WfA rollout

Forced to drive 120km to meet job agency

24 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union survey reveals challenges for those seeking work, from lack of information to unreasonable demands Jobseekers have reported broad confusion about the new Workforce Australia system – including among the employment consultants tasked with running it – with some asked …

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Job seeker forced to reject work to make job agency meetings

22 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Multiple complaints of baffling and unrealistic requirements have been reported as being set by employment agencies under the new program To go to work, or to attend an appointment to “find” work – that’s the question one worker is asking himself under the …

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63-year old forced to do 250km round trip to keep payments

17 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Woman from Yorketown in South Australia has been referred to a job agency in Kadina under new Workforce Australia program A 63-year-old woman from regional South Australia needs to make a 250km round trip to meet her mutual obligationsParticipation requirements welfare recipients must …

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Unemployed person forced to travel 60km to meet job agent

15 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Another says experience of new points-based system has been ‘humiliating and degrading’ A man living in regional Victoria has been told to attend job agency appointments more than 60km away under the federal government’s new $1.5bn-a-year Workforce Australia program. And another jobseeker, who …

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New employment services program crashes at launch

9 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Welfare recipients say they have been unable to log on to the new app to log job search efforts required to maintain their benefits The Albanese government has extended a 30-day pause on welfare payment suspensions to thousands of jobseekers with disability who …

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Some unemployed miss out on break from mutual obligations

21 December 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Anomaly in dates of suspension means individuals whose reporting date falls after 2 January treated different to others Welfare activists have criticised an anomaly that will see some jobseekers forced to complete mutual obligationsParticipation requirements welfare recipients must fulfil each month to continue… …

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Job agencies don’t work and ruin your health

14 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Nathan, now on disability support, says job providers did little to help his search while they claimed thousands of dollars each time he found work on his own After nearly 15 years navigating the system meant to help Australians find jobs, Nathan’s mental …

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Job agency forces unemployed to do personality test

5 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Emma Rayward says the surveys used by job agency Asuria made her feel ‘uncomfortable’ and took up most of her appointment A jobseeker has questioned why her Workforce Australia provider made her complete an online personality test that asked how well she expressed …

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Job agency makes money sending unemployed to course agency made

3 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Employability course created by company related to job agency labelled a ‘waste of time, waste of resources’ by one jobseeker A job agency referred people into an online course created by a related company that asked basic technology questions such as “click on …

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New government flags employment services inquiry

2 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Labor supported $1.5bn-a-year program implemented by Coalition but employment minister says some aspects require ‘scrutiny and oversight’ The Albanese government has flagged it may overhaul the $1.5bn-a-year Workforce Australia program after announcing a parliamentary committee to investigate its design. The employment minister, Tony …

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Unemployed forced into body language courses

1 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Providers in the welfare-to-work system are making lucrative earnings by enrolling clients into their own taxpayer-funded programs The course had to be seen to be believed. A thumbs up, the image told her, “indicates approval”. Thumbs down? “Disapproval.” Frequent blinking? “Excitement.” A person …

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