After the government increased the minimum wage rates earlier this year, it made a further amendment to the Minimum Wage Order, issuing a new fortnightly rate. The fortnightly rate is $1,140 for adult employees and $912 for starting-out workers and trainees. If you’re an employer already fully compliant with minimum wage requirements and your employees’ hours don’t vary from week to week, stop reading here. For you, nothing has changed…. Some farmers have had difficulties with minimum wage compliance as farming hours vary considerably over busy periods such as lambing and calving through to quieter periods. Traditionally many have agreed with their employees to average wages out over quiet and busy periods so employees have some certainty about their income.