Queensland’s labour hire licensing scheme continues to deliver significant outcomes in protecting vulnerable workers and ensuring the integrity of the labour hire industry. It achieves this by working closely with stakeholders, other regulators and the community.
This edition focuses on helping employers and businesses manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace and includes an update from the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) on recent developments in sexual harassment laws. It also provides guidance from Blue Card Services on the obligations of labour hire providers supplying workers to businesses delivering child-related services.
Read on for highlights of providers subject to licensing action between January to March 2026, details of a prosecution in the security industry, and trends identified through recent fieldwork in Far North Queensland that may signal emerging compliance issues. This edition also provides practical tips for labour hire users.
Licensing update January to March 2026
- 184 new applications submitted
- 103 new licences granted
- 610 licence renewals granted
- 6 licence applications refused and 4 licences cancelled
Licensed labour hire providers that do not comply with their obligations may have their licence cancelled or suspended. The licensing action report from January to March 2026 includes labour hire licences suspended or cancelled by the Labour Hire Licensing Compliance Unit (LHLCU).
Learn how Queensland businesses, including labour hire businesses, can identify and manage psychosocial hazards at work. This article explains what psychosocial hazards are, the harm they can cause, and how the Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022 supports businesses meet their safety responsibilities.
Read about developments to laws protecting people from sexual harassment in the workplace, the expanded role of the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) and how workers can report workplace issues to the FWO.
If you supply workers to businesses that provide child-related services under the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000, this information will help you understand and meet your obligations. It explains when workers need blue cards, how providers can ensure workers apply under the correct category, and the responsibilities employers and executive officers must meet to remain compliant.
This article also highlights key tools, including the Blue Card Services Organisation Portal, that helps labour hire providers manage their workforce obligations efficiently. It supports safer recruitment practices, promote a consistent understanding of blue card requirements, and helps Queensland organisations prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
Inspectors from LHLCU recently carried out follow-up field visits in the Far North Queensland region. They spoke with growers and provided practical advice on how to protect themselves from unscrupulous and illegitimate labour hire providers. This article also shares advice from a previous edition, highlighting steps labour hire users can take to help protect workers from exploitation and protect their businesses.
Read about updates on prosecutions under Queensland’s labour hire licensing scheme during 2025–2026, including a significant court outcome against an unlicensed labour hire provider in the security industry finalised in the January – March quarter.
