It is critical that you understand your obligations under the new Labour Hire Licensing Scheme.

As labour hire specialists, we help businesses find their ideal labour hire candidate.

Based in Queensland, we know what must be considered before hiring a labour staff member. Read on to find out more.

Things you MUST know before using workers from an agency in QLD

Before you engage a labour-hire worker it is critical that you understand your obligations under the new Labour Hire Licensing Scheme or you can get yourself into massive trouble with the authorities.

What is the Labour Hire Licensing Scheme?

The Queensland Government recently introduced a mandatory licensing system for labour hire providers in Queensland with the following requirements as from 15 June 2018:

• Anyone who provides ‘labour hire services’ in Queensland must now have a licence to do so
• Users of labour hire services must only use licensed labour hire providers.
• It is an offence to enter into an arrangement with an unlicensed labour hire provider
• There are stiff penalties for breaches– maximum penalty of three years imprisonment or fines up to 391,000

How to find a licensed labour hire provider

You can find a licensed labour hire provider by searching the labour hire register. All licensed labour hire providers in Queensland are listed here. It provides details about licences, including any conditions imposed on a licensee. This register has a search tool, which enables you to enter the name of your chosen provider.

However, there is a huge backlog of applications which is causing havoc, not only within the industry but for the end user too.

Can I use an agency with a pending application?

You can continue to use a labour hire provider that is shown in green on the pending applications list, which means the agency applied on or before the deadline – 15th June 2018.

If an application is shown in grey it has been made after 15 June 2018 and you must not engage this labour hire provider until they have been granted a licence and appear on the labour hire register.

Once a decision is made, the application is removed from the pending applications list.

Important Note – If you continue to use this labour hire provider once their application has been removed it is your responsibility to ensure that the labour hire provider has been granted a licence by checking the labour hire register.

By using a licensed labour hire provider you can be assured that they:

• are fit and proper people to provide labour hire
• have a history and an ability to comply with relevant State and Commonwealth laws
• are financially viable.

At Signature Staff offer a range of recruitment and selection resources to help your business with labour hire across Queensland.

For more information on this topic contact us here or call Signature Staff on +61 07 4050 4888