Essential Information for Farmers, Growers and Employers about the Seasonal Worker Programme

Under the Programme, Australian farmers are able to employ workers from the Pacific Region for seasonal work on their properties if they are unable to source enough local Australian workers. The Programme allows employers to access a reliable seasonal workforce able to return year after year as experienced workers to provide certainty to employers for their busy periods.

As a not-for-profit, community–based organisation, speediestaffsolutions takes pride in providing a high-quality service, both for Australian farmers and for the Pacific Workers that we employ for the Programme. We work with the Australian Federal Government and the Provider countries to do all of the background work to source suitable workers. We make it easy for you by taking care of everything, from the administrative arrangements to the pastoral care, for all our workers throughout their stay.

What speediestaffsolutions does for you

  • We advertise the positions within Australia to demonstrate the unmet demand for reliable seasonal workers to the Federal Government.
  • We recruit workers specific to your personal and individual business needs from our pool of workers in one of the ten provider countries.
  • We arrange for the Visas, compulsory health cover, return flights from the provider country to Australia, accommodation of a suitable standard, and transport to and from work for each worker.
  • We assist the workers to apply for an Australian Tax File Number and arrange access to personal banking.
  • We provide comprehensive briefings to all workers, both before they leave their homeland and again on arrival in Australia. The briefings cover details about working and living in Australia and involve partner country Government Officials, Australian Government Officials, and our own representatives.
  • We assist the workers with initial living expenses on arrival and recoup these costs from workers over the period of their stay.
  • We pay the seasonal workers in accordance with the relevant award or industrial instrument, and manage all superannuation, tax, and work cover obligations.
  • We provide support and pastoral care for all workers, including a 24/7 phone contact and assist workers to access healthcare services as well as recreational and religious activities
  • We provide all required reports to the Australian Federal Government and ensure workers are not in breach of their Visas by arranging their return home travel.

Will seasonal workers be able to return in following seasons?

Yes! The Seasonal Worker Programme provides for the return of seasonal workers in subsequent seasons where their work has met your standards and you continue to have an unmet demand for labour.

You benefit from a reliable returning workforce and the workers get the chance to benefit from increased remuneration as well as skills and knowledge transfer.

Speediestaffsolutions currently operate the Programme with 90% return rate. The vast majority operate on a 6 monthly rotation with some workers on their 7th rotation to Australia with the same Employer. The efficiency and continuity for production processes is just one of the benefits reported by our Employers.

Is the Seasonal Worker Programme for you?

If you can provide the following:

  • a minimum of 14 weeks work and up to a maximum of 9 months
  • an average of at least 30 hours work per week per worker over the employment period
  • induction and initial training as required
  • a safe working environment for the workers

And can provide this to speediestaffsolutions:

  • accurate, up-to-date timesheets on a weekly basis
  • guarantee payment of our invoices within 7 days

Then contact speediestaffsolutions to discuss the Programme details further.

We will provide a written quote for the supply of your seasonal worker needs and, once this is signed by both parties, will initiate the recruitment process for you. We require at least eight weeks’ notice of your labour needs for us to obtain the approvals and Visas, select workers and to organise airfares, accommodation and transport, so that the workers are available to start work on the required date.

Seasonal workers can be recruited from the following participating countries:

  • Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
  • Republic of Kiribati
  • Republic of Nauru
  • Independent State of Papua New Guinea
  • Independent State of Samoa
  • Solomon Islands
  • Kingdom of Tonga
  • Tuvalu
  • Republic of Vanuatu
  • Fiji