Labor MP Anika Wells critical of casualisation employs casuals

One of the most vocal critics of casualisation in the Australian workforce employs casual staff in her own electoral office.

Labor Member for Lilley Anika Wells at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

One of the most vocal critics of the casualisation of the workforce — rising federal Labor MP Anika Wells — employs casual staff in her own electoral office.

At least two staffers, believed to be university students and Young Labor members, in the Lilley MP’s office in the Brisbane suburb of Nundah are employed as casual workers. They are not entitled to annual leave or sick leave and could be hired on longer-term contracts if Ms Wells chose to make them permanent part-time employees.

Ms Wells has been a critic of “insecure employment” and hiring staff on short-term contracts, with the associated loss of worker protections.

In July, Ms Wells penned an article for online news website The New Daily in which she bemoaned the practice. “Insecure work is a massive problem, and our federal parliament should be debating what we do about fixing it — and fixing it urgently,” she wrote.

“Young people, and particularly young women, are over-­represented among the ranks of casual workers subject to insecure employment and excluded from JobKeeper.”

In an episode of the ABC’s Q&A program in August, she said casualisation had scarred the workforce and there needed to be minimum standards to protect workers in the “gig economy”.

Wells delivering her Maiden Speech in the House of Representatives Chamber, at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

“I think it does matter what kind of job you have,” she said.

“What’s happened to young workers, to people in insecure work this year, should be the smoke alarm that raises this government from its slumber on ­insecure work.”

In a statement to The Australian, Ms Wells defended her ­hiring practices, blaming ­Department of Finance regulations for limiting the length of time a casual staffer could be hired. “Each and every parliamentarian is provided ongoing FTE (full-time equivalent) positions, with an associated relief staff ­budget for non-ongoing or casual staff,” Ms Wells said.

“The maximum contract length for casual employees allowed by the Department of Finance is 28 calendar days.”

The Australian understands that some of the staffers in Ms Wells’ office are on month-long casual contracts, while others had their employment status increased to permanent-part time in recent weeks.

Ms Wells’s office would not confirm the number of staff employed on casual or part-time contracts, citing privacy reasons.

The topic of workforce casualisation has been a hot-button issue for Labor, which last week established a Senate inquiry into “insecure work” following the introduction of the Morrison government’s contentious industrial relations bill.

“The inquiry comes after the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the growing number of Australians who lack secure work, are forced to juggle multiple jobs and are often denied basic protections like minimum wages, sick leave or access to super,” a Labor media statement said.

Ms Wells is a former government advisor and Maurice Blackburn lawyer and was elected in 2019 to replace Wayne Swan when he retired from parliament.

It is estimated that 2.6 million Australian employees are classed as casual workers, meaning they have no paid leave entitlements.