Core Strategies
HR & Compliance for Australian Employers

You're one payroll error from a six-year claim.

Most employers don't find the gap. An ex-employee does, or the Fair Work Ombudsman. We find it first, and we fix it.

5,000+ employees covered 24/7 emergency HR line Trades & construction specialists
Trusted by Australian employers
High Craft Construction
McMillan Industries
Built Strong Demolition & Construction
ENM Electrical
Mobile Plant & Equipment Hire
Adios Asbestos
Velocity Home Lifts
Revolution Forklifts
SA Landscape Supplies
Greener Landscaping
REIF
Alpha Archaeology
Positive Care Supports
Novella Support
The Speech Spot
Queens That Clean
Swim Away
Salus Bakery
Moorland Cottage Cafe
Double Take
FrostWorks
Sound familiar?

Four sentences we hear right before a claim lands.

“We've always done it that way.”
Length of time isn't a defence. It's a multiplier on the backpay.
“They're a contractor, they invoice us.”
An invoice doesn't settle it. Since 2024, your belief has to be reasonable, not just honest.
“We pay above award, so we're fine.”
Above award only means above the floor. The floor moved on 1 July.
“He's happy, he told me.”
People are happy right up until they leave.
0
How far back a claim can reach
$0m
Maximum company fine for intentional underpayment
0
Prison term now attached to deliberate wage theft
0%
Rise in anonymous reports to the Ombudsman last year
What we do

Two ways in. One standard.

Core HR

Your HR department, without the salary.

  • Contracts and policies rebuilt for the 2025 Fair Work changes
  • Award and classification checks across every role
  • Performance management and difficult conversations
  • High-conflict resolution and workplace investigations
  • Exits handled so the paperwork matches the decision
  • 24/7 emergency line for the calls that can't wait
Book an HR audit
Core Virtual Assistants

Get your week back.

  • Inbox, calendar and scheduling, run properly
  • Quotes, invoices and document prep turned around fast
  • Customer follow-up, so leads don't go cold overnight
  • Data entry, research and reporting off your desk
  • Engaged correctly from day one, so there's no sham contracting risk
Book a 15-min call
Before you book

Exactly what happens on the call.

  • 01We ask about your team, your awards, and when you last reviewed contracts.
  • 02We name the three things most likely to cost you money this year.
  • 03You keep that list, whether you hire us or not.
0
Minutes. That's the whole commitment

No deck. No pressure. No pricing pitch dressed up as a discovery call.

Book yours this week
Who you'll deal with

People who've run payroll under pressure.

Not consultants who read about it. You get a named contact who knows your site, your award, and your people.

The Core Strategies HR team at their office
Chantal Nash, Founder of Core Strategies
Chantal Nash
Founder
Built Core Strategies out of mining, construction and hospitality. Specialises in high-conflict resolution.
Brendon Rawnsley, Co-Director for trades and construction at Core Strategies
Brendon Rawnsley
Co-Director, Trades & Construction
20+ years on the tools before HR. Speaks your crew's language because he was your crew.
Heidi Williams, Chief Financial Officer at Core Strategies
Heidi Williams
Chief Financial Officer
20+ years in accounting, 17 with NZ Inland Revenue. Xero and Payroll certified.
Aezee Coronel, Operations Manager and Head of Core VA
Aezee Coronel
Operations, Head of Core VA
12+ years in people operations. Runs recruitment, operations and the VA division.
Josef Krausert-O'Connor, HR Manager at Core Strategies
Josef Krausert-O'Connor
Client-Facing HR Manager
Ran his own business for six years. Sees compliance from the owner's side of the desk.
Holly Towers, HR Manager at Core Strategies
Holly Towers
Client-Facing HR Manager
HR and construction background. Strongest on culture and team relationships.
Natalie Colbert, HR Manager at Core Strategies
Natalie Colbert
Client-Facing HR Manager
HR, payroll and operations. Spots the broken process before it becomes a complaint.
Maryangel Rivales, Marketing Specialist at Core Strategies
Maryangel Rivales
Marketing Specialist
Believes marketing should feel human and intentional, never forced.
Half the owners we speak to can't name the award that covers their team. It's also the first thing an inspector asks. Core Strategies
Straight answers

Questions employers actually ask.

With a documented process they've actually seen. We build the framework, then run the conversations when you'd rather they came from outside the business.

If your template predates August 2025, assume some clauses are already unenforceable: pay secrecy, casual conversion and after-hours availability all changed. We audit before we redraft.

Small business is where most claims start, because nobody there has the job of checking. Anonymous reports rose 50% last year.

Less than one underpayment claim. We scope it on the call once we know your headcount and awards, so you have the numbers before you decide anything.

Usually the same week. If you've got an active issue, whether that's a resignation, a dispute or a letter from an inspector, ring the 24/7 line and we'll triage it straight away.

That's our deepest bench, but we support allied health, hospitality, retail and professional services too. That's over 5,000 employees in total.

Ready when you are

Find out what's exposed before someone else does.

Twenty minutes, no pitch. Tell us your headcount and what's keeping you up, and we'll come to the call with the three things worth checking first.

  • We reply within one business day.
  • You keep the list of gaps, whether you hire us or not.
  • No obligation, and no pressure on the call.
Already know you want a time in the diary? Book a strategy call directly, or email [email protected].
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