Labour Hire Licensing Bill 2017

Overview

This bill sets up a mandatory licensing scheme for labour hire companies in Queensland to crack down on worker exploitation and restore confidence in the industry. Providers must be licensed, pass a fit and proper person test and report every six months, while businesses that use them must only engage licensed operators. A public register and a new inspectorate back the scheme up, with penalties of up to three years' imprisonment or $3,000+ penalty units for corporations.

Who it affects

Labour hire workers — especially those in farming, meatworks, cleaning, construction and on temporary visas — gain stronger protections, while labour hire companies and the farms, factories and other businesses that hire workers through them face new licensing and reporting duties and serious penalties for non-compliance.

Key changes

• Labour hire providers must be licensed; operating without one can mean up to 3 years' imprisonment or 1,034 penalty units for an individual and 3,000 penalty units for a company
• Businesses using labour hire can only engage licensed providers, with the same top-tier penalties for knowingly using an unlicensed one
• Any arrangement designed to avoid the scheme's obligations is itself an offence at the top penalty tier
• Every licensee must report every six months on workers, industries, locations, accommodation, work health and safety incidents and workers' compensation claims
• A public register of licensed providers lets workers and hosts check who is legitimate, and the chief executive can publish information about enforcement action
• Inspectors can enter workplaces (including residential premises used as a workplace) without consent, demand documents and seize evidence