Once a trade business has apprentices or employees, HR and workforce management becomes critical. AU-specific requirements — Building and Construction Award, STP Phase 2, Fair Work obligations — mean you need tools that understand the local landscape. Deputy and Connecteam both have strong AU award interpretation.
Solid for rostering and AU award compliance — saves real time on payroll, though per-user pricing adds up once your team grows past 10-15.
Widely used for HR and payroll in AU trades, and the Award compliance handling is solid. The platform has grown complex though — you'll pay for modules you don't need, and the UX takes getting used to.
Good for getting your crew off WhatsApp and onto something structured — the free plan is genuinely usable, though it won't replace your job management tool.
Strong standalone payroll engine for award-heavy trade businesses. Does the compliance side well, but it's another subscription on top of your accounting and HR tools.
Does scheduling, timesheets, and crew safety really well without trying to be a full job management platform. That focus is a strength, but it means you'll still need other tools for quoting and invoicing.
Strong on Award-compliant rostering and catches penalty rate mistakes that cost you money. The per-employee pricing adds up with larger teams though, and setup takes more effort than you'd expect.