When considering locuming for the first time, doctors will often rely on information that they’ve heard from their colleagues, seniors and friends who may or may not have locumed before.
Unfortunately, this information isn’t always correct and can negatively affect your expectations about locuming.
We’ve written this article with the intention of correcting the most common misconceptions that we’ve heard over the years. Placing these right here for you to read at your convenience.
Working with Agencies
❌ I have to choose a single agency and work only with them
This is a really common misconception!
There is no rule that forces you to work with one singular agency, and why would you? The more options you have for finding work, the better.
Each agency has a slightly different relationship with each hospital, which could heavily impact their ability to get shifts at a specific hospital. And these relationships can change over time.
So, if you want to increase your chances of finding the best shifts within an area, it makes sense to join multiple agencies to give yourself more shift options.
At Messly, we would recommend 2 or 3 locum agencies as a good number for most doctors. If you have very specific requirements, you may want to work with more.
❌ Once I register with an agency I am obliged to work with them
This isn’t true. You should only accept the jobs that you actually want to do. Regardless of how far in the registration process you get or even if you've completed it.
It’s perfectly fine to join an agency to see what jobs they can get you. But if you don’t like any of these, there’s no obligation to pick up any shifts. You are only committed when you agree to work a particular shift after they have clearly offered it to you with the full details and rates explained to you.
If you feel your recruitment agent is being quite pushy in getting you to pick up a shift, be firm and let them know that you’re not interested in the shift whilst explaining the type of work you would consider. This is more productive than just saying no or ignoring the agent who won’t know how to better serve you.
❌ Agencies will take a cut off my pay
No, locum agencies don’t take anything from your pay. Instead, they will charge the hospital a small fee (on top of your pay) for finding you and getting you compliant and managing the booking process.
❌ Agencies rip off the health system and should be avoided
When a locum agency finds you work, they charge a hospital a fee (called a ‘commission’) on top of your hourly rate. This covers the costs of finding you work, arranging all of your compliance and managing your timesheets and pay. This saves the hospital’s medical staffing team time from doing this work themselves.
❌ There’s so much locum work that I can sort my shifts at the last minute
Whilst there is indeed a lot of locum work available, you’ll want to get registered with your locum agency well ahead of time. They can't put you forward for shifts until you've completed the registration process. It's also nice to get your schedule locked down, to give you some certainty over your income and so you know where you will be working.
So we recommend getting started 2 or 3 months before your ideal locum start date if possible.
❌ Messly is a locum agency
We’re not an agency, but we are a faster, simpler and more transparent way to find locum work, that has become **THE** way that doctors find locums.
Messly helps you find the best paid, most rewarding and most convenient locums by making the best locum agencies compete to find you work.
We’ve chosen just the most reputable locum agencies, who get regular access to the best shifts, and we make them pitch you through the app on why they're the best agency to meet your needs.
It’s like Compare the Market, or even Tinder for Locums… 💘
You get access to locum work from all the best agencies, at your fingertips. That means you’re likely to get better rates, less travel and your pick of departments.
Registrations and Compliance
❌ I don’t need to do any paperwork before I start working with a locum agency
When you’re working as a locum in any healthcare setting, there are checks in place to ensure you’re eligible and safe to work. If you’re working with an agency, they are responsible for certifying that those checks have been done.
The checks include:
👉 Your right to work (passport and visa, if applicable)
👉 Your identity (ID, proof of address)
👉 Your criminal record (Police checks)
👉 Your work history (CV, references)
👉 Your professional registrations (AHPRA status and other certificates)
👉 Your occupational health status (vaccinations and blood tests)
❌ Agency registration can wait until I have secured a locum job
Hospitals won’t review your application for a locum position until they know that you’ve completed (or very nearly) the registration process with your locum agency.
The agency can sometimes submit your CV and references with the remainder to follow, but you’ll have to start the compliance process first before you have certainty about the job you’ll be working.
❌ Agency registration is quick and easy
It normally takes a few days to weeks to complete the registration process with an agency. But this can be delayed unexpectedly by missing documents and delays with your police checks.
We normally recommend doctors to register 6 to 8 weeks in advance, as this will give you time to book shifts with better pay and hours before they get snapped up.
❌ I can register with all locum agencies in one go
Unfortunately, you can’t.
Each agency is individually responsible for the compliance of doctors they work with, and there’s unfortunately no system for sharing that information between agencies (or between hospitals and agencies).
However, we’ve found that once you’ve done it once it becomes much easier thereafter. Around 90% of the requirements are the same, and if you have your documents saved in one place you can share that folder with subsequent agencies, which will save you a lot of time.
You’ll receive guidance on what registration documents you need to provide, store them all in one place, and share them seamlessly with your locum agencies in just one click. Doctors who used Messly Docs registered 70% faster with locum agencies.
If you’re already a Messly user, you can access this now by clicking the Docs tab in your app and browser.
❌ All the states have the same registration requirements
That would make sense, but that's sadly not true. The broad categories of documentation needed are the same, but the specific formats can be quite different. That means repeated certain forms, and re-doing eLearning modules to suit the states you want to work in.
Pay
❌ Locum rates are fixed and non-negotiable
Locum rates vary significantly based on the current need for locums within that particular department.
You can use this to your advantage to secure a higher rate if you know that the department has a pressing need and so may be prepared to pay higher rates. Your locum agency can further advise you on which hospitals are currently prepared to pay higher rates.
You can usually also negotiate higher rates by showing that you have additional experience or skills that will make you more suited to a role than anyone else, just make sure to include these in your CV. It also doesn’t hurt if you’ve already worked in the hospital before and have a good relationship with the consultants.
Some more experienced locum doctors will hold out for last-minute shifts at very escalated rates, as the department gets desperate, and move between sites to capture the highest rates. Others will prefer the certainty of longer-term booking at slightly lower rates, which is more common for SRMOs.
❌ If I do locum work I will pay a higher rate of tax
There is no such thing as a ‘Locum Tax’ - you just pay normal income tax on your earnings as a locum.
However, there is one situation where you could find yourself paying additional tax – if you earn enough to jump into the next tax bracket. Regardless of whether you’re working a full-time substantive post or as a locum, should you reach the next tax bracket then you would automatically pay a ‘higher rate’ of tax on income above this. This higher rate applies to all income earned over $180, 001 where your rate will increase from 37% to 45%.
Your Rights
❌ I don’t have any employment rights as a locum
As a locum doctor, you are entitled to many of the rights that a full-time worker would expect. These include:
1. Working hours: You’re entitled to unpaid rest breaks. As a locum doctor, you're in control of how much you work. You’ll also need to take adequate rest in between shifts in accordance with the rules of the Australian Medical Council.
2. Notice period: Check your booking terms and conditions to find out your own specific period, but it's common that both parties are able to cancel a shift with no notice, or may only have to give 24 hours’ notice.
As a locum, particularly for short-term gigs, you are not entitled to annual, sick or maternity leave; you are responsible for taking time off as needed. You are also not able to salary – sacrifice to reduce tax payable at the end of the financial year.
❌ I won’t learn anything as a locum and my career will stagnate
It’s true that Locum doctors do not have access to the same structured learning opportunities that their trainee counterparts do. However, finding opportunities to gain competencies, learn, take part in portfolio activities, and take part in research and audits is still perfectly possible. You just need to be proactive!
⭐ Here are some tips: ⭐
1️⃣ If you’re going to be locuming at the same hospital for a while, make the effort to tell your consultants and registrars what you’re hoping to learn, or what skill you’re hoping to develop. I.e. if you want to get better at suturing, ask them if you can watch or be supervised doing one.
2️⃣ Locum in the specialty that you want to apply for later on. Not only is this a good gain experience whilst showing commitment to the specialty, but the learning opportunities you get will be directly relevant to it too, which would help during the any future training applications.
Messly is the new way to find locum work in Australia. Get offered locum work from all the best Australian agencies, all in one place. Real shifts, matched exactly to your needs, before you’ve shared your contact details. More choice, better rates and less hassle 🎉
Get started here.
