Casual worker sign-ups hit all-time high
Uptick in demand for temporary & casual hospitality work as cash-light Aussies seek extra hours
Offering what could be a long hoped-for solution to the staffing crisis facing the sector, new research shows that with rising inflation and the cost of living impacting many Australians’ pockets, more people are looking for hospitality work on the side than ever before.
According to Australia and New Zealand’s temporary and casual staffing platform Sidekicker, there has been an uptick in demand in recent months, with weekly worker sign-ups hitting an all-time high.
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The company’s research shows the highest growth in demand for casual work in the last year has been for those under 25 and over 55.
Sidekicker attributes this to the hospitality sector, along with other staff-strapped sectors, having increased casual rates significantly, rising between 15-25 percent, and up to and beyond 30 percent for certain roles when compared to six months ago.
Sidekicker CEO, Thomas Amos, said there is an unprecedented opportunity for people to make extra cash through casual and temporary work.
Many of the company’s clients, over 7,000 businesses across the hospitality, events, mobility, promotions, retail, horticulture, warehousing, white collar, and aged care sectors, are increasingly offering its 20,000-plus workers (known as Sidekicks) rates more than 5 percent above the minimum wage
“Many businesses are continuing to experience huge demand for staff, not just the hospitality industry, but the healthcare sector and also businesses looking for remote admin support,” Mr Amos said.
“There are a lot of reasons people might choose to pick up extra work, whether they’re uni students looking for flexible work hours, business owners needing an extra income stream, or parents who just want to pick up shifts when it suits them.
“Our workers have a significantly better experience finding work via our app than approaching businesses directly.
“They can pick and choose the jobs they like, they can work across multiple industries different days of the week, and can choose to work as often or as little as they’d like.
“Our platform makes it easier, faster and more cost-effective for businesses to hire skilled staff when they need them, while also giving workers more control over when and where they work, and how much they earn.”
Sidekicker has revealed a list of its most in-demand roles, including how much workers on the platform can earn across several sectors and what skills are needed.
Hospitality
In the hospitality industry, lower-skilled jobs like F&B attendants and bartenders can earn up to $40 an hour, while chefs can earn up to $50 an hour filling casual shifts.
F&B Attendant
- Earnings: Up to $40 per hour
- Pros: High-demand role with plenty of work available across a range of clients – from corporate F&B at top hotels to more casual fast-paced service at large sporting event venues
- Average shift length: 6.5 hours
- Skills required: basic customer service and 3 plate carry, certification required – RSA
Bartender
- Earnings: Up to $40 per hour
- Pros: High demand role with opportunities for all skill levels – basic tap pour to more experienced bar managers
- Average shift length: average shift length 6.5 hours
- Skills required: Basic customer service and tap pour and beverage knowledge, cert required – RSA
Chef
- Earnings: Up to $50 per hour
- Pros: High-demand role with the opportunity to work alongside top professionals in commercial kitchens. Full-time chef roles tend to be very challenging but Sidekicks can choose the days they work and from a range of shift lengths, which range from 3 hours to 11 hours
- Average shift length: 7.5 hours
- Skills required: Experience in commercial kitchen, certification required Certificate iii or iv in Commercial Cookery
Aged Care
For experienced nurses with the right qualifications, there are a large number of aged care facilities currently looking for staff and willing to pay well above award wages.
Assistant in Nursing (AIN) / Personal Care Assistant (PCA)
- Earnings: Up to $59 per hour, 34-68/hour standard; up to $80 per hour for COVID red zones
- Pros: High demand and a large number of clients, allowing Sidekicks to choose which sites they work on which days. Pays way above the industry average
- Length of shifts: Generally 4,6 or 8 hours (Shifts available across AM, PM, and Night Duties)
- Skills required for the role: Six months experience as a full-time AIN/PCA, manual handling experience,Police Check, COVID Vaccinations + Booster, Flu Shot, Hand Hygiene, Education Degree
Warehousing
(Due to safety requirements, anyone wanting to join Sidekicker’s platform for warehousing and logistics roles, must have prior experience in a warehouse environment)
General assistants & Pick Packers
- Earnings: Up to $36 per hour
- Pros: Great clients, plenty of work available
- Average length of shifts: usually 8 hours
- Skills required for role: Previous experience working in a warehouse environment preferred
Forklift Drivers
- Earnings: Up to $40 per hour
- Pros: great clients, plenty of work available
- Average length of shifts: usually 8 hours
- Skills required for role: LF license, Previous experience working in a warehouse environment
White Collar
For anyone with basic computer skills, there are a number of great admin support roles for a large range of businesses. As a bonus, most of this work can be done remotely.
Admin support
- Earnings: Up to $32 per hour
- Pros: Lots of work available, remote work available – great for business owners to help fill quieter days and stay-at-home parents looking for extra cash
- Average length of shifts: usually 7 hours
- Skills required for role: Basic computer skills
The company says the technology it employs has disrupted an out-of-date recruitment model, innovating casual and temporary labour-hire to bring efficiencies, transparency, choice and control to both workers and businesses.
The Sidekicker platform provides Sidekicks with an easy way to access casual work as and when they choose.
For businesses, Sidekicker’s unique two-way rating and review system drives accountability and reliability of staff, while its transparent platform provides businesses the ability to choose their ideal workers.
Mike Parker-Brown is a UK-trained and qualified journalist and an award-winning travel communicator with more than 30 years experience.
Since 2002, Mike has worked as a freelance writer and PR consultant providing his services to major organisations in Australia and internationally in the tourism, aviation, hospitality, recruitment and export marketing sectors.
