What does your casual workforce really cost?

Adult casual rates (incl. 25% casual loading) as at 1 July 2026, from MyGig's award engine (the same data that prices every shift), built from Fair Work Commission pay guides, with every published classification selectable per setup. Eleven role types share the shift calculator's award setups, from warehousing (Storage Services & Wholesale Award MA000084) and retail (General Retail Industry Award MA000004) to hospitality, events, fast food, restaurants, clubs, cleaning, road transport, manufacturing and security; construction (Building & Construction On-site Award MA000020), agriculture & horticulture (Horticulture Award MA000028) and mining site support (Mining Industry Award MA000011) are priced from the same engine snapshot. Construction prices casual engagement only, with the daily fares and travel allowance and other allowances excluded from the estimate; agriculture prices hourly engagements only, never piecework; mining prices award minimums (black coal is a separate award) and site agreements may differ. Penalties are quoted per shift in the app.

Super guarantee rate from 1 July 2025 (ATO). This is the final legislated increase.

Each state scheme (icare NSW, WorkCover WA, WorkCover Tasmania, NT WorkSafe) sets premiums per industry classification; warehousing and logistics classifications typically fall around 2-4.5% of wages (default 3%). Construction classes typically run around 4-6% (default 5%) and major agriculture classes around 6-7% (default 6%) in icare NSW's published schedule; mining premiums vary too widely by operation to pin a default, so it keeps 3%. Every default is editable, and your own scheme rating is the number that matters.

Included in all three columns at the selected state's rate, regulator-verified for FY2026-27 (20-21 August 2026): NSW 5.45% (Revenue NSW, threshold $1.2m), VIC 4.85% metropolitan (SRO Victoria, threshold $1m), QLD 4.75% (Queensland Revenue Office, threshold $1.3m, 4.95% above $6.5m), SA 4.95% (RevenueSA, full rate above $1.7m), WA 5.5% (RevenueWA, threshold $1m), TAS 4% between $1.25m and $2m in wages and 6.1% above (State Revenue Office of Tasmania), NT 5.5% (Territory Revenue Office, threshold $2.5m), ACT 6.75% (ACT Revenue Office, threshold $1.75m). MyGig is a labour hire provider, so payroll tax is part of the true cost in every scenario; comparisons that quietly drop it flatter the DIY number. Employers under their state threshold can set the rate to 0. The selector covers every state; where MyGig is not yet taking bookings, the calculator says so.

Rostering, time & attendance, and payroll subscriptions typically run around $25 per worker per month combined for casual workforces (editable). With MyGig this tooling is included in the service at no extra cost.

Compliant warehouse and logistics labour hire agencies typically run margins of 15-30% on the loaded cost, with specialist roles higher; the margin is usually buried in the hourly rate. Default 25%, editable.

Recruiting and advertising (default $1,200 per worker per year, editable), and the FTE time spent hiring, managing, and paying casuals: job ads, screening, rostering, timesheets, payroll runs, super, and compliance (default 1.5 hours per worker per week at $55/hr, editable). Plus absence and backfill cost (default 7.5% of wages; Australian absence-management research puts unplanned absence at 7-8% of payroll).

The DIY number assumes nothing ever goes wrong: no misgraded classification, no missed penalty, no super shortfall, no workers comp gap. With MyGig as Employer of Record those liabilities transfer to us, with the award clause cited on every pay calculation. We include that de-risking in the flat 15% rather than pricing it as a line, so the comparison stays conservative.