Hiring, awards, pay and managing a small team

Hiring & People

Start with the kind of help you need, then work through pay, paperwork and the first day. If you already have a team, jump to leave, ongoing obligations or handling a difficult exit.

01 04

Decide who and how to hire

Before writing an offer, work out what the role needs and which working arrangement fits. Employee and contractor decisions deserve their own check.

3 guides

  1. Hiring Your First Employee in Australia: The Complete Checklist

    Hiring your first employee in Australia? Step-by-step checklist: true cost and on-costs, award pay rates, PAYG, STP, super, workers comp and day-one paperwork

    9 min read

  2. Employee vs Contractor in Australia: The Test That Decides

    How Australia decides employee vs contractor: the whole of relationship test, why an ABN isn't enough, when you owe super, and what misclassification costs.

    11 min read

  3. Casual vs Part-Time vs Full-Time: What Each Means for Employers

    Casual vs part-time vs full-time in Australia: the current casual definition, 25% loading, leave, notice, minimum shifts and how casual conversion works.

    10 min read
02 04

Get pay and paperwork ready

Identify the award and pay rules before settling the contract. Keep these guides together when you're checking the offer and setting up the first pay.

4 guides

  1. Modern Awards Explained: How to Find Your Employee's Award

    What modern awards are, how coverage works, how to find your employee's award with Fair Work's Find My Award tool, and what to pay if no award applies.

    9 min read

  2. Minimum Wage and Penalty Rates 2026-27: What Employers Must Pay

    The national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026. Here's what award rates, casual loading, penalty rates and junior rates mean for your payroll.

    9 min read

  3. Employment Contracts: What to Include (and What's Illegal)

    What to include in an Australian employment contract: pay and award, hours, probation, notice, IP, plus clauses that are void or illegal and free templates.

    9 min read

  4. Payslip Requirements: What Employers Must Show (and When)

    You must give a pay slip within 1 working day of paying an employee. Here's exactly what it has to show, how long to keep records, and what breaches cost.

    9 min read
03 04

Support the first day and manage leave

A clear induction makes the first week easier for both of you. Keep the leave guide close when questions come up later.

2 guides

  1. New Employee Onboarding: The Compliance Checklist

    New employee starting? The day-one onboarding checklist for Australian employers: Fair Work statement, TFN, super choice, VEVO, WHS induction and first pay.

    9 min read

  2. Leave Entitlements Explained for Small Employers

    Annual, sick, carer's, compassionate, parental, family and domestic violence and long service leave explained for Australian employers, with accrual examples.

    9 min read
04 04

Handle an employment ending carefully

Check the process, records and final-pay questions before acting. This is a point where advice about the particular situation can matter.

1 guide

  1. How to Dismiss an Employee Legally (Small Business)

    How to fire someone legally in Australia: the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code, valid reasons, warnings, notice periods, final pay and the 21-day window.

    9 min read

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