Vintage does not create payroll risk. It exposes it.

Headcount increases. Shifts extend. Casuals are onboarded quickly. Cellar doors stay busy. What worked smoothly in the off-season suddenly becomes complicated.

If payroll processes rely on manual interpretation rather than structured systems, vintage is when mistakes surface.

This guide explains how to hire and pay seasonal winery workers correctly under the Wine Industry Award and Australian workplace law.

What Actually Changes During Vintage

Vintage compresses complexity into a short window.

Production runs longer hours. Teams work back-to-back shifts. Casual labour increases. Piece rates may be introduced. Public holidays often fall inside peak periods.

Winery payroll must now interpret:

1. Higher employee turnover
2. Variable hours week to week
3. Overtime triggers
4. Weekend penalties
5. Fatigue-related shift changes

Accurate time and attendance tracking becomes critical. When hours are captured through digital clock-in systems rather than paper timesheets, overtime and penalty calculations are far less likely to be missed.

If hours are unclear, pay accuracy suffers.

Casual vs Fixed-Term: Choosing the Right Engagement

Hiring seasonal winery workers starts with the engagement type.

Casual employment is common during vintage. Casuals receive a 25 percent loading instead of paid leave entitlements. They are paid only for hours worked.

Fixed-term contracts operate differently. These employees accrue leave entitlements during the contract period and are paid ordinary rates without a casual loading.

Using structured onboarding processes that capture employment type, pay classification and visa status from day one reduces later payroll adjustments. Automated employee records also ensure the correct rate logic applies from the first shift.

Convenience should not determine engagement type. Legal structure should.

Casual Loading: Where Mistakes Happen

The 25 percent casual loading must be applied correctly in line with Award requirements.

Errors often occur when:

• Loading is applied inconsistently to overtime
• Casual employees are processed as permanent staff
• Manual adjustments override automated rate rules

Seasonal pressure increases the likelihood of shortcuts. Payroll systems that automatically apply Award loadings reduce reliance on memory and manual calculation.

Short-term employment does not reduce compliance obligations. A six-week harvest worker must still receive correct loadings and penalties.

Overtime During Extended Production Runs

Vintage frequently pushes employees beyond ordinary hours.

Overtime applies when daily or weekly ordinary hour thresholds are exceeded. It is usually paid at time-and-a-half, then double time depending on hours worked.

The risk is not simply miscalculation. It is failing to recognise when ordinary hours end and overtime begins.

Integrated rostering and time tracking systems help by linking scheduled hours to actual worked hours. When the system detects a threshold breach automatically, payroll errors drop significantly.

Manual overrides, on the other hand, tend to repeat.

Labour Hire vs Direct Employment

Some wineries engage labour hire providers during harvest. This can reduce administrative load, but it does not remove all compliance considerations.

If workers are supplied through labour hire, that provider typically handles payroll compliance. If engaged directly, the winery carries full responsibility for Award interpretation, pay rates and record keeping.

For directly engaged seasonal workers, onboarding should include right-to-work verification. VEVO checks for visa holders reduce risk and create a documented HR compliance trail.

Vintage should not be when documentation gaps are discovered.

Piece Rates for Grape Pickers

Piecework arrangements remain common in vineyards.

However, piece rates must comply with minimum wage protections. Written agreements are required, and employees must earn at least the equivalent of the Award minimum rate on average.

Where hours are not tracked accurately, verifying compliance becomes difficult. Linking piecework arrangements to reliable time records provides evidence that minimum standards have been met.

If productivity assumptions are unrealistic, the employer carries the shortfall risk.

Public Holidays During Peak Periods

Public holidays often fall inside vintage and peak tourism periods.

Cellar doors may operate at full capacity. Production may continue uninterrupted. Public holiday penalty rates apply where required under the Award.

When rostering, time and payroll systems are connected, public holiday multipliers can be applied automatically based on calendar logic. This reduces the risk of manual misclassification of shifts.

One missed multiplier affects every employee rostered that day.

Record-Keeping Requirements

Seasonal pressure does not reduce compliance obligations.

Employers must maintain accurate records of:

1. Hours worked
2. Overtime
3. Piecework agreements
4. Pay rates applied
5. Payslips issued

Digital employee self-service portals (such as the ClockOn Go mobile app) reduce administrative friction during vintage. Staff can access payslips, confirm hours and submit leave requests without generating unnecessary back-and-forth with payroll teams.

Good records are not just defensive. They reduce operational strain during peak periods.

The Most Expensive Vintage Payroll Mistakes

They are rarely dramatic.

A casual classified incorrectly for six weeks. Overtime thresholds not updated when shift patterns changed. A public holiday penalty overlooked during a long weekend crush.

Individually, each error feels minor.

Across an entire vintage, they accumulate into measurable underpayments or unexpected labour cost blowouts.

  Example:  

In 2024, the Fair Work Ombudsman commenced court action against an Australian winery after finding that a they failed to comply with a Compliance Notice requiring payment of accrued annual leave entitlements when an employee left the business. The regulator sought penalties of up to $46,950 against the winery and $9,390 against an individual involved for failing to comply with the notice

Payroll leakage during harvest is usually systemic, not accidental.

Pressure-Test Your Payroll Before Vintage

Before harvest begins, wineries should review:

• Employee classifications
• Engagement types
• Overtime rule settings
• Public holiday configurations
• Piecework agreements
• Right-to-work documentation
• Award rate updates

A structured payroll system that connects rostering, time and attendance and Award interpretation reduces reliance on manual oversight.

Vintage should test production capacity, not payroll accuracy.

Prepare Before the Pressure Hits

Vintage amplifies whatever payroll structure already exists.

If your winery relies on manual calculations, spreadsheet logic or disconnected systems, the risk increases when hours increase.

ClockOn connects rostering, time and attendance, Award interpretation, payroll processing and compliance tools such as VEVO checks into one structured workflow.

If you want to understand whether your current setup can handle the next harvest without payroll leakage, request a payroll review with ClockOn before vintage begins.