Is it time to stop ‘milking the JobSeeker cow’?

YOUR SAY: A debate over the future of a coronavirus economic support package has blown up in Mackay

A MASSIVE debate over the future of a coronavirus economic support package has blown up after an Airlie Beach business owner had two new staff quit to take Jobseeker payments over employment.

When the Daily Mercury shared Fish D'Vine owner Kevin Collins's story on Facebook readers were eager to share their experiences and opinions on the pandemic job market.

Here's what you had to say about whether the increased payment stay or go?

Matt Donald Yeah I know people who cant get their cleaners back as they are getting paid to stay home FACT.

Lorraine Tziolis Our Lord Mayor was on TV Saying the same thing up to 1000 jobs going and no one will take them

Brenton Bugeja Needs to go!

Josh Eaton Well pay more easy fix.

Dante Khoder we slave ourselves for $21 an hour only to get taxed half my fortnightly pay every fortnight and the best thing is, it's on repeat till I die!

Ash Kaye How can they just "get it", thought u had to be laid off or sacked to get it … I've never been on Centrelink nor would I want to I just always thought if u quit u don't get it as it was "your" choice to leave.

Owner of Fish D'Vine Kevin Collins has launched an online delivery service, D'livery

 

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Julie Ellis if you quit a job there is definitely a waiting period of up to 12 weeks. If these staff were hired as casuals then they'd likely already be getting Centrelink to supplement their income. It would be interesting to know did he provide evidence that he was giving them more hours than 10 a week and expecting them to be on call the rest of the time? Not everyone is willing to drop everything at the drop of the hat to take a shift. Exactly there seems to be a lot of business owners saying people won't work because they are getting an extra $550 a fortnight that ends in September but I'm sure if these businesses were offering job security or at very least liveable hours they'd have people lining up for work. You only have to watch the story of the mechanic that posted a video offering a job and how he had heaps of applicants to go through because his ad was interesting, honest and there was job security.

Marvin Pace It should go in towns where work is available.

Maree Martin If employed properly eg full time or perm p/t with sufficient liveable hours. wouldn't of had the problem … casual 10hrs a week MUST BE OUTLAWED … plus … I may be wrong … but isn't the rumbar a just a fancy little pub like affair and would have been shutdown during height of pandemic anyway …

Amanda Warry Was it JobSeeker or JobKeeper that the staff were being paid? There is a big difference in the pays.

Matt Dillon Keep the increased payments (who knows how people can survive on $250/wk) but stop the person's payments if they don't meet their obligations in seeking work. In any case you are much better off working to improve your skills and experience & even just to stay employable. Future employers are less likely to take you on if it looks like you've just been sitting on the dole for a couple of years.

Generic photo of a job interview

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Sarah Robinson Maybe pay your staff fairly.

Toni Kearl Go it's not meant to encourage them not to work.

Emily Jenner Agree it's meant to help for a little while until they find employment again not too be used and abused.

Mitch Walker There is too much of this going on. Anyone knocking back work to live off government payments should be able to be reported, and have their government payments removed.

Andrew Gaulton Why work casual few days a week for say $500. Doesn't staying at home watching Ellen plus $750 sound better?

Cassandra Turner I thought u couldn't quit your job, isn't there an 8 week wait unless year fired.

John Edward Ohl What is forgotten here is if you are on Jobseeker then you have to report income each fortnight even if you have no income, if you got income your dole is reduced by $75 for the first $300 after that is reduced by 60 cents in the dollar earned, so if you worked then you would have more money in your pocket then staying at home, if you work it does not stop all your dole payments.

Julie Vidler If they want to watch daytime TV all day rather than building their skills to better themselves then that's on them.

Kirili Lamb People need to be able to afford to live where they work. Jobseeker has long been below the poverty line, and the current $1115/ FORTNIGHT (that figure is including the rona supplement) is hardly an extravagance. That's $557.50 a week. not much. If the employer can't offer a living wage, then they have no right to feel entitled to demand workers stay there.

Julie Mackenzie So true and with rents leaping above $400 per week nothing left for bills, food, clothing etc.

Alice Lancaster Now isn't the time to bludging off the government. They should be ashamed of themselves. If you can work then work.

Nathan Ridge it'll all fall in a heap soon enough, they will pull the trigger and change jobseeker back to Newstart and it will be tested and you will need to submit all the evidence again applying for jobs etc. the gravy train has been good for ppl sure but reality is the economy needs businesses employing ppl paying taxes … personally if I was in this position atm I'd prefer to be out looking for good work I like, work I'd like to keep in the long term over sitting back milking the job seeker cow. cause when it ends which it inevitability will, all those jobs will be snapped up and will be a lot of people then crying poor me back on Newstart.

Andre Irish Gypsy It's going to get worse, imagine when they stop JobKeeper and the ones that use to have/want three shifts they have to go back to $450 gross not $750 it's going to hurt us as business owners even more.

Anzel Jooste Finding suitable work that will provide a liveable income that won't have me struggling week to week in this economy is so tough … I've been supporting myself since I was 15 and it's the first time in years that I'm struggling to get back into the work force (thank you Covid). A lot of businesses can't afford to hire anyone or provide significant hours. It's the first time I've ever received any government benefits. Trust me I hate being on jobseeker but I have to eat, I have to survive. We are people too. I'm just a uni student trying to get by.

Shane R Lambert Only supposed to be temporary. As in they on better pay to stay home while they get more than me. Can only see more walking off the job if it stays at the current rate.

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Beck Berger If they quit the should not have been eligible for job seeker!

Mary Browne so when the employer is asked to complete the separate certificate, wouldn't he put that info on there?

Debra Purdy They should not have received payment as they quit their job to losing their job big difference they will need to provide separation certificate soon enough.

Karen Hoy Stirling If people have jobs and resign this is a choice that they should get regular unemployment NOT jobseeker. Jobseeker should be for ONLY newly unemployed after job loss directly from VIRUS. Change this immediately and Jobs will be taken not left.

Paula Edwards I have two casual jobs that combined don't even make 20hrs/fn!!!So yes some of us need that $550 until work picks up.

Amanda Plahn-Bovero I think if they quit they shouldn't get a cent of it.

Lilly Vassallo Don't people realise this is not ongoing?

Megan Henderson Yep it's ridiculous right now, come September let's hope the government drops the job seeker so these people have to work.

Caralyn Straw I know of a business in Mt P that had to start again because most of the staff left for Jobseeker before job keeper was being offered. And why return to work when you are getting so much to do what you want each day.

Leo Scott That's odd. Hospitality staff were either laid off or had no payable rostered hours because pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, et al, had to close under COVID lockdown. Employees did not "quit their jobs". And were the employees expected not to pay rent or eat during the months of no employment? And many hospitality businesses are not 100% capacity so the work isn't 100% guaranteed.

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