The Health and Fitness Association of Australia: Take care of your staff, and they’ll take care of your business: Why ethical employment isn’t just fair, it’s smart

Over the past five years, the Fair Work Ombudsman received 6,267 enquiries from workers in the fitness industry. That’s the equivalent of 14.28 percent of the entire sector reaching out for help or advice. Given how few people formally report issues, the true scale is likely higher.

When ethical employment is seen as optional, “too hard”, or “not commercially viable,” the outcomes are injustice and instability that affects everyone, especially businesses. Staff turnover, service inconsistency, and disengagement are predictable consequences of a sector that often treats workers as costs to be managed, not professionals to be valued.

The industry has a retention problem and it’s costing you

Gyms are struggling to hold onto skilled, experienced staff and it’s the result of structural practices that devalue loyalty and drive people out: Casualisation, sham contracting, stagnant pay and legal loopholes that sidestep basic entitlements. The signs of burnout and systemic failure are everywhere in the fitness industry if you’re willing to look. And staff do notice. When you show no loyalty to them, they have no reason to be loyal to you. Retention is built on relationships. Treat people as disposable, and the entire foundation cracks.

Fitness professionals are often told to “set boundaries” or “practice self-care,” but

individual strategies can’t fix a system that underpays and overworks. Burnout and disillusionment happen when professionals are expected to deliver excellence without the remuneration, support, or recognition that makes it sustainable.

Most group fitness instructors are still being paid around AUD $40–$50 per class which is the same rate they earned over a decade ago. That doesn’t include class prep, hours spent on planning programs, admin management, managing costs, or the time it takes to maintain skills through training and upskilling. In many cases, it barely covers transport, tax, and leave entitlements. Account for inflation, and many are earning less than when they started.

Personal trainers, too, are burdened by unsustainable conditions. Many work under rent-based models that shift all risk onto the trainer without offering any real business control. They’re called “independent contractors”, yet wear a uniform, can only train members of that facility, and have no ability to subcontract. These are clear signs of employment under the Fair Work Act. The same is true for group fitness instructors, often told to “send us an invoice” despite having no control over their rates, equipment, or working conditions.

New trainers are sold a dream: pay $300/week in rent, charge $100 a session, and you’ll be making profit after your third client. The reality? They're locked into exclusive contracts, competing in an oversaturated market. To get clients, many are pressured to run free sessions, a practice that’s become so normalised, no one stops to ask why. In what other profession would you be expected to give away your services for free, hoping someone might come back and pay next time? Why has the fitness industry made this the standard?

Then there are “Starter Packs,” where new members receive a series of personal training sessions delivered by trainers, unpaid, while the business keeps the revenue. Most people who purchase these packs don’t want ongoing coaching, they just want help using the equipment, a job that used to belong to gym floor staff. With most facilities no longer employing floor staff, that basic induction is now marketed as a personal training service. Trainers find themselves running back-to-back free sessions for people who have no intention of buying their services, all while paying rent and struggling to survive.

Group fitness instructors routinely push themselves beyond what any WHS framework would consider safe, not by choice, but because they need to teach multiple classes a day just to stay afloat. Injuries are common, and too often normalised. Getting injured at work is not “just part of the job”, it’s a sign the system is broken.

The revolving door: When staff leave, members follow

The cost of high turnover can extend beyond recruitment and affect client membership. Clients follow people, not brands. When their favourite trainer vanishes, members don’t change time slots, they change gyms. If your fallback is a non-solicitation clause buried in a contract, think again. Members don’t care what’s in someone else’s paperwork. Even if they don’t follow their trainer directly, they’re far more likely to look elsewhere. The trust was with the person, not the logo.

That’s why retention matters, and why experience can’t be replaced. New instructors deserve opportunities and often bring fresh energy and strong potential, but experience brings depth. When you lose long-serving staff, you lose history, trust, and confidence that only comes with time. Someone newly qualified might seem cheaper, but it costs you in consistency and member loyalty.

This industry is built on relationships. For many members, their trainer or instructor is the reason they show up and the reason they stay. Strip that away, and you risk losing every client they connected with.

Fair treatment isn’t just the right thing, it’s the smart thing

Ethical employment is a strategic advantage. Businesses that treat staff well are more likely to:

• Cut costs by reducing churn, hiring, and training overhead.

• Boost member retention through consistent, trusted staffing.

• Protect profits by avoiding litigation, backpay, and compliance penalties.

• Strengthen reputation, attracting loyal customers and quality hires.

• Increase productivity and performance through higher staff engagement.

Respect and fairness are magnets for talent and reputation. In an industry built on trust and human connection, that matters.

What ethical employment looks like

• Correct classification: If someone works like a permanent employee, treat and pay them like one including super, entitlements, and protections.

• Fair compensation: Pay adequately for all time and work performed. Passion and “experience” don’t pay bills.

• Safe and inclusive workplaces: Including physical safety and psychological wellbeing.

• Reasonable workloads: Don’t overload staff to avoid hiring. Burnout isn’t a performance issue, it’s a structural failure.

• Job security: Provide stable hours and ongoing roles rather than relying on rolling contracts, gig-style shifts or sham contracting.

• Respect for professional boundaries: Don’t expect constant availability, “loyalty” without reciprocity, or unpaid labour disguised as opportunity.

• Genuine consultation: Involve staff in decisions that affect their roles, schedules, and conditions. Listen, engage, and act on their input.

These are basic professional standards and they set the tone for your entire business culture.

Why consultation really matters

One of the most powerful ways to strengthen the fitness industry is by making consultation part of everyday business practice.

When staff have a genuine voice in decisions that affect their work, from rosters and safety to pay and policy, they feel trusted, respected, and more engaged. That kind of involvement creates clarity, builds stronger teams, and fosters a sense of shared purpose. Good consultation is active, early, and ongoing. It means treating on-the-ground insight as essential to making smart, sustainable decisions. Teams stay longer. They perform better. They bring energy, commitment, and loyalty that can’t be replicated through top-down mandates or policy handbooks.

When people feel heard, they contribute more. Not because they have to, but because they care. And in a sector defined by connection, that’s the difference between a business that survives and one that leads.

info@healthandfitness.org.au

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