Off the Books: Practical Guidance for Business

Off the Books: Practical Guidance for Business is a companion resource to the Migrant Justice Institute's (MJI) Off the Books: Australia's hidden system of migrant worker exploitation (2026), which surveyed nearly 10,000 temporary visa holders — the largest survey of its kind ever conducted in Australia.

Developed in partnership between the Office of the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Walk Free and MJI, the guidance translates that research into practical insights for Australian for business. It shows how underpayment, insecure employment and non-compliant employer practices can cluster together into a single system of exploitation and treats underpayment not just as a non-compliance or paperwork issue, but as a trigger for thorough due diligence.

The guidance sets out common red flags more prevalent among temporary migrant worker cohorts including misuse of ABNs and sham contracting, harmful casual employment, unchecked night and weekend work, and misleading payslips or cash payments. It offers practical due diligence tips for each, and guidance on how to safely verify concerns and engage workers once a red flag is found.