The Fuel Crisis – What You Can Do Now

Let’s talk about the hidden pay cut no one put in writing.

No announcement. No consultation. No variation letter.

But it’s happening anyway. Yes it’s that nasty fuel crisis.

Every time fuel jumps, the cost of going to work quietly creeps up. Not because of anything your business has done intentionally but because the world has and now your people are the ones absorbing it.

That daily commute? It’s no longer just something your people need to do.

It’s a growing expense.

And unlike rent or groceries, it’s a cost employees can’t easily control if their job requires them onsite.

So while salaries stay the same on paper…
The real value of that pay? It’s shrinking in real time.

And yet most workplaces are carrying on like nothing’s changed.

We’ve been here before… and somehow learned nothing

Fuel spikes aren’t new. We’ve seen this movie on repeat:

• Global conflict → supply disruption
• Oil prices surge → petrol follows
• Government says “we’re monitoring it closely”
• Everyday Australians and business owners cop it

Right now, the trigger is geopolitical tension and disrupted supply routes. Fine. That part is genuinely complex.

But here’s the part that isn’t:

Australia is massively exposed to global fuel prices, and we’ve done very little to buffer everyday people from it.

We import a huge chunk of our fuel. We tie prices to international benchmarks. And then we act surprised when global chaos hits local wallets.

The government response? A bit late and a bit blunt

Yes – they’ve temporarily cut fuel excise.

Great. That helps. For a minute.

But let’s not pretend this is some masterstroke of policy.

It’s a short-term band-aid on a structural problem. And it comes after weeks of businesses and households already absorbing the hit.

And you know what:

• Fuel excise was over 50 cents per litre
• Now it’s halved… temporarily
• Then what? Back up again?

So once again, the cycle is:

Pain → Panic → Patch → Repeat

Meanwhile, employers and employees are expected to just… deal with it.

And guess who’s really carrying it?

Not the people making policy.

It’s:

• The warehouse worker driving 45 minutes each way
• The childcare educator who can’t WFH
• The tradie covering three sites a day
• The small business owner absorbing rising costs everywhere

These are the people subsidising the system with their own wallets.

And if you’re an employer requiring people onsite without adjusting anything?

You’re unintentionally part of the problem.

Because here’s the uncomfortable reality:

If it now costs your employee an extra $50–$100 a week just to get to work…

That is a pay cut. And ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.

So what do smart employers do right now?

They make actual, realistic, practical moves.

Here is our top 10 ways to show your employees you give a damn when the world is kicking them whilst they are down:

Move 1: Use WFH as a pressure valve (where you can)

Not forever. Not ideological. Just kind.

Even 1–2 days a week cuts commuting costs immediately. That’s real money back in your employees’ pockets. If a job can be done from home then why not.

Move 2: Compress the work week

Fewer days in the office = fewer trips to the servo. Simple.

Think 4-day weeks. 9-day fortnights. Longer shifts over fewer days.

Move 3: Stagger start times

Peak-hour traffic burns fuel. Literally. Let people travel off-peak and you reduce both cost and stress.

Move 4: Offer targeted fuel or travel support

Not across the board. Not forever. But if you’ve got frontline or lower-paid workers who must be onsite? Help them if you can. Even short-term. Think fuel cards, fuel vouchers, pay for parking, give them food vouchers what ever you can spare. Because they’re the ones hurting most.

Move 5: Subsidise public transport where possible

Victoria just announced free travel. But if that runs out or in other states think Myki top-ups. Reimbursements. Incentives. If someone can swap one or two driving days for public transport, that’s a win.

Move 6: Actually organise carpooling

Not the awkward “maybe you guys can share?” Be deliberate:

• Match locations
• Align schedules
• Make it easy

Done right, this cuts costs immediately.

Move 7: Stop unnecessary travel

Internal meetings? Put them online.

Sending three people across town for something that could be a Teams call?

That’s lazy and expensive.

Move 8: Prioritise the people who have no choice

Some roles will never be remote. So stop treating everyone the same.

Equity > equality

Support the people carrying the heaviest burden. In whatever way that you can. One of our clients decided to provide lunch every single day for the people working in the office and they even filled up the freezer with ready meals to alleviate the financial pressure. Its cost something but signals we care and we want to help.

Move 9 – Review mileage and reimbursement policies

If fuel has jumped, but your reimbursement hasn’t… You’re underpaying people. Full stop. In our team at HR Gurus we just doubled our fuel allowance for every single person who is required to travel and for those who do it regularly we just allocated them a business Amex. So they don’t have to weather this storm on their own dime. Simple.

Move 10 – Acknowledge it (seriously, just say it)

This is where most businesses fall over.

Silence.

No recognition. No conversation. No plan.

Meanwhile, your employees are quietly doing the maths at home.

“Is this job still worth it?”

Final thought (the one most leaders avoid)

This isn’t just about fuel.

It’s about trust and integrity.

When external pressures hit, your people are watching:

👉 Do you notice?
👉 Do you care?
👉 Do you act?

Because if the answer is no…

They’ll find someone who does.

And to the government?

Respectfully but also not really

You cannot keep expecting:

• Workers to absorb the cost
• Businesses to patch the gaps
• and call it “economic conditions”

At some point, leadership means getting ahead of the problem, not reacting once everyone’s already hurting.

Bottom line…

When the cost of showing up goes up, and pay stays the same…

That’s not neutral.

That’s a pay cut.

And the smartest employers in the room right now?

They’re the ones doing something about it.

Written By Emily Jaksch