work placement or work slavement ?

lynnejk

First I would go to Citizens Advice and see if you are getting all the benefits you can get. They are very good and friendly. Then I would get some voluntary work for a couple of different places for a couple of hours a week each to fit in with your child care role. This will give you a couple of current things to put on your cv and a couple of references. It will mean continuing as you are for a couple of months but will give you a better chance long-term. The very best of luck and hope you get through this ok

chuckley

i didnt realise night work placements could be unpaid aswell... WOW

williacg

Good luck, and I hope all goes well for you and you get the job. Let us know how you get on.

cindy101

NO Spendless i wont have trouble getting it back as i do get dla for my son, and am in tilted to it and am also entiled to a break, ie if i went on holiday without my son i can tell them and they hold payment till i am carering again,,

job center told me not to inform carers as i was allowed to do a work placement,
they were WRONG!
as even if i did a college course of more than 22 hours a week, (which this job is more than that) i would have to give up the money,
and id be commiting fraud if i didnt tell them,

i feel a bit sick that everyone their is like i said getting jsa, while doing this seems im the only one who is lossing out

the job was HARD,, LOT OF HEAVY LIFTING , none stop work no time to even grab a drink of water only at break time, this i found hard as i was very thirsty,

i had no watch to tell time and missed my first break as no one came and told me it was time,

i was working on my own all night with no one even coming to ask how you were getting on untill the very last minute
and if you aint finished you isle before quiting time tuff you stay till its done,,
was very hard,
but on the up side they offer great benefits for their employees,, and you can earn a good wage for doing just 4 nights,,

on doing the work i can understand why they take people on this way as i was told ALOT OFF ppl just end up not turning up its a hard job,
im back in tonight aches and pains as well looool,
but pay or no pay i now feel i have to prove to myself i can do it,
and lets face it i havent worked like this in 2 years so its bound to be a struggle to start will and i wont let myself be beaten,

? DO I FEEL IT A JOB I WOULD WANT FOR TO DO ALL THE TIME? YES,,, AS IM DREAMING OF HOW FIT ID BE AFTER 3 MONTHS OF THIS :dance:,,

AND I LIKE THE STAFF BENEFITS GIVES YOU A GREAT CHANCE TO REALLY SAVE SOME MONEY AND TO PROGRESS ,

and even after little sleep the day before and a full hard nights work (yes i felt like i was flaking out at the end)
but made it all seem worth while when i see how nice my isle looks by 8am , looool,
and i have 2 customers (pensioners) come and have a moan to me about a couple of things and i was pleased to help them looool if only they'd known it was my first night of unpaid work loool, me and my mum had a right giggle about this when i got home and told her,,
OVERALL some may think im a MUG! for doing it, but i'd be lying if i said i never enjoyed it, back ache and all x

scooby088

I think it's a price we have to pay to get a job these days, but isn't that what we do when we do volunteer work...but in the end the OP would get a paid position...

All i can say is fair play to her you are really a inspiration to everyone on here.

dickydonkin

Frankly they are better off without you.

Not when they are getting free labour!

With probationary periods and the legal right to dismiss someone with less than a years service without retribution (other that discrimination), there is no reason why an employer cannot pay at least the minimum wage for a fair days work (or nights in this case) for a trial period - especially when the employer is a supposedly reputable blue chip company.

Many supermarket chains will squeeze all what they can out of their employees with as little outlay as possible - just like they do with their suppliers.

Unfortunately, when we are buying two chickens for a fiver - do we really care about the impoverished suppliers and employees?

I think we are all guilty of accepting cheap and readily available food and products at the expense of large organisations exploitation of others - it has happened for centuries and the reality is that it will continue - particularly in the current climate.

As for the comparison with volunteering - voluntary work is usually for people offering their services for charities and worthwhile causes that they believe in - stacking shelves for nowt at ungodly hours of the morning for a company making billions in profit can hardly be described as a labour of love.

but in the end the OP would get a paid position

If a job was GUARANTEED then that statement would be a valid one.

To your supporters here and the crew that somehow make a work trial feel like slave labour, then there right too.

Come on Vader - that's a little unfair. I am all for work trials but there has to be some incentive - the OP'S situation does not guarantee her a job and she is actually forfeiting other income in the hope of that by 'working her a**e off' in the middle of the night will guarantee one - unfortunately, that is not the case and by actually losing money just compounds the insult to the OP.

Many will suggest that the employer is exploiting the current job situation - that may or may not be the case - but I wonder if the employment climate was more favourable that the employer in question would offer a work trial without pay - the reality is that currently the cards are dealt in the recruiters favour.

There is a sort of irony in this case as many if not all supermarkets sell Fairtrade products from their shelves - indeed it may be likely the OP replenishes such items. As we all know, Fairtrade products ensure growers/producers overseas are paid a living wage for their products/services - I would suggest Tesco and others look closer to home!

cindy101

so true scob
i wanted and have been training for year now to be a teaching assistant with disabled kids,
this itself requires you to do a free work placement of which i have had no luck finding but one of my mates who i was on my courses with already was working free in her childs school, and she was hoping to get a job from it , that they would take her on full time,
the women s been working their a over a year now, no pay and her hopes have been squashed as the school are now laying off TA'S due to cuts and she still working their for free with no hope of a real job,

its the times we are in today and even in my own sons special needs school he goes to the TA'S are all saying that none of their jobs are safe anymore,2 people were let go last week its a very hard time alround, best of luck to us all,:A

CommitedToChange

Good luck hon - they are taking the p*ss and shouldn't be allowed - but sadly this is now more and more common. Ignore the people who claim that by just complaining about this treatment means that you are lazy or not willing to try. You're giving up money and time for a hope of a job - that shouldn't happen these days. If they can't decided in a couple of days then they should rethink their hiring practice. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get rewarded for your efforts.

DCFC79

Cindy have you looked on direct.gov, try looking on the various supermarkets own websites for jobs

sulkisu

OP, just a thought but have you aplied to the supermarket in question directly - i.e in store or possibly even online? It is possible that the whole 'unpaid placement' thing only applies to those on JSA (and therefore making their applications via the job centre). I realise that you are not on JSA but they might be treating you as if you were. I have looked on the Tesco website - they have plenty of jobs advertised and no mention of a two week trial.

Regardless of what the jobcentre have told you, you should contact the store yourself, if you have not already done so.