Labour Hire

Labour hire is when a worker is technically employed by one company (the labour hire agency), but rocks up and works for another company (the host business). The agency handles all the boring stuff — payroll, admin, paperwork — while the worker gets stuck into the real yakka on-site. It’s like dating, but for tradies — the agency does the matchmaking, and the host company hopes it’s not another dud with two left hands and no idea how to use a tape measure. Classic Aussie Example: You need a chippy for a week 'cause Barry’s gone fishing again. You ring up a labour hire mob, and next day, boom — there’s Dave on-site, toolbelt on, ready to swing a hammer like he’s building the Opera House.