Are Work Trials compulsory

shaven-monkey

My local stores told me there were no jobs available and that they were cutting hours. No work available over the festive season and cutting hours for existing employees. Should have realised there was some sort of scam going on.

May be worth visiting each store every day and asking as many of the confused looking staff where stock is then making complaints when they can't tell me.

bambammy

This rule is unbelievable!!!!! Around six months ago, I tried finding a second job. The chef asked me to come in for a few hours to see how I got on. I started at 10.30am. At 1pm, I reminded him, he said a few hours to see how I got on, no pressure, but if he's decided i've got the job, I should be ringing my sitter, to be up at the house for the kids coming home from school.

He said, yes, call your sitter. You finish at 4.30pm.
At 4pm, he began to get ready to leave to go to his recently new purchase public house business, and stated there's a form for you to fill in, we have someone else interested in the job, who's coming in tomorrow morning. I will phone you at 11am tomorrow if the jobs yours.

Alarm bells were ringing. How if someone was going to be in tomorrow, to do the shift that I'd just done that day, could he ring me at 11am to tell me if the job was mines.

I got back in my car and said to the bar women, I forgot to fill in my national insurance number on my application, and asked for it back. And kept it. Asked the guy in charge for my shift money for that day because the boss left half hour before me, he said come in on Thursday. ( bearing in mind he's paying for deliveries etc )

Thursday approached Interviewers father - " Hiya, i'm in for my wage for the shift I done."
He replied ' Sorry, you were unsuccessful in your interview '
Me- ' I think you've mistaken me for someone else. I was in the other day and worked a full shift '
Him ' Like I said, you were unsuccessful in your interview work trial '

From there it got a bit ugly. He threatened to call the police if I didn't leave premises. I said that was fine, ring them and plonked my back side down on a chair. He then proceeded to bodily remove me. Which, was painful in his grip and when taken from the back, in shock, lead to me to taking a panick attack.....rang police..short version...no witness no charge. They've had complaints before, but without a witness, they can't do anything.

Well screw me lady, nobody expects to take a witness along to pick up your earned wages!!!
Rang jobcentre. ( work trial was not on the job description!!! ) It was a work trial, you should have asked if the trial included you being paid.

If employers do this with x5 new candidates each week, they pretty much have a week of graft they've not paid for and some daft toff muppet gets paid to think these ideas up!

After calming down, I thought, well if the knob jockey is that desperate that he can't fork out for x6 hour shift, i'm happy it's only an extra job is all i've got to worry about in life.

hippychik wrote: »

I wonder if anyone can help me out. I applied for a job at a supermarket, and they got back in touch a few weeks ago to say that all candidates have to complete a three week work trial before they would be interviewed.
The date for the trial is over the christmas and new year period, we will be interviewed in January.
I'd always assumed that woirk trials were voluntary and could be terminated at any time; by either side, but I have been asked to sign a form committing to the three weeks.
The Jobcentre have informed me it is my interests to do so, but to wait for an interview seems harsh.

bambammy

SomeBozo wrote: »

Look at this way, if you can handle those 15 days, the rest of the year in a walk in the park. To qualify for a Work trial you have to have been on the dole for 6 months, surely its worth a try?


Bozo

Not true! I was already employed, seeking a second job! see my last post.

bambammy

It's an attitude like that, is why work trials are in force! and people like yourself who feel sorry for themself saying stupid things like that - makes me want to scream!

I have a debilitating disorder, a life long suffering one at that. I worked threw both my pregnancies and as soon as both kids were old enough to leave with a sitter. Went back to work. Been at work more on, than off.

Just a cleaning job? What kind of god damn statement is that. If you had the savvy, you'd form yourself a company and tender yourself for the cleaning contract that's up for Edinburgh castle in a couple of years if it's not extended. Almost a Quarter million!

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/contracts-awarded-december-06.pdf

no_free_work wrote: »

but how do i start a job being labeled as having a disability and having to impress everyone for 15 day's well i don't feel confident at all .......bloody demoralising and it is only a cleaning job .......the best thing i can do is share my experience and let you know what happens after 15 days .....

wigglebeena

Has anybody got a ticket for Question Time any time soon? I'd like to see the substance of the original post brought up, naming and shaming the branch of Tesco's that's using slave labour, and asking the politicos what they propose to do about it.

Has anyone said what branch it is yet? Always useful to know where you're boycotting.

wigglebeena

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2006/jan/fmc66-200106.asp

I guess John Hutton is the guy to write to, he seems to think it's all fantastic. Anybody got an email addy for him?

wigglebeena

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pr...c66-200106.asp

tesco's in Derby, then? Or has it already been extended?

jembie

wigglebeena wrote: »

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pr...c66-200106.asp

tesco's in Derby, then? Or has it already been extended?

LOL! I applied for the new Tesco in Derby when they started recruiting. I am one of those lone parents they are trying to get out to work and I didn't get anything not an interview or a work trial. I am quite glad if they were going to have me work my butt of all Christmas for nothing in return.

I was excited when I heard Tesco were opening here as all my background is in retail so I thought I had a good chance of finally getting back out to work...

hippychik

The store is in the County town of Buckinghamshire. There are two Tesco Superstores here, it is called Tesco One, which until the trial is ended is all I feel happy saying.

hippychik

I also just wanted to reiterate something. I agree with work trials on principle; especially if you go to a small firm and require extensive or time consuming training; in this scenario you'd not be finacially viable at the start. For cleaning and other jobs i'e' in supermarkets the training is minimal and you'd start to 'make money' for the company very quickly. I have had half a days training. From that half the day I've been more or less left alone to do tasks. I don't feel motivated, those I am working with were interviewed, then placed in a job. There are others here who had work trials, they wre interviewed first and the trial lasted a week at most. To know that I am not being interviewed till Jan, and to know that they have no idea how many staff they will have vacancies for makes me less motivated.