Recent Fair Work reforms are introducing new obligations across road transport contractual chains, creating broader compliance considerations for farms and agribusinesses engaging freight, cartage and logistics services. While the new Fuel Cost Recovery Order is directed at road transport contractual chains, many farms and agribusinesses may be impacted without realising it, particularly where they: engage
Managing who is on-site and ensuring they’ve been properly inducted is a key part of maintaining a safe and compliant workplace. We’ve introduced a new Visitor & Contractor Induction feature in ProcessWorxShield to make this process simpler, more consistent, and easier to manage. Where Inductions Often Fall Short Visitors and contractors are often
Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) is often used on farms as a practical way to manage long hours during busy periods like seeding or harvest. In theory it’s simple, work overtime now and take time off later. In practice however, it’s one of the most common areas where things go wrong. How Informal
Many farms have a risk register in place but in practice, it’s common for the document to be completed once, filed away, and rarely referred to again. Recently, we worked with a client who did not know how to use a risk register, which created a significant gap in their safety systems. What
Seeding is one of the busiest times on farm, often bringing long hours, changing conditions and additional workers on site. With so much happening, it can be easy to rush or skip inductions, but this is where risk increases significantly. A clear and consistent seeding safety induction process helps ensure every worker, regardless of
Managing staff during seeding is one of the biggest challenges for farms. With long hours and heavy workloads, it’s easy to focus purely on operations. However, your HR obligations as an employer do not change during seeding, in fact you may find yourself with more. Getting your HR foundations right before and during seeding
A recent Federal Court decision has significantly impacted pay compliance for employers in Australia, requiring a review of how employees are paid and recorded. While this decision only affects national system employers, it is still beneficial for state system employers to be aware of these developments, as it is common for the WA industrial relations
Seeding season is one of the busiest times in agriculture, with many farms relying on seasonal workers to meet labour demands. Temporary and casual employment is common during this period, and managing seasonal workers comes with specific HR compliance obligations. Failing to meet these requirements can lead to penalties, disputes, or operational disruptions. To ensure
Flexible work requests are becoming more common across farms and agribusinesses, particularly from parents and carers balancing family responsibilities alongside seasonal workloads. While flexibility can feel challenging in operational environments, recent decisions from the Fair Work Commission reinforce to employers must approach flexible work requests carefully, consistently, and with clear evidence to support any decision.
Summer brings long days, physical work, and challenging conditions for farm and agribusiness operations. Hot weather significantly increases safety risks, particularly heat stress, fatigue, dehydration, and reduced concentration. Under Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, farm businesses have a duty to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety so far as reasonably practicable.
