Behind the Scenes

Richards Rules- Behind the Scenes of an Employment Agency

Ever wondered what agencies do prior to placing somebody on a site and some of the complexities requested by host organisations?

Let me take you behind the scenes.  Hopefully this will demystify some of the “hang ups” people have about working for an agency.  Two of the often misunderstood aspects are OHS/WHS and pay and conditions.  We will delve into these more in later articles, but will run our eye quickly over them in this piece.

Let me say one thing first, you should be confident in the integrity and honesty of your agency.  If you aren’t, it’s worth questioning if you really want to work for them.

Firstly, in regards the health and safety of our casual employees.  We carry out a thorough and comprehensive inspection of the work site before placing a casual with any host. This inspection includes checking for any potential hazards, that systems are in place to minimise risk and that the host has all the procedures and documentation to comply with relevant legislation and standards. Any non-compliance issues (should there be any) will require rectification and a further inspection. In addition, Concept carry out programmed re-inspections to ensure your continuing safety.  

The next step is that Concept also meets new placements at the host site to complete its own site induction and ensure our placement is suitably orientated to the work environment. Concept also works with host employers to continue implement ongoing safety initiatives and that the right PPE is available to our placed casual employees. So you can see that Concept does invest significant time and energy to ensure your job safety.

Your pay is on an hourly rate and the hourly amount is based on the applicable Award or EBA. You are paid a defined casual loading to compensate you for not having annual or sick leave or public holidays. Contrary to some assertions no agency should be charging you any fees for your placement. All agencies negotiate a fee for labour hire services with the Host organisation and this transaction is charged independently of your pay.  These negotiations are completed before any site placements occur.  If selected you will complete an employment contract which will clearly specify your hourly rate and the applicable Award or EBA basis and your duties.  If any of your duties are unclear or you feel you are not adequately trained or experienced enough to complete, you should immediately speak with your Concept representative.  

Agencies are responsible to pay your entitlements per the applicable Award or EBA, including your Superannuation. All employers are responsible to pay 9.5% of your gross into a recognised super fund from 1/7/14.

Finally, always remember if you work for an agency, they are your employer, not your host organisation, particularly important when considering the various human resource polices and implications.

We would like to hear of any other interesting stories or gossip about agencies and their practises.