September 2026 Newsletter

Compliance, Capability and Smarter Workforce Decisions

September has opened with a number of developments that reinforce a simple message for business leaders:

Good governance is becoming just as important as good intentions.

Whether it is payroll, recruitment, contractor management or AI adoption, the organisations that are best placed are those with clear processes, strong oversight and the capability to act early.

In the News

Payroll Governance Is Back in Focus

The Fair Work Ombudsman recently reported recovering more than $5.3 million for almost 3,600 aged-care workers.

Of the 22 providers investigated, 13 were found to be non-compliant and all 13 had underpaid employees.

This is an important reminder that payroll risk is rarely just about the hourly rate.

Problems can arise through:

• Incorrect classifications
• Allowances
• Broken shifts
• Overtime
• Penalty rates
• Payroll configuration
• Superannuation

For organisations with complex awards or work patterns, an annual payroll assurance review can provide valuable confidence.

The key is to test actual transactions, not just contracts and policies.

A practical review should follow the full path:

Classification → Time worked → Allowances and penalties → Payroll result → Superannuation

Recruitment Compliance Starts Before Someone Is Hired

Fair Work has also increased its focus on unlawful rates being advertised in job advertisements.

Recruitment compliance should now start before the advertisement goes live.

Before advertising a role, confirm:

• Applicable award
• Classification
• Employment type
• Minimum lawful rate
• Casual loading where relevant
• Penalties and allowances
• Whether a proposed contractor arrangement is genuinely a contractor relationship

This is particularly important in tight labour markets where businesses can feel pressure to move quickly.

Speed matters, but getting the foundations wrong can create much larger problems later.

Contractor WHS: Pay Attention to the Interface

Recent WorkSafe WA prosecutions involving multiple companies have again highlighted the risks that can arise where two organisations' systems meet.

Even where both organisations have strong safety systems, gaps can occur around:

• Who controls the task
• Who identifies the hazard
• Who authorises the work
• Who supervises
• What happens when conditions change

Contractor management should go beyond prequalification paperwork.

A stronger approach is to test how contractor and principal systems interact during real work activities.

That is often where the true risk sits.

Recruitment Is Easing, But Skills Shortages Haven't Disappeared

National recruitment activity may be softening, but many employers are still struggling to fill skilled roles.

Regional and remote markets remain particularly challenging.

Before simply increasing salary, organisations should diagnose the real recruitment constraint.

Consider:

• Candidate supply
• Pay
• Location
• Housing
• Roster
• Skills requirements
• Job design
• Recruitment process
• Employer proposition

Sometimes the solution is remuneration.

Sometimes it is the way the role or employment offer has been designed.

Better Workforce Planning Needs Better Data

Jobs and Skills Australia has released a new measure of total new vacancies which captures more than just online advertisements.

This is particularly useful for regional workforce planning where many roles are filled through:

• Word of mouth
• Social media
• Local networks
• Signage
• Direct approaches

For workforce planning, relying on advertised vacancies alone may not provide the full picture.

A stronger workforce intelligence model combines:

• Labour market data
• Regional employment trends
• Employee turnover
• Recruitment outcomes
• Project pipeline
• Training pipeline
• Internal capability

Workforce planning should be about understanding future capability, not simply forecasting headcount.

AI Adoption Isn't the Main Challenge Anymore

One of the most interesting developments this month is around AI.

Recent research highlighted by the National AI Centre found that one in five SMEs already using AI reported transformational improvements.

But workforce readiness scored only 3.8 out of 10.

That tells us something important.

The question is moving from:

"Should we use AI?"

to:

"Are our people ready to use it effectively and safely?"

Buying licences alone will not deliver transformation.

A practical approach is to:

• Identify repetitive or high-volume work
• Select two or three useful AI applications
• Establish data and human review rules
• Train people on the actual workflow
• Measure time saved and quality
• Scale what works

For many organisations, three workflows saving a few hours each week will create more value than a broad AI transformation program that nobody knows how to use.

AI Procurement Also Needs Governance

AI products should not be purchased in the same way as a standard software subscription.

Before introducing a significant AI tool, consider:

• What is the business case?
• Where does the data go?
• Who can access it?
• What human oversight is required?
• How will it integrate with current systems?
• What is the vendor risk?
• Can decisions and outputs be audited?
• What happens if you need to exit the platform?

AI governance is increasingly becoming part of normal business governance.

Practical Focus for September

This month, organisations should consider:

• Reviewing payroll assurance processes
• Adding a compliance check before recruitment advertising
• Testing contractor WHS interfaces
• Reviewing hard-to-fill roles before simply increasing salary
• Strengthening workforce planning with better labour market data
• Moving AI conversations from software to workforce capability
• Introducing a basic AI vendor assessment process

Final Thought

Many of the risks facing organisations right now are not caused by a lack of effort.

They come from gaps between systems, people and accountability.

The strongest organisations are taking a more structured approach to how they manage payroll, recruitment, contractors, workforce capability and technology.

That creates better compliance, better decisions and ultimately a stronger business.

How Evolve Can Help

Evolve Corporate Solutions works with organisations across:

• Payroll assurance and compliance
• Recruitment and workforce planning
• Organisational structure
• Contractor and WHS reviews
• Process improvement
• AI readiness and governance
• Leadership and change

If any of these areas are on your agenda, September is a good time to review where you are now and what needs attention before the year gets away from you.

Evolve Corporate Solutions
Evolving Business with People Strategy and Digital Innovation