What is a ‘casual’ employee? If you are a small business owner who is in need of additional staff, you may have heard about ‘casual’ employment but not know what exactly it’s all about. When you are considering hiring staff, you can hire permanent staff, temporary staff or casual staff. In this article, we will answer some common questions employers ask about casual employment so that you can better determine whether it is the right fit for you and your business. What is a casual employee? A casual employee is an employee who is hired on the basis of a non-permanent, nonguaranteed contract. They are generally paid at a higher hourly rate to compensate for the fact that their employment is not guaranteed. The hours of work for a casual employee are not regular which differentiates them from part-time workers. Casual employees are generally found in the farming industry but can be employed in other areas of work. What’s the difference between casual employees and part-time employees? As mentioned above, casual employees do not have a regular pattern of hours as a parttime employee would. While part-time employees work less than a standard working week, they are hired in an on-going role and generally work the same amount of hours each week. On the other hand, the hours given to a casual employee vary from week to week with no entitlement to work from week to week. In addition, casual employees do not have the same entitlement to holidays and sick leave as part-time staff would have. How do I hire a casual employee? Casual employees can be hired using traditional recruitment methods such as putting an advertisement in the paper. However, more and more businesses that are looking to hire casual employees are turning to employment agencies that specialise in casual recruitment in Sydney. This type of employment agency in Sydney can help you find suitable casual employees who are looking for just that type of work. What are the benefits of hiring casual employees? One of the main benefits of hiring casual employees is that you can temporarily address a short-term peak in business without having to commit to hiring a full-time employee. Seasonal businesses such as retailers or those in the agricultural industry can benefit hugely from a casual employment arrangement as these staff can be available on an ‘as-needed’ basis. This flexibility is a major benefit to many businesses. Now you should have an idea of what casual employment is all about. It is important to also remember that casual employees have a broad range of workplace rights, all of which you should be aware of before you hire any staff on a casual arrangement.