Last reviewed: 29 August 2026. This page provides general information, not legal or migration advice. Requirements can change and depend on the work, location, award or agreement, employment type, visa conditions and placement arrangements.
Workplace compliance is not a single licence or certificate. For a labour hire business such as Orchard Tech, it means coordinating pay, employment records, labour hire licensing, work rights, workplace safety and, where applicable, Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme obligations. Hosts and workers also have responsibilities, and no licence by itself guarantees that every obligation has been met.
What Orchard Tech compliance covers
Correct pay and employment records
Employees must receive at least the minimum entitlements that apply to their work. The correct rate can depend on the applicable award or enterprise agreement, classification, employment type, hours, overtime, penalties, allowances and any valid piecework arrangement. Employers must also provide pay slips and keep accurate time-and-wages records.
Workers and hosts can check current minimum rates using the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool. Fair Work explains that employment records generally need to be retained for seven years in its record-keeping guidance.
Labour hire licensing
Labour hire licensing requirements differ between Australian jurisdictions. In Victoria, a labour hire provider must hold a current licence before advertising or providing labour hire services, and a host must only use a licensed provider. Check the provider’s current status on the Labour Hire Licence Register before engagement.
Licensing is an important control, but it does not replace award compliance, safe systems of work, visa-condition checks or the obligations that apply to a particular placement.
PALM scheme obligations
The PALM scheme has additional Australian Government requirements for approved employers. These cover recruitment approvals, offers of employment, labour market testing, minimum hours, accommodation, transport, deductions, welfare and wellbeing, worker support, reporting and other placement controls.
Workers from participating countries do not apply directly to an Australian employer for a PALM position. They check their eligibility and contact their country’s labour sending unit. Employers and hosts should use the current PALM scheme website, current employer list and Approved Employer Guidelines.
Work rights and immigration information
Work rights and visa conditions should be checked against the worker’s current visa details, including through Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) where appropriate. A labour hire licence, employment contract or payslip does not decide whether work will satisfy a future visa application. The Department of Home Affairs makes visa decisions.
Orchard Tech can provide general employment and placement information. Personal immigration assistance should come from a registered migration agent, an Australian legal practitioner or another person who is legally permitted to provide that assistance. See Home Affairs’ Who can help with your application guidance.
Workplace health and safety
Labour hire providers and host employers share responsibility for the health and safety of labour hire workers. They need to consult, cooperate and coordinate so that hazards, training, competency, supervision, equipment, personal protective equipment, incident reporting and changes to work are managed without gaps.
For Victorian workplaces, WorkSafe Victoria explains the shared responsibilities in its labour hire host guidance. Duties in other states and territories must be checked with the applicable work health and safety regulator.
Privacy and appropriate records
Employment, identity, visa, payroll, accommodation, health and welfare information can be sensitive. It should be collected for a clear purpose, limited to what is needed, kept secure and disclosed only where authorised or required. The applicable rules can include employment-record obligations, the Privacy Act and PALM scheme requirements. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner publishes the Australian Privacy Principles.
How workers and hosts can raise a concern
- Contact Orchard Tech through the Get in Touch page for an employment, placement, pay, safety or welfare concern.
- Use the Fair Work Ombudsman for workplace rights, minimum pay and record-keeping information.
- Use the PALM scheme help for workers for PALM-specific support and escalation channels.
- Contact the relevant state or territory safety regulator for a workplace health and safety issue. In Victoria, see WorkSafe Victoria.
- Call 000 if there is an immediate threat to life or safety.
Keeping this information current
This page should be reviewed at least quarterly and immediately after a change to workplace laws, awards, visa settings, labour hire licensing or PALM scheme rules. Always open the linked official source before relying on a rate, condition or requirement.
Content owner: Orchard Tech. Last substantive review: 29 August 2026. Next scheduled review: 30 November 2026, or earlier if an official rule changes.
