‘Like battery hens’: ATO’s outsourced debt collectors face much worse conditions than those in public service, former staff say

Former workers at the ATO’s private debt collector, Recoveriescorp, say they are kept in the shadows, leading to poor working conditions for outsource workers, and inconsistent decisions for taxpayers seeking help with their debts. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

In the Australian Taxation Office’s workplace in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, a team dedicated to debt collection sits in the eastern part of the floor.

They use the same kitchen and bathrooms as nearby workers, but they are paid much less than those in the public service also collecting debts, and face inferior conditions.