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Download the Word file to fill in on your computer, or the PDF to print.
Editable planner
A temp to perm conversion goes smoothly when the host decides early, reads the agency agreement first and plans the dates, and this free planner puts all three in one editable Word document. It is written for warehouse, manufacturing, food production and trades sites in Victoria and New South Wales that have an agency worker they would like to employ directly.
Fill it in for one worker at a time. Bracketed placeholders cover your organisation, the worker, the provider and the award or agreement that will apply once the worker is on your payroll. A PDF copy is there for printing.
Why plan a conversion
In a labour hire arrangement the worker is employed by the provider, not by you. If you offer the worker a job, you become a new employer, and the agency agreement may say how and when that can happen and what it costs.
There is also a common mix-up with the Fair Work employee choice pathway. Under that pathway, an eligible casual can give their employer written notice that they want to change to permanent employment, and the employer must respond in writing within 21 days. In labour hire the employer is usually the provider, so the planner treats it as a question for the provider and not as a host obligation.
Once the worker is yours, the new-employer tasks are yours too. The Fair Work Ombudsman says employers must give every new employee the Fair Work Information Statement before, or as soon as possible after, they start, and the ATO explains super choice and TFN declarations for new employees.
What is inside the planner
- Control table: document number, version, site, owner, review date, worker, role and provider.
- 1. Should we convert? A weighted scorecard with an evidence column, and a business-case box for ongoing work, hours, budget and headcount.
- 2. Check the agreement first: questions on conversion terms, notice, timing, fee basis, non-solicit, exclusivity and who tells the worker.
- 3. Timeline planner: steps from Day -30 to Day +90 with owner, target date and done columns.
- 4. Becoming the employer: a checklist from the written offer through to removing the worker from the agency timesheet process.
- 5. Conversation scripts: one short script each for the worker, the provider and the team.
- 6. 90-day review log and sign-off: 30, 60 and 90 day reviews, sign-off and an actions table.
How to use it
- Start with the agreement. Put the Part 2 questions to your agency agreement or your provider before you make any offer. The labour hire agreement review checklist covers the rest of the contract.
- Set your weights and your threshold on the scorecard before you score anyone, and score from records such as timesheets and incident reports.
- Work the timeline back from the start date you want, and write each date in as it is agreed with the provider and the worker.
- Keep the finished planner with the worker's employment record.
Who should use it
Site managers, operations managers and HR contacts at host employers who use agency workers on peak crews or ongoing shifts, and trades teams weighing up a regular contractor. See tradesmen permanent recruitment for that decision.
Related Resources
- How to handle the move in managing your seasonal to permanent transition.
- What to expect when casual conversion applies to seasonal workers who return each year.
- The 21-day response explained in the employee choice pathway.
- Turning regular contractors into staff with tradesmen permanent recruitment.
- Chandler's permanent recruitment service for roles you would rather fill from outside your agency crew.
- The free labour hire induction checklist for the induction refresh when a worker joins your payroll.
- The Fair Work Ombudsman's page on becoming a permanent employee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the planner tell me what a conversion fee is?
No. Any fee comes from your agreement with the provider, so the planner has a placeholder, [Fee basis from your agreement], and a question about when it falls due. It does not quote a figure.
Do I have to respond to a casual's choice notice?
The employee choice pathway runs between a casual and their employer. In labour hire that is usually the provider, so ask your provider how it handles notices and keep the answer with the planner. If a worker gives you a notice, tell the provider.
Is there a pass mark on the scorecard?
No. You set the weights and the threshold before you score, because they depend on the role and the site. The planner gives you a place to record who set them and when.
Can the worker start with us straight away?
That depends on your agreement and what you agree with the provider about notice and timing. The Part 3 timeline is a suggested order, so adjust the days to match.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a general guide, and the source pages were checked on 10 Nov 2026. Read your own agreement, and check the award or agreement that will cover the role before you sign an offer.
Plan the Hire Before You Offer
If you need more agency workers while you convert one, or want a permanent hire from outside, request staff from Chandler Personnel.
