Types of Employment: Know Your Rights
- Learn about employment types in Australia: casual, permanent, gig work and more.
- Know your rights as a young worker with union-backed advice.
How you’re employed affects your pay, entitlements, and rights at work. Here’s what you need to know about the different types of employment in Australia.
Permanent Employment
Full-time
What it is: Working around 38 hours per week with a permanent position.
Your rights: You get all entitlements under the National Employment Standards plus your award or agreement, including:
- Paid annual leave
- Paid sick and carer’s leave
- Public holidays off (or penalty rates if you work)
- Notice periods if you’re terminated
Part-time
What it is: Working less than 38 hours per week with a permanent position and regular hours.
Your rights: Same entitlements as full-time workers, but calculated based on your hours. For example, if you work 2 days a week, your 4 weeks annual leave equals 8 days off.
Casual Employment
What it is: Casuals get no guaranteed hours – shifts are offered and you can accept or decline them.
What you get:
- 25% casual loading on top of base pay (to compensate for no paid leave)
- The right to refuse shifts
What you don’t get: Paid leave entitlements (sick leave, annual leave).
Know this: Many young workers are casuals. While you get extra pay, you miss out on job security and paid leave. If you work regular hours, you might actually be entitled to permanent employment – talk to your union.
Fixed-term Contract
What it is: A job that ends after a set time or when a specific task is completed.
Important limit: Employers can’t keep you on fixed-term contracts for more than 2 years total.
Gig Workers (“Employee-like” Workers)
What it is: Working through digital platforms (like food delivery or rideshare apps).
New protections (since August 2024): Thanks to union campaigns, gig workers now have:
- The right to apply for minimum standards set by the Fair Work Commission
- The right to make collective agreements
- Protection against unfair deactivation from platforms
- Union representation
Independent Contractors
What it is: You run your own business and aren’t an employee.
Watch Out for Sham Contracting!
Just because your boss made you get an ABN doesn’t mean you’re really a contractor.
You might actually be an employee if:
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- You don’t control how you do your work
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- You report to a boss like other employees
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- You wear the company’s uniform
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- You can be dismissed like an employee
Sham contracting is unlawful. Employers use it to avoid paying minimum wages, super, and leave entitlements. Since February 2024, employers must prove they had reasonable grounds to treat you as a contractor.
Other Types
Shift Work
Work outside ordinary business hours. Some shift workers may get an extra week of annual leave under the National Employment Standards depending on the wording of your award/agreement.
Labour Hire
You’re employed by an agency but work for another company (the “host”). Your rights depend on your employment type with the agency.
Why This Matters – And Why You Need a Union
Too many young workers are:
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- Misclassified as casuals when they should be permanent
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- Pressured into sham contracting arrangements
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- Missing out on entitlements they’re owed
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- Paid less than they should be
Union members:
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- Get expert advice on their employment type and rights
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- Have support to challenge unfair treatment
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- Fight for better pay and conditions
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- Won the recent changes protecting gig workers and stopping sham contracting
These protections didn’t happen by accident – unions fought for them and won. Find your union at australianunions.org.au
Are you already a union member?
When it comes to workplace rights, unions are the experts. Reach out to your union for more specific information about how you and your workmates can make the most about your rights at work.
Not yet a member?
Joining your union is the most powerful decision you can make to protect your rights at work.