Onboarding Christmas Casuals: What to Collect and How to Do It Fast
Christmas casuals start in a rush. You hire twenty people in a fortnight, half of them start on a Saturday, and every one of them needs the same paperwork done before their first pay run.
This post is the short list of what to collect from a seasonal casual, and how to get it in from one link per person so nobody fills in forms on their first shift.
What to give them
Fair Work Information Statement
Every new employee, casual or not, gets the Fair Work Information Statement at the start of their employment. The Fair Work Ombudsman lists it alongside the casual statement below.
Casual Employment Information Statement
Casuals also get the Casual Employment Information Statement, before or as soon as possible after they start. You can email it, or email a link to the Fair Work Ombudsman's page.
It is not a one-off. A small business (fewer than 15 employees) gives it again after 12 months of employment. Everyone else gives it after 6 and 12 months, then every 12 months. Give the version in place on the day you hand it over.
What to collect from them
TFN declaration
The TFN declaration tells you their tax file number, residency status, any study loan debts and whether they claim the tax-free threshold. They can fill in the form, or complete it in myGov and give you the printed summary. The ATO gives them 28 days from starting to finish the online version.
If they don't give you a TFN or claim an exemption, you withhold at the top rate. More on keeping TFNs secure in collecting tax file numbers safely.
Super choice form, or their stapled fund
You must give eligible employees a Superannuation standard choice form within 28 days of their start date, with your default fund filled in. You don't have to give one to an employee on a temporary visa, though they can still ask for one.
If they don't choose a fund, you request their stapled super fund through ATO online services. For a new employee you can ask once they accept the offer, so you don't have to wait for the form to come back.
Under Payday Super, from 1 July 2026 you pay super at the same time as wages. The first contribution for a new employee has to be made within 20 business days of their wages being paid, so get their fund details sorted in their first week.
Right to work
Check that each person can legally work in Australia. For visa holders that means a VEVO check, covered in VEVO right to work checks.
Bank details and an emergency contact
Account name, BSB and account number for their pay, and someone to call if something goes wrong on shift.
Role-specific checks
Ask only for what the job needs:
- Bar staff need a responsible service of alcohol (RSA) certificate. Each state and territory sets its own rules. In NSW, anyone who sells, serves or supplies alcohol needs a competency card, and it is valid for 5 years.
- Anyone working with children, such as a Santa photo set or a kids' activity area, may need a Working with Children Check. See WWCC tracking.
Award and casual pay rate
This isn't something you collect, but get it right before the first pay run. Under the Fair Work definition, a casual is entitled to a casual loading or a specific casual pay rate under their award, agreement or contract. Use Find my award and the Pay and Conditions Tool to check the classification and rate.
The full list for any new employee, casual or not, is in the new employee onboarding checklist. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check the ATO and the Fair Work Ombudsman for your situation.
What WorkZerk does for a seasonal intake
WorkZerk gets the paperwork in before day one:
- Each casual fills everything in on their phone from a private link, with no account or password.
- The Staff onboarding (Australia) pack already asks for the TFN declaration, super choice form and fund details, bank details, proof of the right to work and an emergency contact, with an optional Working with Children Check and police check.
- TFN declarations, super choice forms, bank account numbers and right to work documents are marked sensitive: stored encrypted and visible only to admins.
- Automatic reminders chase anyone who hasn't finished.
- The Requests screen shows who is finished, who is part way and who hasn't started, so you know who you can roster.
- When the season ends, closing the portal keeps every document and takes everyone off your usage.
What it does not do: WorkZerk is not payroll. It does not lodge TFN declarations, request stapled super, pay super or run a VEVO check. It collects the forms and details your payroll and you need.
Setting it up in WorkZerk
1. Turn on two-factor authentication
Asking people to upload documents needs two-factor authentication on your account. Set it up under Account, then Two-factor authentication (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab).
2. Create a portal for the season
Open Portals (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) and click New portal. Name it something your casuals will recognise, such as "Christmas casuals 2026".
3. Add the starter pack
On the portal's Requests panel, pick Staff onboarding (Australia) from the pack picker under Templates: Australia. Untick anything this intake doesn't need before you add it. See starter request packs.
For bar staff, add an Upload for the RSA certificate with Require expiry on.
4. Hand over the information statements
Add a Choice request with a single option, such as "I have read this", for each statement. Attach the link to the Fair Work page with Attach a document, link or YouTube video. Each person's tick is recorded against the request. See attaching a document or video to a request.
5. Get your people in
Pick whichever fits:
- You have a list. Use Import people from CSV on the portal to put everyone on it at once, then Email their invites to queue a batch. See importing contacts from a CSV and batched invite emails.
- You are still hiring. Turn on the portal's self-registration link and put it in the job ad or the offer text. Anyone who opens it enters their name and email and is emailed their own link.
6. Let the reminders chase
The Outstanding requests reminder in Automations (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab) is on from the start and emails anyone who hasn't finished after 7 days. Christmas hiring doesn't have 7 days to spare, so shorten it. Remind everyone not finished on the Requests screen chases the whole portal at once. See onboarding that runs itself.
7. Check who is ready to roster
Open Requests (opens in WorkZerk in a new tab). The Waiting on section splits the portal into Finished, In progress and Not started, and By person lists exactly what each one still owes. Approve uploads under Needs review as they come in.
8. Close the portal after the season
When the season is over and you need nothing more from them, open the portal's settings and close it. Their links stop working, the self-registration form stops taking sign-ups, and automated emails to them stop, including expiry reminders. Every document stays on file. See portal lifecycle.
Closing also takes everyone off your usage. Your plan includes 25 active people, and each one above that costs 5 cents a day, only while they hold a live link on an open portal. If sixty casuals are your only active people for ten days, that is 35 over, so 35 × 5c × 10, or $17.50.
Next November, reopen the same portal. The same links come back to life, so returning casuals don't need a new invite.
Getting started
Start a free WorkZerk trial at workzerk.com, then work through the steps above before your first casual starts. If you get stuck, the getting started guide walks through a first portal end to end, or email us at [email protected].