10 Adjustments Smart Business Owners Are Making to Survive the Rising Cost of Employment
- Tim Dive
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
The cost of doing business in Australia is going up, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. With countless industrial relations and law changes now locked in, and more on the way, small and medium-sized businesses are already feeling the squeeze.
Productivity is down. Wage bills are up. Compliance risks are higher than ever. And while government policy keeps shifting the goalposts, one thing is clear:
If you’re not adjusting your business now, you’re going to be caught off guard.
In this article, we break down the 10 key adjustments employers are making right now to ride out the next 12 to 24 months—without killing their business in the process.
The 10 Adjustments Employers Are Making Right Now
Macro Adjustments: Big Picture Moves
Organisational Redesign: Complete or partial redesign of team structure to match today’s compliance-heavy, high-cost environment.
Outsourcing Non-Core Functions: Cutting costs and boosting efficiency by outsourcing HR, marketing, and finance—especially for businesses between 15 and 80 staff.
Restructuring Internally: Moving the right people into the right roles. Promoting internally where possible, reducing duplication, and closing the gaps.
Strategic Redundancies: Making tough decisions on headcount—intelligently. Cutting the fat, not the muscle.
Micro Adjustments: The Smarter, Smaller Moves
Functional Alignment: Breaking down silos. Realigning internal teams by function to reduce duplication and improve productivity.
Internal Hiring & Upskilling: Promoting from within instead of hiring high-cost external talent where possible—and upskilling your people to lead.
Leaning into AI & Automation: Leveraging tools like ChatGPT, Opus Clip, Plaud AI, and Fyxer AI to replace repetitive tasks and boost efficiency.
Performance Management That Works: Moving away from box-ticking reviews toward tailored, real, ongoing performance conversations that actually drive outcomes.
Policy Adjustments: Locking Down Risk & Cost Control
Return-to-Office Clarity: Ending the “wishy-washy” hybrid debate. Making clear, fair decisions on where and how your people work—and communicating it properly.
Cleaning Up RDOs, TOIL & Overtime: Avoiding double and triple dipping pay risks. Tightening up agreements to prevent wage theft exposure (and potential jail time).
The message?
The next 12 to 24 months are going to test every business owner, but the ones who survive (and thrive) will be those who face the challenge head-on.
These 10 adjustments aren’t just cost-cutting measures, they’re your roadmap to protect your business, your people, and your sanity.
Want help redesigning your business, restructuring your teams, or cleaning up your risk exposure?
👉 Join The HR Cartel membership for direct access to the strategies, tools, and support you need to lead confidently.
Join the Cartel today → www.hrcartel.com
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