Bullying and harassment by Workforce Australia providers
Dear Department of Employment and Workplace Relations,
I request unredacted pages 23 - 29 of the documents published on your disclosure log on 10 September 2024 re bullying and harassment by Workforce Australia providers.
Yours faithfully,
Jenny Bree
Dear Jenny Bree
We refer to your request, received by the Department of Employment and
Workplace Relations (department) on 4 December 2024, for access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) to the following document:
“I request unredacted pages 23 - 29 of the documents published on your
disclosure log on 10 September 2024 re bullying and harassment by
Workforce Australia providers.”
Your reference number for this request is LEX 1306. Please include this
reference number in all correspondence relating to your request.
Timeframe
The 30-day statutory period for processing your request commenced from the
day after the department received your request. You should therefore
expect to receive a decision from us by 3 January 2024. The 30-day
timeframe may be extended with your agreement or where otherwise permitted
under the FOI Act (for example, if the department is required to undertake
third party consultation). We will notify you if this happens.
Your address
The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address that we can send
notices to. You have advised your electronic address is
[1][FOI #12470 email]. Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on a disclosure
log on our website, subject to certain exceptions. These exceptions
include where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[2][email address].
Yours sincerely,
Chris
Information Law Team
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
[3]dewr.gov.au
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations acknowledges the
traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and
their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and Elders past, present and
emerging.
Dear Jenny Bree,
I refer to your Freedom of Information request of 4 December 2024 to the
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (the department).
Please find attached the department’s decision and the document being
released to you under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
Yours sincerely,
Chris
Information Law Team
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
[1]dewr.gov.au
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations acknowledges the
traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and
their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and Elders past, present and
emerging.
From: DEWR - FOI <[DEWR request email]>
Sent: Friday, 13 December 2024 11:13 AM
To: [FOI #12470 email]
Cc: DEWR - FOI <[DEWR request email]>
Subject: Your Freedom of Information request - Acknowledgement - LEX 1306
Dear Jenny Bree
We refer to your request, received by the Department of Employment and
Workplace Relations (department) on 4 December 2024, for access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) to the following document:
“I request unredacted pages 23 - 29 of the documents published on your
disclosure log on 10 September 2024 re bullying and harassment by
Workforce Australia providers.”
Your reference number for this request is LEX 1306. Please include this
reference number in all correspondence relating to your request.
Timeframe
The 30-day statutory period for processing your request commenced from the
day after the department received your request. You should therefore
expect to receive a decision from us by 3 January 2024. The 30-day
timeframe may be extended with your agreement or where otherwise permitted
under the FOI Act (for example, if the department is required to undertake
third party consultation). We will notify you if this happens.
Your address
The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address that we can send
notices to. You have advised your electronic address is
[2][FOI #12470 email]. Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on a disclosure
log on our website, subject to certain exceptions. These exceptions
include where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[3][email address].
Yours sincerely,
Chris
Information Law Team
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
[4]dewr.gov.au
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations acknowledges the
traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and
their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and Elders past, present and
emerging.
Dear Department of Employment and Workplace Relations,
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Employment and Workplace Relations handling of my FOI request 'Bullying and harassment by Workforce Australia providers'.
You say ‘the material relates to policy recommendations and options for managing non-compliance or mitigating risk of non-compliance with contracted services providers’. And that ‘Release of this information would detrimentally affect the department’s ability to manage or mitigate risk of noncompliance in relation to employment services providers’. You don’t explain why this would be the outcome of release and I don’t think it would be the outcome.
Also an agency or minister must give access to a document if it is conditionally exempt at a particular time unless (in the circumstances) access to the document at that time would, on balance, be contrary to the public interest. The importance of how the government is going about stopping bullying by Workforce Australia providers is of significant public interest. Bullying impacts individuals terribly and can lead to depression and suicide. Here are the Public interest factors favouring access of the information on how you are dealing with bullying by providers
a. a promotes the objects of the FOI Act, including to:
i. inform the community of the Government’s operations, including, in particular, the policies, rules, guidelines, practices and codes of conduct followed by the Government in its dealings with members of the community
ii. reveal the reason for a government decision and any background or contextual information that informed the decision
iii. enhance the scrutiny of government decision making
b. inform debate on a matter of public importance, including to:
i. allow or assist inquiry into possible deficiencies in the conduct or administration of an agency or official
ii. reveal or substantiate that an agency or official or Provider has engaged in misconduct or negligent, improper or unlawful conduct
c. promote effective oversight of public expenditure
d. advance the fair treatment of individuals and other entities in accordance with the law in their dealings with agencies or Providers.
Please take these in to account fairly.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/b...
Yours faithfully,
Jenny Bree
You have contacted the Freedom of Information (FOI) inbox at the
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (the department).
This email address is only for applications for access to documents under
the FOI Act. The department is unable to respond to non-FOI related
enquiries sent to this email address, and accordingly, emails sent to this
email address that are not FOI related will not be responded to or
forwarded. If you have a non-FOI related enquiry, you can contact the
department by using our [1]online enquiry form.
Kind regards
Information Law Team
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dewr.gov.au/about-department...
Dear Ms Bree
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (department) acknowledges receipt of your email below seeking internal review of the department’s decision dated 20 December 2024 relating to your FOI request. Your matter has been assigned the reference LEX 1358 . Please use this reference in any communications concerning this review.
Your application for internal review was received by the department on 13 January 2025 and the 30-day statutory period for making a fresh decision commenced from the day after that date. You should therefore expect a decision from us by 12 February 2025.
My role as the internal reviewer is to bring a fresh, independent and impartial mind to the review.
Can you please advise if you are prepared to treat any of the following material as irrelevant to the scope of your request under section22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act:
• the names and direct contact details of Commonwealth staff and Ministerial Office staff
• email addresses
• security classifications (dissemination limiting markers) that are no longer applicable or potentially misleading.
Could you please let us know your views on treating this information as irrelevant by Tuesday 21 January 2025.
If you have any questions about your application for internal review, please email [email address].
Kind regards
Gabby
Information Law Team
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
www.dewr.gov.au
Dear DEWR - FOI,
Thank you for your email. I agree to exclude
• the names and direct contact details of Commonwealth staff and Ministerial Office staff
• email addresses
• security classifications (dissemination limiting markers) that are no longer applicable or potentially misleading
From my request.
Yours sincerely,
Jenny Bree
Dear Ms Bree
I refer to your email of 13 January 2025 requesting an internal review of
the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations’ freedom of
information decision dated 20 December 2024.
Please find attached a copy of the department’s internal review decision
and the documents being released to you under the Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (Cth).
Yours sincerely
Gabby
Information Law Team
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
[1]dewr.gov.au
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations acknowledges the
traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and
their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and Elders past, present and
emerging.
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dewr.gov.au/