Friday, 29 Nov 2024

Jobseeker asked to choose between work and job agency appointments under Workforce Australia system

Jobseeker asked to choose between work and job agency appointments under Workforce Australia system


Jobseeker asked to choose between work and job agency appointments under Workforce Australia system
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The 62-year-old is the latest jobseeker in the new $1.3bn-a-year Workforce Australia program to complain about the baffling mutual obligations he must fulfil.

Despite informing his job agency that he is unable to attend appointments because he is working full-time hours for a labour hire firm 10am to 6pm each weekday, David said he was continually being hassled by his provider, atWork Australia.

This was in the form of text messages telling him he had face-to-face appointments to attend, as well as voice-mail messages left while he was working asking him to contact the organisation.

A department spokesperson said people should not be asked to give up work due to their mutual obligations.

Guardian Australia reported last week how one 63-year-old woman was directed to travel a 250km round trip to attend a face-to-face interview with a new Workforce Australia provider, while another man would have spent seven hours away from home to make his meeting 60km away due to a lack of frequent buses. The department later intervened to say he could do his appointments by phone after the story was published.

This gives them access to benefits such as a low-income health care card, even while they are not receiving a fortnightly social security payment. Remaining connected to Centrelink is crucial for David, as it means his jobseeker payment will kick in if his hours of work are cut in the future.

The western Sydney man said he had already volunteered the full details of his job and explained he could not attend job agency appointments. He said he was told the agency would email him.

He said he was considering taking a day off work and attending atWork to ask them to stop hassling him. He said this would cost him about $230 in pay for the day.

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