The comparison between direct casual employment and labour hire almost always starts at the hourly rate. Labour hire is more expensive per hour, so direct employment looks like the cheaper option. That comparison is incomplete. The real cost of managing a casual workforce internally sits in the tasks that do not appear on a wage bill. Every time a casual

The visible costs of running a warehouse workforce are relatively easy to track: wages, overtime, equipment, agency invoices. The costs attached to managing that workforce administratively are less visible, rarely reported, and consistently underestimated. From 1 July 2026, with Payday Super requiring super contributions to clear within 7 business days of every payday, one of the largest hidden cost drivers