If you grew up in Australia, the concept of a “fair go” is likely baked into your DNA. It’s the quiet pride we take in the idea that if you work hard, you should be able to live a decent life. But most of us don’t realise that this cultural cornerstone actually has a specific “birth certificate”. It was born in 1907, in a Melbourne courtroom, through a landmark legal decision known as the Harvester Judgement.
Today, as we navigate the complexities of a globalised economy and offshore talent through Philippines outsourcing solutions, that 119-year-old ruling has never been more relevant. At Flat Planet, we believe that When Australian businesses look to Manila for growth through Australian offshore solutions and outsourcing Philippines, they aren’t just looking for labour but skilled Filipino virtual assistants, remote professionals, and offshore specialists they are exporting an Australian legacy.
The Man Who Defined Dignity
In 1907, Justice H.B. Higgins sat in the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration to decide a simple but profound question: What constitutes a “fair and reasonable” wage? At the time, an agricultural machinery manufacturer (Sunshine Harvester) argued that wages should be determined purely by the “higgling of the market”—whatever the lowest price a worker was willing to accept.
Justice Higgins disagreed. He famously ruled that a wage must be based on more than just market forces. It must be enough to support a human being in a state of “frugal comfort” and “personal dignity”. He argued that a worker is not a machine or a commodity, but a person with a family and a place in society.
This decision essentially invented the “minimum wage” as a tool for social dignity. It ensured that an Australian worker could afford a home, food, and the ability to participate in their community. It set the stage for the Australia we know today.
Exporting the “Fair Go” to Manila
Fast forward to 2026. Many Australian businesses are moving roles to the Philippines through business process outsourcing to stay competitive. It’s a smart move, but it comes with a moral and strategic crossroads. Do we leave our values at the airport in Sydney or Melbourne, or do we take them with us?
When we see offshoring providers paying the bare legal minimum in the Philippines—a wage that often doesn’t cover basic nutrition for a family—they are essentially reverting to the “higgling of the market” that Justice Higgins rejected over a century ago.
Our latest whitepaper argues for a concept we call “Aspirational Parity.” This isn’t about paying Sydney-level salaries in Manila (which would be economically disruptive to the local market). Instead, it’s about ensuring that the purchasing power of a Philippine employee reflects that same “frugal comfort” and “personal dignity” that Higgins championed.
The Benchmark for a New Era
In the Philippine context, achieving this dignity requires moving beyond the typical market rate seen in the call centre industry and traditional business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. It means looking at the “Basket of Goods” — the real cost of living and the average earnings Philippines professionals receive, rather than relying only on industry benchmarks and ensuring that an employee can afford a safe home, reliable healthcare, and a pathway to education for their children.
By adopting these benchmarks, Flat Planet clients are doing something far more significant than simply outsourcing accounting, hiring virtual assistants, or building offshore teams. They are becoming guardians of the Australian legacy in a global context. They are proving that an Australian business can be highly profitable and competitive without compromising on the foundational belief that work should provide dignity.
Why This Matters for Your Business
You might ask, “Why should I care about a 100-year-old court case?”
The answer is simple: culture is your strongest competitive advantage. When you bring the “fair go” to Manila, you create a team that doesn’t just work for you—they believe in you. You create a workforce that is loyal, motivated, and deeply invested in your brand because you have treated them like a peer, not a commodity.
In a world where offshore teams in the process outsourcing and knowledge process outsourcing industries are often treated as invisible “processing units,” the Australian business that leads with dignity stands out. You get the best talent, the lowest turnover, and the highest productivity. But more than that, you get to sleep at night knowing that your success isn’t being subsidised by someone else’s struggle.
Justice Higgins would be proud to see that the “frugal comfort” he fought for in 1907 is now changing lives in 2026. We’re not just offshoring; we’re bringing the best of Australia to the world.
At Flat Planet, this belief guides how we build ethical offshore teams in the Philippines—ensuring that global growth, dignity, and opportunity go hand in hand.
Contact Flat Planet today to explore ethical offshore staffing solutions.
