The 1 October Award Changes: What They Mean for Your Team and Your Profit

If you employ massage therapists, myotherapists or other allied health professionals in Australia, 1 October 2026 is an important date for your business.

Changes to the Health Professionals Award are coming into effect, including a new classification structure that considers the qualification level associated with different professions and changes how employees progress based on their years of experience.

In Episode 144 of The Health Leader Podcast, I sat down with Norelle Pratt from HR for Health Leaders to unpack what these changes mean and what business owners need to be thinking about now.

So, what’s changing?

Under the new structure, classifications will more clearly recognise the qualification level associated with each profession.

For example, remedial massage will sit at AQF Level 5, while myotherapy sits at AQF Level 6 and degree-qualified professions such as physiotherapy sit at AQF Level 7.

There is also an important change to how experience is recognised.

Previously, progression could be based on completing the equivalent of a year of full-time hours. Under the new structure, employees will progress according to years of experience regardless of whether they work full-time or part-time.

That means employers need to understand not only their team member’s classification, but also where they sit based on their experience and when they will move into their next pay band.

We talked about so much more then HR - we also talked about what this means for your numbers and profit and how to remain profitable.

When wages increase, simply absorbing the additional cost isn't a sustainable business strategy.

You need to know:

• What does it actually cost you to employ each team member?

• What utilisation do they need to achieve?

• Are they retaining and rebooking clients?

• Is your pricing high enough to cover wages, super, leave, rent and other overheads?

• And after all of that, is there actually a profit left for you?

Building a team can create incredible leverage, freedom and impact in your business.

But only when the numbers work.

As Norelle and I discuss in the episode, getting your HR right and paying your team correctly is essential. But so is building a business that can afford to employ them.