Jobcentre Rant (long)

unluckyone

Dabode wrote: »

This is just a rant regarding our local Jobcentre. My DH was made redundant 13 weeks ago after 40 years in the catering industry, the last 9 years at senior manager level and who has never ever claimed any kind of benefit in his life. He also suffers from peripheral neuropathy which has left him with minimal feeling in his hands so his days as a chef are gone since he would be a serious hazard to himself using knives etc. This however does not stop him being extremely good as a manager and troubleshooter.

Yesterday he was at the jobcentre for his 13 week interview where some snotty arrogant young female was interviewing him and said he must now lower his standards and apply for anything she deems appropriate. I should add that there hasn't been a week gone past that he hasn't been applying for jobs, ageism is indeed alive and well if you are 56.

She handed him a list of jobs, 3 in an industry he has no knowlege of but because they have manager in the title then they must be suitable and another 3 which are chef manager jobs at just above minimum wage and they will take around 90 mins each way to get to.

He says that he has never felt so demeaned as he did while this young woman was talking to him as she smirked and told him that a 90 min commute each way for just above the minumum wage was in her mind acceptable despite him also pointing out that it is innapropriate for him to work as a chef.

I guess this is a rant about the whole demeaning process. He does voluntary work 2 days a week just to keep occupied, he studies and yet this dfemale who wasn't even born when he started working has the gall to sit and be sanctimonious and a proper jobsworth because he is claiming the grand sum of £64 a week which when this runs out he will get nothing as I also have worked all my life. There are families locally who are on their 3rd generation of unemployed and who are doing rather nicely thank you very much and who will happily admit that they have never had and never will have any intention of working :mad:

I don't suppose there is any purpose to this apart from getting it off my chest :mad::mad:

I'm glad you had a good old rant, use the forum as you wish.
I think it's inappropiate for other users to have a go at you for doing so.

I completely understand what you are saying.

Yes, jobcentre plus and the government might very well have the jobcentre plus workers reading from memos but that does not make it any easier for people like the above who have to sit there and listen to it.

No one would have thought that in 2009, going into 2010 the country would have been in this state.

People like the above have worked all of their lives, it's what they know, a honest days work for a honest days pay, a trade meant a trade then so the government may well want to tell people to look elsewhere, but it is not easy, they will have to take some responsibility in helping people get there.

Businesses have the pick of the crop at the moment, they can afford to be choosey. So give me an example of when a disciplined industry that the above is not familiar with would choose him over someone who is familiar with their business!!
It just doesn't work like that!!
So everytime JCP wants to put you forward for a job that you know you are not suitable for what do you think that does to your self esteem!!!
Dents it, thats what it does!!
They have targets, they have to get so many people into work each month, a large percentage of poeple at the JCP and SHAW TRUST don't care about how sustainable the job will be for you in the future, they don't care about the housekeeping of the job, travel distances, wages, environment etc.

It's irresponsible for the lady in JCP to suggest he lower his standards.
It's not about lowering standards.
What ever job you do you can do it with pride and to the best of your ability.
Whether the JCP lady was 20 or 60, they should have more understanding of the unemployed state of mind.
She could offer him some training to gain other skills.

Unfortunately, people can be rude and condescending.
And sometimes people are just not emotionally intelligently aware to appreciate the effects of what they say and how they say it can have on people.

You can share a rant with me anytime, keep smiling and just take one day at a time

dugdale_2

If I understand the OP correctly her husband is unable to work as a chef any longer however he has many years experience as a catering manager.

After 13 weeks of job seeking he has been unable to secure a job as a catering manager in his local travel to work area so was asked to look at increasing the area in which he is looking for work plus also to look at widening his job searches to include other positions that he might be qualified to do.
The OP stated that her husband is a very good manager and troubleshooter then moans when the jobcentre adviser locates management positions that she thinks her customer might be suitably skilled to do.
What did the adviser do wrong ? should she have told the OPs husband that there were no suitable vacancies and sent him home empty handed?

unluckyone

dugdale wrote: »

If I understand the OP correctly her husband is unable to work as a chef any longer however he has many years experience as a catering manager.

After 13 weeks of job seeking he has been unable to secure a job as a catering manager in his local travel to work area so was asked to look at increasing the area in which he is looking for work plus also to look at widening his job searches to include other positions that he might be qualified to do.
The OP stated that her husband is a very good manager and troubleshooter then moans when the jobcentre adviser locates management positions that she thinks her customer might be suitably skilled to do.
What did the adviser do wrong ? should she have told the OPs husband that there were no suitable vacancies and sent him home empty handed?

the original poster gives the impression that she is disgruntled about the "way in which" the advisor spoke to her husband and made him feel.
whether delivering positive or negative news there is a right way and a wrong way to deliver.
advisors working with the unemployed should and do need to be understanding of the customers state of mind and likely low self esteen and possibly the customers despondent frame of mind.
times are hard for the unemployed.
no person is more or less deserving than the next (i will say that but at times i get angry myself at the circumstances i see).
the advisor has a job to do and is "right" in encouraging the customer to broaden his search but like i say, it is the way in which this is delivered.
the skills of the advisor will make all the difference.

busy_mom_2

unluckyone wrote: »

the original poster gives the impression that she is disgruntled about the "way in which" the advisor spoke to her husband and made him feel.
whether delivering positive or negative news there is a right way and a wrong way to deliver.
advisors working with the unemployed should and do need to be understanding of the customers state of mind and likely low self esteen and possibly the customers despondent frame of mind.
times are hard for the unemployed.
no person is more or less deserving than the next (i will say that but at times i get angry myself at the circumstances i see).
the advisor has a job to do and is "right" in encouraging the customer to broaden his search but like i say, it is the way in which this is delivered.
the skills of the advisor will make all the difference.

But... having worked with unemployed people for over 10 years what about the way we get spoken to? what about the abuse we put up with?
We only have the op saying she spoke to him in this manner could she maybe of been really nice but he just wasn't happy that she suggested he lower his standards?
I have lots of complaint letters saying advisers are treating people unfairly and being rude to them, they fail to realise I sit behind my staff and regualy move desk so I can overhear interviews and most of the time people just don't like being challenged as to what steps they have taken to look for work or the fact we can't fund a course they want to do.
Most places have signs up any abuse of any kind and we don't deal with you we don't have that choice. People have to do a hell of a lot before we ban then from an office.

john539

Dabode wrote: »

This is just a rant regarding our local Jobcentre. My DH was made redundant 13 weeks ago after 40 years in the catering industry, the last 9 years at senior manager level and who has never ever claimed any kind of benefit in his life.

Yesterday he was at the jobcentre for his 13 week interview where some snotty arrogant young female was interviewing him and said he must now lower his standards and apply for anything she deems appropriate. I should add that there hasn't been a week gone past that he hasn't been applying for jobs, ageism is indeed alive and well if you are 56.

She handed him a list of jobs, 3 in an industry he has no knowlege of but because they have manager in the title then they must be suitable :rolleyes: and another 3 which are chef manager jobs at just above minimum wage and they will take around 90 mins each way to get to.

He says that he has never felt so demeaned as he did while this young woman was talking to him as she smirked and told him that a 90 min commute each way for just above the minumum wage was in her mind acceptable despite him also pointing out that it is innapropriate for him to work as a chef.

Welcome to the Benefits System, people only realise what it is really like when they experience it.

You have understand the history of the last decade to understand what Jobcentres have turned into. It's just become the norm to treat the unemployed like that.

The majority of sign-on staff don't have a clue about the jobs & people they are dealing with. They don't understand the jobs, they don't understand people's work experience, they don't understand what employers want.

You have to adjust to the system to keep the staff happy & you'll be fine.

movingforward2010

Here we go again, another 'The Jobcentre is making me/my husband/wife/ son/ neighbour get a job thread, how dare they'

Funnily enough most of these people (if they were still in their high salary super manager jobs) that moan like this would quite likely tell others to lower their standards and get a job in McDonalds, because how very dare they turn down a job and expect to be kept by the tax payer :rolleyes:

If your husband really doesnt need the £60 odd a week , tell him to go fill in a NC1 and get credits only!

fresian_cow

Just read through all of this out of interest, what a bizarre thread. To the first person I think it's awful that your husband felt that the jobcentre advisor spoke down to him but I wonder if part of the way he feels is less about the way she spoke to him and more about his own personal attitude towards his unemployment. I am only fairly young (28) and the two times I have been unemployed I have felt like a burden to my husband and pretty much like scum going into the jobcentre having to explain what I have done to find work in order get the small amount of money.

Please consider what it is like to be a young person working for the DWP/jobcentre and how difficult it to do your job and meet your targets while talking to people like your husband. We do sympathise with peoples circumstances and we do understand what experience means and how it restricts the kind of job people want to apply for but as others have said, experience can sometimes be transferable. People working in the jobcentre have targets to meet and they don't mean to be insensitive. They are just trying to keep hold of their jobs so they don't end up on the other side of the desk.

To the other poster (graduate with savings, 3/4 trains to uni blah blah) I turned up to the jobcentre because I had bills to pay and it's nice to hear that you have managed to graduate with savings but some people aren't that lucky. I was willing to apply for minimum wage jobs even though I had a degree because I have a work ethic and was willing to try anything to get work, not only for the wages but the boost to my self esteem.

I have no idea how you managed to graduate with savings, I can only hope that you never run out because you're attitude is why older people have such an attitude to younger people. You're attitude is absolutely disgusting and when the money runs out, which it will (unless that is your parents are keeping you) you will need help. I just hope you can see sense before you end up in debt. I also wonder how you expect to get any sort of job as many jobs you will probably consider to be worth applying for will want experience you don't have.

System

If the issue is the way she spoke to him then she needs to remember manners cost nothing and talking down to, and demeaning people isn't going to help them get work (and get off JSA and get the advisor their bonuses...). We all have bad days but you can't take it out the customer/client, its unprofessional (and i'm saying that even though there were times i have wanted to-gamblers could be a nightmare at times)

And back to not wanting menial jobs after graduating, i had to get any job i could to survive, i ended up working in a call centre, it was !!!! but it paid the bills. (and also drove me to a nervous breakdown but thats another story!).

busy_mom_2

A lot of industry has gone, a lot of local industry has gone. poeple have to realise they have to look at other types of work, they have to look further than the 5 - 6 miles they used to travel to get to work.
We have to focus on what you can do not want you can't do.
If your job is no longer there that paid you £x wages you have to look at other options.
Jobseekers allowance is what is says on the tin an allowance for people seeking 'work'. Not the well paid job that you have unfortunately lost.
Yes we have targets and rules to follow and no we have no magic wand. We try to do our job as best we can with the resources we have.

seven-day-weekend

Good post by busy mom.

Although I agree that the advisor in no way should 'talk down' to any client, it is their job to get them off Jobseekers' Allowance and the client should be prepared to at least consider any sort of suitable job.

Was it really necessary for the OP to refer to the advisor as 'a snotty arrogant young female'? Could not they just have been referred to as 'the advisor'? Maybe the attitudes of some of the clients are not all that good either, so they see 'snottiness' and 'arrogance' where actually none exist.