Immediate employment services
If you have lost your job as a result of the global recession you are eligible to receive immediate employment services.
To access these services contact Centrelink who will assess your eligibility and make an appointment for you at a Job Services Australia provider of your choice.
Your provider will assess your circumstances in detail and work with you to develop a tailored Employment Pathway Plan to help you re-enter the workforce as soon as possible.
If you have been officially advised by your employer that you are to be made redundant, you are eligible for support before you leave your current job.
To access immediate employment services, contact Centrelink 13 28 50 or visit www.centrelink.gov.au.
For more information, visit the early access to employment services website.
Labour Adjustment Packages
Labour Adjustment Packages are available for workers who have been made redundant from eligible companies in the automotive manufacturing or the textile, clothing and footwear industries.
Through the Automotive Industry Structural Adjustment Program and the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Structural Adjustment Program your Job Services Australia provider can give you the additional support you need to find another job. This could include wage subsidies, relocation costs or gaining new skills.
Productivity Places Program
You may be able to access training at Certificate III level and above across a wide range of industries and occupations where job opportunities exist.
For more information contact your Job Services Australia provider or visit the Productivity Places Program website.
More assistance
General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme
If you lose your job because your employer has entered bankruptcy or liquidation, and there are insufficient funds available to pay your outstanding entitlements, you may be able to gain assistance under the General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme (GEERS).
For more information call the GEERS Hotline on 1300 135 040 or visit the GEERS website.
Help to manage your finances
Centrelink offers free, unbiased financial advice about your redundancy package and Government assistance.
Eligibility for income support will depend on your personal circumstances, including your income and assets. If you are eligible for income support, it may not be available for a period of time, depending on leave or redundancy payments made to you.
For more information, phone Centrelink 13 24 90 or visit the Centrelink website.
Securing Apprenticeships Program
If you are an apprentice or trainee who been laid off, the Securing Apprenticeships program can help you stay connected to the workforce so you can complete your training.
The Securing Apprenticeships wage subsidy is available to employers, including group training organisations, who recommence an eligible apprentice or trainee.
For more information call the Australian Apprenticeships referral line 13 38 73 or visit the Australian Apprenticeships website.
Special Child Care Benefit
If you are having difficulty meeting child care costs due to your redundancy, you may be eligible for the Special Child Care Benefit.
For more information, contact the Family Assistance Office 13 61 50.
Redundancy entitlements
Federal workplace law sets out specific rules and protections relating to the termination of an employment relationship. These rules relate to the entitlements a worker may be owed at the conclusion of their employment, whether the termination of the employment was unfair or unlawful, and for the enforcement of entitlements due under an industrial instrument in the case of redundancy.
If you have been made redundant and believe you have not received the entitlements you are owed, contact Fair Work Australia.
Fair Work Australia will help you recover your outstanding entitlements.
You can call Fair Work Australia Help Line on 1300 724 200.