Who your employer actually is
This trips people up. The company whose gate you walk through every morning is not your employer — the labour-hire provider is. That's who pays you, who your employment agreement is with, and who you talk to about pay, hours or a problem you can't sort out on site. The site supervises your work; the provider employs you.
What you should be getting
- A written employment agreement before your first shift, setting out that you're casual and how you're paid
- Casual loading on top of the base rate — 25% under most modern awards at the time of writing — in place of annual and sick leave
- Superannuation on your ordinary hours of work (12% at the time of writing; check the ATO for the current rate)
- WorkCover (workers' compensation) cover from day one — you don't have to arrange it and you don't pay for it
- Portable long service credits where the work is in scope; in Victorian construction that's LeavePlus
- A payslip for every pay run showing the hours, the rate and the super
- Payment for the hours you actually worked and had signed off, on the normal pay cycle
Percentages change. Treat the figures here as pointers and confirm current rates with the ATO, the Fair Work Ombudsman and LeavePlus.
What to ask before you accept a job
- 1What's the hourly rate, and what are the overtime, Saturday and Sunday rates?
- 2What are the shift times, and is it days or nights?
- 3How long is the job expected to run?
- 4What tickets and clearances does the site need, and is my induction booked?
- 5Where exactly is it, is there parking, and who do I report to?
- 6How do I get my hours signed off, and when do I get paid?
A provider who can't answer those quickly is telling you something about how the job will run.
Getting your hours right
Your hours are the whole basis of your pay, so log them the day you work them and get them signed on site. A signature from the supervisor at the end of the shift is worth more than the best memory a fortnight later — and with us, a signed day is the record that gets paid.
If a host queries a day, the day is held off their invoice while it's sorted out — but a day you worked and got signed is still paid to you. Your pay doesn't wait on a commercial disagreement.
Being casual: the honest version
Casual work means flexibility both ways. You can decline work, and the work can end. That's the trade for the loading. What good providers offer on top is continuity — steady sites, decent notice, and being told the truth about how long a job will run.
If you're a casual working a regular, systematic pattern over time, there are pathways under the Fair Work Act toward permanent employment. The rules have changed more than once in recent years — check the current position with the Fair Work Ombudsman rather than relying on what someone told you on a job in 2019.
Where to go if something's wrong
- Pay, entitlements or your agreement: talk to the provider first, then the Fair Work Ombudsman
- Safety on site: raise it on site immediately, and tell the provider — WorkSafe Victoria is the regulator
- A provider you think is unlicensed: the Labour Hire Authority runs the register and takes reports
- Your licence or tickets: Energy Safe Victoria for the licence itself