Thu 3 Nov 2016 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Beneficiaries seeking work may have been forced to sign contracts allowing their employer to ask questions about their sexuality and pass on this information, a practice that Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) says may lead to homophobia and transphobia. AAAP protesting the Manpower Privacy Collection Statement outside it's Auckland offices. Photo: AAAP Facebook AAAP this afternoon occupied the Auckland offices of Manpower “to demand the end of exploitative and illegal contracts used by the company”. Manpower recruitment company is one of many used by Work and Income and it has been revealed that contracts used by the company include a privacy statement that allows the company to ask questions such as those relating to a person’s sexuality and sexual practices. These questions can also relate to a person’s religion, ethnicity and politics and can be asked at the employers discretion. Those on the Job Seekers Benefit are required to accept any suitable offers of employment and refusing to do so may result in having the benefit reduced which can include a 13 week stand down with no payments. AAAP Coordinator Vanessa Cole says “AAAP is concerned that the contract's privacy statement will lead to homophobia, transphobia, racism and bigotry. “These questions give the power to the boss and disempowers the workers. Asking these questions to beneficiaries who are already made to feel humiliated by Work and Income is unacceptable.” The privacy statement that “sensitive information” such as a person’s sexuality “will be collected by Manpower Services for its own use, to assist Manpower Services in determining suitability for placements”. The statement says this information may be disclosed to people such as potential and actual employers and clients of Manpower, their insurers, their contractors, sub-contractors and vendors and other member organisations of Manpower among others. Read Manpower’s Privacy Collection Statement here.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 3rd November 2016 - 4:09pm