prejudice and stigma

freebie_junkie

Broken_hearted wrote:

I can see companies point if someone can't do the job or will take loads of time off on the sick then why employ them. Women are treated in the same way they find out you have kids and suddenly you arn't suitable. This leaves us stuck OH is disable and I am a mother. Income support are useless they don't see why we'd want to work in the first place. The attitude is well you have a right to be on benefits, sit there and enjoy it. AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGg

the reason why im looking for a job now is that my 'bad days' are now down to about less than once a month so i wouldnt be off sick all teh time, maybe once in a while, and they would have to make teh odd concession for me (e.g. letting me off floor to wash my hands if i need to etc.) and i am over qualified for a sales assistnt job. i hate the attitude that benefits should be your be all and end all if youre sick in any way, i will always have ocd and dyspraxia am i supposed to spend teh next 40-odd years on benefits when i desperately want to work?!

freebie_junkie

Fleago wrote:

Hi Freebiejunkie,

I'm sure you've heard about them, but on the off chance you haven't, would these people be worth getting in touch with http://www.buryest.org.uk/

All the best

Fleago

thanks i hadnt heard of them but theyre webiste looks good the workstep thing will hepefully be able to help me, im gonna ask the disability adviser when i next see him to refer me if he can

freebie_junkie

ts_aly2000 wrote:

Hello freebie-junkie

It will work out I'm sure (hopes she says), as I'm in a similar position to yourself. The thing to realise is that most of the people in these jobs might as well be disabled judging from the catalogue of disasters they seem to wrack up. Ahhh, stereotype there I've just done it, assuming the disabled mess everything up. This is what we're up against.

Being on benefits is possibly one of the most soul destroying things to experience, it's kind of knocking a square peg into a round hole almost. You pull yourself up a bit and then bang! you're back in the job centre at the end of your 2 weeks seeing someone different yet again who's asking you why you haven't got a job. "Explain it to me, NOW!!"

In some respects I wouldn't tell them about your 'disabilities' as I don't think you have any. You've managed to tot up 2000 posts on here most of which speak common sense, you only need look at the users which have made 1000 posts of which about 200 are thanked, they're likely Comet Sales Managers or something.

You come across as being in contact with the real world, which ironically companies say they want yet fail so miserably to do.

I don't know what the answer is, how can I advise when I'm practically in the same position?

I'd be tempted to just blag it. Get your draft speculative letter drawn up and proofed, write to 10 companies and see what happens. Chances are you won't hear back from one of them, but at least a murmour of satisfaction in trying and proving a bit more to other people what you're up against. I once dropped 100 CVs off at 100 companies in a day and some of the receptionists, Sheeesh!!, did these people actually work for these companies or were they competitors.

The other thing that these companies need to realise is that when you're not working for them that you could be a potential customer.

It's not you!! Trust me, you're fine. It's them others I know that doesn't help much, but a bit of acknowledgement all the same.

As for OCD. If I was a manager in an accounts department I'd make OCD a pre-requisite, just for example. Employers need to learn how to utilise such things to their advantage. Truth is, alot of people out there are just thick.

Hang in there

thanks, so far ive sent off 20 applications thru teh job centre but its only been a bit and most of them havent closed yet so i havent gotten any replies yet fingers crossed

and what you say about being on benefits being soul-destroying, youre right its as if you suddelny become the scurge of society and teh butt of every joke, you go from being a person to a non-entity and teh people in the benefits either talk to you liek youre a complete idiot or shout at you!

freebie_junkie

well ive got two interviews today!

teh first is for sales advisor at a shoe shop taht sells goth shoes (kinky boots!) and teh second (i really want) is a supervisor at evans (and will be trained up to be sunday manager)

i went to see the disability adviser at teh job centre on monday and i got a invoice for interview clothes so im suited and wearing heels and also he said that if i work part time (bpth jobs are around 20 hours) i could claim wtc's until im well enuff to work full time

i feel a bit bad that ill still be cliaimig a benefit, but its less per week than ib and i wont be claiming any ctb or hb so i wont be taking nearly as much as i do now and ill be back working whioch is good and he did a calculation which showed id still be better off per week!

i also contacted teh shaw trust and im seeing teh woman who looks after peopel from bury next week at teh job centre

wish me luck!

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Good luck, very best wishes - go for it. You deserve to be the person you were meant to be :T

Fleago

What great news Freebie Junkie!! Good luck with the interviews and hopefully Shaw Trust will be able to come up with some support for you too :T

Fleago

Astaroth

Best of luck with the interviews (and are you sure the kinky boots isnt your preference )

homersimpson_3

well ive got two interviews today!...teh first is for sales advisor at a shoe shop.... teh second (i really want) is a supervisor at evans (and will be trained up to be sunday manager)

you've done fantastically well already to get 2 interviews from just 20 applications. Good luck with them- hope you get evans shop.

freebie_junkie

thanks so much everyone but sadly the jobs didnt turn out to be what they said they were in teh adverts

the evans one said 16 hours in the advert but its only a 12 hour cntract and the one in ramsbottom is two bus rides followed by a 30 min walk thru a really deserted area (buses dont go near it coz theres a really low bridge tehy cant get under) i kept having to ring my oh coz i kept getting lost, it took me about 6 moinths to find my way to his house when we started going out and we only lived one street back either side of a main road, i cant keep ringing him everyday when hes at work can i?

im gonna ring the disability adver today and see what he says

Fran

Keep at it f_b !:beer: