16 Mar 2026
A significant outcome has been achieved for dental assistants across Australia, following the Fair Work Commission’s gender-based undervaluation review of the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020, resulting in meaningful wage increases for a predominantly female workforce.
Over the past two years, Consulting Principal, Shana Schreier-Joffe, and Associates, Samuel Manns and Vita Hansen, acted for the Dental Assistants Professional Association in highly contested proceedings before the Commission. The matter was vigorously opposed by a well-resourced employer cohort, supported by the Business Council, which sought to limit wage growth and delay any increases over the longest possible implementation period. That position stood in stark contrast to the need to address long standing, gender-based undervaluation in the sector.
Despite this opposition, sustained advocacy by Keypoint Law on behalf of the Association, as well as that of the relevant union bodies has secured a marked increase to minimum rates under the Award. The first tranche of increases will take effect within 6 months, representing a material improvement for dental assistants across Australia.
This outcome is a clear departure from the employer position advanced throughout the review and constitutes a meaningful win for a workforce that is overwhelmingly female. It is also expected to influence wage setting and enterprise bargaining across the broader health and support services sector, while establishing a strong benchmark for future gender-based undervaluation claims.