'Systematically not helping people': Former Centrelink employee lifts the lid on workplace 'bullying' and department's failure to help customers

Sky News AU

a day ago

A former Centrelink employee has lifted the lid on how government departments in Australia refuse to help people and perpetrate bullying in the workplace.
Estelle Landy worked for Centrelink for more than 13 years, where she claimed customer service agents commonly refused to help customers when they could and often encouraged them to take the long and difficult road themselves.
She took to TikTok recently and said she was "disgusted" to have witnessed a similar scenario unfold at the government department of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
"So I just went to the Births, Deaths and Marriages' 'agent' to get help with getting my mum's death certificate," Estelle said in a video.
"And I watched them systematically not help people in the job that they're supposed to do, by sending them online and not taking their documentation over the desk.
"To the point where the guy beside me, I could see how upset he was, I stepped in and said 'hang on, but you can do that on his behalf'".
Estelle said the agent responded: "'Oh yeah, we can'".
"I'm like, 'why did you just tell him that he has to go home and do it?'."
Frustrated on behalf of the disgruntled male customer, Estelle said the agent was sending him home only to have to come back again.
She said the employee had the power to save him the trouble and complete his request all in one day, but chose not to.
"Like it's a f****** joke the way people don't want to help, especially when that's their f****** job."
People in the comments largely attested to Estelle's experience, with one people who claimed to know a former Centrelink employee saying workers were urged to cause as much havoc as possible for customers.
"My friend's son got injured at work and ended up working at Centrelink as an interim job," they said.
"He was told to make life as difficult as possible for everyone."
Another viewer said they were receiving Centrelink benefits years ago and went into a centre where they were turned away and told to call back.
"I was like, this is why I'm here, because I can't get through," the person said, adding to the pile of claims that employees do the bare minimum.
"Centrelink needs a major investigation with other major services," one more person said.
In a separate video, Estelle said the toxicity at government agencies is more prevalent among employees, with top management the ring leaders.
The former Big Brother Australia contestant claimed she was bullied by upper management while suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome.
Estelle said she was driven to leave the public service sector after one of the top bosses allegedly "forced" her to use a keyboard, which further damaged her already hindered mobility due to the excruciating condition.
"The s*** that they put me through was ridiculous," she said.
"So I had a very serious injury where my hands stopped working, and it was like two years.
"I'd have documentation saying I needed lighter duties.
"I had this one b**** who forced me to go back and use a keyboard when I had carpal tunnel."
Estelle said in a week of using the keyboard, she went from not being able to use one hand to both limbs being completely disabled.
"But, she just made my life hell in all these other ways as well," she said.
"When my nan died, which was around the same time, she made me bring in a f****** book from the funeral to prove that she died.
"What the f*** is wrong with people, and this was a government agency.
"And I can tell you, these bullies don't get fired, they get promoted."
In a statement to SkyNews.com.au, a Services Australia spokesperson said, "If a staff member has concerns, the agency has policies and processes in place to address any instances of inappropriate workplace behaviours.
"This includes a dedicated team staff can contact for support if they experience or witness bullying and inappropriate behaviour.
"We also have an Employee Assistance Program that staff and their immediate family members can contact for support."
It comes as Australians are struggling to navigate Centrelink and Medicare and are frequently unable to get through to an operator.
Services Australia, the governing body responsible for Centrelink and Medicare, received 7 million unanswered calls in 2023.
Services Australia recruited 3,000 more staff to combat the delays.
However, front-line workers said it would be months before the move resulted in any relief for workers facing the pressures from understaffing.
"The pressures are absolutely crazy. It's like you're holding your breath all day long," one worker from a Western Sydney Centrelink branch told ABC.
SkyNews.com.au has contacted Ms. Landy for further comment.