Field notes on hiring, done properly.
Straight-talking guides on labour-hire licensing, the real cost of staffing, and how to scale a crew without the chaos — from the people who do this on real sites every week, not a content farm.
Labour hire supply chains: why hosts in Victoria and SA need to check more than the first name on the invoice
Victoria now says a licence is needed anywhere in a labour supply chain, and SA's scheme covers every industry. What hosts should check, and what to ask your provider.
ComplianceSummer heat in the warehouse: who looks after the new starter when it hits 38°C?
Hot sheds, containers and loading docks: what hosts and labour hire agencies each owe on-hired workers in summer, and a simple heat plan to agree before day one.
HiringBefore the first shift: the onboarding paperwork for a labour hire worker, and who owns each piece
The new-starter paperwork for labour hire workers (Fair Work statements, TFN, super choice) and which parts sit with the agency and which with the host.
ComplianceAdding an afternoon or night shift: what it does to your labour hire rate
How afternoon and night shift loadings, overtime and weekend penalties work under the warehouse award, and why a second or third shift moves your charge rate.
CompliancePublic holidays and casual or labour hire workers: who gets paid what
Planning your December–January roster? What casual and labour hire workers are paid on public holidays, when they can say no, and how shutdowns work.
OperationsUnloading shipping containers by hand: how to plan the crew and the job
What makes hand-unloading a shipping container hard on people, the controls regulators expect, and what to tell your provider so the crew is sized properly.
ComplianceMinimum shifts and cancelled shifts: what you pay for when you book casual workers
Booking casual or labour hire workers for a warehouse? Here is what the four-hour minimum engagement means when you send people home early or cancel late.
ComplianceChecking work rights before someone starts: a guide for employers and hosts
Who has to confirm a worker's right to work in Australia, how VEVO checks work, what visa work conditions mean and how the penalties framework applies.
ComplianceForklift tickets and labour hire: what to check before anyone touches the keys
Which warehouse work needs a high risk work licence, how to verify one, who has to check it, and what verification of competency means for on-hired workers.
HiringHow to brief a labour hire agency so you get the right workers the first time
What to tell your labour hire provider before booking: tasks, site conditions, licences, shifts, PPE, supervision and day-one logistics. A practical checklist.
ComplianceChristmas and New Year 2026: planning shifts around the public holidays
Boxing Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, so most states add Monday 28 December. Dates by state, the right to refuse, and how to roster on-hired workers.
ComplianceUsing labour hire? Your safety duties don't go with the invoice
Using labour hire doesn't hand your safety duties to the agency. What hosts owe on-hired workers under WHS and Victorian OHS law, and how to split the work.
ComplianceThe 2026 wage increase: what +4.75% means for your labour hire bill
Award minimums rose 4.75% and the National Minimum Wage passed $1,000 a week from 1 July 2026. How that flows through a labour hire charge rate, and what to check.
ComplianceSame Job, Same Pay: what it actually means when you use labour hire
Since 1 November 2024, labour hire workers can be ordered onto the same pay as a host's direct employees. Who can apply, the exemptions, and what it means for you.
ComplianceCasual to permanent: how the employee choice pathway actually works
Casual conversion is gone: since August 2024 the casual starts it, via the employee choice pathway. Who's eligible, the 21-day rule, and who owns it in labour hire.
CompliancePayday super started on 1 July 2026 — what it changes for employers
From 1 July 2026, super must hit workers' funds within 7 business days of payday, not quarterly. What changes, what doesn't, and where it bites in labour hire.
WorkforceHiring for peak season without the compliance blow-up
Ramping up for Christmas, harvest, events or a big project? How to scale a workforce fast in 2026 without tripping on licensing, penalty rates, super or WHS.
HiringLabour hire or recruitment: which one does your business actually need?
Labour hire puts workers on your site as the agency's employees; recruitment finds people you hire directly. How to tell which fits, and when to use both.
ComplianceABN or TFN? Getting worker classification right — and staying clear of sham contracting
Paying a worker on an ABN when they're really an employee is sham contracting, and since 2024 the law looks at the real relationship. What employers need to know.
ComplianceWhich Australian states require a labour hire licence?
VIC, QLD, SA and the ACT require a labour hire licence; NSW, WA, Tasmania and the NT don't (yet). What it means for you, including fines for using unlicensed providers.
HiringCasual, labour hire or permanent? The real cost of each
Why does a $30-an-hour worker cost $44 through an agency? An honest breakdown of super, workers' comp, payroll tax, leave and labour hire margins in Australia.
OperationsHow to scale a warehouse team fast — without the chaos
Need 20 people on the floor next week? Realistic lead times, the brief that gets a crew fast, the shared WHS duty, and the ramp mistakes that cause churn.
Prefer a crew to a checklist?
Reading is good. People on-site tomorrow is better. Tell us what you need and we'll line them up.