Stories
We have published a number of stories from Antipoverty Centre surveys, the Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union review app, news media and other sources on this site and will be adding to these over time to create an archive of material demonstrating the harms caused by “mutual” obligations and employment services providersCompliance with “mutual” obligations is enforced by outsourced employment se....
APM caseworker jokes about suicide
Dangerous to me, but also not applicable
My study and work didn’t count
AimBig told to apologise over bullshit course
17 January 2023, Guardian Australia, Stephanie Convery. Access the full article here. Participant in BusyBeans…
Pushed to do jobs I had been injured doing
Forced to drive 120km to meet job agency
24 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Australian Unemployed Workers’…
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People forced into job agencies as COVID cases soar
17 January 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. People are being told they will have their benefits cut if they don’t attend job agency appointments, as government resists calls to pause ‘mutual obligation’ A woman with chronic illnesses and an immunocompromised…
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Mutual obligations: Howard’s legacy lives on
1 January 2022, Guardian Australia, Anne Davies. Access the full article here. Cabinet papers 2001: government also opposed apology to stolen generations ‘given that the practices were at the time believed to be in the best interests of the children’ The 2001 cabinet papers provide more…
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ParentsNext program is morally reprehensible
24 December 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Human Rights Commission says aspects of ParentsNextA “pre employment” program targeting single parents with children under the age … program have the ‘effect of penalising parents, overwhelmingly mothers’ Job agencies running the contentious ParentsNext…
Employment services survey
The Punishment for Profit report is based on hundreds of responses to surveys conducted by the Antipoverty Centre. This research is ongoing. If you are in Workforce Australia, Disability Employment Services or a similar program, we welcome any information you are able to share about your experiences.