Am i able to refuse weekend work in accordance with my JSAg?

ceridwen

Howabout solving the whole "can they/cant they tell me to work in my free time?" question by just putting down that you can work any day of the week on the DWP forms - but, in actual fact, sticking to your guns privately about only taking jobs that are workdays only (ie Monday-Friday)?

Its wrong that one should have to resort to things like that - it should be possible to "tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" 100% of the time - but, in the case of the DWP, its wisest to just "tell them what they want to hear" and then just fail any unsuitable job interviews (not that its going to be easy to get job interviews one actually wants to succeed in anyway in this day and age:().

There is no point in tying oneself up in knots wondering whether the DWP can make one work on non-workdays (ie weekends) when there is a simple way to deal with this...end of story.

Joe_S

Hello all again. Right I dont want this topic to spiral out of control as I mentioned before I appreciate everyones help regardless of what they say.
However I would also like to say the JC shouldnt tell me what I can or cannot do.
I do have rights and will execute them accordingly if my hand has been forced.
Another thing I would like to re-iterate is I along with so many people can understand that work is a very important thing and I have worked at weekends in one particular job I did it for nearly 4 years (14:00-22:00) now I'm willing to even shovel you know what till ever what time I'm needed so long as its Monday to Friday, I will not have any old Tom, !!!!!! and Harry from the Job Centre tell me otherwise, If they have a problem with my agreement(and they have personally agreed to my JASg) then I will take it to a tribunal and further my argument there.
As mentioned in a previous post of mine, I have spoken to a couple of people at the JC and I have brought forward my querry to them, and they stated, and I quote "you are able to refuse weekend work if it is not part of your JASg, they cant force you to do something you dont want to do" it was something along those lines.
However I have spoken to a few JC people who have stated that even though it dictates on my (legal binding document) JSAg I am available for work between the early hours of the morning to 18:00 Monday to Friday, and should I refuse any weekend work It will be forwarded to a DM. And its that whats got up my nose.
I am not the type of person who appreciates being told what job I can or cant do, what days I can or cant work.
If you ask me Monday to Friday is very realistic, is that too much to ask from the Job Centre, Oh I forgot they dont give a damn about us we're just another statistic to them, no but its ok for them to work Monday to Friday, I tell you what lets see if they would like to work in the JC on a weekend because I can bet your bottom dollar they wouldnt approve of it.

My 2 pennies

Joe

ceridwen

JOE

I see exactly where you are coming from - and I agree.

What it boils down to is the basic question of "Has Society got the right to compel people to do work on non-workdays - even if it isnt actually necessary (as that particular type of work could perfectly well be done only on weekdays)?"

So - Society needs certain jobs done 24/7 - ie medical/public transport for instance.

Jobs like shop work/office work/factory work and the like could perfectly well be done on workdays only - so if a particular employer has chosen to make his employees do them on weekends as well - then on their head be it...

If the type of work one could do could perfectly well be done on weekdays only - with no detriment to Society as a whole - then one is entitled to hang onto weekends as being leisure time. If its something like providing medical services/public transport then thats obviously different. As you dont work in either of these types of work - then hang on in there to your right to keep work to workdays only.

The question then arises - are you prepared to stand up and fight for the right for people generally to stick to doing jobs on weekdays only (apart from those type of jobs that HAVE to be covered 24/7)?

If you are - then go right ahead and tell it like it is and take it to Tribunal or wherever - and good luck to you. If you arent - then tell the Jobcentre what they want to hear (like most other people do). The choice is entirely yours.

Joe_S

joeblack066 wrote: »

I'm stunned that a JSA claimant can turn down any work unless it's due to disability!! I work 60 hrs a week self employed to keep a roof over my family's heads, have no social life, and certainly can't pick and choose what contracts I accept because of an amateur sporting pass time!!!

Mr JoeBlack, with all due respect I do not have such things, I do not have a family to look after and personally I do not think my reasonings are un-acceptable.
Like I said before If the JC doesnt like it well then I shall have to take matters further, which I am well within my rights to do so.

Kaleidoscope27

Joe_S wrote: »

i just find it so confusing that one job centre employee said that i am able to refuse weekend work and then another person says it will go to a decision maker if i refuse weekend work even if my JSAg does say Monday to Friday.

I'm on JSA too but I've agreed to work all days / hours (except nighttime) 'cause I've got a retail job on my agreement. So I'm not sure about your situation. I would guess that if your JSAg states that you're only looking for jobs Mon-Fri (and these are typical working days of the sort of jobs you're looking for - which is pretty much is), then yes, you'll be allowed to reject weekend work as that was not what you originally agreed. But ask your advisor at your 13 week review.

I just wanted to say that you will come across JCP staff contridicting each other time and time again. I think some of them just live in a world of their own.

ceridwen

Kaleidoscope27 wrote: »

I'm on JSA too but I've agreed to work all days / hours (except nighttime) 'cause I've got a retail job on my agreement. So I'm not sure about your situation. I would guess that if your JSAg states that you're only looking for jobs Mon-Fri (and these are typical working days of the sort of jobs you're looking for - which is pretty much is), then yes, you'll be allowed to reject weekend work as that was not what you originally agreed. But ask your advisor at your 13 week review.

I just wanted to say that you will come across JCP staff contridicting each other time and time again. I think some of them just live in a world of their own.

Never mind a world of their own - a lot of them wont know their jobs properly. So - its wise to ask for "chapter and verse" of anything they say to you I would have thought. The ones who know their job properly might be able to provide it - the ones who dont will just look blankly at you.

Joe_S

ceridwen wrote: »

JOE

I see exactly where you are coming from - and I agree.

What it boils down to is the basic question of "Has Society got the right to compel people to do work on non-workdays - even if it isnt actually necessary (as that particular type of work could perfectly well be done only on weekdays)?"

So - Society needs certain jobs done 24/7 - ie medical/public transport for instance.

Jobs like shop work/office work/factory work and the like could perfectly well be done on workdays only - so if a particular employer has chosen to make his employees do them on weekends as well - then on their head be it...

If the type of work one could do could perfectly well be done on weekdays only - with no detriment to Society as a whole - then one is entitled to hang onto weekends as being leisure time. If its something like providing medical services/public transport then thats obviously different. As you dont work in either of these types of work - then hang on in there to your right to keep work to workdays only.

The question then arises - are you prepared to stand up and fight for the right for people generally to stick to doing jobs on weekdays only (apart from those type of jobs that HAVE to be covered 24/7)?

If you are - then go right ahead and tell it like it is and take it to Tribunal or wherever - and good luck to you. If you arent - then tell the Jobcentre what they want to hear (like most other people do). The choice is entirely yours.

Thank you Ceridwen, your post has trully motivated me and I trully beleive in the saying "you live by the sword, you die by the sword" and that is why a refuse to be forced into something by some jobsworth. At my 13 weeks interview, I will say I wish to keep the same days and hours in my agreement and the same type of work however if they dont agree to it then I will be reporting to my local CAB further help into getting this matter resolved even if it means going to a tribunal.
The little people shall not be pushed around any longer and I will see to it.

Vader123

However I would also like to say the JC shouldnt tell me what I can or cannot do.
I do have rights and will execute them accordingly if my hand has been forced.

You are asking the state to intervene and give you a income.

They will do that but with conditions.

You have been unemployed for so long that you are now going to be made by the JC+ to broaden your search for other jobs, in other industries to what you are used to or have skills in.

Now you can rattle on about "rights", "spare time", "telling them what they want to hear", but ultimately you are going to made to look for other jobs. Only the DM can decide.

Vader

dookar

Joe_S wrote: »

Thank you Ceridwen, your post has trully motivated me and I trully beleive in the saying "you live by the sword, you die by the sword" and that is why a refuse to be forced into something by some jobsworth. At my 13 weeks interview, I will say I wish to keep the same days and hours in my agreement and the same type of work however if they dont agree to it then I will be reporting to my local CAB further help into getting this matter resolved even if it means going to a tribunal.
The little people shall not be pushed around any longer and I will see to it.

Good grief! Have I stumbled into some lunchtime melodrama?

ceridwen

Joe_S wrote: »

Thank you Ceridwen, your post has trully motivated me and I trully beleive in the saying "you live by the sword, you die by the sword" and that is why a refuse to be forced into something by some jobsworth. At my 13 weeks interview, I will say I wish to keep the same days and hours in my agreement and the same type of work however if they dont agree to it then I will be reporting to my local CAB further help into getting this matter resolved even if it means going to a tribunal.
The little people shall not be pushed around any longer and I will see to it.

You are taking a risk if you do that...and I would be "failing in my duty" if I didnt point this out to you quite clearly. So - deem it duly pointed out. It may come to Tribunal if you do that - and it is not possible to tell how fairminded they would be in advance.

Having said that - I wish you luck.