Work & rights

Wages and tax

• Casual means: no paid leave, no notice period — but 25% more per hour. Most backpacker jobs are casual.
• Many industries have their own pay rates (Awards) with higher rates plus weekend and night penalty rates. Find yours with the Fair Work Pay Calculator.
• You claim your superannuation back after leaving the country via a DASP application. Working holiday makers have 65% tax taken off.
• Working for food and board instead of wages is only allowed within narrow limits — if in doubt, check with Fair Work.

Sources: Fair Work Ombudsman (Annual Wage Review 2026), Australian Taxation Office (Working Holiday Maker, Super, DASP).

What you’re entitled to

• A payslip within one working day of every pay run — on paper or digital. Your employer is required to do this.
• Minimum wage on piece rates too: If you’re paid per bin or kilo on a farm, since April 2022 you must still get at least the hourly minimum for the hours you work.
• Same rights as Australians: Visa holders have the same rights at work. Fair Work helps you regardless of your visa.
• Deductions only with consent: Accommodation or transport can only be taken out of your pay if you agree in writing and it benefits you.

Source: Fair Work — Pay and piece rates, Fair Work Act s. 536 (Payslips).

Warning signs of exploitation

According to one study, around 42% of working holiday makers have experienced exploitation. These are the typical signs:

• Upfront feeLegit employers don’t charge money for placement or “guaranteed jobs”.
• Cash only, no payslipDoesn’t count towards the 88 days and is usually below minimum wage.
• No ABNEvery legal employer has an Australian Business Number. Check it at abr.business.gov.au.
• Handing over your passportNobody is allowed to keep your passport.
• Expensive mandatory accommodationOverpriced rooms tied to the job, and waiting lists in “working hostels”.
• Promised 88-day sign-offAnyone offering the signature for money or favours is dodgy — and your visa is at risk.

Study: SBS News, Fair Work Ombudsman.

Harvest calendar

Where the most harvest work is in each month. Peak season nationwide is between November and April — but somewhere there’s a harvest all year round.

For the 88 days, location matters: Only work in certain postcodes counts as “specified work”. Check the postcode with Home Affairs before you start. Count your days and share them as a story: 88-day counter further down.

Calendar as a guide based on Farmwork Australia and the National Harvest Guide. Current jobs on the government’s Harvest Trail via Workforce Australia. Weather can shift harvests by weeks.

88-day counter

Log every farm day, track your hours and share your progress as an Instagram story. Your days stay on your device only.

Not official proof — Home Affairs goes by payslips and the Employer Declaration. Open the counter as its own page, handy for saving to your home screen.