Casual Employment - Long-Term Changes

If you initially employ someone on a casual basis, don’t expect them to stay casual in the long-term. As of October this year, casual employees can now request that their employers transition them to a permanent basis, following 12 months of regular employment. The hours depend upon the regularity and pattern of their casual hours; if an employee has been working an average of 38 hours a week, then they can request for their position to become full-time. If they’ve worked “a pattern of hours”, then they can request those hours on a part-time basis.

These requests must be submitted in writing and they can be denied; to deny such a request, the employer must have “reasonable grounds” to do so, which could include a looming reduction in the employee’s hours, or if the requested hours differ from those the employee has been working.