Frequently Asked Questions

Is WORKERS an internet recruitment agency?
No, we do not recruit workers for our client companies. Rather, WORKERS' main purpose is two-fold. It provides a conducive meeting place for employers and contractors; where required, it also provides an Employment Service, which includes our fully automated payroll service.

Is WORKERS only interested in the Contracting/Temporary market?
Yes. There are no plans to extend WORKERS to the Permanent side of the market.

Is WORKERS an Australia-wide service?
Our contractors search and contract job advertising service (both at nominal cost to employers) can be used across Australia. However, our Employment Service is currently limited to NSW. We envisage that it will be few months before we are able to roll out our Employment Service to the other major states of Australia.

Why are occupational categories limited to IT, Finance & Accounting and Customer Service?
These categories form a large segment of the contractor market. The contractors within these categories also tend to be web-savvy, and therefore will more likely benefit from the use of our services.

How does this 'meeting place' work?
Prospective contractors can upload their profiles onto our website. Registered and approved employers- all of whom are also publicly listed on this website- are then able to search for candidates. Employers are also able to advertise contract jobs to our registered contractors at no-cost once they are registered. The contact between prospective contractors and approved employers is direct. For the purpose of this meeting place, WORKERS plays no part as an intermediary.

Refer to our Business Model flowchart (PDF File) to see a snapshot of how it works.

How does an employer search for WORKERS?
Via a combination of keyword(s), occupational categories and availability. The keyword(s) trawls the Skills Summary and Employment History of all the uploaded data of contractors. For more information, refer to the Resources area.

How does an employer submit a job advertisement?
Click on "Submit Contract Job" menu item which is presented when you log on. Complete all necessary fields- you will need to disclose at least an e-mail address or a telephone number. You may preview, edit and delete jobs that you have submitted. For more information, refer to the Resources area.

Do employers have to employ contractors found via the website through WORKERS?
No. You are under no obligation to use us. If, as an employer, you are comfortable with assuming all the responsibilities of employing contractors, you are free to do so.

What constitutes the employment service that WORKERS will provide?
In situations where an employer wishes not to employ contractors directly, it can use our employment service. In effect we become the labour hire company, and employers who use our service become our client companies. In other words, WORKERS become the employer of contractors who perform work for our client companies. We therefore undertake all legal and operational responsibilities as the employer. We however, do not vouch for the suitability or otherwise, of contractors registered with this website. We strongly recommend that before any contractor is contracted via our employment service, that our clients make reference checks.

How do I, as an employer, register with WORKERS?
Registration as an Employer is at two levels. The initial registration allows an Employer to access the worker search facility, and the contract job advertisement function. Before we provide you with a user name and password, we will need to establish that you are a bona fide organisation. The turnaround time for this is usually about 48 hours. There is a refundable charge of $99 for registration. The $99 is refunded when you start using our employment service.

When you wish to use our employment service, you will need to provide us with your banking details via this site, and complete our Direct Debit Request form, which can be downloaded from the Resources section. We will also perform a credit reference check on your organisation before granting you access to use the service.

If you are a Charity Organisation or a Statutory Body which is entitled to payroll tax exemption, you will also need to complete the payroll tax exemption form, which is also available from the Resources area.

Can client companies/employers transfer their existing contractors onto the WORKERS employment service system?
This is not a problem at all. Whether you have found contractors via this website or not, you are welcome to use our employment service. Contractors, however, will first have to register with WORKERS for the service, and submit their bank details and personal details via this website.

Who determines how much a contractor is paid?
The hourly base rate of pay, exclusive of the Superannuation Guarantee, is a matter of direct negotiation between a prospective contractor and an employer (our client company). The only condition that WORKERS places on the rate of pay is that it is equal to or higher than applicable Federal or State award rates. The base rate is defined as being inclusive of annual leave, sick leave and long service leave.

How much does WORKERS charge for the employment service, and how much do client companies have to pay?
As a consequence of our streamlined systems, WORKERS only need to pass on a charge of 5% on the base pay, in addition to our costs, which are passed straight onto our client companies. For example, our charge for a contractor earning $1,000 will be just $50. Our client companies, however, will need also to pay for Superannuation (at 9%), Payroll Tax (at 6% of base pay & Super) as well as Worker's Compensation Insurance (at 1%). To determine how much the total cost is, just add 21.54% to any base pay. So in our example, your total cost is $1,215.40 before GST. Adding the 10% GST takes the total to $1,336.94, which is 33.694% greater than the base of $1,000. For the purpose of cash flow planning, Client companies should therefore add 34% to the base pay of contractors. (Note that our charge remains at 5% or $50 in our example).

If I sign up as a client company of WORKERS, what are my obligations?
Apart from agreeing to a Direct Debit arrangement, we also require you to agree to submitting weekly time sheets of our contractors working for you via this website. Our 2-step 'Link and Pay' system is as simple to use as an ATM. You will see exactly what you are transacting and if you wish, you may also print out your tax invoice which will be accessible to you after our weekly payroll run. We are also working towards providing you with useful reporting in the future. (We expect that, if you have say 6 contractors working through our service, you will need less than 1 minute to submit your weekly timesheet).

You are reminded that you are required by law to provide a safe workplace. To that end, you should ensure that every contractor coming on to your premises undertakes a full safety induction. We take our legal obligations in relation to safety very seriously. Where we are not satisfied that a proper and safe workplace is not being provided, our employment service to you will be terminated.

Your other obligation is that you must keep both your user name and password secure. We will allocate you a user name on registration; we recommend that you use an alphanumeric password, and have it changed periodically, or immediately if you have reason to believe that another individual may have your user name or password. WORKERS cannot be held responsible for any negligence on your part.

Will WORKERS be providing Customer Service to its client companies and its registered contractors?
WORKERS' efficient business model is lean but we intend to provide excellent customer service. As our service expands, it is anticipated that we will build a customer service team in time. Although nearly everything can be completed online via our site, we recognise that some customers still prefer an element of service support. To that end, we will endeavour to meet all your expectations.

In summary, what are some of the other benefits for Client Companies in using the WORKERS?
Client Companies benefit in many ways from our unique offering. WORKERS offers complete operational control and complete flexibility to our Clients wishing to use contractors. No problems with agencies charging you too much- it's up to you to negotiate with your potential contractors. No problems with others doing their hard sell on you. No problems or legal risks with employing "independent" contractors who may turn out, from a legal standpoint, to be really your employees afterall. We provide the legal and operational framework but you are in complete control, and you have the flexibility not to use us if you do not wish to, even if you have found the contractor via our search service. (At WORKERS, we do not have a problem with the laws of demand and supply!)

Contractor cost is a major financial control issue for many companies. Another benefit of using WORKERS is that you have access to your transactions. Your accountant will appreciate your ability to tell them what you are exactly paying and to whom. WORKERS intends to add more value to its offerings in the months to come, including a plan to provide no-cost advertising to Client Companies wishing to source contractors via WORKERS.

How do I, as a contractor, register with WORKERS?
Registration as a worker or contractor is via 2 options. You either complete a profile by filling in a resume, or you can just register for our employment service. By completing a profile, you become part of our searchable database. Only employers published in our list on this site have access to search and view your resume. You will have access to search for contract jobs advertised by our registered Employers. You will be able to see how many times your resume has been viewed by employers when you log on to 'View Profile' in this site. You may also register for our employment service later if and when you need to.

Alternatively, you may register only for our employment service. You will need to provide payroll data, including your tax status and bank details. What data you provide here is strictly confidential, and you legally become an employee of WORKERS, if and when an employer chooses to use you via our employment service. When that happens you will also need to complete the tax file declaration form (downloadable from the Resources section) and have it faxed to us.

How can I as a contractor, retain a high level of privacy and confidentiality?
Contractors can be virtually anonymous when registered with WORKERS. If you are registering only your profile, and you are a little hesitant, we suggest that your last name becomes Bloggs. Or you may just say that you are Michael B, or Janice B. As for your e-mail address, we suggest you instantly create a suitably anonymous Hotmail address.

If you register for our employment service you need to provide us with your real data. Rest assured, as your potential employer, it is in our interest to ensure that your data is secure and protected. You should be mindful to keep both your user name and password from anyone else. You should also not use obvious passwords such as your name or date of birth. We recommend that you use an alphanumeric password, and change it periodically. We cannot be held responsible for a loss which is due to your negligence.

How do I get paid as a contractor?
Contractors working through our Employment Service for Client Companies need to provide our clients their unique 6-digit payroll IDs, and at the end of the weekly pay period complete a time sheet (download from the Resources area) and have it signed by the client company. Our weekly pay period is from Monday to Sunday. The time sheet serves as an acknowledgement of work completed, as well as a data-entry sheet for our Client Companies to submit, via this site, the hours worked by contractors. The timesheet submission is completed at the end of the pay period, ie. between Friday and the following Monday. The direct credit to contractors' bank accounts will happen around the Wednesday following.

As a contractor, why should I register as a contractor with WORKERS?
WORKERS, as an idea, has been conceived by a contractor. It is therefore uniquely attuned to the needs of contractors. The mission of WORKERS is to help contractors obtain the best market outcomes for themselves, via the provision of the contractor search facility for our client companies, as well as our super-efficient employment service. Registered contractors will also have access to search for contract jobs advertised by employers.

I prefer to work as an independent contractor. Do I have to work through the WORKERS Employment Service system?
We do not require anyone to use our system if they do not wish to. If an Employer, having found you through our search service (or conversely, you have found them via an advertisement on this site), is prepared to employ you as an independent contractor directly, we do not have a problem with it at all.