Why we employ our workers

There are roughly two ways to run an online disability-support service. One is the marketplace model: support workers are independent contractors, the platform takes a fee, the worker chases their own invoices and runs their own tax. The other is the employer model: workers are employees, the provider runs payroll, the provider bills the funder, the worker focuses on the support.

Inaro is an employer-based model. Every support worker on Inaro is a PAYG employee on a SCHADS-aligned wage, with super, leave loading, Workers Compensation and paid training. We invoice your plan manager or you directly, run payroll fortnightly, and handle the compliance behind the scenes.

Why employ, rather than contract

Three reasons it matters for participants:

• Real safety behind the worker. Employed workers get supervision, paid training and an Employee Assistance Program. Inaro holds Workers Compensation, group $20M public liability and medical malpractice. Incident management and complaints handling are run in line with the NDIS Practice Standards.
• Below the NDIS cap, every shift. Inaro bills $64/hr for standard weekday support (the NDIS cap is $70.23) — approximately 9% below the cap on every band. The worker's wage, super, insurance, training and our admin all come out of that lower rate.
• One contact for the whole arrangement. Booking, payroll, billing, training and incident handling all sit with Inaro — not split across a dozen sole-trader contractors.

And three reasons it matters for workers

• A real wage, paid fortnightly. SCHADS-aligned hourly rate, penalty rates for evenings / weekends / public holidays / sleepovers / broken shifts, super on top, leave loading. No ABN, no BAS, no quarterly tax to lodge yourself.
• Training, supervision, and an actual team. Paid orientation, NDIS-required modules and ongoing professional development. Clinical supervision when you need it. A team you can ring.
• Insurance you don't have to buy. Workers Compensation, group $20M public liability and medical malpractice are all in place. No personal insurance to source or fund yourself.

The trade-off

The employer model means Inaro takes on the heavier load — payroll, super, leave, Workers Compensation, an Incident Management System, internal supervision, ongoing training. It's a bigger lift than running a marketplace. We think it's the right lift, because it's what makes the safety and the real wages work.

On the participant side, you still choose your worker. You still meet them first. You still build a small team of people you click with. The only thing that's different is that you don't write a separate cheque to each worker — we handle the billing and payroll for you.

What this means for you

If you're a participant or a family member, you stay in control. You choose the people who come into your home and your life. Inaro takes care of the safety, the billing and the admin behind them.

If you're a support worker, you get the certainty of a real job: a wage, super, leave, training and a team. You still pick the participants and the shifts that fit your life. We do the admin.