Using labour hire

Supply chains in the horticulture industry can have many layers. Make sure you know who you’re hiring and follow our tips to check they’re getting the right entitlements.

On this page:

Entitlements of labour hire workers
Selecting labour hire providers
Reviewing your existing contracts

Entitlements of labour hire workers

If they’re doing the same work at the same location, labour hire workers employed by labour hire businesses get the same award entitlements as employees who are employed directly by growers.

Selecting labour hire providers

You can help minimise your risk when engaging contractors by following these tips:

Know the pay and conditions that apply

Make sure you know the award (or the registered agreement) and the minimum pay and conditions that apply to your workforce.

Ask questions

Ask potential contractors about their workplace practices and workers on site. It’s a good idea to ask questions and request information in writing, for example by email. Questions could include:

How do you hire your workers?
How much do you pay them?
Do you use written piecework agreements?
Do you issue pay slips?
Do you give employees a Fair Work Information Statement?

You can also talk to workers about their pay and living conditions

Be wary of contractors who charge workers job finding fees or placement bonds, who offer crowded, overpriced accommodation, or who try to restrict where workers can stay or how they get to and from the worksite.

Understand your supply chain

Find out about sub-contracting arrangements and be careful of any that look like this. It’s your responsibility to know where your money is going.

Trust your instinct

Make sure the contract price is enough to cover wages and entitlements.

Check the license

In some cases labour hire businesses need to be licensed. For more information on the labour hire laws that may apply, we've developed guides to help you:

Use our Guide to labour contracting (DOCX) (PDF) to learn how to use our 5 steps to select a potential contractor. This will help you identify if they are complying with workplace laws.
Small business owner? Use our Guide to contracting labour for small business (DOCX) (PDF) for checks on how to minimise your risk of hiring a non-compliant contractor.