The right people, in the right roles, doing the right thing, without the drama.
Let's be honest. Most farms don't struggle because they don't care about their people or safety. They struggle because they're busy. The team grows, the paperwork piles up, the season gets hectic, and suddenly you're running on memory, goodwill and crossed fingers. The Headland Check is a quick way to step back and see where things really stand. No complicated reports, no scare tactics, no jargon. Answer these questions honestly and we'll show you what's working, what's at risk, and what to fix first.
- Farms employing staff, permanent, casual, or seasonal
- Growing family operations where the team has outgrown handshake systems
- Businesses unsure whether their HR and safety setup has kept up with how the farm has grown
- Your overall assessment, in plain English
- A summary of what you're already doing well
- The areas that need attention, ranked by risk
- Practical next steps, so you know what to sort first
Built by someone who gets it. I'm a fourth-generation Merino and Angus producer, a business owner and a mum of four. I know most farm businesses aren't chasing more paperwork, they want practical systems that actually work in the real world. The Headland Check is here to help you cut through the noise, work out your priorities, and build people and safety systems that hold up for the long term.
First Up: Tell Us About Your Operation
Do your workers have anything in writing: a contract or a written agreement?
Are you confident your workers are properly classified: employee or contractor?
Sham contracting laws tightened significantly in 2024. Getting this wrong, even unintentionally, is a strict liability offence.
If you employ casual workers, are your casual agreements up to date with the 2024 casual employment rules?
The legal definition of a casual changed on 26 August 2024, along with new rights for casuals to move to permanent work.
Do you know which Award or Enterprise Agreement covers your workers, and what it requires?
Are you confident you're paying the correct Award rates, including penalties, overtime and allowances?
Underpaying by accident is still underpaying. From 1 January 2025, deliberate underpayment can be a criminal offence.
Do you give every worker a payslip and keep proper time and wages records?
Are you paying superannuation correctly and on time for everyone who's entitled to it?
Super is now 12%, and from 1 July 2026 it needs to be paid with every pay run, not just quarterly.
For any seasonal, backpacker or overseas workers, do you check they have the legal right to work, and keep a record of it?
When someone starts, do they go through a proper induction: paperwork, safety, the lot?
Has your business had a workers comp claim, a safety incident, or a Fair Work complaint in the past couple of years?
Do you have a written WHS Policy, even a basic one?
Have you identified and documented the main hazards on your property, and what controls are in place?
Machinery, chemicals, heights, heat, silos, livestock, working alone.
Do you have Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) or Standard Operating Procedures for high-risk jobs on the property?
Do your workers get safety training, and do you keep a record of it?
Have you got first aid kits, someone trained in first aid, and an emergency plan for the property?
If something goes wrong, or nearly goes wrong, is there a process to report and record it?
Is your Workers Compensation insurance current, and does it cover casuals and seasonal workers too?
If a worker gets injured, do you have a plan to help them recover and get back to work?
Is there a Drugs and Alcohol policy in place, especially for anyone getting on machinery?
Do you have a policy around bullying, harassment, and discrimination, and have your workers seen it?
If a worker isn't performing or steps out of line, do you have a written process to handle it properly?
Are you keeping track of leave, annual leave, sick days, long service?
Do you have a Chemical Register and Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for everything on site?
Do you keep a Plant and Equipment Register with maintenance records for your machinery?
Do you have clear safe-use rules for quad bikes, side-by-sides and other farm vehicles, and are they followed?
Quad bikes are one of the biggest killers on Australian farms. Operator protection devices have been required on new quads since October 2021.
If someone's working alone out on the property. Is there a check-in system so they're not just left to it?
Is PPE provided and are workers actually using it consistently?
If there are children or young workers around the farm, do you manage where they can go and what they can operate?
Realistically, how much time have you got to put into this yourself?
Your report appears below · We'll email it to you · We won't share it
You Stand
Rather run with it yourself? The Farm Resources library has the templates. Want the whole lot handled for you? Talk to us about guided or fully managed support.
Let's Get It Sorted.
Call us, let's talk through your results and we'll take it from there.