A sleepover is when a support worker stays overnight at a client’s home or a supported accommodation and is allowed to sleep, but is on hand if needed.
How a sleepover is paid
A sleepover isn’t paid as hours worked. Instead, the worker gets a flat sleepover allowance for each night, about $62.87 from 1 July 2026. Check the Fair Work pay guide for the current amount.
The sleepover usually follows or comes before a normal shift. For example, a worker might do a 3:00–10:00pm shift, sleep over, then do a short morning shift.
Work during a sleepover
If the worker has to get up and work during the sleepover, for example to help a client who’s unwell, that time is paid on top of the allowance. It’s paid at the rate that applies to that time, and the award has its own rules for it, including minimum payments.
A common mistake is to pay only the flat allowance when the worker was actually woken up and worked.
Common mistakes
- Paying sleepover hours at the hourly rate instead of the allowance, or the allowance instead of the hours of a shift
- Not paying for active work during the sleepover
- Missing the allowance entirely when the roster shows an overnight stay
Checking a sleepover
In the pay checker, enter the evening shift as normal and tick Sleepover. If the worker was woken and worked, enter that time as a separate shift so it’s paid properly.