Australia produces some of the world's finest wines, with key wine regions like the Barossa and McLaren Vale known around the world. Vintage season in Australia, the crucial period of grape harvesting and winemaking, generally takes place over the summer months, although it does differ depending on the region. 

When considering the main challenges of wine producers during vintage, many would consider weather conditions, grape quality or excesses in product that drive down prices. While these are often challenges that come to the forefront during vintage, one of the most significant issues faced by wine producers is finding quality staff. 

“For wine companies, securing competent staff for vintage can be challenging, particularly in regional areas where shortages exist,” explains Kylie Forde, State Manager (VIC, NSW & SA) of Acclaimed Workforce. “Over the years, we’ve implemented key strategies to overcome some of these challenges, ensuring our clients have screened, inducted and capable workers for vintage.” 

As wine companies staff up for vintage this year, we explore the challenges, risks and best practice of workforce management. 

Key challenges wine companies face staffing vintage 

One of the primary workforce management challenges during vintage is the seasonal nature of the work. The demand for labour spikes during the grape harvesting period, requiring many workers to be recruited and trained for short periods of time, ranging from six weeks to three months depending on the role and the vintage. 

While many of our wine regions are closer to cities, like the Barossa, McLaren Vale, the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, they are generally not convenient travel distances for many metropolitan workers, while areas such as the Riverina and Murray Darling are isolated. The tight local labour market for many wine regions is further exacerbated by housing shortages, limiting the number or people able to move to the area for work.   

Another significant challenge is the need for specialised skills and knowledge. Vintage operations require workers who are not only physically capable but also knowledgeable about the intricacies of grape harvesting and winemaking. Finding workers with the right skill set can be difficult, especially in remote or less populated areas. 

If not enough workers are available, the entire vintage operation can be jeopardised, leading to delays and potential financial losses. For those employers who believe they have enough workers, absenteeism can be an issue, particularly for young people and travellers also enjoying their summer. 

Employment risks during vintage 

The risks associated with workforce management during vintage can be higher due to the nature of seasonal work and staff shortages.   

The three key risks that wine companies face during vintage are: 

• Workplace accidents 
• Incorrect payment of casuals 
• Damage to product 

If sufficient recruitment, onboarding and supervision is not undertaken, the risk of workplace accidents during vintage can be significant. The increased volume of workers, physical nature of the work, long shifts and summer heat alone can increase the likelihood of injuries. However, this is increased because vintage workers are often made up of a high portion of young people and international travellers who are new to this type of work, and not familiar with Australian safety standards. 

Furthermore, incorrect payment is common when a company payroll increases substantially. In our experience, these underpayments, often referred to as wage theft, are a result of inaccurate classification under the Award, or incorrect payment of overtime and allowances. This can lead to serious penalties for an organisation, even if the underpayment was unintentional. 

Finally, inexperience in work environments can lead to mistakes, which may damage product during the harvesting and winemaking processes. This can have substantial financial implications for wine companies. 

Best practices for vintage employers 

While the challenges and risks of staffing vintage may feel overwhelming, there are some simple ways to overcome them, according to Kylie Forde. 

“Having an effective recruitment and onboarding strategy and a culture for reporting near misses will enable you to effectively staff vintage and reduce risks. Where you don’t have the resources or expertise, whether this be for the entire recruitment and workforce management process, or just in payroll, outsource may be a better solution.” 

She explains that for many of Acclaimed Workforce’s clients, outsourcing is cheaper than the unexpected costs and risks of recruitment and workforce management during vintage. 

Best practice strategies employed by Acclaimed Workforce include: 

• Diligent screening and verification of licences and work rights 
• Comprehensive onboarding process that include an OHS assessment, drug and alcohol screening and site familiarisation 
• Recruiting and onboarding additional workers to manage absenteeism 
• Compliant workforce management systems including rostering and time and attendance 
• Comprehensive knowledge of Awards, with an expert payroll team to identify mistakes 
• After hours service to ensure replacements are arranged when employees are absent 

Our processes have evolved and been refined since our first vintage 25 years ago, to ensure fast recruitment times and work ready, quality candidates. 

If you need help for vintage, it’s not too late to reach out to Acclaimed Workforce (formerly CozWine), Australia’s leading wine recruiter. We have ready-to-work candidates available to join your team!  Speak to a consultant today.