The recent Pascua v Doessel Group case made it clear — Australian labour law can apply to offshore staff if they’re misclassified or managed like employees.
That means if you’re directly paying your Philippines-based VAs, your agency could be exposed to:
- Unfair dismissal claims
- Back-pay liabilities (aligned to Australian wage rates)
- Compliance penalties and audits
- Brand and reputational risk under the Ray White
- Group compliance framework
Even if your VAs are offshore, your obligations may not be.