Using multiple labour hire suppliers is a sensible answer to a surge that one provider cannot fill, but it only works if the order is split cleanly, every supplier is licensed, and every worker meets the same site rules on day one. This article is about Victoria, where the Labour Hire Authority licenses providers and WorkSafe Victoria sets out the host's safety duties. It starts after you have chosen your suppliers.
If you are still choosing suppliers, the post on buying labour hire through a tender covers that stage, and what procurement teams score in a staffing RFP shows the criteria evaluators use, though it is written from the supplier's side. Here the focus is in-season management.
Why a peak pushes you towards a second supplier
A second supplier answers a specific gap: not enough workers for one role, a shift nobody covers, or a site that keeps running short. It also spreads the risk of one provider falling short.
The cost is coordination: two sets of timesheets, two groups of workers on your floor, and two sets of questions about who is responsible for what. Add a supplier only where your own data shows a gap.
Size the supplier count from your own order data rather than a rule of thumb. Pull last peak's orders and list, by role and shift, what you ordered, what arrived and what went unfilled. If the gaps cluster in one role, a specialist second provider for that role is the fix. If they are spread evenly, an earlier order or a better forecast may help more than another name on a labour hire panel.
Splitting the order by role, shift or site
Split the order by what the work needs, not by who you prefer. A fixed share to each supplier hides which one is short and why. Orders for warehousing and logistics staffing often mix ticketed roles and general roles, which makes role the cleanest dividing line.
- By role. Give one supplier the ticketed roles, such as forklift operators, and another the general pick and pack roles, so you can see exactly which supplier is short in which role.
- By shift. Give one supplier days and another nights where your rosters allow, so a no-show is traceable to one source.
- By site. Where you run more than one site, one supplier per site keeps travel and local induction simple.
Whatever the split, set the rules once: one order form, one fill-by time and one reporting format. The fill-by time is when each supplier must confirm names for a shift. Agree in advance that anything unconfirmed by then moves to the other supplier for the same role, so the second provider is a planned overflow and not a scramble. The post on filling shifts within 24 hours sets out what a good shift brief contains.
Keeping agency-to-agency supply out of your peak
From 1 October 2026, the Labour Hire Authority says in its October notice that any arrangement within a supply chain that has the character of labour supply requires the provider to hold a licence, including bare intermediary companies that on-supply workers employed by other companies. The Authority adds: "In most cases, this will not affect when a labour hire licence is required but will make clearer that businesses require a licence to supply labour anywhere in a supply chain."
The practical ask is short: before the peak, put three questions to every supplier in writing.
- Other businesses. Does any part of this order get filled by another business, including another agency?
- Names and licences. If so, who, and are they on the Labour Hire Licence Register?
- Notice. Will you tell us before that changes?
According to the Labour Hire Authority's guidance for hosts, a written contract should include an obligation to advise of any subcontracting arrangements, and hosts should check each provider on the register rather than rely on paper documentation. A host that engages an unlicensed provider can face penalties exceeding $660,000 for a corporation. The name on your contract is not the only business that matters.
If you also staff sites outside Victoria, the state-by-state licence comparison sets out what each scheme asks of hosts.
One induction and one set of site rules for every supplier
WorkSafe Victoria explains in its guidance for hosts that a host is taken to be the employer of a labour hire worker under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, so the host owes the same duties as it does to any other employee. Hosts and providers must also consult, cooperate and coordinate with each other, so far as reasonably practicable. With two agencies on a shift, that means consulting and coordinating with both.
WorkSafe Victoria's guidance lists what a host does in practice. Turn that list into one standard that applies to every supplier's workers:
- One induction. The same content for every starter, whichever agency sent them, including how to report hazards and incidents.
- One job definition per role. Define the tasks once, and do not change a worker's tasks or location without consulting the provider and the worker.
- One training register. Keep a single register across suppliers so you can see who is cleared for what.
- One hazard briefing. Give each supplier the same information about the work, its hazards and the risk controls.
- One incident route. Tell both suppliers how incidents are reported. The host must notify WorkSafe Victoria of any notifiable incident or injury.
Chandler Personnel, an independent Melbourne-based blue collar specialist positioned on depth rather than scale, runs site inductions on behalf of clients, and explains its approach on how a placement runs. Whoever delivers your induction, the content should not vary by supplier.
Scoring suppliers while the peak is running
Score every supplier on the same few measures, from the same data, every week. A scorecard that differs by supplier cannot tell you where to send the next order.
- Fill. Ordered against confirmed against arrived, by role and shift.
- Show-up and early exits. Who did not arrive, and who left early.
- Safety. Induction completed before the first shift, plus incidents and near-misses reported.
- Pay and timesheet queries. How many were raised and how quickly each was closed.
- Licence and subcontracting. Any change in licence status, or any notice of subcontracting.
Review the scorecard weekly with a fixed agenda, and move volume by role. Decide before the peak how many missed fills in a role trigger a shift of overflow to the other supplier, and write it down. A second labour hire provider that sees the rule in advance reads a move as process, not as a favour.
Related Resources
- October notice on supply chains
- WorkSafe Victoria host guidance
- Buying labour hire through a tender
- Filling shifts within 24 hours
- What procurement teams score in a staffing RFP
- Warehousing and logistics staffing
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one of my labour hire suppliers use another agency to fill my order?
That is a contract choice for you as the host. Ask each supplier in writing whether it uses another business to fill any part of your order, require it to advise you of any subcontracting arrangement, and check any business it names on the Labour Hire Licence Register. The Authority's October notice says licensing reaches anywhere in a supply chain, though in most cases it will not change when a licence is required.
Do I have to check each supplier's licence separately?
Yes. Hosts must only use licensed providers in Victoria, and the Authority says to check each provider on the Labour Hire Licence Register rather than rely on paper documentation. Use the Follow My Providers service to be notified of changes to a provider's licence status, and keep a dated record of every check.
Who is responsible for safety when two agencies supply the same shift?
You are, as host, alongside each provider. WorkSafe Victoria says the host is taken to be the employer of a labour hire worker, with the same duties as for any employee, and that hosts and providers share responsibility. No contract can exclude either party, so consult, cooperate and coordinate with both agencies.
How should I split a peak order between suppliers?
Split by role, shift or site, not by supplier name or a fixed share. Use one order form, one fill-by time and one reporting format. Decide how many suppliers you need from your own order data: compare what you ordered, what arrived and what went unfilled in your last peak.
How do I compare supplier performance during the season?
Use one scorecard with the same definitions for every supplier, and review it weekly. Track fill by role and shift, show-up and early exits, induction and incident records, pay queries, and any licence or subcontracting changes. Agree in advance what result moves overflow from one supplier to the other.
Two suppliers need one standard
Running more than one supplier through a peak works when the order, the induction, the licence checks and the scorecard are the same for everyone. Ask each supplier in writing about subcontracting, check each licence on the register, and set the fill-by time before the first order goes out. When you are ready to place a peak order, you can request staff from Chandler Personnel.
