He was educated at St Mary's Catholic Primary School and the Christian Brothers College, both in Ipswich.
On leaving school he was a draper's assistant, working in Ipswich, Maryborough, and Brisbane before becoming an insurance salesman.
[1] Hayes lost preselection for the 1947 state election to Frank Roberts and retired from politics.
[5] After leaving politics, he was a clerical officer and investigator for the Queensland Government Tourist Bureau.
[1] He remained involved with the Labor Party at a local level until his death, and was the second-last surviving member of the 1932-1942 Forgan Smith government.