Labour hire in 2026: pay, placements and the risks you can’t hand to the host

Labour hire businesses place workers across multiple hosts, Awards and working environments, while remaining the employer, a PCBU and the licence holder, and the compliance ground keeps shifting. More than half of labour hire calls to our advice line are about pay and the Award, same job, same pay orders are live, and operating without a licence can cost a provider over $2 million in the ACT. This factsheet breaks down the numbers, the five regulatory changes hitting the sector, and the practical steps to close the gaps.

Guides 24 September, 2026
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Labour hire in 2026: pay, placements and the risks you can’t hand to the host

What’s inside?

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The numbers that matter:

What 907 advice line calls reveal, and why 1 in 4 labour hire calls are about Award classification alone.

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Regulatory changes explained:

Same job, same pay orders, the 1 July 2026 Award increase, Payday Super, and licensing across Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT.

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Psychosocial safety in focus:

Why placement uncertainty, unfamiliar sites and host supervisor pressure carry the same legal weight as physical risks, and why your safety duty doesn’t transfer to the host.

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Action checklist:

Practical steps for each change, from mapping every placement to the host’s Award up front to agreeing in writing who controls what on each site.

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