Starting in June each year, a variety of new rules and regulations are drafted that impact Hireup's prices. These could come via government legislation on matters such as superannuation contributions, Fair Work Commission (FWC) rulings on award pay and conditions, or changes to the NDIS price guide. Understandably, you might have some questions.
"Why do I have to pay more for my support shifts? Where does that extra money go? Where does the gap between what I pay and what my support worker gets paid go? Who sets pricing anyway?"
We know that increases in prices have real-life consequences for people who use our services. That's why we spend months reviewing, considering, and deciding our prices each year. We care deeply about our community, and always want to make careful decisions that benefit our customers, workers, and the sustainability of Hireup long-term.
We set our own prices at Hireup. But there are many different things that influence the final prices we set.
Our Clients, Providers and Account Managers
Our pricing needs to be fair and 'value for money' for people and organizations seeking support. We want to set prices that fit within our customer's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) packages and organizational budgets in the case of Providers, saving them money wherever possible. We also need to make sure that our pricing remains competitive.
Our Workers
We need to pay our workers fairly. We also want to attract and retain high quality workers on the platform. Wages need to be compliant with employment requirements too; those set by the Fair Work Commission's SCHADS Award (the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award).
Financial Sustainability
We have to consider Hireup's sustainability when setting our prices. The platform is what you see, but a lot of work goes on behind the scenes. We have more than 300 staff at Hireup's HQ who support our community and run and improve our platform.
Support worker wages and superannuation
The majority of what you pay goes straight to your support workers. They are paid for their hours worked, as well as additional amounts ('loadings') for weekends, nights, and public holidays.
Employee On-Costs
We also have costs associated with being a responsible employer of support workers. Things like:
We are proud to employ our workers, and while it is a more costly model, it is a worthwhile investment in a strong and sustainable workforce.
Support worker benefits, plus client and community benefits
We're always investing in our workers and our community. Some of the big projects we've developed in the last twelve months include:
Technology
As a platform, we are committed to making sure our technology is sector-leading, and constantly optimized to improve the experience of both our clients and support workers.
Our dedicated team of engineers work hard to make sure the platform runs smoothly, and new updates and features are created in line with community requests. They do this while ensuring every piece of information that we handle is protected by the very best in cyber security protections.
Hireup Operations
Hireup uses the remaining amount to help run the operational elements of the business. This includes:
Our prices are going up this year to cover worker wages, superannuation, support worker entitlements and benefits and training.
Worker wages increase based on changes released by the Fair Work Commission, such as the SCHADS award which increases each year. We are also guided by the NDIS price guide, and changes to state taxes and insurance costs.
On Hireup, our support workers can continue to work multiple shifts in a day if they choose to, and receive an allowance of up to $25.67. We are fortunate Hireup is in a position to offer the benefits that come with being an employee alongside ongoing reliable support for our clients.
Last year, the Fair Work Commission decided to change the number of minimum hours home care employees need to be paid for, bumping it up from one to two hours. We understand how important short shifts are to so many of our clients. Whether you're needing assistance getting ready for the day or for bedtime routine support. That's why at Hireup you can book support for one hour or more, and we'll ensure to fulfil our obligations to our workers by adding a top up to comply with Award conditions. For Hireup to continue offering shifts under two hours to maximise flexibility for our clients, shifts under two hours will be charged at the NDIS cap rate.
Please note, the minimum shift engagement for Providers is 2 hours.
We're always looking at ways to refine and grow the Hireup model that's fair and sustainable for both clients and workers. Hireup is constantly consulting with our community to ensure our support workers feel properly supported and valued in their work, and people seeking support on Hireup get the possible outcomes. We'll keep our community updated on any decisions and will share any information in a timely manner.
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