In 2017 RCSA developed StaffSure, a workplace certification scheme for Australian and New Zealand employers, in consultation with government, business, unions and global certification experts. StaffSure makes it easy for business and government to partner with reputable labour hire, contracting and employment firms, which have been independently audited against industry-specific standards to receive accreditation. Now, StaffSure affords protection to more than 20,000 employees engaged by 50 certified workforce service providers and has been adopted by national supermarket chains.
The challenge
StaffSure was developed in response to calls from Australian business and government for a simple yet effective solution to the exploitation of workers by a small group of disreputable workforce service providers in the fresh produce industry. RCSA, as the peak body, knew that the problem of poor business practice was wider than traditional agency work and that a scheme was needed to validate all forms of workforce services.
Solution
StaffSure is a certification scheme which makes it simple for business, government and workers to find and partner with reputable Workforce Service Providers such as labour hire companies, professional contracting firms and private employment agencies.
Through independent auditing against an industry-specific standard, StaffSure provides confidence and integrity to the workforce services market in Australia and New Zealand. There are currently 50 workforce service provider businesses certified under StaffSure and discussions are being held with both the Australian and New Zealand labour regulators to examine how StaffSure could become part of a co-regulatory solution.
In developing StaffSure, RCSA worked in consultation with industries that use Workforce Service Providers, governments that regulate them, unions that employ workers within them and certification experts with global experience. StaffSure was developed within 18 months, on a minimal budget by partnering with the world’s largest certification firm, SGS, who generate auditing business from the completion of the audits.
Key numbers
50
workforce service provider businesses certified
20000
employees enjoying protection by StaffSure
Resources
Outcomes
The StaffSure program needed to make it easy for business and government to identify and preference certified suppliers.
StaffSure is now being adopted by the heads of supply chains as part of their ethical sourcing policies.
