The moment you employ staff, you take on a second profession you were never trained for: being an employer. And in Australia, that comes with real obligations — under the Fair Work framework, the relevant awards, and workplace health and safety — that don't bend just because you're busy with patients.
The common, honest traps: getting award classifications or pay rates wrong; informal arrangements that don't hold up; and the people side — unclear expectations, no real feedback, and good staff leaving because the practice was a stressful place to work, not because of the pay.
Your team is simultaneously your biggest asset and one of your biggest areas of risk. The practices that get this right treat employment as a discipline, not an afterthought: clear roles, the right pay and conditions confirmed against the current rules, and a culture people don't want to leave.
As always — general education, not advice. Fair Work and the awards are the source of truth, and an employment professional is worth their fee when you're unsure.
Leading and managing a practice team well — the people side and the compliance side — is a key part of the [Practice Management course].
Explore the Practice Management course
Free starting point: the practice team & roles checklist.
Annie
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