Labour Hire Compliance Checklist for WA Contractors
Labour hire can be a practical way to cover project peaks, urgent labour gaps, shutdowns, civil works, rail work, mining projects and mechanical crews. But for WA contractors, it should never be treated as a simple transaction where a worker is sent to site without proper checks.
Before bringing labour hire workers onto a project, clients should understand the role, the site requirements, the worker’s employment arrangement, safety responsibilities, tickets, inductions, pay conditions and communication process.
This checklist is not legal advice. It is a practical guide to help WA contractors ask better questions before engaging a labour hire provider.
Why labour hire compliance matters
A labour hire arrangement involves multiple parties. The labour hire provider employs or engages the worker, while the host client directs the day-to-day work on site. That means both sides need clear expectations around safety, supervision, communication, documentation and issue management.
A good provider should not avoid compliance questions. They should be able to explain how workers are screened, how tickets are checked, how payroll and employment administration are handled, and how issues are escalated after a worker starts.
Labour hire compliance checklist
1. Confirm the labour hire provider is a legitimate business
Check that the provider is established, contactable and able to explain its labour hire and recruitment process. Ask who your account contact will be, who handles payroll and who manages worker support.
2. Confirm the scope of the role
Compliance starts with role clarity. The provider needs to understand the duties, site, roster, supervision structure, risk profile, tickets and required experience before workers are put forward.
3. Confirm tickets, licences and qualifications
Do not assume every worker with similar experience meets your site requirements. Confirm which tickets, licences, VOCs, medicals, inductions and site access requirements apply before mobilisation.
4. Confirm work health and safety responsibilities
The host client usually controls the work environment and daily supervision, while the labour hire provider has responsibilities as the worker’s employer or supplier. Both parties should communicate clearly about hazards, incidents, PPE, training, inductions and fitness for work.
5. Confirm pay, award and agreement considerations
Labour hire providers should understand applicable employment conditions, awards, agreements, allowances, overtime, penalties and payroll obligations. Some arrangements may also need to consider regulated labour hire arrangement orders or protected pay rate issues, depending on the host and workplace instrument.
6. Confirm insurance and contractual terms
Before workers start, make sure the commercial terms are clear. This may include charge rates, minimum hours, payment terms, replacement process, timesheets, insurance, cancellation notice and responsibilities between the provider and host client.
7. Confirm onboarding and site access
Ask who manages the onboarding steps, what must be completed before mobilisation, and what happens if a worker arrives without a required document or induction.
8. Confirm incident and performance escalation
There should be a clear process for reporting injuries, near misses, attendance concerns, performance issues, replacement requests and worker welfare concerns.
Questions procurement and project teams should ask
- How do you screen workers before placement?
- How do you verify tickets and licences?
- Who manages payroll and employment administration?
- How do you handle replacements or poor-fit placements?
- What information do you need from us before mobilisation?
- How do you support workers after they start?
- How do you communicate safety or attendance concerns?
Common compliance mistakes
The most common issues come from unclear briefs, rushed mobilisation, missing documentation, assumptions about tickets, unclear site responsibility and no agreed process for incidents or replacements.
A stronger approach is to treat labour hire mobilisation like any other project-critical process: define the requirement, verify the essentials, communicate expectations and keep records.
How On Track Recruitment Solutions can help
On Track Recruitment Solutions supports WA businesses with labour hire and recruitment across civil, rail, mining, construction, FIFO, shutdown and mechanical sectors. The team focuses on practical screening, ticket and licence checks, worker support and clear communication with clients.
For contractors, a clear brief helps On Track understand the risk, site requirements and type of worker needed before any placement is made.
FAQs
Is this checklist legal advice?
No. This article is general information only. Contractors should seek their own professional advice for legal, employment, safety or industrial relations questions.
Who supervises labour hire workers on site?
In most arrangements, the host client supervises the day-to-day work. The labour hire provider generally handles employment administration, payroll and worker support. The exact arrangement should be confirmed upfront.
Should clients check labour hire worker tickets?
Yes. The provider should check relevant tickets and licences, and the host should confirm that the worker meets the site-specific requirements before work starts.
What should be included in a labour hire agreement?
The agreement should clearly cover rates, payment terms, duties, responsibilities, insurances, timesheets, cancellation, replacements, site requirements and communication processes.
Need a Labour Hire Provider That Takes Compliance Seriously?
Need labour hire support for a WA project? Send On Track Recruitment Solutions your role requirements, site details, tickets, roster and start date, and the team will help you work through the right labour hire or recruitment option.
