work placement or work slavement ?

dark_lady

Cindy if you did want to go to a newspaper i suggest the Daily Mirror as they had a campaign last year supporting carers and trying to get the Carers Allowance raised. The campaign was called Caring for Carers and they do still print an article now and again about the pittance benefit that carers are paid. I think they would be VERY interested in what happened to you.

Loanranger

cindy101 wrote: »

OHHHHH Sooo Love you right now Loanranger xxx, you make such a valid point,, and everything you just said make so much sense, i guess its just my anger and the thought of being abused like i felt while their thats made me feel so vengeful,, but what your saying here makes soooo much sense to me, And i thank you for that,, i will look at this all again tomorrow as im watching my Man Haye right now , but i totally hear where your coming from and thank you, xx

You have every right to be angry, everyone here agrees with that, but please don't let your anger spill over to the extent that it becomes counter productive.
I think you have to look at this situation from the other end of the telescope, that is, what do you want to achieve in the long run?

My reading of your situation is this: you want a job, or combo of jobs, paying you for your hard work and making it worth your while to be working. I think this aim needs to be uppermost in your mind before you proceed further.

I also believe that probably everyone on here would give you a job if only we could and it was in our power to do so. What does that tell you? If we'd all give you a job then it's surely possible that the retailers in your area would too, if they knew how hard working and highly motivated you are. So, next step is to go to them and tell them with your CV and a covering letter setting out briefly what you have done.

cindy101

Loanranger wrote: »

You have every right to be angry, everyone here agrees with that, but please don't let your anger spill over to the extent that it becomes counter productive.
I think you have to look at this situation from the other end of the telescope, that is, what do you want to achieve in the long run?

My reading of your situation is this: you want a job, or combo of jobs, paying you for your hard work and making it worth your while to be working. I think this aim needs to be uppermost in your mind before you proceed further.

I also believe that probably everyone on here would give you a job if only we could and it was in our power to do so. What does that tell you? If we'd all give you a job then it's surely possible that the retailers in your area would too, if they knew how hard working and highly motivated you are. So, next step is to go to them and tell them with your CV and a covering letter setting out briefly what you have done.

I Hear what your saying and will take your advice on board and thanks ,
I feel more confident now anyhow just because iv done what i did.. ok i never finished my full ten days,, but i know i could have if i hadnt gotten shitry over the trainee manager thing,,, (if id had regular help that night id av breezed it,,,but this trainee ad not a clue and he was ment to BE helpin me??? i was basically teaching him for an hour,,,, doing them bloody biscuits loool!!!,,,),,,, I GOTTA TELL YA COS AT ONE POINT DURING MY TIME WITH HIM I SAID, AFTER ID CLEARD 2 TROLLEYS OF BICIES WITH HIM PACING THE AISLE WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT,(IM WRING WET LOOOL)
I SAID TO HIM,,, "THESE RITZ BISCUTES AINT OUR ASLE ARE THEY?" NAAAA ,,HE SAYS,

THEIR WERE 8 BOXES OF THEM RITZ IM POINTING TO,, AND KNOWING WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE THEM ALL FROM HIGH UP ON THE TROLLY TO GET TO WHAT WE NEEDED UNDER THEM HE WALKS OFF AND LEAVES ME TO IT!!! LOOOOL,,,, IM NOW BUBBLING!!! ,,,,,,,i surprised myself at how well i took to it and enjoyed it TILL THEY BROUGHT THAT BIG FULL GROW MUST AV BEEN 6FT LAZY !!!! TRAINEE MANAGER TO MY AISLE,, YOU NO ID AV PROBLEY STUCK IT AND DONE IT ALL IF AT 10PM THAY'D AV SAID "cindy , your aving to do sweets and biscuit's tonight cos we'r short staffed,, " I MAY NOT AV LEFT THEIR TILL 8AM BUT ID AV AD THEM SECTIONS LOOKING SWEET!!!,,,,
BUT TO HINDER ME WITH A NO GOOD PRIZE PAYED !!!! WAS REALLY THE LAST STRAW!!! LOOOL,, U KNOW I TOLD HIM THAT HE TOOK WAYYYY TO LONG ON THE CRISPS AND HE SHOULD AV BEEN ROUND HERE STARTING THE BISCUITS AT LEAST BY 2AM,, LOOOL, HE GRINNED LIKE A CHESHIRE CAT LIKE HE DIDNT SPEAK ENGLISH TO GIVE ME AN ANSWER,,,, AT ONE POINT AS I LIFTED THE HEAVY BOX OFF THE TROLLY, I ACUTELY SAID OUT LOAD WHILE HE THEIR,, "ERE YOU KNOW WHAT MATE """ BUT I PAUSED SO AS NOT TO GO MAD AT THE LAZY SH**, CAUSE I WAS GONNA AV RIGHT GO AT HIM BUT I NEVER,,, AND JUST SAUID SOME OTHER CRAP AFET ME SENTANCE,, THATS WHEN I PUT MY BOXES DOWN AND SAID ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, THE 6FT BLACK GUY BUILT LIKE A BRICK !!!! HOUSE IS A WEAK PRIZE PRAT WHO IM SORRY I JUST CANT WORK ALONE SIDE OF THAT,,, UNLESS HE MY WAS MY MANAGER AND WAS TELLING ME WHAT TO DO,,,, BUT WHAT A FRONT,,,

scooby088

well done cindy you have given it a go, i think that in our working life we get lazy gits all the time and i have had a few verbal warnings over arguing with those lazy gits too. it does really infuriate me when a olleague doesn't pull his/her weight.

My thought is that i am not there for the manager or my other colleagues i am there for myself no one else and my first verbal warning i ever got was on my first day at a new job and i had a right go at the lazy git.

Fair play to you cindy you have given it a go and in the end proven to yourself that you can do it, i think you should take alot of confidence from doing this trial.

ceridwen

Loanranger wrote: »

I feel for you Cindy, you've worked hard for no pay and obviously really want to work. Not only that but you have worked nights and I'm sure that's easy until you're used to it.
I would add a word of caution about going to the Press though. You and your family circumstances will be exposed to the public eye and that might not be pleasant and I know you have a disabled child. The glare of publicity is not always a good thing.

Also, Tesco aren't going to change their policy because of one case and they will put their understanding of details of your situation to the Press too: that you mistakenly took the placement which was designed for JSA people; that the manager asked you to return the next night and that you were in line for a job.

I am playing devil's advocate here to show you what might happen if you decide to declare war on them.

My view in life is only fight the battles you can win and from the details you have given you can't win and anyway what do you want to win?
The manager virtually offered you a job on the spot.
Also, your name may be tarnished from this battle and other local employers, who may employ you now, may not in future.
So, proceed with caution. Don't cut your nose off to spite your own face.

I would go to the other large retailers in your locality with your CV - updated to show the unpaid placement, and ask if they have any openings for you.
How about trying to get two part time night jobs that add up to the full time hours you want? Would that work for you?
Would you go back to Tesco for part time hours if you could make up the hours with another retailer?

Which are fair points to make.

I wonder whether you might like to start a blog specifically on this - well blogs are anonymous (provided you dont tell any untrustworthy "friends" that its yours....).

ceridwen

dark_lady wrote: »

Cindy if you did want to go to a newspaper i suggest the Daily Mirror as they had a campaign last year supporting carers and trying to get the Carers Allowance raised. The campaign was called Caring for Carers and they do still print an article now and again about the pittance benefit that carers are paid. I think they would be VERY interested in what happened to you.

I dont read the Mirror myself to know re that - but, if you did so, then you could do so on the proviso its anonymous and any photo of you for instance was "in shadow". They might want to do an article more about people in general that are getting "caught" by this - and you would just be anonymous Mrs X out of 20 odd specific people they mention IYSWIM.

Achieves the same objective - but keeps YOUR name private (so as not to hinder your job chances elsewhere).

DCFC79

is it neccesary to use alot of capitals, makes it hard to read, if you werent happy with the trainee manager did you mention it to your manager about the fact he was lazy

ceridwen

Obviously OP is upset and that is understandable.

I think - personally - that the way to present this (on here or elsewhere) is minus the capitals I know. Basically - calm, cool, collected AND upset/angry IYSWIM.

Facts laid out very clearly and minus the capitals. Done in a sort of diary form:
eg: Ooh! Today I got forwarded on by the JobCentre for a 2 week work trial at Tesco (give explanation of work trials for those of us that dont know what they are). Pleased/happy/may be the chance of a job at last if I prove myself.
TUESDAY? - Started my job trial. This is how it was today...what hours I worked..what tasks I was given. First impressions....

etc etc

DCFC79

ceridwen wrote: »

Obviously OP is upset and that is understandable.

I think - personally - that the way to present this (on here or elsewhere) is minus the capitals I know. Basically - calm, cool, collected AND upset/angry IYSWIM.

Facts laid out very clearly and minus the capitals. Done in a sort of diary form:
eg: Ooh! Today I got forwarded on by the JobCentre for a 2 week work trial at Tesco (give explanation of work trials for those of us that dont know what they are). Pleased/happy/may be the chance of a job at last if I prove myself.
TUESDAY? - Started my job trial. This is how it was today...what hours I worked..what tasks I was given. First impressions....

etc etc

im not doubting the fact the OP wasnt upset

id be peeved off if i was on a placement with no pay esp when i had a supposedly trainee manager who i was showing what to do(maybe he was new i dont know),

ive had experience showing someone how to do a job on nights and it was a waste of time as he wasnt suitable

bitsandpieces

Not sure what relying on these work trials says about the supermarkets involved - it doesn't seem especially good recruitment practice. Some companies have been getting candidates to do a trial shift or two (paid) before offering them a job for yonks, which seems sensible enough. One shift at minimum wage isn't a big expense in the scheme of recruitment costs, but if supermarkets were that tight then an unpaid first shift or two might be useful .

After that, though, if someone's not working well enough to be worth paying minimum wage then I'm not sure why a supermarket would want them around, especially in the current job market. Except for the free labour thing...