How to hire casual staff (2022-10-11)

In Australia, there are currently over two million people classified as casual workers. A lot of these people are students, making their way through high school or university and working a few hours on the side. But there are also many experienced professionals who prefer casual work at different stages of their lives, as opposed to permanent work. This may be for the extra money or for the flexibility, but whatever the reason it doesn’t mean they are any less qualified than permanent staff.

In Australia, casual employment is a classification under workplace law where an employee is paid at a higher hourly rate in lieu of having their employment guaranteed. The higher rate – usually around 20% higher – is also in place of other work entitlements such as sick leave.

In the medical industry a casual worker is called a locum. If you are doing casual work, you are referred to as someone who is locuming. Although the word ‘casual’ is used, there is nothing casual about a locum. They are highly professional people who have chosen to locum for a variety of reasons. They come at all different levels of experience and skill and can be called upon to take non-permanent positions at a hospital or GP clinic for the short or long term.  

When would you need a locum?

Like everyone else, doctors need to take leave at times. They may just need a small amount of time off, such as for a holiday, or they may need longer, such as for maternity leave. While they are gone their hospital or clinic will most likely need to replace them but will only need someone on a casual basis until the regular doctor is back.

A locum can also be a great place filler if a doctor has left permanently and the hospital or clinic is still in the process of replacing them.

It can be a daunting task to suddenly find yourself needing to hire a person who is at the same level and expertise as the doctor who is going on leave. That is where a reputable agency such as Best Practice Medical can save the day.

What to do when you need a locum

The first step any person who needs a locum should take is to speak to an agency that specialises in placing locums. It will be a welcome relief to find out just how much leg work an agency can take out of the equation for someone looking to hire a casual.

If you choose an agency like Best Practice Medical, all potential candidates will have already been screened and assessed for suitability before they even speak to you. This means you will only have the best and most suitable people put forward, saving you time on wading through hundreds of applications.

You will have access to a range of highly skilled medical professionals including GPs, Specialists, Registrars and RMO’s, who can work in public or private hospitals as well as GP clinics.

At Best Practice Medical, we can take your queries at any time of day or night and can find a suitable doctor for any location in Australia. It doesn’t get much easier than that! 

From specialists to RMO’s, any experience and skill level can be catered for. Best Practice Medical can place just about any type of medical professional and through our comprehensive understanding of what is needed we will provide the perfect fit for your facility.

Don’t worry

Some employers may be a bit concerned about hiring a locum, as they might wonder if the locum does not have the level of experience they require or whether they will be as good as a permanent. The thing with locums is they are highly skilled professionals within the medical industry. They have all of the qualifications and experience needed and have already been screened for these things by their agency.

The only difference is these people have chosen to locum for a variety of reasons, usually for lifestyle purposes. A person may choose to locum because they wish to travel, or experience working in another part of Australia, or they may choose to do it for the money. They give up the usual entitlements that you get from permanent employment but replace that with a higher rate, which suits some people more. Or they might have decided to go back to being a student and locuming is a great way to earn money and continue working in their field while studying.  

So if you find yourself in need of a casual placement within your hospital or clinic, don’t stress. Simply contact Best Practice Medical, a company that specialises in locuming and you can have someone at your service in no time at all. Better yet, you can decide just how long or short you will need them for and can feel confident that they have been thoroughly screened and checked before showing up for their first shift.

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