Hospitality recruitment app Supp calls gig-workers contractors. Some users say it leads to casual work without entitlements

Supp is a hospitality gig-work app launched in Melbourne in 2017, operating as a “jobs marketplace” where businesses advertise available shifts to workers at an hourly rate. Founded by Kate and Cameron Reid (owners of Lune Croissanterie), the platform has expanded across Australia and the US, serving approximately 15,000 venues and 200,000 workers. Businesses pay workers through the app, with Supp adding a 12% service fee and providing payment summaries at the end of the financial year.

Worker Classification

Supp requires workers to have their own Australian Business Number (ABN) and classifies them as independent contractors—not casual employees—to the businesses hiring them. This classification has raised concerns about workers missing out on entitlements such as superannuation, minimum pay rates, penalty rates, rest breaks, and unfair dismissal protections.

Independent contractors paid primarily for their labour are entitled to superannuation under Australian Tax Office rules, but Supp’s app lacks a mechanism for businesses to collect or workers to provide this information. Worker Daniel McBurnie, who performed shifts through Supp from 2021, reported no superannuation payments for roles including bartending, front-of-house, and table-waiting, despite performing similar work as a casual employee elsewhere.

Supp’s CEO, Jordan Murray, denied allegations of misrepresentation or “sham contracting,” stating the company engages with regulators and adapts the platform to comply with evolving legal standards. Co-founder Cameron Reid cited regular legal compliance reviews and insurance support for both businesses and workers.

Legal and Industry Concerns

Imogen Szumer, a senior associate at Maurice Blackburn, argued that the nature of the work—where businesses set hours, provide equipment, and direct tasks—could legally qualify workers as casual employees, regardless of how the platform labels them. She emphasized that employment laws exist to protect workers in inherently unequal relationships and that such arrangements “deserve close scrutiny.”

United Workers Union director Pat O’Donnell warned of the “growing gigification” of hospitality work, where convenience for employers may come at the expense of workers’ rights, security, and fair treatment. The union opposes requirements for workers to obtain ABNs or operate as sole traders to access shifts.

McBurnie has called for an independent audit by the Fair Work Ombudsman, citing workers’ lack of knowledge or confidence to challenge classifications individually. The Fair Work Ombudsman declined to comment on Supp specifically but encouraged concerned workers to contact them or their union.

Worker Experiences

• Fred Siggins, a Melbourne bartender, worked events via Supp but did not receive superannuation, though he negotiated higher pay for the shifts.
• Miranda Roop, a bartender and front-of-house worker, noted that Supp shifts were identical to casual roles obtained elsewhere, but without employee entitlements.
• An anonymous worker used Supp intermittently between 2022–2025 for bartending, barista, and serving shifts, assuming he was responsible for his own superannuation.

McBurnie highlighted Supp’s growing popularity in hospitality, with some venues using it thousands of times, but stressed the need for regulatory oversight to prevent widespread misclassification.