entitlement, providing up to 10 days paid leave per year.
- Extend existing Religious Leave to also cover other cultural purposes, with the entitlement increased to add one day of paid leave per year in addition to existing unpaid leave entitlements.
Next steps and further information for the Common Core
Please note 17 out of the 18 ACTPS Enterprise Agreements are currently under negotiation. More information will become available as enterprise bargaining progresses.
The access period for the Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2026 - 2029 commenced on 12 August before proceeding to ballot on 26 August. The voting period closed on 8 September, and the Agreement was not approved by employees.
Until a replacement Agreement is agreed and comes into effect, employees under the ACT Public Sector Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2023 - 2026 will continue to be covered by the terms and conditions of that Agreement.
Update on Legislative Assembly Members Staff Enterprise Agreement Pay and Entitlements
On 20 July 2026 the Government made a further updated pay offer as part of the current ACT Public Sector Enterprise Agreement bargaining, this offer applies to staff covered by the Legislative Assembly Members’ Staff Enterprise Agreement (LAMS EA), this includes all pay and entitlements listed above.
Subject to employee approval of the LAMS EA, salary increases will be backdated to July 2026, ensuring employees receive the full benefit of the agreed wage increases from that date. If a ‘yes’ vote is received the first pay increase of 1.5% and backpay will be paid on payday 3 December 2026.
In addition to this, a number of improvements specific to the LAMS EA have also been developed and are proposed for inclusion as part of the overall package.
- Significant increases to termination payment service calculations including increases to the weeks paid out at each year of service, as well as shortening the years of service required to receive the maximum payment from 22 years to 14 years, and:
- 1 year service: 5 weeks plus 3 weeks, totalling 8 weeks; and
- Maximum cap: 40 weeks plus 8 weeks, totalling 48 weeks; plus
- A new 30% additional termination payment as a result of the employing Member ceasing to hold office.
- New provisions to allow for up to one week of Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) to be cashed out on cessation of employment.
- The introduction of payment in lieu of annual leave provisions, where one week of TOIL has been taken in the past 6 months.
- An increase to the maximum TOIL accrual cap from 100 to 125 hours.
- Clarification that the LAMS Allowance counts for superannuation purposes and the Specialist Duties payment counts for all purposes including superannuation.
- Strengthened provisions to protect career progression and support annual incremental advancements.
- Improved flexibility for Members to approve Relocation Expenses.
- Updates to employment arrangement language for ongoing or non-ongoing to align with current practices, the administration of Legislative Assembly employment arrangements, and to improve transparency.
Common Core Pay Offer
The Government's remuneration offer for LAMS employees is aligned with the current ACTPS Common Core offer. While the Common Core has not yet been finalised, if any improvements to the remuneration offer are agreed through the Common Core bargaining process at a later date, these improvements will also be applied to LAMS employees through an appropriate mechanism.