At a glance (Summary)
- How many casuals? About 2.7 million casual employees in Australia (ABS, August 2023). Government estimates say about 850,000 of these meet the new definition of permanent and may benefit from the recent changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
- Casual = no firm advance commitment + casual loading. Whether you’re a casual depends on the actual relationship (how you work in practice), not just what the contract says.
- Information statement. Employers must give new casual employees the Casual Employment Information Statement when they start.
- Path to permanency. The new employee‑choice pathway lets eligible casuals apply to become permanent. The legacy conversion pathway continues for small businesses until 26 August 2025.
- Protections. It’s unlawful to misrepresent permanent jobs as casual, to dismiss/re‑hire as casual to avoid obligations, or to mislead candidates. General protections also cover lodging a casual‑to‑permanent notification. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) can now arbitrate disputes about casual vs permanent status.
- System coverage. Most employers/employees are in the national system under the Fair Work Act; a small cohort remain in state systems with different rules.
This is general information, not legal advice. See “Need more help?” below.