Determining whether Report Job Search is appropriate

MSD must assess whether Report Job Search is suitable for a partner and their circumstances before it may be imposed as a non-financial sanction.

Partners will keep getting their full benefit while completing Report Job Search, instead of a 50% financial sanction.

MSD must consider any relevant factors before choosing to impose Report Job Search. Examples of some factors to consider are listed below.

If Report Job Search is not suitable, a different non-financial sanction may be appropriate.

Partners with work obligations who fail a social obligation may have Report Job Search imposed. However, it may be more appropriate for a partner to recomply with their failure by meeting their social obligations, rather than completing Report Job Search.

Note if a partner doesn't have work obligations they cannot have Report Job Search imposed on them.

If a partner lives in a limited employment location, there may be fewer job-search activities available for partners to complete. MSD should consider a partner's local labour market when determining if Report Job Search is appropriate.

Note partners who live in areas with limited job opportunities must be able to meet their obligations to look for and find suitable work. This can include being willing and realistically able to commute to nearby towns or centres to find employment.

Partners with limited skills or work experience (e.g. recent school leavers) need to be looking for any suitable work available in their area. A lack of work history shouldn't prevent a partner from being able to complete Report Job Search.

However, a partner's barriers to employment and personal circumstances should also be considered when deciding if Report Job Search is appropriate.

Partners must be able to report their job-search activities on MyMSD. MSD should consider a partner's ability to access and report on MyMSD before imposing Report Job Search. For example:

• the partner must have access to a device they can access the internet on (this can include the kiosks at a service centre)
• if the partner doesn't have access to a device they can access the internet on, consider their ability to get to a service centre,
• the partner must have adequate digital literacy skills to report their job-search activities