Immediate answer
If someone is in immediate danger in Australia, call 000 for police, fire or ambulance.
Interpreter first if needed: call TIS National on 131 450 for a free phone interpreter, 24/7. Ask for the language you need, then ask to be connected to the official service.
If the issue is pay, payslips, hours, deductions, sham contracting or workplace rights, start with Fair Work Ombudsman.
If the issue includes threats, passport control, debt bondage, forced work, restricted movement, servitude, trafficking or serious coercion, treat it as a safety matter and contact Australian Federal Police or a specialist support pathway.
This directory is for routing, not diagnosis. A worker does not need to use the right legal label before they deserve help.
Red flags / what to watch
Escalate beyond ordinary workplace advice when there are signs that someone cannot freely leave or seek help:
- Passport, phone, bank card, TFN, myGov, payslips or identity documents are controlled by another person.
- The person is threatened with visa cancellation, police, debt, violence, shame or blacklisting.
- They owe money to the recruiter, boss, landlord or transport provider and cannot leave until it is repaid.
- Their accommodation, job, food and transport are controlled by the same person.
- They are moved between places without clear choice or information.
- They are told not to speak to Fair Work, police, a consulate, a union or community support.
- They appear frightened to speak privately.
For ordinary underpayment or workplace questions, Fair Work is still the right official starting point. For coercion or control, add safety planning and specialist help.
What Australians can do
Before calling anyone, ask whether the person is safe to speak and whether the unsafe person can see their phone.
Practical support can include:
- offering a private phone or quiet room;
- helping them keep copies of messages, payslips, bank transfers, job ads and rosters;
- arranging safe transport away from an unsafe house or workplace if they choose to leave;
- using interpreters or trusted community support where available;
- avoiding public confrontation with the employer, recruiter or landlord;
- checking official websites rather than social-media advice.
If you are unsure, say that. Then help the person reach an official service.
Official help / sources
- Emergency — 000: immediate danger, police, fire or ambulance.
- TIS National — 131 450: free phone interpreter service, 24/7, for calls to government and essential services.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: workplace rights, pay, payslips, awards, deductions and visa-holder workplace information.
- Australian Federal Police: human trafficking, forced labour, servitude and related crime reporting.
- Salvation Army Additional Referral Pathway: access to modern slavery support without starting with a police report.
- Australian Red Cross Support for Trafficked People Program: support for eligible people affected by trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices.
- Department of Social Services Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program: specialist support for people affected by forced marriage.
- 1800RESPECT: sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling and support.
- Lifeline: crisis support.
- ATO: working holiday maker tax and super information.
This page is general information only. In an emergency, call 000.