Casuals, contractors or labor hire workers: which is better?

If you need help in the workplace it can be difficult to know how to hire the right person for the job. The problem is that the traditional hiring process involves advertising, screening applicants, interviewing and the training your selected candidate.

It’s only then that you’ll find out if you’ve chosen wisely or not. If you haven’t you’ll be frustrated when you have to start the process all over again; it costs time, money and disrupts the productivity of your company.

That’s why lots of people turn to labor hire Sydney and get labor hire workers instead.

Understanding The Differences

It’s important to understand the differences between these types of workers; you’ll then see how they can benefit you and save you time and money.

Casual Workers

These are traditional style employees that are hired through the above procedure. However, a casual worker will be taken on for a very specific job and issued with a short term contract. Alternatively they can be longer term but their contract only gives them a few hours per week.

This type of employee is great for testing the potential of a new position or for having extra help on hand when you need it. They do not generally have holiday rights or even sick pay entitlement; their contracts are short term making it easy to get rid of them if necessary.

However, it should be noted that these types of employees are effectively on call for you; they should get a higher rate of pay to reflect this.

A casual worker is great if you just need a little extra help. It also provides an employee with the chance to display their skills and potentially win a long term contract. This is common in businesses which are expanding but don’t want to over invest or over reach themselves at the start.

Contractors

You’ve probably used contractors in the past. For example if you need some plumbing completed at home and you call in a professional plumber you’ll get your local firm in to do the job.

They will be classed as contractors. They are not employed by you and they will deal with a specific task for you. It is best to get a price for the work before they start.

In effect a contractor is another business that you will be dealing with but you are the customer. Once the job is completed they will leave and you need to pay them.

It is worth noting that contractors will bring their own tools and have insurance to cover the work they are doing and the risks involved. You only need to pay the contractors fee and agree the timescale for the works; the details are up to the contractor.

The advantage of this approach is that you know the cost of a specific job and the timescale; before the work is started.

Labor Hire Workers

In some ways a labor hire worker is the same as a contractor. You can hire them to do a specific job. However, the difference is that labor hire workers are actually employed by a third party. This company should have many different types of workers on their books. You simply approach them with your needs and they will supply the staff you need.

Once the labor hire worker arrives on your premises they should behave in the same way as the rest of your workers. You have control over their time and it is even possible to exchange a worker you are not happy with for a different one.

This is the crucial difference; the worker is employed by the labor hire firm. They are responsible for paying salary, sickness and other costs. All you need to do is pay the agreed hourly rate to the labor hire firm.

The real benefit if labor hire is that you can get the specific skill set you need for a short term matter without the cost of advertising and hiring your own person. You don’t even have to worry about firing the labor hire worker; you can end your contract with the third party firm at any time. Of course you’ll need to check their term and conditions first.

Any good agency will be happy to swap staff and accommodate your needs. Their aim is to ensure you are happy as this will encourage you to use their services again.

Knowing the difference between these types of workers will help you to choose the right one for your specific needs. Of course taking on a labor hire worker doesn’t mean that you can’t change tactic later. The real aim of the different labor processes is that you can find the perfect person for every job without having the hassle of hiring and firing.