Who must hold a licence, and who regulates it?
WorkSafe ACT administers the scheme under the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2020 (ACT). A labour hire provider must be licensed before it can provide labour hire services in the ACT.
The scheme applies to providers based in the ACT, providers based in the ACT who hire out labour outside the ACT, and providers based outside the ACT who provide labour hire inside it.
Supplying workers into Australian Capital Territory from interstate
The ACT scheme expressly covers providers based outside the ACT who supply labour hire inside it. A business based in New South Wales that supplies workers into the ACT must hold an ACT licence.
Penalties and the public register
Licensed providers appear on a public register available through WorkSafe ACT, which you can use to confirm a provider holds a current licence.
The records gap a licence does not close
A labour hire licence confirms you’re permitted to supply workers. It says nothing about whether your record of the hours those workers actually worked will hold up if it’s ever challenged.
That is the gap the Workforce Ledger Evidentiary Standard (WLES) addresses: hours verified at the point of work, approved by the supervisor, and sealed into a tamper-evident record before payroll.
Labour hire licensing in Australian Capital Territory: FAQ
Do you need a labour hire licence in the ACT?
Yes. Under the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2020 (ACT) a provider must be licensed before supplying labour hire in the ACT, administered by WorkSafe ACT.
Does an interstate business need an ACT licence?
Yes. The ACT scheme expressly applies to providers based outside the ACT who supply labour hire inside it, so an interstate operator supplying workers into the ACT must hold an ACT licence.
Who administers labour hire licensing in the ACT?
WorkSafe ACT administers the scheme and maintains a public register.
Sources: WorkSafe ACT — Labour hire licensing; Labour Hire Licensing Act 2020 (ACT).