staging-ratescalc

Skills-Based Hiring? Watch out for this!

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 05:46:12 GMT

You're employing staff based on skill, not experience? Awesome!

But make sure the pay matches!

In today’s Aussie job market, skills are speaking louder than degrees — and rightly so. More employers are ditching outdated prerequisites and focusing on what candidates can do, not just what they’ve studied.

This shift opens doors for reskilled, self-taught, and career-changing talent. A huge win for diversity and inclusion.

But here’s the catch — if you're hiring casuals in this new era, you MUST be meticulous with pay rates .

Skills-based hiring doesn't mean pay ambiguity. In fact, it demands more clarity:

✅ Are they doing higher duties?
✅ Do their skills warrant a different award classification?
✅ Are penalty rates and loadings being applied correctly?

✅ What sort of allowances might they be entitled to?

The line between “casual admin” and “skilled tech support” is thinner than ever — and misclassifying can be costly, both financially and reputationally.

That’s where RatesCalc comes in — helping you get it right from the start.

✔️ The correct base rate according to the award
✔️ All applicable penalty, overtime and allowance rates
✔️ Peace of mind with every placement

#SkillsBasedHiring #CasualEmployment #HRCompliance #ReskillingAustralia #FairWork #HiringRight #RatesCalc #FutureOfWork #RecruitmentTrends

The Hidden Danger Killing Recruitment Businesses Right Now

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 05:07:27 GMT

Are you actually s till as profitable as you think?

Let's talk about something that's hurting recruiters now.
Margin erosion.

It's not just some finance buzzword, it's genuinely putting good agencies out of business.

Here's what's happening: the changeover of the new financial year has brought about an increase to wages, legislative requirements and company costs - but not all of that is getting recouped with the 1st July rates increases passed onto clients.

Even worse, while our costs are going up, prospect clients are demanding lower fees to counteract their own increases in spending. In the excitement (or desperation) to win the job orders, some recruiters are lowering their fees below the % required to keep the lights on.

The math gets brutal fast. When you lose 5% on your margin, you're not just losing 5% profit - you're often looking at 30-40% less actual cash flow after covering all your fixed costs, tech stack, and keeping good people on board.

Sadly, it's not just the clients who don't understand the real cost behind their placements; it's recruiters as well. It's easy to look at a simple % on top of pay rate to calculate what you should charge, but that doesn't take into account any increases to payroll tax, workers comp premiums, super contributions, finance and admin expenses.

The agencies that are actually surviving this mess are the ones that calculate all these costs from which to build their margin. Often using smart software like RatesCalc to do it for them effortlessly. Especially now, after the NFY increases. Then they are brave enough to clearly explain their value, focus on specialised niches, and honestly - walk away from unprofitable business when they need to.

Good recruiting isn't a commodity. It's a strategic partnership that deserves proper compensation.

#Recruiting #Profitability #RecruitmentFees #Superannuation #Workcover #PRT #PayrollTax

Stay on top of new Fair Work requirements without losing your mind (or your margin!)

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 01:36:34 GMT

Navigating Fair Work Compliance in FY25/26: A Strategic Approach for Recruitment Agencies

As we commence the new financial year, recruitment agencies across Australia face the familiar challenge of maintaining compliance with Fair Work requirements while preserving profitability. The complexity of this task continues to intensify with each passing year, making strategic approaches to compliance management more critical than ever.

The Growing Compliance Challenge

The current financial year brings significant changes across multiple areas that directly impact recruitment operations. Consumer Price Index adjustments, updated award minimums, revised allowances, superannuation rate changes, new pay rules, and WorkCover modifications create a complex web of requirements that agencies must navigate successfully.

The financial implications of compliance errors are substantial. A single miscalculated rate can result in thousands of dollars in back-pay obligations, damaged client relationships, and severely compromised profit margins. Yet the manual verification of award rates, penalty rates, and various allowances for each placement represents a time-intensive process that many agencies struggle to manage effectively.

Strategic Solutions for Modern Recruitment Operations

Leading recruitment agencies are implementing systematic approaches to address these challenges through four key strategies:

Eliminating Manual Processing and Human Error Progressive agencies are transitioning away from manual rate calculations by implementing intelligent systems that automatically handle regulatory changes. This approach allows recruitment professionals to focus their expertise on client and candidate relationship management rather than administrative compliance tasks.

Automating Compliance and Profitability Monitoring The most effective agencies utilise systems that provide automatic job rate corrections and instant margin recalculations. This real-time approach to compliance monitoring ensures that profitability remains visible and protected throughout the placement process.

Streamlining Payroll Integration Advanced recruitment operations leverage automation capabilities that synchronise rate changes directly with payroll systems without manual intervention. This seamless integration reduces administrative overhead while maintaining accuracy across all financial processes.

Enhancing Communication Efficiency Successful agencies employ systems that generate professional rate increase communications to both candidates and clients as an integrated function rather than a separate administrative task. This capability ensures consistent, timely communication while reducing the administrative burden on recruitment teams.

The Competitive Advantage of Systematic Compliance

The recruitment agencies achieving the strongest results in the current market are not necessarily those with the most resources, but rather those that have successfully integrated compliance management with profitability optimisation. These organisations have recognised that effective compliance systems create operational efficiency rather than administrative burden.

Acting on FY25/26 Compliance Requirements

While the financial year is still in its early stages, the window for implementing comprehensive compliance solutions is narrowing. Agencies that establish robust systems now will be better positioned to manage the full year's regulatory requirements while maintaining competitive margins and client satisfaction.

The integration of systematic compliance management with profitability monitoring represents a fundamental shift in how successful recruitment agencies operate. By addressing these requirements proactively, agencies can transform compliance from a cost centre into a competitive advantage that supports sustainable growth and client retention.

For recruitment agencies seeking to implement these strategic approaches, professional consultation can provide valuable guidance in selecting and implementing systems that align with specific operational requirements and growth objectives.

Get in contact with us so we can have a chat about how to make this all work for you and your business!

#Wages #FairWork #ModernAwards #Award #Jobs #Employment

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services Award [MA000115], Aged Care Award [MA000018], Air Pilots Award [MA000046], Aircraft Cabin Crew Award [MA000047], Airline Operations - Ground Staff Award [MA000048], Airport Employees Award [MA000049], Alpine Resorts Award [MA000092], Aluminium Industry Award [MA000060], Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award [MA000098], Amusement, Events and Recreation Award [MA000080], Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award [MA000118], Aquaculture Industry Award [MA000114], Architects Award [MA000079], Asphalt Industry Award [MA000054], Australian Government Industry Award 2016 [MA000153], Banking, Finance and Insurance Award [MA000019], Black Coal Mining Industry Award [MA000001], Book Industry Award [MA000078], Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award [MA000091], Building and Construction General On-site Award [MA000020], Business Equipment Award [MA000021], Car Parking Award [MA000095], Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award [MA000055], Cemetery Industry Award [MA000070], Children's Services Award [MA000120], Cleaning Services Award [MA000022], Clerks - Private Sector Award [MA000002], Coal Export Terminals Award [MA000045], Commercial Sales Award [MA000083], Concrete Products Award [MA000056], Contract Call Centres Award [MA000023], Corrections and Detention (Private Sector) Award [MA000110], Cotton Ginning Award [MA000024], Dredging Industry Award [MA000085], Dry Cleaning and Laundry Industry Award [MA000096], Educational Services (Post-Secondary Education) Award [MA000075], Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award [MA000076], Educational Services (Teachers) Award [MA000077], Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award [MA000025], Electrical Power Industry Award [MA000088], Fast Food Industry Award [MA000003], Fire Fighting Industry Award [MA000111], Fitness Industry Award [MA000094], Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award [MA000073], Funeral Industry Award [MA000105], Gardening and Landscaping Services Award [MA000101], Gas Industry Award [MA000061], General Retail Industry Award [MA000004], Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award [MA000026], Hair and Beauty Industry Award [MA000005], Health Professionals and Support Services Award [MA000027], Higher Education Industry - Academic Staff - Award [MA000006], Higher Education Industry - General Staff - Award [MA000007], Horse and Greyhound Training Award [MA000008], Horticulture Award [MA000028], Hospitality Industry (General) Award [MA000009], Hydrocarbons Field Geologists Award [MA000064], Hydrocarbons Industry (Upstream) Award [MA000062], Joinery and Building Trades Award [MA000029], Journalists Published Media Award [MA000067], Labour Market Assistance Industry Award [MA000099], Legal Services Award [MA000116], Live Performance Award [MA000081], Local Government Industry Award [MA000112], Mannequins and Models Award [MA000117], Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award [MA000010], Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award [MA000093], Marine Towage Award [MA000050], Maritime Offshore Oil and Gas Award [MA000086], Market and Social Research Award [MA000030], Meat Industry Award [MA000059], Medical Practitioners Award [MA000031], Mining Industry Award [MA000011], Miscellaneous Award [MA000104], Mobile Crane Hiring Award [MA000032], Nursery Award [MA000033], Nurses Award [MA000034], Oil Refining and Manufacturing Award [MA000072], Passenger Vehicle Transportation Award [MA000063], Pastoral Award [MA000035], Pest Control Industry Award [MA000097], Pharmaceutical Industry Award [MA000069], Pharmacy Industry Award [MA000012], Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award [MA000036], Port Authorities Award [MA000051], Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award [MA000052], Poultry Processing Award [MA000074], Premixed Concrete Award [MA000057], Professional Diving Industry (Industrial) Award [MA000108], Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award [MA000109], Professional Employees Award [MA000065], Racing Clubs Events Award [MA000013], Racing Industry Ground Maintenance Award [MA000014], Rail Industry Award [MA000015], Real Estate Industry Award [MA000106], Registered and Licensed Clubs Award [MA000058], Restaurant Industry Award [MA000119], Road Transport and Distribution Award [MA000038], Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award [MA000039], Salt Industry Award [MA000107], Seafood Processing Award [MA000068], Seagoing Industry Award [MA000122], Security Services Industry Award [MA000016], Silviculture Award [MA000040], Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award [MA000100], Sporting Organisations Award [MA000082], State Government Agencies Award [MA000121], Stevedoring Industry Award , [MA000053], Storage Services and Wholesale Award [MA000084], Sugar Industry Award [MA000087], Supported Employment Services Award [MA000103], Surveying Award [MA000066], Telecommunications Services Award [MA000041], Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award [MA000017], Timber Industry Award [MA000071], Transport (Cash in Transit) Award [MA000042], Travelling Shows Award [MA000102], Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award [MA000089], Waste Management Award [MA000043], Water Industry Award [MA000113], Wine Industry Award [MA000090], Wool Storage, Sampling and Testing Award [MA000044]

Staying Ahead of This Year's Wage Changes

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 05:15:02 GMT

Keep On Top of 2025's Modern Awards

The beginning of 2025 has seen unprecedented changes across multiple modern awards . For many roles, these changes occurred as of the 1st of January however for others stretch into March.

It’s a challenge right now to know not only WHAT has changed, but WHEN.

And it’s not just about staying compliant . Making sure you’re maintaining profitability in amongst these changes has become more complex than ever.

Enter RatesCalc – your digital compliance companion . Instead of manually working through intricate award variations and checking multiple pay conditions, RatesCalc allows you to update your rates and check compliance effortlessly .

Here's how it works: Any of the existing rates that you have in the system will be flagged as needing an update. In December and January you will have noticed this for Nurses, Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS), Aged Care, Cotton Ginning and Wool Storage awards. In February and March you would have seen this for Pastoral, Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries and again for the Nurses award.

With a few clicks, RatesCalc applies the latest award changes to your rates. The system checks for minimum wage requirements, penalty and overtime rates, and allowances across different shifts and scenarios. As well as ensuring the superannuation, payroll tax and workers compensation rates are all up to date too.

Want to ensure you're still making a profit? RatesCalc's built-in margin calculator helps you understand the impact of these changes on your bottom line and can automatically apply your desired margin for a new charge rate.

The best part? No more sleepless nights wondering if you've interpreted the award changes correctly. One miscalculation could mean either underpaying staff (risking hefty fines) or overpaying (eating into already tight margins). RatesCalc stays up-to-date with the latest award variations , ensuring your business remains compliant while protecting your profitability.

In these times of rapid regulatory change, tools like RatesCalc aren't just convenient – they're essential for modern business management . For businesses operating across multiple awards or managing complex shift patterns, these changes mean hours spent recalculating rates and updating payroll systems. Especially when the 1st of July approaches and EVERY wage is going to need an update. Why spend hours poring over award variations when you could be focusing on building your business?

Stay compliant, stay profitable, stay ahead. With RatesCalc, managing multiple award changes has never been simpler.

Nurses MA000034, SCHADS MA000100, Aged Care MA000018, Cotton Ginning MA000024, Wool Storage MA000044, Pastoral MA000035, Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries MA000017

Did You Catch the 1st January Award Updates?

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:40:25 GMT

Changes to Wages - Effective 1st January 2025

New important updates have occurred to certain awards, taking effect from the first day of 2025.

What's changing?

There are key changes happening for some awards, including:

New definitions and minimum pay rates for entry-level classifications
Introductory classifications can only apply for a limited time
New rules and minimum pay apply for introductory rates
MA000024 Cotton Ginning Award
MA000090 Wine Industry Award
MA000044 Wool Storage Award

The changes apply from

1 January 2025 for most awards affected
1 April 2025 for the Horticulture Award and Pastoral Award

The Health Care industry see the removal of some classifications, from January 1, 2025.

These changes, released by Fair Work, affect the following awards:

MA000034 Nurses Award
MA000100 Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award
MA000018 Aged Care Award

As a result of these changes, you will need to update your rates to reflect the corrected classifications. This involves adding the new classifications and removing the old ones where applicable. Please note, these changes do not impact all classifications.

When will it be available in RatesCalc?

NOW - all the changes are ready for you and able to be updated in a few clicks!

Australia: A Leader in Wage Theft Protection

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:37:50 GMT

Wage Theft Criminalisation: A New Era for Worker Protection

Australia has emerged as a leader in the fight against wage theft, taking decisive action to criminalize the deliberate underpayment of workers. This reform movement represents a significant shift from treating wage theft purely as a civil matter to recognizing it as a serious criminal offence.

New Laws Coming 1st January 2025

The new laws apply to deliberate underpayments from the start of the new year, and are part of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023.

Wage theft will become a criminal offence – penalties include:

Up to 10 years in prison for individuals
Fines of up to $7.825 million for employers, or three times the underpayment amount

What does Wage Theft look like in Australia?

Underpayment of award rates
Non-payment of superannuation
Withholding penalty rates and loadings
Unpaid overtime
Unauthorized deductions
Misclassification of employees as contractors
Abuse of internships and trial periods

Which Australian workers are most vulnerable?

The criminalization of wage theft is particularly significant for migrant workers, international students, young workers, casual employees and gig economy workers.

Industry hotspots for wage theft include:

Hospitality
Retail
Agriculture
Construction
Cleaning services
International student employment

Your business can stay vigilant by:

Reviewing your record-keeping practices and internal audit processes
Using enhanced payroll systems, such as Astute Payroll
Running training programs for managers and recruitment consultants for understanding award rates, entitlements and correct classification of workers
Creating your job rates through wage compliance software such as RatesCalc

Australia's move to criminalize wage theft represents a significant advancement in worker protection to send a clear message that deliberate underpayment of workers is a serious crime with significant consequences. The success of these reforms will depend on continued commitment to enforcement, education, and support for both workers and compliant businesses.

RatesCalc is here to help you out – and keep you, your business and your candidates safe from wage theft.

Starting 1st November: Same Job, Same Pay

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 04:51:00 GMT

New legislation affecting direct hires and labour hire employees

�� Important Update: Same Job Same Pay Laws Coming November 1, 2024

Labour hire workers are about to see significant changes with the "Same Job, Same Pay" provisions taking effect. Here's what you need to know:

Key Changes:

Labour hire workers must receive at least the same pay as direct employees doing similar work

Applies when labour hire workers perform substantially the same work as direct employees

Host employers must provide rate of pay information to labour hire providers

New requirements for written agreements between hosts and labour hire providers

�� What's covered:

Base rates of pay

Casual loadings

Overtime rates

Penalty rates

Industry-specific allowances

This reform aims to prevent the use of labour hire arrangements to undercut wages and conditions. Businesses using labour hire workers should start reviewing their arrangements now to ensure compliance.

�� What are your thoughts on these changes? How will they impact your sector?

#Employment #WorkplaceReform #LabourHire #HR #AustralianLaw #IndustrialRelations

Updates for Job Rate Changes - 1st July 2024

Mon, 27 May 2024 07:15:28 GMT

.

Everyone keeps asking us here at RatesCalc when the rates will be updated for 1 ^st July.

Well, here we go!

Superannuation is rising to 11.5% - and it’s ready to go in RatesCalc!

Workers Comp rate changes for WA, SA and the ACT have been announced – ALSO ready to go in RatesCalc!

As the other states are announced, you’ll see notifications for those popping up in our software.

But what about the CPI INCREASE??!!!

Unfortunately, our undercover moles haven’t leaked that info to us yet.

But there’s a chance we misunderstood the directions, because we left our pet mole, Monty, at Fair Work headquarters… and he can’t send back any messages… he hasn’t got opposable thumbs!

But seriously - when Fair Work announces the changes, we’ll make the updates in RatesCalc.

If you're a RatesCalc customer, you’ll get notifications on all your existing rates, which you can update with a few clicks.

Calculate Profit: The Difference Between Margin & Mark-Up

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 23:41:38 GMT

Margin vs Markup: They’re Not the Same!

In business today the two terms are becoming confused and are used interchangeably.

To really mean ‘gross margin’, particularly in the contracting and recruitment industry. The misunderstanding of this calculation can make a huge difference to your bottom line.

Failure to price products and services with a sufficient markup or margin can seriously impede a business’ financial success.

Rate Transparency

Whether strategic or otherwise, finding a recruitment company with transparent rates is becoming far more uncommon these days.

Recruitment is a fast paced and high turnover industry. For the most part, many recruitment consultants are unaware of the strategies and calculations behind margin and markup setting or what the difference means. The reality is, they are guided by business guidelines or historical data for guidance on what margins they apply to contracts.

Contracts are becoming more and more difficult to read and determine. As the old adage goes, the devil is in the detail. Whether you are a client seeking a candidate, or a contractor being engaged to work with a client, not knowing how to translate the finer details of a contract should be something that you look at rectifying quickly.

Margin vs Markup in Recruitment

A tremendous amount of work goes into making a placement for recruiters. Knowing the difference between margin and markup is critical.

Having a markup that is too high can result in a loss of clients. Too low, and it could cost your business. The difference between the two is what will impact your business profits.

What is a Markup?

Simply, a markup is the amount added on to the base cost of a product or service to make a profit. Putting a markup on your product or service means that you make a profit on sales, by selling it a higher price than what it cost to create it.

Markup is most commonly conveyed in percentage form. This offers consistency in creating a comparative amount of money regardless of the costs of your products, whether up or down. The higher the markup the higher the price, this can be applied across various services or products. Markup relates to the cost of the service to the customer.

Now similarly, in recruitment:

‘A markup is percentage added to a contractor’s daily fee payable to the recruitment company.’

For example:

If your contractor has a daily charge rate of $200.00 and your company markup is 15%. Your client daily charge rate is then equal to $230.00, giving you a markup fee of $30.00.

Contractor Daily Charge Rate:$200.00 Markup%:15%

Markup Fee:$30.00

Client Daily Charge Rate:$230.00

The daily charge rate to your client can be calculated as such:

Client Charge Rate = (Contractor Daily Rate x Markup%) + Contractor Daily Rate Client Charge Rate = ($200.00 x 0.15) + $200.00

Client Charge Rate = $30.00 + $200.00

Client Charge Rate = $230.00

Now, if you are a client wanting to know what the agency markup is, this can be calculated as such:

Markup% = ((Client Charge Rate – Contractor Daily Rate) / Contractor Daily Rate) / 100 Markup% = (($230.00 – $200.00) / $200.00) / 100

Markup% = ($30.00 / $200.00) / 100

Markup% = 0.15 / 100

Markup% = 15%

As you can see, the markup is a crucial figure in your recruitment business calculations as this number determines your actual charge rate.

What is a Margin?

Margin is the percentage of the final selling price. In the case of recruitment, it is the percentage of final client charge rate.

Unfortunately, many businesses make the mistake of calculating client charge rates using markup; mistakenly assuming that the markup percentage is the ultimately their ‘gross profit margin’. The higher the margin the higher the profits in the business. Margin relates to the monetary value to the business.

In recruitment: ‘Taking the contractor charge rate plus the agency fee, the margin is the percentage of total client charge rate.’

Using the same example above:

If your contractor has a daily charge rate of $200.00 and your business requires a minimum of a 15% margin to make a profit; your client daily charge rate is then equal to $235.30.

Contractor Daily Charge Rate:$200.00

Margin%:15%

Client Daily Charge Rate:$235.30

Based on the desired margin of 15%, the daily charge rate to your client can be calculated as such:

Client Charge Rate = Contractor Daily Rate / (1 – Margin%) Client Charge Rate = $200.00 / (1 – 15%)

Client Charge Rate = $200.00 / (1 – 0.15)

Client Charge Rate = $200.00 / (0.85)

Client Charge Rate = $235.30

Margin or Markup – So which should be used?

Looking at the examples above, 15% Margin Vs 15% Markup on a base rate of $100.00 – the difference in dollars and cents is quite stark so this decision is hugely critical for your business.

It is widely recommended that for businesses, using margin to calculate your selling price is more beneficial and advisable. Doing so accurately measures the profit of sales.

It is important to identify your business’ desired profit margin and from there, calculate the client charge rate or selling price. Below we have included a markup vs margin chart so you can see visually the difference and focus on the relevant rate for your business.

Markup Margin

15% 13% 20% 16.7% 25% 20% 30% 23% 35% 25.9% 40% 28.6% 45% 31.03% 50% 33% 75% 42.9% 100% 50%

Further explanation videos:

RatesCalc are here to help, if you would like to discuss how we can assist you in handling margin and pay rates in your system please contact us for a demonstration of our application.

How to Detour a Dodgy Database

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 02:00:01 GMT

Rubbish in... rubbish out.

You know what they say; “rubbish in, rubbish out!”. Which sadly describes many client management systems.

Inaccurate, out-dated or missing data can sometimes be the result of time-pressured consultants focussed on winning business (yay!) rather than tedious admin (errmm).

Automations, and our growing reliance on them, drops our guard on checking data integrity, allowing false or incomplete information to slip through.

“Dinosaur data” can remain in systems due to staff turnover, lack of time or motivation for maintenance and system housekeeping.

And of course, there’s plain old human error.

The rubbish in our database can cause a myriad of issues, including slower speed-to-market, or even worse – poor quality delivery to market which will damage your reputation and chances of future business.

With the wrong data, reporting and analytics will also be flawed. Even one input error or missed update can result in some seriously misguided strategic decisions.

If we relate this is hiring staff and running recruitment businesses, the wrong information about employing staff can lead to crushing legal ramifications, and the wrong calculations of data can lead to financial ruin.

That’s where software like RatesCalc comes in, drawing up-to-date compliant rates from Fair Work, State and National legislation. RatesCalc then calculates that information with current company and client requirements to produce accurate and profitable rates.

And if any of that information changes? RatesCalc flags any necessary updates, pushing the new data in, and archiving the old data out.

RatesCalc’s got your back – and your database integrity.

The Dance of Data-Driven Pay Rates and Profits

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 05:35:56 GMT

Have you got the on-hire moves like Mick Jagger?

When on-hiring staff, getting the pay and charge rates right is like nailing the perfect dance move. It’s harder than it looks! What’s the going rate? What does the legislation say? What’s too much or too little??!!!

Let’s tap into a little data-driven dance instruction, shall we?

Competitive Pay and the Talent Tango

Attracting the best talent requires a market-competitive pay check – that’s a no-brainer! But what's the magic number? Let’s get that data!

Dive into market trends, check out what competitors are up to, what are your clients currently paying? A job-board hunt can sometimes give you a clue but do you know what’s even better? Your candidates! Ask them what’s on offer out there. What did they get in their last job, what are their friends getting?

It's also important to ensure your rates meet the minimum wage and Fair Work award requirements, which can be automated and protected by RatesCalc.

Informed understandings about pay rates will provide you with more productive conversations with your clients and prospects. Market-comparable pay rates will also ensure you don’t lose your perfect candidates by paying too little or lose out by paying too much. Everyone will do a happy dance.

The Real Cost of Talent

Let's spill the beans—talent acquisition costs go beyond what you see on the surface. Think of your company overheads, marketing

expenses, tech investments, and the time your amazing consultants put in. On top of all your company costs are the legislative costs that come with hiring staff, such as superannuation, payroll tax, workers compensation and leave.

It’s not only difficult to work out what all these costs are, but time consuming to keep looking them up every year when Fair Work announces the many changes, and then make all those updates to every .. single .. job rate ��

That’s where RatesCalc swings onto the dance floor to produce all of those factors automatically, and update it all when needed in just a few clicks!

Crunching the Numbers for Smooth Profits

Sure, hiring great talent is awesome, but let's not forget about the financial health of your business. That is where all those hiring costs must be accounted for, to calculate your TRUE profit margin. And how will you determine your profit? With a dollar margin, mark-up or percentage profit margin (click here to find out how they are different, and which one will work best for you).

RatesCalc will whip up that figure and keep your business stayin’ alive better than John Travolta!

Creative? Innovative? You betcha!

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 23:43:50 GMT

Happy World Creativity and Innovation Day!

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EOFY is coming, let's clean up!

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 07:25:25 GMT

EOFY is coming, let's clean up!

Nobody wants to talk about housekeeping in your client management system. Boring! (too much work?)

May be the data in your system got away from you, been in there so long it’s got cobwebs! And now you’re too scared to clear out those cobwebs in case there’s something important that you need?! And too daunted to go through it all, because, seriously, who’s got both the time and the knowledge of what needs to go and what needs to stay?

But we can’t keep making excuses or burying our heads in the sand. Expired rates, ancient job data and out-of-date client information inhibits the performance of your system and your team.

The real danger comes in the new financial year – when an accurate and compliant entry into July is paramount in the recruitment industry. Even if you recruit in a niche market without an award increase, or pay well above the award, there’s the 0.5% boost to superannuation, and possibly some changes to payroll tax and workers comp in your state. Clearly knowing what needs to be updated and ensuring properly archived job records will provide you with efficiency, compliance and peace of mind.

So, what’s our tip to make this happen?

Share the priority, sense of urgency and workload with your team. You may take comfort in allocating this task to the one person you feel you can trust but remember that many-hands-make-light-work. Keep in mind also that the consultants who have created, negotiated and worked with these rates deserve some credibility (and accountability) here. Set a deadline and put support mechanisms in place to avoid the “oh but I’m too busy recruiting to do system admin” excuse.

RatesCalc can help consultants identify what to keep, re-quote or archive with notifications and alerts. When it comes to updating the rates, a few clicks will update all those legislative changes too! Then they can get back to what they do best – recruiting (not system admin)!

We’ve invested in these awesome systems to make our businesses prosper – if we don’t maintain them, it’ll be like buying a new car and failing to service it! Make it a priority for this financial year – get your whole team onboard and get ready to celebrate the efficiencies of your successful 1 ^st July updates!

Underpayment of Workers - the real impact.

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 23:49:29 GMT

We know it's bad - but how bad IS the impact of underpaying workers?

It’s all over the news – we all know it – failure to pay workers the right amount has devastating impacts on employers and their employees. But what is the actual impact for your business?

Financial Impact:

In Australia, the Fair Work Ombudsman is responsible for ensuring that workers are paid in alignment with labour laws. Failing to comply with these laws can result in huge fines and penalties , potentially crippling some businesses. Over the last few years the Fair Work Ombudsman has handed out more fines than ever before – that’s not a record anyone is happy about breaking!

When workers are not paid correctly, it is not only the fine that needs to be dealt with. Businesses will also have to make back-payments to all underpaid staff . In the last two years, there have been MILLIONS of dollars paid back to workers. Can the cash flow of your business afford this? Most staffing agencies couldn’t. There goes this years’ profit… and next years’… and possibly the whole business.

Then here comes the legal disputes for underpayment, unpaid wages and potentially additional complaints of unfair dismissal and discrimination. Add litigation expenses to that ever-growing list of things your business can’t afford.

Reputational Impact:

Our workers ARE our company. They are the face of our organisation, they are our brand, our image. So when staff are underpaid, it shouldn’t be surprising that public perception of who we are takes a huge knock. Online news and social media allow reports, or even whispers of workers being paid unfairly spread like wildfire . Shall we add your company reputation to the things that are quickly going down the drain?

As more and more workplaces are being named and shamed for violating labour laws, Australians are getting increasingly concerned about the treatment of workers and taking more notice when underpayment is raised in the news . I bet you can immediately think of some big brands that have recently been caught underpaying staff. That kind of exposure is long-lasting, and definitely not the kind of brand-advertising you’re after.

And let’s now also consider that we are in candidate-short market , where good employees are hard to find. How are you going to attract and retain great talent if you’re known as a business that doesn’t pay their workers fairly? It’s going to be hard to grow and be competitive in your market without great candidates.

Final Thoughts: Morals and Ethics

Let us remember, also, that complying with the laws and regulations of the Australian labour market is more than just a legal obligation with financial and reputational ramifications. It is a responsibility that employers, including recruitment agencies, must abide to both morally and ethically .

If Australia is still “the lucky country”, we need to be an undeniably fair country to work in. “Honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay”, right?

Let’s get it right.

Our team is growing! Want to be part of it?

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 02:51:22 GMT

Are you our new Customer Success Team Leader?

RatesCalc is a pretty unique piece of software, so we’re looking for a pretty unique person to fill a new role on our team.

Firstly – what does RatesCalc do?

In a nutshell, it produces job rates.

But that task is not as simple as it seems! There is a huge amount of variations, legislation and other financial factors that come into play, which have a habit of changing annually and throughout the year! Click here to find out more.

Clients using our software have the ability to quickly and easily produce rates for labourhire, contractors, permanent hires, apprentices and trainees in alignment with legislation and business profitability – and then update those rates in just a few clicks if anything changes. From within RatesCalc they can send out quotes to their clients, employment contracts to workers, export rates to payroll and so much more!

There’s no other product like RatesCalc on the market, we are proud of what we do, and look forward to welcoming another superstar to our team.

What are we looking for?

Right now, there are three distinct areas of support that RatesCalc provides to its clients: Implementation, Technical Support and Training.

We need a Customer Success Team Leader in technical support who can also wear a hat in the implementation and training teams.

Our new Customer Success Team Leader will

· Analyse and provide solutions for issues raised by our clients and internal staff

· Oversee the management of support tickets

· Communicate issues and discuss potential solutions with the Development, Implementation, Training and Technical Support teams

· Identify knowledge gaps and training needs of RatesCalc clients booking and schedulig professional services

· Conduct scheduled and spontaneous training sessions with clients using video conferencing and screensharing

· Take part in project management meetings and implementation discussions with clients

· Foresee challenges in implementations and compatibility with client needs

· Provide advice to clients about technical aspects and process flows for integrated software

Are you the right fit for us, and us for you?

We already know that you’re a smart cookie (you’re reading our job ad, afterall!) which is good, because there are a lot of things to learn and picking things up quickly will be critical to your success.

We also expect that you have experience in some of the following:

· RatesCalc experience – gold star! But not essential

· Recruitment experience

· Knowledge of Modern awards and requirements for paying Australian wages

· Testing solutions in software platforms

· Management of support tickets, including prioritisation and escalation

· Mentoring and training team members

· Coaching clients in technical and process knowledge

But you absolutely must have these attributes:

· Managing a small team (supervising at least 2 team members)

· Experience with client management systems

· Tech-savvy: can intuitively work out new software and take on challenges

· Ability to communicate complex, technical issues in simple, everday language

· Capable of working under the pump with shifting prioirities

· Proactive approach to resolving potential issues

· Excellent problem solving and analytical thinking

· High creativity and critical thinking for “outside the box” solutions

· Glass-half-full attitude towards tricky situations

· Proficient in MS application (intermediate)

· Exceptional written and verbal English

· Discretion and confidentiality

· Ready to enjoy a laugh in a super friendly team

What are the working conditions?

· Work-from-home

· Equipment, including laptop, supplied.

· Approximately 25 -30 hours per week

· Flexibility to work school hours, if needed

· Regular whole team get togethers online, optional in-person events, and daily interactions with truly fun team mates who ensure your sanity in an otherwise solo working environment

If this is sounding like a match, let’s have a conversation!

Give Maddie, our Operational Delivery Manager, a call on 0467 449 318

Or shoot Mads an email with your resume, a quick bit about you (no need to deliver War and Peace selection criteria) and tell her a joke, at maddie@ratescalc.com

What Does RatesCalc Do?

col@ratescalc.com (Col Levander) — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 07:11:03 GMT

30 second animation to give you the general sense of RatesCalc and what it's for.

Of course we'd love to tell you more - so give us a shout out under the Contact tab - or go ahead and book a demo!

New RatesCalc Features! October 2022

col@ratescalc.com (Col Levander) — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 06:58:31 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

More Award Updates Are Coming!

col@ratescalc.com (Col Levander) — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 01:16:22 GMT

Here's what's changing:

All our interim rates are in the system, ready for you to quote well ahead of time.

Any questions, please get in contact with the RatesCalc team.

The Essential Guide to Compliance in Australian Recruitment 2022

col@ratescalc.com (Col Levander) — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 07:39:06 GMT

Seven recruitment legislation acts that every recruitment professional should know

Recruitment legislation is complex and ever-evolving. Our employment market is inundated with a mash-up of complex laws and employment awards across a myriad of acts.

It certainly comes as no surprise that many employers are facing immense pressure when dissecting and interpreting legislation. Given the potentially serious penalties of a breach, effective recruiters need to keep abreast of the latest changes.

Not sure where to begin? Here are the seven recruitment legislation acts that every recruitment professional should know:

1) Fair Work Australia Ombudsman

Mostly governed by the Fair Work Act 2009 (FWA) and the Fair Work Regulations 2009 , the Fair Work Ombudsman promotes a healthy workplace for employees, contractors, and employers alike, by providing information and advice on work rights and obligations.

Overall, these Acts are substantial and legally complex, making it difficult for everyday employers to interpret. Failure to comply with the Fair Work Act can result in formidable damage to your business, and there are many such cases in the public domain of household names such as Coles, Woolworths, 7-Eleven, McDonalds, and other well-known recruitment agency brands.

2) Privacy Act

The Privacy Act 1988 is a law that oversees the regulation and handling of private and personal information about individuals – most commonly, individuals’ names, signatures, addresses, contact numbers, dates of birth, medical records, bank account details, and commentary or opinion about a person.

The Privacy Act is a difficult legislation to monitor, given that it delves further into thirteen Australian Privacy Principles or APPs and applies to APP entities (Australian and Norfolk Island Government Agencies).

Breaches in privacy are covered under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, which is available for us by APP entities as well as individuals when the breach is assumed to cause serious harm to those affected.

Currently, breaches under the Privacy Act can incur a maximum fine of AUD 500,000 .

3) Criminal Code Act 1995

You might think, “Why am I mentioning this specific piece of legislation?” The Criminal Code Act 1995 (CTH) is the main piece of legislation relating to federal offences in Australia.

This act encompasses everything we do in everyday life – but as a recruiter, and dovetailing with the Privacy Act 1988 , the serious threat to professional organisations is the escalation of cybercrime. If your organisation does not have a focus on this area, then I encourage you to do so immediately. Computer-related offences are a serious threat to any business, either from internal team members or cyber criminals around the world. A proactive approach should be adopted and maintained, including items such as security awareness training for your teams and a technology review of all of your systems and processes. Furthermore, ensuring the appropriate level of insurance specifically related to cyber security is a must-have!

4) Workplace Health, Safety Standards, and the Workplace Health and Safety Act

The establishment of national policies focused on improving work H&S and workers’ compensation across Australia is led by Safe Work Australia .

Businesses and employers are required, and have a legal responsibility, to implement and enforce H&S practices accordingly, covering all employees, contractors, and even volunteers or visitors.

While WHS may be seen as a nuisance and an expensive practice by some, the price of failing to comply with the legislation is even more costly and may include prosecution.

In Queensland alone, there are four categories of offences .

Workers Compensation is specific to each Australian state, therefore, there are several acts across all states, each with its own legislation, and I have provided below for ease of reference links to the relevant state-based acts. Supporting these are other legislative requirements, such as regulations, however, there are far too many to mention here.

ACT – The Workers Compensation Act 1951
NSW – Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998
NT – Work Health And Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011
QLD – Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003
SA – WorkCover Corporation Act 1994
TAS – Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988
VIC – Workers Compensation Act 1958
WA – Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981

5) STP – Single Touch Payroll

In July 2018, the ATO implemented a change in reporting methods, requiring businesses with a minimum of 20 employees to report to the Commissioner on or before each payday using Single Touch Payroll .

Detailed information on tax and superannuation, payment of salary, wages, allowances, deductions, and such will now need to be provided directly from each business’ payroll provider.

The new STP scheme is a critical move to identifying superannuation non-compliance and will allow the Tax Office to implement penalties on employers who do not comply with their superannuation obligations .

STP continues to evolve with further changes in reporting requirements for the new financial year 2022-2023.

6) Payroll Tax

Payroll Tax is a state tax that is calculated on wages, as you, an employer, pay to your employees or deemed employees.

Payroll Tax is a self-assessing tax that requires employers to establish whether the level of their wages paid or payable requires them to register with the respective state government. Each state has its own payroll tax legislation with different rates and thresholds.

7) Labour Hire Licensing

With the commencement of the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017 , pioneered in Queensland , labour hire licensing is now mandatory. Full roll outs have occurred in South Australia from August 2019, Victoria in October 2019, and the Australian Capital Territory in May 2021.

Once considered an unregulated industry, the Act seeks to protect labour hire workers from exploitation with any business which uses or provides labour hire connected to these states bound to compliance.

How to Make Sense of it All

The complexity of recruitment legislation has caused immense pressure on business owners and is set to cause a shift right across Australia over the next few years.

Having robust business processes is critical to the survival of your business, and with the success of your business at stake, it is important you have regular and sound advice available to you.

It is no longer just about commercial savviness. Agility and understanding market verticals are critical at this point, and using the right tools – including automation and artificial Intelligence – in your business will ensure sustainability and ongoing success.

Talk to Ratescalc.com ™ and learn more about how we can help.

Calculating a Profitable Charge Rate in Recruitment

col@ratescalc.com (Col Levander) — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 07:10:42 GMT

The One Thing in Recruitment that can Make or Break your Revenue

col@ratescalc.com (Col Levander) — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 02:01:49 GMT

As much as we love recruitment, we wouldn’t be here if our businesses didn’t earn a profit, right?

Calculating your revenue is key to a thriving recruitment business and the decisions we make when calculating our charge rates to clients is critical to our success.

How should you calculate your charge rates?

1. Work out what it costs you to put the person on the job.

Cost Rate = Pay Rate + Other Costs

(such as superannuation, payroll tax, workcoverFina, finance, admin fees and other oncosts)

2. Now let’s work out a charge rate that ensures a profit!

a) Dollar Margin

Simply, a dollar amount added on top of your cost rate!

Eg. We’ll add $8 onto every hour they work.

b) Mark-Up Percentage (gross margin)

Your profit is a percentage of your cost rate.

Eg. We want to mark-up our cost rate by 20% , so:

We need to multiply our cost rate by 1.2 (120%) to get the charge rate.

If our cost (what we pay the worker plus oncosts) is $40, a 20% mark-up (40 x 1.2) gives us a charge rate of $48.

c) Margin Percentage (net margin)

Your profit is a percentage of your charge rate.

Eg. If our charge rate is $48, and our cost is $40, what is our profit margin?

We need to subtract our cost rate from our charge rate (48 - 40 = 8), then divide that figure by the charge rate (8 / 48 = 0.1666) (16.66%)

If you want to apply a particular margin, eg. we want 20% of our charge rate to be profit: divide your cost rate by 0.8 (80%) to get your final charge rate (40 / 0.8 = 50) ($50)

Have a look at these examples in RatesCalc:

This is definitely something to think about when deciding which profit margin is the right one to apply in your business!

Stay tuned, as we release more articles soon to help you understand the pros and cons of different charge rate calculations, and the ways that RatesCalc makes it easy!

Have you realised the true cost of manual processing in recruitment?

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 06:35:39 GMT

For a small recruitment business, the savings with RatesCalc are huge

Get in touch so we can customise the savings for you!

Are You Our Next Great Hire?

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 22:32:09 GMT

RatesCalc is a unique piece of software, so we’re looking for a unique person to join our team

Firstly – what does RatesCalc do?

In a nutshell, it produces job rates.

Clients using our software have the ability to quickly and easily produce rates for workers in alignment with legislation and business profitability – and then update those rates in just a few clicks if anything changes. From within RatesCalc they can send out quotes to their clients, employment contracts to workers, export rates to payroll and so much more!

There’s no other product like RatesCalc on the market, we are proud of what we do, and look forward to welcoming another superstar to our team.

What are we looking for?

Right now, there are three distinct areas of support that RatesCalc provides to its clients: Implementation , Technical Support and Training .

We need a Customer Success Team Leader in technical support who can also wear a hat in the implementation and training teams .

Our new Customer Success Team Leader will

Analyse and provide solutions for issues raised by our clients and internal staff
Oversee the management of support tickets
Communicate issues and discuss potential solutions with the Development, Implementation, Training and Technical Support teams
Identify knowledge gaps and training needs of RatesCalc clients
Conduct scheduled and spontaneous training sessions with clients using video conferencing and screen-sharing
Take part in project management meetings and implementation discussions with clients
Foresee challenges in implementations and compatibility with client needs
Provide advice to clients about technical aspects and process flows for integrated software
Manage a small offshore team

Are you the right fit for us, and us for you?

We already know that you’re a smart cookie (you’re reading our job ad, after all!) which is good, because there are a lot of things to learn and picking things up quickly will be critical to your success .

We also expect that you have experience in some of the following :

RatesCalc experience – gold star! But not essential
Recruitment experience
Knowledge of Modern awards and requirements for paying Australian wages
Testing solutions in software platforms
Management of support tickets, including prioritisation and escalation
Mentoring and training team members
Coaching clients in technical and process knowledge
Previous training experience
Knowledge of payroll (you don't need to know how to do it, but understand the process)

But you absolutely must have these attributes :

Managing a small team (supervising at least 2 team members)
Experience with client management systems
Tech-savvy: can intuitively work out new software
Ability to communicate complex, technical issues in simple, every day language
Capable of working under the pump with shifting priorities
Proactive approach to resolving potential issues
Excellent problem solving and analytical thinking
High creativity and critical thinking for “outside the box” solutions
Glass-half-full attitude towards tricky situations
Proficient in MS application (intermediate)
Exceptional written and verbal English
Discretion and confidentiality
Ready to enjoy a laugh in a super friendly team

What are the working conditions?

Work-from-home
Equipment, including laptop, supplied
Approximately 30 hours per week
Flexibility to work school hours, if needed
Regular whole team get togethers online, optional in-person events, and daily interactions with truly fun team mates who ensure your sanity in an otherwise solo working environment

If this is sounding like a match, let’s have a conversation!

Give Col, our CEO , a call on 0439 169 999

Or Hayley, our Project Ringleader and head recruiter, a call on 0404 061 702

Or shoot Hayley an email with your resume, a quick bit about you (no need to deliver War and Peace selection criteria) and tell her a joke, at hayley@ratescalc.com

Mental health and wellbeing surcharge Explained

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 05:24:04 GMT

How are you managing the Mental health and Wellbeing Surcharge increase?

Mental health and wellbeing surcharge

The mental health and wellbeing surcharge (surcharge) is a revenue mechanism that will provide a consistent and dedicated source of additional funding for the mental health system.

This was one of the Royal Commission's recommendations, and the Victorian Government has agreed to implement all of the Royal Commission's recommendations.

Every dollar received will be spent on the delivery of mental The surcharge charge will begin in January 2022 and is payable on taxable wages paid or payable by an employer or a group of employers from January 2022.

The surcharge is charged at the same time as payroll tax. As a result, if you pay monthly payroll taxes, you will also have to pay the surcharge monthly, and if you pay yearly payroll taxes, you will have to do so as well. You won't have to file a separate return.

here's a useful link for some FAQ to go even deeper if you feel the need Read the surcharge FAQs

Who pays the surcharge?

If you pay taxable wages in Victoria and your Australian earnings exceed the first annual threshold of $10 million , with a first monthly threshold of $833,333 , you must pay the surcharge.

If you pay Victorian taxable salaries and your Australian wages exceed the second annual threshold of $100 million , plus a second monthly threshold of $8,333,333 , you must pay an additional surcharge.

These criteria are intended to be used at the group level, rather than the individual. If you are a member of a group, these requirements must be met at the group level.

These yearly limits change proportionately if you do not operate for a full financial year. The following annual thresholds apply from 1 January 2022 until 30 June 2022 (transitional period)

Wages that are subject to the Victorian payroll tax , as well as any wages not taxed by payroll (such as pay or benefits paid to a caregiver who is away from work for primary or secondary caregiving leave or who is absent from work to volunteer as a firefighter or respond to other emergencies) will be exempt from the surcharge.

How much is the surcharge?

The company will charge an additional tax of 0.5% on your taxable earnings over $10 million , and an extra 0.5% on taxable earnings over $100 million. For the transitional period, each annual threshold is set at $5 million and $50 million .

These levels apply at the group level and are claimed by the designated group employer if you are a member of a club or association. These limits are adjusted proportionately if you're an Australian company that just does payroll for part of a year, or if you're also responsible for paying employees in another Australian jurisdiction.

The question is, How are you managing the Mental health and Wellbeing Surcharge increase?

RatesCalc Fair Work Ombudsman Update October 2021

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 06:22:52 GMT

Is your business compliant?

In 2020-21, the Fair Work Ombudsman recovered $148+mil for 69,735 underpaid workers - a new all-time high. These recoveries were 20% higher than those recorded in 2019-20 and nearly five times as much as those recorded in 2017-18.

Sandra Parker, the Fair Work Ombudsman, said that large corporate entities have continued to pose a challenge for the agency in recent months. "We continue to see some of Australia's biggest businesses come forward to self-disclose workplace law breaches, and our investigations have revealed that thousands of people have been underpaid over many years.

To address this

"All employers, especially big corporate organisations, must place a higher premium on investing in payroll and workplace relations systems and skills to guarantee that workers are paid their legal rights."

In 2020-21, the FWO entered into 19 Enforceable Undertakings with businesses, 17 of which concerned self-reported non-compliance from large employers. Following thorough investigations and Enforceable Undertakings negotiated with the FWOs, more than $81.7 million was repaid. During the year, the workplace regulator also obtained an agreement In 2020-21, there were 76 new litigations, 41 per cent more than the previous year.

In matters involving migrant workers who can be vulnerable to workplace exploitation, the agency has collected more than $2 million in court-ordered penalties.

The FWO used enforcement measures more frequently in FY 2020-21, issuing 2,025 Compliance Notices and resulting in over $16.5 million in unpaid salaries and entitlements recoveries. Fair Work Inspectors also issued 513 Infringement Notices (total fines of over $518,000) last financial year.

Last financial year,COVID-19 is having an enormous influence on Australian companies and supporting them through the epidemic was the FWO's main objective in 2020-21, according to Ms Parker.

"We concentrated on assisting workers who were particularly vulnerable, small firms and sectors that had been severely impacted," Parker said.

The FWO's Coronavirus hotline received more than 46,000 calls from businesses and individuals, with online content dedicated to the virus receiving more than 3.2 million page views.

With RatesCalc we guarantee the accuracy of our data ensuring that this area is one less thing you need to worry about- so you can – Get on with business !

Integrations 101

jordan@randomgroup.com.au (Jordan Betteridge) — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 05:22:45 GMT

In the last decade there has been much change in the tech world. One of those changes is the increase in popularity for systems with a robust API (API is the acronym for Application Programming Interface, which is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other).

Many customers are looking for the perfect tech stack, and rightly so, there are many benefits that come from having a wholesome tech solution where the symbiosis between systems gives you a seamless solution.

So, what is an integration?

This is the process of linking together different computing systems and software applications physically or functionally, to act as a coordinated whole. Essentially, building your own ecosystem of solutions and platforms to meet the needs of your business. This is also commonly referred to as your “tech stack”

Many software providers have seen the opportunity to build a community or ecosystem for its users – commonly known as a ‘Marketplace’. Here you can choose which solutions you need and build them into your own ecosystem.

What are the 4 reasons you should consider using integrations?

It makes things easy – one system for everything. The user experience is much simpler with what appears like one system with all the functionality you need. This removes the need to manage multiple sites/logins for the different solutions that form part of one business process.
Automation will save you time and increase productivity and remove manual errors . Your team will no longer need to manually copy and paste data from one system to another. An integration allows for data to automatically flow and be shared across systems. For example, pay and charge rates flowing from your job card straight into your payroll and finance systems, removing the need to data entry.
Standardise your processes – with a system integration you have oversight over the complete process, allowing you to implement best practice methodology, especially when your team is spread across multiple offices.
Have more fun – by eliminating administrative tasks, which are now completed through the integration. Your team will have more time for value adding tasks. Doesn’t that sound fun?

RatesCalc’s API, allows you to integrate RatesCalc into any operational system. Payroll systems’ integrations are a little more complex however we can already integrate with some of the most well-known payroll systems with more integrations currently under development.

RatesCalc can, quite simply, integrate with any system!

RatesCalc connects your front and middle/back-office systems, working as a bridge between the two and sharing/transferring data that is 100% accurate and will keep you compliant!

Check out some of our current integrations and keep an eye out for new integration solutions coming soon.

One of the common questions I’m asked: Why RatesCalc?

jordan@randomgroup.com.au (Jordan Betteridge) — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 05:43:01 GMT

One of the most common questions I’m asked is Why RatesCalc?

Why did you decide to develop this platform and what was the driver?

I’ve never been a “Glass Half Full” guy and I have always struggled to understand why someone hadn’t solved, arguably one of the biggest problems that the human supply chain faces.

“Recruitment is a really tough market and compounding the challenge – is the navigation and complexities across the provision of labour.”

Consider the common scenario.

I am meeting with a prospect.

I want to provide my contingent staffing solutions to their business.

My prospect gives me a position to fill and is keen to know the charge rate per hour for candidates.

This might seem like a simple calculation, but it is not.

It is not as simple as knowing your market rates to secure the right talent for the position, that is the baseline and recruitment professionals think that is all they need to know, sadly – incorrect!

It depends on the position, it depends on the award, the job location (think state-based payroll tax), work cover, super thresholds and when the work will be performed.

Furthermore, the constantly changing landscape in industrial legislation, award, and collective agreement changes makes it near impossible to stay on top of everything and get it right every time.

The end results?

A slower sales cycle s you are unable to accurately quote at the meeting
Unintentional errors in invoicing, payroll (under or overpayment), and a messy start to your relationship with your new client.

CRM systems are not capable of making pay and charge calculations. These calculations generally sit with the back-office functions of the business or maybe you have separate rate calculators in Excel, but the problem remains – who updates these and how is your dysfunctional sales process working in the first place?

Traditionally, the back office does not assist the recruiter or the client-facing BDM/ Account manager in this situation with securing new business and quoting. He or she needs to live in the spreadsheet world, and re-enter the same data multiple times, taking time away from sales and introducing manual errors. So that is in the stone age and…

WHY RatesCalc.

“RatesCalc was designed and built on the premise that you can simply construct any type of calculation whilst with your client, capturing their requirements and providing accurate and compliant pricing that can be signed off digitally there and then on the spot. No more manual processes, no more errors, no more waiting for confirmation of the go-ahead to supply. Get the business done and start sourcing and introducing your amazing candidates to your client quickly and watch your business grow exponentially.”

The risk of making mistakes in pricing becomes a thing of the past.

Now the recruiter wins the deal and supplies the candidates to fill the requirements fifty times faster than their competitor. All that is required now is for an appropriate person such an administrator or recruiter to sync the data to payroll. With RatesCalc this can happen automatically, or with a simple mouse click.

The end result? The candidate is paid correctly, no matter how complex the award, and the customer is invoiced using the same attributes used in RatesCalc with the appropriate rule groups in payroll.

Put simply, in the context around Non-Integrated dysfunctional systems and processes that exist in 99% of businesses, – RatesCalc is the bridge to UTOPIA connecting any front office system to your payroll or finance system. Data Integrity is ensured, the recruiter’s risk of compliance to legislation is mitigated and the client will receive accurate invoices – all from a single source of truth that is built specifically for its purpose.

Critically, compliance made simple is what is key here. Recruitment is a tough competitive industry, particularly in the forever changing contingent staffing supply chain. The demands now are arguably far greater than ever before and the reason why RatesCalc exists.

I remember when I first shared my ideas with a few trusted technology colleagues who have “the finger on the pulse” on this space, what they said was; that I was either incredibly brave, crazy or if I could pull it off – a genius.

This month we celebrated a significant milestone: It’s been five years since some of these conversations and the mapping and planning of RatesCalc started.

I do not think for one second that we have nailed it at all, quite to the contrary, we continue to meet the challenge head on and at times in the face of adversity often dealing with scenarios that are beyond our control.

These challenges are surpassed because of our drivers:

Passion – to contribute positively to the most rewarding industry of all – The people industry.

Courage – to be entrepreneurial and take risks to overcome a challenge that had never been achieved before and to keep us reaching beyond the boundaries and experiment to deliver the best we can and be accountable.

Commitment – Totally committed to excellence at what we do and continue to innovate in a world that is constant of change

That is what drove me to develop RatesCalc.

Deloitte Fast 500 Technology Awards – APAC

jordan@randomgroup.com.au (Jordan Betteridge) — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 05:39:02 GMT

Deloitte on the 8th of April 2021 announced the winners of its Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ Asia Pacific 2020, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in Asia Pacific.

Rankings are based on percentage revenue growth over three years. RatesCalc grew 567% percent during this period and not only made the Fast 500 but was also inside the top 100 companies.

RatesCalc’s CEO, Col Levander, is so proud to be able to announce that RatesCalc is ranked number 100 Fastest-Growing Technology Company on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ Asia Pacific 2020 in Australia. He credits the growing Australian market and his dedicated team at RatesCalc for helping to build a successful software company

“First and foremost, to build a successful company, you must have a vision and real passion around what you’re doing. You have to believe very strongly that what you’re planning is ‘doable’, that the market needs it and that you can help make it happen. It’s even more rewarding when the product also makes a difference to people’s lives and companies‘ success. Then bringing clients, partners, vendors, and of course, great people on this journey with you is a turning point for your business. We continue to see wage theft and misinterpretation of rates as an issue in Australia. Companies that don’t comply run a real risk of losing what they have built. We are looking forward to the future and we know that any company that pays people can benefit from our technology.” Col Levander, CEO RatesCalc

Looking into the short-term future of RatesCalc sees New Zealand as the next market where the product will launch. Plans are also underway to expand into the United Kingdom and Singapore markets. Strong partnerships have been fostered over the years to ensure maximum integration to the most widely used recruitment software out there. Focusing on some major integrations in the next 12 months will see Ratescalc.com set up for the future.

The 567% revenue growth rate at RatesCalc is attributed to its clients’ continued confidence in using RatesCalc’s Software Platform to achieve accurate wage and payroll calculations for labour hire, recruitment and payroll companies.

“The Australian labour market can be very tricky and everyone involved in labour hire needs to make sure that their calculations are on par with Fair Work Modern awards and most importantly any changes in awards are updated on their systems in real time. This is what RatesCalc does, we automate these workflows to ensure real-time compliance. This is what we are all about and we are seriously passionate about what we do and the service that we deliver to our clients.” Col Levander, CEO RatesCalc

This is the first year that RatesCalc has submitted an application for this prestigious award and they are incredibly proud to have made the top 100. Overall, companies that ranked on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ Asia Pacific 2020 program had an average growth rate of 551% percent, and RatesCalc has secured its place in the top 100 amongst many other fast growing businesses in the Asia Pacific region which includes China, Taiwan and Singapore who are all major players in advancing technology.

“Being ranked on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ is an impressive achievement, especially because today’s technology companies are thriving in extraordinarily competitive and changeable environments. We applaud RatesCalc for being one of the top ranked Australian companies on the index.” Mike Horne, Asia Pacific Deloitte Private Leader

We are in good company, with twenty Australian companies ranked in the top 100 companies on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™. Verrency was the highest-ranking Australian company with a 2752% growth rate over the last three years. Verrency ranked 15 on Deloitte Technology Fast 500, amongst 20 Australian other companies that ranked in the top 100. We congratulate all our fellow winners, colleagues and other tech companies for their achievements and support their continued growth.

About Deloitte’s 2020 Technology Fast 500™ – selection and qualifications

The Technology Fast 500™ list is compiled from the Deloitte Asia Pacific Technology Fast 50 programs, nominations submitted directly to the Technology Fast 500™, and public company database research. To qualify for the Technology Fast 500™, entrants must have had base-year operating revenues of at least US$ 50,000. Entrants must also be public or private companies headquartered in Asia Pacific and must be a “technology company,” defined as a company that develops or owns proprietary technology that contributes to a significant portion of the company’s operating revenues; or manufactures a technology-related product; or devotes a high percentage of effort to the research and development of technology. Using other companies’ technology in a unique way does not qualify.

About RatesCalc

RatesCalc is a payroll compliance software that is proudly born out of Australia. It’s a unique & clever technology platform that allows recruitment and labour companies to automate their workflow and ensure compliant wage calculations, pay rates and payroll compliance.

It’s essential for any business including recruitment or labour hire or group training companies that want to automate their workflow and ensure compliant wages and payroll accuracy, including margin benchmarking and employment contracts.

If you want to ensure that you are paying staff correctly, or you are supplying labour hire materials professionally, RatesCalc protects both your operating profit and your industry reputation allowing you to grow your business and be first to market. RatesCalc is the cloud based software that monitors Fair Work Modern Awards, updates any increases and changes in real time ensuring that your payroll is processed in accordance with legal standards and requirements.

Margin & Markup – What’s the difference?

jordan@randomgroup.com.au (Jordan Betteridge) — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 05:31:45 GMT

Margin vs Markup: They’re Not the Same!

In business today the two terms are becoming confused and are used interchangeably.

To really mean ‘gross margin’, particularly in the contracting and recruitment industry. The misunderstanding of this calculation can make a huge difference to your bottom line.

Failure to price products and services with a sufficient markup or margin can seriously impede a business’ financial success.

Rate Transparency

Whether strategic or otherwise, finding a recruitment company with transparent rates is becoming far more uncommon these days.

Margin vs Markup in Recruitment

A tremendous amount of work goes into making a placement for recruiters. Knowing the difference between margin and markup is critical.

Having a markup that is too high can result in a loss of clients. Too low, and it could cost your business. The difference between the two is what will impact your business profits.

What is a Markup?

Now similarly, in recruitment:

‘A markup is percentage added to a contractor’s daily fee payable to the recruitment company.’

For example:

If your contractor has a daily charge rate of $200.00 and your company markup is 15%. Your client daily charge rate is then equal to $230.00, giving you a markup fee of $30.00.

Contractor Daily Charge Rate:$200.00 Markup%:15%

Markup Fee:$30.00

Client Daily Charge Rate:$230.00

The daily charge rate to your client can be calculated as such:

Client Charge Rate = (Contractor Daily Rate x Markup%) + Contractor Daily Rate Client Charge Rate = ($200.00 x 0.15) + $200.00

Client Charge Rate = $30.00 + $200.00

Client Charge Rate = $230.00

Now, if you are a client wanting to know what the agency markup is, this can be calculated as such:

Markup% = ((Client Charge Rate – Contractor Daily Rate) / Contractor Daily Rate) / 100 Markup% = (($230.00 – $200.00) / $200.00) / 100

Markup% = ($30.00 / $200.00) / 100

Markup% = 0.15 / 100

Markup% = 15%

As you can see, the markup is a crucial figure in your recruitment business calculations as this number determines your actual charge rate.

What is a Margin?

Margin is the percentage of the final selling price. In the case of recruitment, it is the percentage of final client charge rate.

In recruitment: ‘Taking the contractor charge rate plus the agency fee, the margin is the percentage of total client charge rate.’

Using the same example above:

If your contractor has a daily charge rate of $200.00 and your business requires a minimum of a 15% margin to make a profit; your client daily charge rate is then equal to $235.30.

Contractor Daily Charge Rate:$200.00

Margin%:15%

Client Daily Charge Rate:$235.30

Based on the desired margin of 15%, the daily charge rate to your client can be calculated as such:

Client Charge Rate = Contractor Daily Rate / (1 – Margin%) Client Charge Rate = $200.00 / (1 – 15%)

Client Charge Rate = $200.00 / (1 – 0.15)

Client Charge Rate = $200.00 / (0.85)

Client Charge Rate = $235.30

Margin or Markup – So which should be used?

Looking at the examples above, 15% Margin Vs 15% Markup on a base rate of $100.00 – the difference in dollars and cents is quite stark so this decision is hugely critical for your business.

It is widely recommended that for businesses, using margin to calculate your selling price is more beneficial and advisable. Doing so accurately measures the profit of sales.

Markup Margin

15% 13% 20% 16.7% 25% 20% 30% 23% 35% 25.9% 40% 28.6% 45% 31.03% 50% 33% 75% 42.9% 100% 50%

Further explanation videos:

staging-ratescalc

Skills-Based Hiring? Watch out for this!

You're employing staff based on skill, not experience? Awesome!

But make sure the pay matches!

The Hidden Danger Killing Recruitment Businesses Right Now

Are you actually s till as profitable as you think?

Stay on top of new Fair Work requirements without losing your mind (or your margin!)

Navigating Fair Work Compliance in FY25/26: A Strategic Approach for Recruitment Agencies

Staying Ahead of This Year's Wage Changes

Keep On Top of 2025's Modern Awards

Did You Catch the 1st January Award Updates?

Changes to Wages - Effective 1st January 2025

Australia: A Leader in Wage Theft Protection

Wage Theft Criminalisation: A New Era for Worker Protection

Starting 1st November: Same Job, Same Pay

New legislation affecting direct hires and labour hire employees

Updates for Job Rate Changes - 1st July 2024

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Calculate Profit: The Difference Between Margin & Mark-Up

How to Detour a Dodgy Database

Rubbish in... rubbish out.

The Dance of Data-Driven Pay Rates and Profits

Have you got the on-hire moves like Mick Jagger?

Competitive Pay and the Talent Tango

The Real Cost of Talent

Crunching the Numbers for Smooth Profits

Creative? Innovative? You betcha!

Happy World Creativity and Innovation Day!

EOFY is coming, let's clean up!

EOFY is coming, let's clean up!

Underpayment of Workers - the real impact.

We know it's bad - but how bad IS the impact of underpaying workers?

Financial Impact:

Reputational Impact:

Final Thoughts: Morals and Ethics

Our team is growing! Want to be part of it?

Are you our new Customer Success Team Leader?

What Does RatesCalc Do?

30 second animation to give you the general sense of RatesCalc and what it's for. ﻿

Of course we'd love to tell you more - so give us a shout out under the Contact tab - or go ahead and book a demo!

New RatesCalc Features! October 2022

This is a subtitle for your new post

More Award Updates Are Coming!

Here's what's changing:

The Essential Guide to Compliance in Australian Recruitment 2022

Seven recruitment legislation acts that every recruitment professional should know

1) Fair Work Australia Ombudsman

2) Privacy Act

3) Criminal Code Act 1995

4) Workplace Health, Safety Standards, and the Workplace Health and Safety Act

5) STP – Single Touch Payroll

6) Payroll Tax

7) Labour Hire Licensing

How to Make Sense of it All

Calculating a Profitable Charge Rate in Recruitment

The One Thing in Recruitment that can Make or Break your Revenue

Have you realised the true cost of manual processing in recruitment?

For a small recruitment business, the savings with RatesCalc are huge

Are You Our Next Great Hire?

RatesCalc is a unique piece of software, so we’re looking for a unique person to join our team

Mental health and wellbeing surcharge Explained

How are you managing the Mental health and Wellbeing Surcharge increase?

Mental health and wellbeing surcharge

Who pays the surcharge?

How much is the surcharge?

The question is, How are you managing the Mental health and Wellbeing Surcharge increase?

RatesCalc Fair Work Ombudsman Update October 2021

Is your business compliant?

Integrations 101

So, what is an integration?

Check out some of our current integrations and keep an eye out for new integration solutions coming soon.

One of the common questions I’m asked: Why RatesCalc?

Deloitte Fast 500 Technology Awards – APAC

Margin & Markup – What’s the difference?

30 second animation to give you the general sense of RatesCalc and what it's for.