Punishment for Profit: How private providers became the only winners in Australia’s cruel employment services system

People looking for work need help not harm. This report documents the failures of our welfare compliance regime and the privatised employment services industry, and offers a vision for supportive employment services designed by unemployed people for unemployed people.

This report includes references to potentially triggering subjects such as suicide, self-harm and
sexual violence. We use direct quotes from people who have been harmed in employment
services and through trying to navigate welfare and social services systems. Some of this may
be confronting for those with similar experiences. We encourage you to seek support. A list of support services can be found here.

Throughout this document we have included the voices of those whose lives are affected by
harmful welfare policies. We are proud to include a diversity of perspectives from hundreds of
people. This work incorporates proposals developed for the parliamentary inquiry into the Workforce Australia employment system in collaboration with contributors. We urge
you to visit punishmentforprofit.org to read detailed responses from dozens of the people who
participated in our surveys that reiterate the findings and recommendations in this report.