Work for the Dole is an
Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government i ...
program that is a form of
workfare
Workfare is a governmental plan under which welfare recipients are required to accept public-service jobs or to participate in job training. Many countries around the world have adopted workfare (sometimes implemented as "work-first" policies) to ...
, or work-based welfare. It was first permanently enacted in 1998, having been trialled in 1997. It is one means by which job seekers can satisfy the "mutual obligation requirements" to receive the
Newstart Allowance
Social security, in Australia, refers to a system of social welfare payments provided by Australian Government to eligible Australian citizens, permanent residents, and limited international visitors. These payments are almost always administer ...
, now replaced by the
JobSeeker Payment
Social security, in Australia, refers to a system of social welfare payments provided by Australian Government to eligible Australian citizens, permanent residents, and limited international visitors. These payments are almost always administer ...
. Other "mutual obligation" measures can include: accredited study, part-time work,
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen ...
s, and volunteer work.
Under the
Howard Government, the scheme was compulsory and targeted the long-term unemployed. Shortly after the
Rudd Government
Rudd Government may refer to the following Australian governments:
* Rudd government (2007–10)
Rudd Government may refer to the following Australian governments:
* Rudd government (2007–10)
* Rudd government (2013)
{{Dab ...
* Rudd gov ...
was formed it became voluntary. From 1 July 2015, Work for the Dole became effectively compulsory for the majority of Newstart Allowance recipients. On 20 March 2020, during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, Work for the Dole was suspended, alongside all other mutual obligation requirements.
Basic Work for the Dole
Placements are available in a wide range of areas including
heritage
Heritage may refer to:
History and society
* A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today
** Cultural heritage is created by humans
** Natural heritage is not
* Heritage language
Biology
* Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...
, the
environment
Environment most often refers to:
__NOTOC__
* Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally
* Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...
, arts, community care, tourism,
sport
Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
and making and maintaining community services and facilities. Most projects benefit the general community through services and adding value to civic assets; however, some projects in drought-affected areas are designed to benefit private enterprise (through the Drought Force scheme).
Upon successful completion of a Work for the Dole placement, participants are usually eligible for a Training Credit to assist with accredited training ($800 for six months, less for less time), a ''Passport to Employment'' package of
job application
An application for employment is a standard business document that is prepared with questions deemed relevant by employers. It is used to determine the best candidate to fill a specific role within the company. Most companies provide such forms to ...
training, and a fortnightly transport supplement.
Work for the Dole services are delivered through community or local government bodies. Job seekers may be required by the government to take part in Work for the Dole if they are aged 18 or 19 years, recently completed Year 12, getting the full rate of Youth Allowance, and have been getting payments for three months or more, or aged 18 to 59 years, getting the full rate of
Youth Allowance
Social security, in Australia, refers to a system of social welfare payments provided by Australian Government to eligible Australian citizens, permanent residents, and limited international visitors. These payments are almost always administer ...
or
JobSeeker Payment
Social security, in Australia, refers to a system of social welfare payments provided by Australian Government to eligible Australian citizens, permanent residents, and limited international visitors. These payments are almost always administer ...
, and have been getting payments for twelve months or more.
In addition, job seekers aged 18 and over who get either allowance can volunteer to participate in an activity at any time. Those participating in the program usually do so for 50 hours per fortnight. Each placement lasts for six months, and is followed by six months without obligation to participate.
Work for the Dole participants may receive an extra $20.80 per fortnight, on top of their Allowance payments.
[ ] Protective clothing is provided by the project sponsor if it is needed. Essential training, such as occupational health and safety training, is also provided. Transport costs are not separately covered however, and can easily absorb the additional payment – especially for those undertaking the "full time" version.
Other mutual obligation options that have been on offer include approved training, volunteering, ''Drought Force''; for 17-24 year olds the ''Green Army Program'' and ''PaTH Internships''; and in remote areas the ''Community Development Program'' and
Community Development Employment Projects.
History
Work for the Dole was first proposed by the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
in 1987 and was enacted on a trial basis a year after it gained public support at the
1996 federal election in a
Liberal/National coalition
The Liberal–National Coalition, commonly known simply as "the Coalition" or informally as the LNP, is an political alliance, alliance of Centre-right politics, centre-right political parties that forms one of the two major groupings in Politic ...
. Despite mixed feelings among younger people, at whom the program was aimed, there was little mainstream opposition when launched.
On 1 July 1998, all job seekers aged 18–24 that had been claiming benefits for six months or more were required to join the scheme. From 19 April 1999, job seekers aged 17 or 18 and who had left Year 12 had to join the scheme after three months of job seeking. During the
2000 Summer Olympic Games, all those of an eligible age who had been unemployed for three months or more and lived in Sydney were required to participate. This temporary change was made to encourage people to take up
casual work during the Games. In December 2000, Work for the Dole was expanded to include those aged 35–39. Additionally, those aged 40–49 could volunteer themselves for the scheme for the first time. On 1 July 2002, Training Credits were paid to those completing the scheme for the first time. The initial amount was $800 for six months work.
In December 2002, the Drought Force initiative was enacted. Previously, all Work for the Dole projects directly benefited the public, community organisations or civic assets. However, this scheme expanded the scope to include work for privately owned agricultural properties in areas deemed to be experiencing
exceptional circumstances
Exceptional circumstances are the conditions required to grant additional powers to a government agency or government leader so as to alleviate, or mitigate, unforeseen or unconventional hardship. The term is commonly used in Australia, where it ...
(generally drought). On 1 July 2006, "Full Time Work for the Dole" was enacted for those seeking work for 12 months or more. They were directed towards a scheme identical to the standard form, except that the fortnightly hours of participation was increased to 50.
Despite speculation otherwise, the
Rudd government
Rudd Government may refer to the following Australian governments:
* Rudd government (2007–10)
Rudd Government may refer to the following Australian governments:
* Rudd government (2007–10)
* Rudd government (2013)
{{Dab ...
* Rudd gov ...
maintained Work for the Dole. During the
Gillard Government participation rates dropped significantly.
In July 2015 Work for the Dole was scaled up, with wider age groups as part of the government's welfare policy under former Australian Prime Minister
Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Abbott was born in Londo ...
. The programme is administered by a network of private companies. Participants are required to perform a number of hours of community work to continue to receive
Newstart allowance.
In April 2016, 18 year old Josh Park-Fing died while on a Work for the Dole placement.
In the
2016 Australian federal budget, an alternative to the Work for the Dole program was introduced, targeted at unemployed youth under 25: the
Youth Jobs PaTH (Prepare-Trial-Hire) Programme, an internship programme.
Reviews
A number of reviews of Work for the Dole have been undertaken; these include:
*2007
Australian National Audit Office
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) is the supreme audit institution of Australia, functioning as the national auditor for the Parliament of Australia and Government of Australia. It reports directly to the Australian Parliament via the ...
*2016
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
's (ANU) Social Research Centre
[Biddle, N and M Gray (2015), Evaluation of the impact of Work for the Dole 2014–15 in selected areas, Report to the Australian Government Department of Employment]
, Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
Social Research Centre. Retrieved 17 February 2016[Heath Aston, (11 February 2016) Work for the dole has little effect on finding work: review, Sydney Morning Herald](_blank)
Retrieved 17 February 2016
Academic and media commentary
Judith Bessant, in "Civil Conscription or Reciprocal Obligation: The Ethics of 'Work for the Dole, questioned the Government's justifications for the scheme, which centred on providing a means for young people to get back into the workforce by improving their
work ethic
Work ethic is a belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. It is a set of values centered on importance of work and manifested by determination o ...
. Bessant argues that there is no evidence that poor attitudes towards work, disorganisation, or other personal failings are the primary source of youth unemployment, which she instead attributes to globalisation, the offshoring of unskilled labour, and increased application of labour-saving technologies in industry.
From an economic perspective, Anne Hawke in Work for the Dole' - A Cheap Labour Market Program? An Economist's Perspective", praised the scheme for its potential, but noted that it was not fully voluntary; this would make it difficult for employers to establish whether a person had the positive workplace characteristics associated with voluntary participation, or the less desirable characteristics associated with compulsory participation.
Several academics have pointed out that Work for the Dole is the embodiment of a paradigm shift in which welfare support is no longer being considered a "right", but rather "conditional support" in which unemployed people are expected to undertake their "mutual obligation". Shaver suggests this violates the assumption that all citizens are equal in the status, dignity and worth that are necessary for full participation in democratic society. Little research or debate has centred on the economic imperative of forced labor at approximately half the rate of the minimum wage.
Subsequent studies have investigated the impact of Work for the Dole in Australian society and found that because it compels or contracts individuals to contribute, it "may actually weaken their long-term commitment to society", while another has suggested it may be discriminatory because it was found to benefit men but not women. A 2013 examination of
Department of Employment
The Secretary of State for Employment was a position in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. In 1995 it was merged with Secretary of State for Education to make the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. In 2001 the employment functions ...
data revealed the program is one of the least effective ways to help people find jobs.
Work for the Dole has also been criticised by the Australian Council for Social Services. The
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, are a confederation of Green state and territory political parties in Australia. As of the 2022 federal election, the Greens are the third largest political party in Australia by vote and th ...
do not support the program, describing it as cruel and punitive.
In 2015, ahead of reforms to the scheme which were implemented in July, Prime Minister Tony Abbott was criticised by sections of the media and other politicians for characterising the Work for the Dole scheme as an opportunity for employers to "try before they buy".
The 2016 ANU's Social Research Centre review found that 2% of participants had gained employment since the latest iteration of the scheme was implemented.
The Welfare Rights Centre and the Australian Council of Social Service
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is an Australian organisation that advocates for action to reduce poverty and inequality, and is the peak body for the community services sector in Australia. It was formed in 1956.
ACOSS is act ...
both responded that the scheme was expensive and failed to deliver value for money.Heath Aston, (15 February 2016), Work for the dole is inefficient and unreasonable and should be dismantled: ACOSS, Sydney Morning Herald
Retrieved 17 February 2016
See also
*
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
(UK)
*
Jobseeker's Allowance (UK)
*
Workfare
Workfare is a governmental plan under which welfare recipients are required to accept public-service jobs or to participate in job training. Many countries around the world have adopted workfare (sometimes implemented as "work-first" policies) to ...
(UK)
References
{{Reflist
External links
Keyword: Work for the dole''Guide to Social Security Law'' Version 1.204 – Released 12 May 2014
Government of Australia
Unemployment in Australia
Social security in Australia
Public policy in Australia
Unfree labour
1997 introductions
Howard Government
Work relief programs