‘Bizarre’ bonuses and sausage sizzles: how Australia’s outsource call centres try to lure in poorly paid workers

‘Seeing someone get a $200 bonus for no reason other than turning up is actually a disincentive to even care,’ one call centre worker says. Photograph: Maskot/Getty Images

Oliver* says morale is so low at the outsource call centre in Perth where he works that management has offered enticements just to get employees to come to work.

In December the privately owned TSA Group ran a “12 days of giveaways” competition with more than $3,000 worth of prizes for staff working on the Centrelink phone lines, according to an internal flyer viewed by Guardian Australia.