The Conversation: Area Casual Employees Underrated?

One in four Australian workers are casually employed. It’s not great news for job security – as highlighted during the height of COVID-19 – but the Australian workforce needs casual staff.

A recent article about wage theft and casual workers in universities across Australia raised some concerns, which got us thinking: if universities can get away with underpaying casual staff and demanding them to do some non-paid work, could this occur in the fitness industry too?

The question arises: are casual jobs in our industry actually that casual, given group fitness instructors teach the same class on the timetable every week, often year after year; and the same faces work the gym floor every Monday morning?

This type of work is regular, ongoing, and relatively stable; yet staff are engaged under casual terms of employment. But should they be? ®