JSA - Refusing job on moral grounds.

raphaelangelo

My sister is recovering from serious illness and on Income Support. As her youngest child is now 12 she recently attended a JSA interview where of course her job options were discussed. She came back to report that she had tried to explain that although she has animal welfare qualifications and dearly wants to return to that type of employment she was unwilling to accept a job suggested in a Greyhound racing kennels. She added that this was on moral grounds - she is a lifelong vegetarian, an Animal Rights supporter and has worked for rescues where they deal with the injured and abandoned Greyhounds dispensed with by the racing industry.

However, the Jobcentre had told her that if such a job came up when she goes on to JSA she will be obliged to apply for it and accept it if she passes the relevent interview. Her moral beliefs are apparently not acceptable grounds for not working in this type of industry (likewise they said that she must work in a butchers if necessary) and she wasn't permitted to put these as jobs she was unable to do on the JSA agreement.

This prompted her to ask whether they would expect a grandmother to work as a sex chat line operator too, but they declined to comment properly.

We're interested to know whether she could be forced to either face a cut in benefits or work in a job which goes totally against all she believes in like this, when her views are genuine and not a cop-out to escape work.

Has anyone experienced anything similar please or does anyone know whether the Jobcentre is correct in their stance?

Thank you.

slig

She could always tell them in the interview exactly how she felt about what they were doing, thus making sure she wasn't offered the job...

If someone had a religious or cultural reason not to do a certain job, I highly doubt they would force them to do it (the media would be all over it if they did), so I don't feel a justifiable moral reason like your sister's should be any different. It might just be the jobcentre employee she spoke to doesn't fully know the rules, but if it is general policy then that's awful and it needs to be changed.

raphaelangelo

slig wrote: »

She could always tell them in the interview exactly how she felt about what they were doing, thus making sure she wasn't offered the job...
QUOTE]

Lol She certainly would, I've no doubt about that! We both would in fact... maybe if she is ever required to attend an interview at a Greyhound racing kennelI should go with her!

Thank you for your help.

raphaelangelo

My sister is recently in remission from cancer and has no objection to working, something which she had done for many years until she got ill and her husband left her a month later.

Can I make it any clearer? She does not wish to "sit on her backside". She does however object to working for people who kill and/or maim animals, as would I.

I didn't ask for anyone's view on my sister's beliefs or economic situation, I asked a question about the way JSA legislation works, largely out of pure interest, and am grateful to accept information or experiences of anyone who is kind enough to answer that question.

raphaelangelo

It may surprise you, but she would, of that I have no doubt.

Thank you for your concern.

raphaelangelo

My 'sister'? Wrong assumption!

There is no problem. Please see the end of post #5 as to my reason for asking this question

Thank you.

PasturesNew

It's simple, fail any interview, which would be easily enough done by getting on her soapbox and preaching about animal rights at every opportunity.

God knows it's hard enough to get a job when you WANT it, it's easy to not get picked.

Adereterial

You can decline an offer of employment or decline to take a job on religious grounds. Vegetarians can decline to work in butchers shops - I think she was just misinformed. The Decision Makers Guidence allows for things like that.

Also, it's unlikely she will be forced to take job details without consultation, so she should make sure she reads the submission screen very carefully before accepting - once she's said yes, that's it, she has to apply or face a sanction.

Is her Jobseekers Agreement already drawn up? If not, she could exclude that type of work from the agreement in favour of something else, but still look for those positions (nothing to stop you doing this, as long as you are prepared to look for, apply for and accept an offer of something on that agreement). I'd also say she would have only slim chances of finding something so specialised from the Jobcentre in the first place - most of the vacancies we get are more generalist.

bungle4x4

PasturesNew wrote: »

It's simple, fail any interview, which would be easily enough done by getting on her soapbox and preaching about animal rights at every opportunity.

i wonder if the social get reports on people doing just this, i would stop the benefits in a heart-beat after something like this.

morals or dinner.

[Deleted User]

bungle4x4 wrote: »

just tell them, no thanks. i wont be needing the job seekers allowance.

its against my moral grounds to pay someone to sit on there backside when they could be working.

Thats helpful,perhaps as well you dont work for the samaratans?

bungle4x4

woodbine wrote: »

Thats helpful,perhaps as well you dont work for the samaratans?

true enough. but reality sucks.