> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://upsheets.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Animal Care Award Veterinary Surgeons Rates and Overtime 2026/27

> 2026/27 MA000118 veterinary-surgeons pay rates, overtime, weekend and public-holiday rules, classifications and allowances, and how UpSheets applies them in Xero Payroll.

[All awards](/docs/smart-formulas/award-library/awards/overview) → [Animal Care Award](/docs/smart-formulas/award-library/awards/acvsa/overview) → Veterinary Surgeons

|                          |                                                                          |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Award**                | [Animal Care Award](/docs/smart-formulas/award-library/awards/acvsa/overview) |
| **Official name**        | Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award 2020                           |
| **Variant**              | Veterinary Surgeons                                                      |
| **Rates effective from** | 1 July 2026                                                              |
| **Version**              | 1                                                                        |

UpSheets uses this Smart Formula to turn imported start and finish times into ordinary hours, overtime, weekend, public-holiday and allowance lines ready for Xero Payroll.

Review the [assumptions and limitations](#assumptions-and-limitations) before publishing this formula.

<Card title="Use this formula in UpSheets" icon="copy" href="/docs/smart-formulas/award-library/overview">
  Step-by-step guide to copy, review, simulate, publish, and assign an Award Library formula.
</Card>

## What UpSheets Calculates Automatically

* Ordinary hours from imported start and finish times
* Public holiday penalty rates
* Overtime tiers based on hours worked
* Minimum engagement payments
* Automatic allowance calculations where configured

## Pay Rates and Smart Formula Rules

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Full time">
    ### Classification Pay Rates

    | Classification | Code | Classification minimum |
    | -------------- | ---- | ---------------------- |
    | Vet Level 1A   | V1A  | \$34.20                |
    | Vet Level 1B   | V1B  | \$36.08                |
    | Vet Level 2    | V2   | \$38.98                |
    | Vet Level 3    | V3   | \$42.83                |
    | Vet Level 4    | V4   | \$48.38                |

    ### Calculation Rules

    | Rule                        | Conditions                          | Value                  | Notes |
    | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------- | ----- |
    | M-Sun Ordinary              | EVERY                               | Classification minimum | -     |
    | PH x2                       | PH                                  | x2                     | -     |
    | M-Sun Weekly Extra Hours x1 | EVERY<br />Hours 38-168<br />Weekly | x1                     | -     |
    | PH Weekly OT x2             | PH<br />Hours 38-168<br />Weekly    | x2                     | -     |

    ### Worked Example

    Input: Vet Level 1A full-time employee, Monday 6:00 am–2:00 pm, 8.00 paid hours, with no weekly overtime already accrued.

    | UpSheets output | Hours | Rate    |
    | --------------- | ----- | ------- |
    | Ordinary hours  | 8.00  | \$34.20 |

    Why: All paid hours fall within the ordinary-hours rules for this employment type and day.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Part time">
    ### Classification Pay Rates

    | Classification | Code | Classification minimum |
    | -------------- | ---- | ---------------------- |
    | Vet Level 1A   | V1A  | \$34.20                |
    | Vet Level 1B   | V1B  | \$36.08                |
    | Vet Level 2    | V2   | \$38.98                |
    | Vet Level 3    | V3   | \$42.83                |
    | Vet Level 4    | V4   | \$48.38                |

    ### Calculation Rules

    | Rule                        | Conditions                          | Value                  | Notes |
    | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------- | ----- |
    | M-Sun Ordinary              | EVERY                               | Classification minimum | -     |
    | PH x2                       | PH                                  | x2                     | -     |
    | M-Sun Weekly Extra Hours x1 | EVERY<br />Hours 38-168<br />Weekly | x1                     | -     |
    | PH Weekly OT x2             | PH<br />Hours 38-168<br />Weekly    | x2                     | -     |

    ### Worked Example

    Input: Vet Level 1A part-time employee, Monday 6:00 am–2:00 pm, 8.00 paid hours, with no weekly overtime already accrued.

    | UpSheets output | Hours | Rate    |
    | --------------- | ----- | ------- |
    | Ordinary hours  | 8.00  | \$34.20 |

    Why: All paid hours fall within the ordinary-hours rules for this employment type and day.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Casual">
    ### Classification Pay Rates

    | Classification | Code | Casual classification minimum (includes 25% loading) |
    | -------------- | ---- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
    | Vet Level 1A   | V1A  | \$42.75                                              |
    | Vet Level 1B   | V1B  | \$45.10                                              |
    | Vet Level 2    | V2   | \$48.73                                              |
    | Vet Level 3    | V3   | \$53.54                                              |
    | Vet Level 4    | V4   | \$60.48                                              |

    ### Calculation Rules

    | Rule                        | Conditions                          | Value                  | Notes |
    | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------- | ----- |
    | M-Sun Ordinary              | EVERY                               | Classification minimum | -     |
    | PH x1.8                     | PH                                  | x1.8                   | -     |
    | M-Sun Weekly Extra Hours x1 | EVERY<br />Hours 38-168<br />Weekly | x1                     | -     |
    | PH Weekly OT x1.8           | PH<br />Hours 38-168<br />Weekly    | x1.8                   | -     |
    | Casual Min Engagement x1    | EVERY<br />OT 0-3 hours             | x1                     | -     |
    | PH Min Engagement x1.8      | PH<br />OT 0-3 hours                | x1.8                   | -     |

    ### Worked Example

    Input: Vet Level 1A casual employee, Monday 6:00 am–2:00 pm, 8.00 paid hours, with no weekly overtime already accrued.

    | UpSheets output | Hours | Rate    |
    | --------------- | ----- | ------- |
    | Ordinary hours  | 8.00  | \$42.75 |

    Why: All paid hours fall within the ordinary-hours rules for this employment type and day.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## What Requires Customer Configuration

* **Variant assignment:** Choose the Smart Formula variant that matches each employee's work pattern.
* **Classification selection:** Assign the correct classification level for each employee.
* **Public holidays:** Configure public holidays for your organisation so public-holiday rules apply on the correct dates.

This variant includes 14 manual allowances that must be entered separately when they apply. See [Manual Allowances](#manual-allowances) for amounts and conditions.

## Manual Allowances

| Allowance                       | Conditions | Value   | Notes |
| ------------------------------- | ---------- | ------- | ----- |
| All Employees                   | Manual     | \$0.00  | -     |
| Broken Shift Allowance          | Manual     | \$17.91 | -     |
| Clothing and Laundry Allowance  | Manual     | \$6.68  | -     |
| First Aid Allowance             | Manual     | \$21.93 | -     |
| Meal Allowance OT First Meal    | Manual     | \$15.61 | -     |
| Meal Allowance OT Subsequent    | Manual     | \$13.41 | -     |
| On Call Allowance M-F           | Manual     | \$23.17 | -     |
| On Call Allowance Sat           | Manual     | \$34.80 | -     |
| On Call Allowance Sun/PH/Off    | Manual     | \$40.51 | -     |
| On Call Duty Allowance          | Manual     | \$56.63 | -     |
| Other than veterinary surgeons  | Manual     | \$0.00  | -     |
| Vehicle Allowance Motor Vehicle | Manual     | \$1.00  | -     |
| Vehicle Allowance Motorcycle    | Manual     | \$0.34  | -     |
| Veterinary surgeons             | Manual     | \$0.00  | -     |

## How to Use This Rule Set in UpSheets

1. Copy the **Animal Care Award** rule set from the Award Library and select the **Veterinary Surgeons** variant during review.
2. Assign the correct classification and employment type to each employee using this variant.
3. Simulate representative shifts, then publish and assign the rule set to affected employees.

## Assumptions and Limitations

### Assumptions

* Day workers (clause 13.2 ordinary span 6:00 am-9:00 pm Monday to Sunday): model M-Sat BASE with outside-spread OT before 6:00 am and after 9:00 pm split as MON-FRI and SAT rules so published priority beats BASE.
* Pre-spread (00:00-06:00) uses clause 20.1 first-3/after-3 tiers (150%/200%; casual 175%/225% → 1.4/1.8).
* Saturday ordinary hours after 1:00 pm use clause 21.1 first-3/after-3 penalties within 1:00 pm-9:00 pm.
* Daily OT after the clause 13.1(b) 10-hour ordinary shift cap is scoped MON-SAT with Sunday/PH daily OT at the day multiple.
* Weekly OT after 38 hours uses MON-SAT first-3/after-3 tiers plus Sunday/PH weekly lines.
* Public holidays are 250% with a 4-hour minimum payment (clause 27.2).
* Casual minimum engagement is 3 hours (clause 11.4) day-scoped at the applicable day multiple.
* Shiftworkers: clause 21.2 afternoon (finish after 8:00 pm) at 115% and night (majority midnight-8:00 am) at 130% are approximated as time-window rules.
* Weekend/PH ordinary shift rates follow clause 21.3 (150%/200%/250%; casual 175%/225%/275% → 1.4/1.8/2.2).
* Clause 20.1(a)(ii) shiftwork OT is outside ordinary hours or in excess of 8 hours (first 3 at 150%, after at 200%), paid instead of shift penalties - daily OT threshold is therefore 8 hours (not Deputy's 10).
* Veterinary surgeons: clause 20.2 compensates hours above 38 at the ordinary time rate (multiple 1.0), with public holidays at 200% (MAPD casual PH 225% → 1.8 against the loaded casual base).
* Christmas Day Saturday/Sunday loading (clause 27.3(b)) is excluded.
* On-call duty/allowances are MANUAL only.
* Casual MULTIPLE lines are scoped to CASUAL and use (award % of minimum) / 1.25.
* FULL\_TIME/PART\_TIME multiples remain award percentages of the unloaded minimum.
* Deputy ACVSA article aligns on day-worker spread/OT tiers, Sunday 200%, Sat-after-1pm tiers, casual loaded multiples, PH 4-hour ME, shift loadings, and vet weekly extra hours at 1.0.
* MAPD parent category allowance rows with no amount are included as zero-value MANUAL keys for inventory coverage.

### Not Supported by This Rule Set

* Averaging of ordinary hours over 28 days or an agreed roster cycle <Tooltip headline="Clause 13.1(a)" tip="Weekly overtime threshold is modeled as a simple 38-hour week"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* Christmas Day falling on Saturday or Sunday loading for veterinary surgeons <Tooltip headline="Clause 27.3(b)" tip="Requires calendar-specific Christmas Sat/Sun detection beyond standard PH rules"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* Junior, intern, resident, trainee, and supported wage classifications <Tooltip headline="Clauses 15.4, 15.5, Schedule D" tip="Excluded from this adult practice/inspector/veterinary surgeon rule set"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* Morning shift commence at or before 6.30 am loading <Tooltip headline="Clause 21.2(c)" tip="Not separately modeled; overlaps the night midnight-8:00 am window under hour-band matching, and shift-start detection is unavailable"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* Night shift majority-of-hours detection <Tooltip headline="Clause 21.2(b)" tip="Approximated as a midnight-8:00 am time window rather than majority-of-shift detection"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* On-call / active on-call duty automation <Tooltip headline="Clauses 16.2(c), 16.3" tip="On-call allowances are MANUAL only; roster eligibility is not auto-detected"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* Return to duty minimum of 3 hours <Tooltip headline="Clause 20.1(e)" tip="Requires return-to-duty / recall detection not available from ordinary timesheet spans"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* Special public holiday provisions for associates who normally work weekends <Tooltip headline="Clause 27.4" tip="Not modeled"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* Time off instead of payment for overtime <Tooltip headline="Clause 20.3" tip="Not modeled"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* Transfer to or from shiftwork notice and temporary overtime <Tooltip headline="Clause 21.4" tip="Variant assignment between day worker and shiftworker remains manual"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>
* Unpaid meal break timing and paid rest breaks <Tooltip headline="Clauses 14.1, 14.2" tip="Not modeled"><Icon icon="bookmark" size={14} /></Tooltip>

<Note>
  Need one of these scenarios? Contact us to discuss your requirements. Some may be supported through configuration, a custom Smart Formula, or an extension to the Award Library.
</Note>

<Info>This is general information about how UpSheets has configured this award rule set. It is not legal or payroll advice. You are responsible for ensuring your employees are paid correctly.</Info>

## Official sources

* Award text: [Fair Work Commission - MA000118](https://awards.fairwork.gov.au/MA000118.html)
* Pay rates and allowances: [Fair Work pay guides](https://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay-and-wages/minimum-wages/pay-guides)

## Other Animal Care Award Variants

* [Day Worker](/docs/smart-formulas/award-library/awards/acvsa/2026-07-01/day-worker)
* [Shiftworker](/docs/smart-formulas/award-library/awards/acvsa/2026-07-01/shiftworker)