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....
Living on Centrelink payments means jumping through hoops and living on scraps – will it ever end?
5 October 2021, Guardian Australia, Lysa Llyod. Access the full article here. Life for those…
Advocates warn of onerous points-based system
7 June 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. <span class="glossary-tooltip glossary-term-897"…
Unemployed forced into body language courses
1 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Providers in the…
Staff review: Manipulating data
Source: Glassdoor Job seekers treated as numbers and bonuses to keep the company afloat. Have…
Labor government proceeds with Workforce Australia rollout
19 June 2022, ABC News, Tom Lowrey. Access the full article here. Federal government looks…
Staff review: Unrealistic expectations and targets
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Australia’s billion-dollar welfare-to-work system gave recipients fake CVs — with people’s real details
15 February 2023, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. One person whose number was shared on a fake CV was receiving phone calls because of Workforce Australia’s online learning module. Workforce Australia has included people’s real phone numbers in fake résumés shown to…
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‘It isn’t working’: the government’s Workforce Australia launch derailed by outages and errors
5 July 2022, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. Australians who risk losing welfare payments if they don’t fulfil Workforce Australia’s requirements were unable to access the service at launch. The rollout of the federal government’s new unemployment services program, Workforce Australia, has…
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‘Where is their obligation to us?’ Unemployed workers protest the Albanese government’s new welfare obligations
1 June 2022, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. For unemployed workers who are soon to be included in a new mutual obligationParticipation requirements welfare recipients must fulfil each month to continue... scheme, there’s no honeymoon period for the Albanese government. Undeterred by a drizzly Sydney day, a group of protesters led…
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.