Things hosts should know about labour hire

We all know labour hire providers have to meet certain requirements, but what about hosts? If you are confused about hosting labour hire workers in your business, here’s a quick FAQ to help you.

How do I know if I’m a labour hire host?

Labour hire workers are sourced from labour hire providers to perform work at businesses.

If you don’t employ one or more of your workers directly and, instead, source them from a third party, it is very likely you are a labour hire host.

Does that mean I need a labour hire licence?

No. Only businesses that provide labour hire workers to other businesses need to hold a licence.

However, hosts must only source labour hire workers through licensed providers.

What happens if I don’t use licensed provider?

Hosts who source labour hire workers from unlicensed providers can face maximum penalties of $145,392 for individuals and/or $581,568 for corporations.

How can I tell if a provider is licensed?

All licenced providers can be found on the LHA’s Register of Licensed Labour Hire Providers.

Hosts should always keep a record of their labour hire providers’ licence details. These are particularly important to have on hand in the event that the Labour Hire Authority (LHA) or other regulators conduct a site inspection. We encourage hosts to regularly check the Register of Licensed Labour Hire Providers to ensure their providers maintain their licence.

How can I make sure I continue to use only licensed providers?

A great way to keep track of the licence or application status of a labour hire provider is by signing up to Follow my Providers.

Follow my providers lets you know when:

• applications are refused or withdrawn
• licences are granted, suspended or cancelled
• conditions are added to a licence
• suspended licences are re-issued.

What if I don’t think a provider should hold a licence?

If you are worried about a provider who has applied for a labour hire licence but has not yet been granted a licence, you may be able to object to their application.

If the provider already holds a labour hire licence, you can use our Report a Problem form to report concerns or information about:

• mistreated labour hire workers
• unlicensed labour hire providers
• hosts using unlicensed labour hire providers
• unlawful behaviour or misconduct

What else do I need to know when hosting labour hire workers?

Hosts should also have a firm understanding of their joint responsibility with labour hire providers for maintaining occupational health and safety.

If you have any other queries about hosting labour hire workers, please contact us.