The Joys of Unemployment Part I
September 18th 2006 08:58
Being on unemployment benefits in this country is a joke. The whole purpose of receiving the unemployment should be that you are looking for a job.
But, the system hinders you in finding and securing a job. I can hear a lot of people out there saying, as if, the system forces you to look for work. In a way it does, but in another way it really limits you.
First of all, you spend a considerable amount of time, filling out forms after forms, as well as attending meetings with Centrelink, just to register a claim. If your claim is successful, then you need to fill out more paperwork with fortnightly forms and possibly a job seeker diary. This means regular visits to Centrelink.
One can understand that you need systems in place where people receiving the unemployment are really trying to look for work and not being actual “dole bludgers”.
But, the way Centrelink dictates what types of jobs, where, and how many you can apply for is absurd. Yes, people on the unemployment should be looking for any reasonable job they can do but they are limited in doing this because of the Centrelink rules and regulations, especially if you have to fill out a job seeker diary to receive payments.
Say, for example, you have a degree in teaching, you are only allowed to look for two out of ten jobs a fortnight in this field. This is ridiculous, especially if you have just registered for unemployment. This is where you are more likely to find a job.
There are more restrictions. You need to look for a certain number of jobs in a particular area, casual and part-time jobs, and jobs through your Job Network member.
Somehow, you are required to make contact with an employer suggested by your Job Network member each fortnight. This is impossible to fulfill when the Job Network member doesn’t suggest any jobs for a fortnight. For the first three months of receiving unemployment, you are left on your own.
You also can’t look for work in the same way, for example, you can’t just send in written applications. I can understand why, but this rule is absurd when you have just started receiving unemployment. Employers nearly always ask you to send in a written application to an advertised position. You are more likely to get a job that’s there than contacting employers with no positions available.
If you are in a straight relationship, check out my next blog this week to see how Centrelink discriminates against you.
But, the system hinders you in finding and securing a job. I can hear a lot of people out there saying, as if, the system forces you to look for work. In a way it does, but in another way it really limits you.
First of all, you spend a considerable amount of time, filling out forms after forms, as well as attending meetings with Centrelink, just to register a claim. If your claim is successful, then you need to fill out more paperwork with fortnightly forms and possibly a job seeker diary. This means regular visits to Centrelink.
One can understand that you need systems in place where people receiving the unemployment are really trying to look for work and not being actual “dole bludgers”.
But, the way Centrelink dictates what types of jobs, where, and how many you can apply for is absurd. Yes, people on the unemployment should be looking for any reasonable job they can do but they are limited in doing this because of the Centrelink rules and regulations, especially if you have to fill out a job seeker diary to receive payments.
Say, for example, you have a degree in teaching, you are only allowed to look for two out of ten jobs a fortnight in this field. This is ridiculous, especially if you have just registered for unemployment. This is where you are more likely to find a job.
There are more restrictions. You need to look for a certain number of jobs in a particular area, casual and part-time jobs, and jobs through your Job Network member.
Somehow, you are required to make contact with an employer suggested by your Job Network member each fortnight. This is impossible to fulfill when the Job Network member doesn’t suggest any jobs for a fortnight. For the first three months of receiving unemployment, you are left on your own.
You also can’t look for work in the same way, for example, you can’t just send in written applications. I can understand why, but this rule is absurd when you have just started receiving unemployment. Employers nearly always ask you to send in a written application to an advertised position. You are more likely to get a job that’s there than contacting employers with no positions available.
If you are in a straight relationship, check out my next blog this week to see how Centrelink discriminates against you.
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