Seasonal Sign On Bonus Program
Victorian horticulture businesses still have time to receive extra support during the summer harvest to attract and retain new workers – but they must hurry, the Summer Seasonal Sign-on Bonus program closes on 31 December.
Horticultural businesses can promote the Summer Seasonal Sign-on Bonus as an additional incentive for jobseekers to try their hand at harvest work.
To be eligible, workers new to agriculture must complete 10 days of work and apply for the bonus by 31 December.
The Summer Seasonal Harvest Sign-On Bonus is split into two.
The first payment of $810 is payable to eligible applicants who complete 10 days of work prior to 31 December. A further $1,620 is payable after an additional 30 days of work which can be completed over a further 90-day period. Workers can do this work with multiple employers.
The bonus is part of the Victorian Government’s $10.5 million Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus program and already more than 3500 people who have never worked in agriculture have received the $2,430 on top of their wage.
Employers and farmers are encouraged to use the Summer Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus to attract new workers.
Interested employers can visit the Agriculture Victoria website and download a copy of the guidelines for further information.
To ensure applicants meet the eligibility criteria, applicants need to provide workplace documentation as part of their application. This includes evidence of their commencement date (a work contract or letter of employment from their employer) and evidence of work undertaken (payslips and timesheets).
If you have any enquiries or requesting for clarification around the eligibility criteria, please contact the Seasonal Workforce Team on seasonalworkforce@agriculture.vic.gov.au
