• Compliance & enforcement

LHA is collaborating with the Queensland Labour Hire Licensing Compliance Unit (LHLCU) - as well as other regulators - to tackle worker exploitation among providers operating across both states.

Protecting vulnerable workers from exploitation and improving the labour hire sector is a big job. Joint activities allow us to leverage the compliance efforts of regulators and increase our reach.

The Victorian and Queensland labour hire regulators have recently worked together to handle multiple licence holders engaged in non-compliance.

“Working alongside other regulators across Australia is an important way to ensure labour hire providers are meeting their obligations, both within Victoria and elsewhere,” said Labour Hire Licensing Commissioner Steve Dargavel.

“Sharing information and resources with LHLCU has helped both agencies in their shared mission to prevent the exploitation of labour hire workers.”

Licence holders on notice for cancellation after non-compliance, engagement of unlicensed provider in Queensland

LHLCU recently informed LHA about acts of non-compliance it had dealt with by cancelling and refusing the licences of two providers in the security industry.

The providers were supplying workers to hosts at costs below the minimum cost of complying with their legal obligations, indicating there was a high risk that workers were not being properly paid.

The providers were found to be engaged in unlicensed labour hire activities – having breached sections 10 and 11 of the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017 (QLD) - and to have engaged in significant non-compliance with their taxation obligations.

LHA has issued show cause notices for cancellation of both licences. 

Licence cancelled for failure to report

LHA uncovered that officers of a horticulture provider were being investigated by another regulator for fabrication and falsification of records. The provider failed to declare the other regulator's investigation in their Annual Report, which is required under Annual Reporting obligations.

LHA also received reports from a worker that the provider was:

• underpaying workers
• unlawfully deducting wages
• falsifying records
• not providing payslips
• failing to pay superannuation.

The provider had also previously failed to respond to a statutory notice from LHLCU, which is also regarded as a contravention of labour hire industry laws.

 LHA recently cancelled the provider’s licence.