Hospitality app Supp misclassifies workers as contractors, denying super and entitlements
Consensus Summary
The hospitality app Supp, launched in 2017, is under scrutiny for potentially misclassifying workers as independent contractors instead of casual employees, leading to unpaid superannuation and other entitlements. Both ABC and the Guardian report that Supp operates across about 15,000 venues and involves over 200,000 workers, with workers required to have their own ABN and handle their own super obligations. Daniel McBurnie, a worker since 2021, claims he has never received super for shifts through Supp, and other workers confirm similar experiences. Supp’s CEO Jordan Murray denies misrepresentation, while the Fair Work Ombudsman is investigating concerns. The ABC notes that the minimum income threshold for super was removed in July 2022, potentially affecting eligibility, and highlights that some businesses use Supp to fill thousands of shifts. The Guardian emphasizes the legal risks of sham contracting, with penalties up to $546,000 for large businesses, and quotes union representatives warning about the gigification of hospitality work.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Supp was created in 2017 and operates as a hospitality marketplace for businesses and workers
- Supp claims to have links to about 15,000 venues and more than 200,000 workers
- Supp requires workers to have their own ABN and describes them as independent contractors
- Daniel McBurnie has used Supp since 2021 and has never been paid superannuation for shifts through the platform
- Supp’s chief executive Jordan Murray denies misrepresenting working relationships or facilitating sham contracting
- The Fair Work Ombudsman is scrutinizing Supp after worker concerns about misclassification
- The monthly minimum income threshold for compulsory superannuation was removed in July 2022
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Supp’s website states it has links to venues in Melbourne, Sydney, Los Angeles, and New York City
- One Melbourne-based hospitality worker has used Supp for more than three years and believes the work reflects that of an employee
- The Supp app shows some businesses have used the platform to fill thousands of shifts
- The Business program on ABC airs Mondays to Thursdays at 8:44pm after the Late News on ABC TV
- Daniel McBurnie says he accumulated short of $20 super from one-off shifts and finds chasing unpaid super not worth his time
- Supp was launched in Melbourne in 2017 by Kate and Cameron Reid, owners of Lune Croissanterie, who are no longer on its board
- Supp adds a 12% surcharge as its service fee and sends workers payment advice and summaries at the end of the financial year
- Misrepresenting an employment relationship as independent contracting (sham contracting) is unlawful under the Fair Work Act and can attract penalties of up to $546,000 for large businesses
- Three other Supp users (including a Melbourne bartender named Fred Siggins and a worker named Miranda Roop) reported not receiving superannuation for shifts
- Pat O’Donnell, director of casino, pubs, and clubs at the United Workers Union, criticized the gigification of hospitality work
- A worker who used Supp between 2022 and 2025 (name withheld) said he assumed he would have to pay superannuation himself
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The ABC states Supp was created in 2017 and has been operating since then, while the Guardian mentions Supp was launched in Melbourne in 2017 by Kate and Cameron Reid, but does not specify if this is the same as the creation date
- The ABC mentions a Melbourne-based worker using Supp for more than three years, but the Guardian does not specify the duration of use for other workers except Daniel McBurnie (since 2021) and the unnamed worker (2022–2025)
- The ABC states the monthly minimum income threshold for compulsory superannuation was removed in July 2022, but the Guardian does not mention this specific date or event
Source Articles
The hospitality app some businesses use to cover shifts without paying super
A hospitality jobs marketplace that boasts thousands of users might be incorrectly labelling workers, a legal expert says, as the Fair Work Ombudsman tells workers to report any concerns.
Hospitality recruitment app Supp calls gig-workers contractors. Some users say it leads to casual work without entitlements
Exclusive : Workers’ rights experts raise ‘alarm bells’ over app requiring ABNs for jobs they say lack worker autonomy Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Concerns have been raised that workers using an increasingly popular Australian hospitality gig-work app may be missing out on entitlements such as superannuation by being hired as “independent contractors”, similar to delivery riders. Launched in Melbourne in 2017, Supp describes itself as a “jobs marketplace”, where
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