The Lansdowne Hotel, a historic live music venue established in 1933, located at 2-6 City Road, Chippendale. The hotel has hosted performances by artists such as Billie Eilish and You Am I. After closing in 2015, it reopened under new management, maintaining its reputation as a vibrant live music venue. The venue continues to host live music events and offers amenities such as a rooftop terrace and bar.
Challenges
When Lansdowne Hotel was acquired, the new management faced an urgent challenge—how to establish a compliant and efficient payroll system from day one. With staff eager to start and complex award regulations to navigate, they needed a solution that would eliminate payroll headaches and set the foundation for smooth operations.
- Slow onboarding process: Manual data collection led to delays, errors, and frustration for both HR and new hires.
- Ensuring compliance from Day One: Managing payroll under the Hospitality Industry General Award (HIGA) can be overwhelming, especially with intricate award rules and constantly changing Fair Work regulations.
- Payroll errors affecting staff trust: Manually handling shift-based payments, penalty rates, and allowances created a risk of errors, leading to potential disputes and inefficiencies.
Solutions
Workstem provided an end-to-end payroll solution for Lansdowne Hotel to overcome these challenges.
- Seamless Mobile Onboarding: Employee Self Service (ESS) via mobile, eliminating all paperwork. The automated validation of TFN, Super, and bank details ensured that incorrect data was caught before it could cause payroll issues, making the process smooth and stress-free for both HR and new hires.
- Automated Award Interpretation & Compliance: The Lansdowne Hotel implemented Workstem’s automated award interpretation to verify that every staff member was classified correctly under the relevant hospitality award. With pre-built award templates and real-time updates to pay rates, Lansdowne Hotel stayed compliant with Fair Work regulations without the need for constant manual adjustments.
- Effortless Payroll Processing & STP2 Submission: Workstem addressed the payroll process with one-click STP2 submission with error warnings just in case additional items specified are not included, and directly reporting to the ATO. The built-in payroll validation feature flagged discrepancies before payroll was finalised and made sure their casual employees were paid accurately and on time.
Achievements
With Workstem, Lansdowne Hotel transformed its payroll operations into a hassle-free, fully compliant system. Employees enjoyed an easy onboarding experience, payroll errors were no longer a concern, and management gained full visibility into workforce costs. By automating key processes and enabling real-time visibility, Workstem proved its exceptional value to the business that can now focus on delivering an exceptional guest experience.
A Few Words from The Lansdowne Hotel
“We no longer worry about payroll compliance—everything runs like clockwork.” – Pub Manager.
