Mistreated at job centre - filing a complaint.

neil277

Heart_Shaped_Diamond wrote: »

Hi everyone, hope you are well. Unfortunately I am not.

I had an appointment for signing on exactly an hour ago and I am not long back. I returned home in tears.
When I was called up to the desk the 'lady' behind it was extreamerly condecending and rude. She interrogated me and made me well up to the point where I was trying not to cry. She asked me where all the details of my job search were on the 'diary' I have to fill out. They were right under her nose - with dates.

Her: You're not doing very much. I don't see any information on the sheet.

Me: It's right here (I then pointed to the page) It's over the back aswell because there wasn't enough space.

Her: It doesn't look like very much. (There were six 'logs' if you like, that's what is asked of me every fortnight, and that is what I gave).

Me: What more can I do, i've wrote everything that i've done to try and find a job that I am asked. I wouldn't put any lies down, that's honestly everything I've done.

Her: I am not asking you to tell a lie. I'm just telling you it doesn't look like anything. What date was this? (She says pointing to a seven week old 'log'. It was actually my first one, so I didn't realise you needed precise dates at the time. I had just given an approxamte.)

Me: I don't remember, sorry. It was my first one I didn't realise I had to put them in at the time.

Her: You will definitely need to do more from what I can see. What date does that say? What papers do you look in? What websites do you go on? If you've actually been looking for a job you'd know.

I tried to answer her questions to my best but I felt really crap. She made me out to be a liar and it was frustrating, especially as I have been trying.

Me: I was on Dobbies when they were recruiting but they needed managerial positions only. I was on the Lipsy website to get a number to call in store personally. I handed in a CV but they told me they had everyone they needed at the time. I went to see a careers advisor and we were on Diret Gov together looking.

Her: If you don't do more this will affect your benefit claim.

Is that her threatening me despite the fact that I can't do more. I am scared because I need the money. After that she didn't even help to print out any vaccancy's for me. How am I supposed to apply for jobs when I don't have any to apply to - that's her job, she's supposed to help me with that! And she says I don't do enough and will have my benefit's taken away! Cheek. I even explained that I got a letter from a company saying they would like to keep my application for future vacancy's. I was pleased to hear that. But she in all honestly, rolled her eyes off of me. I don't see how much more I can prove to her I have been trying. The sheet even had things on it about me looking into working at the NHS. My aunt works for the NHS and said she would help me fill in applications and gave me the website.

I can't believe she made me feel that small after all i've done. Her tone wasn't even a pleasant one - it was very harsh. Quite nasty and definitely condecending. I sat there trying not the cry more than anything else. She didn't even let me see the computer screen to look at open vacany's. She basically sat me down, told me my benefits would be taken away if I did not do more and then told me to leave. Infact her lasts words to me were "That's it". And I left muttering thank you.

When my dad saw me as I came in the door he was alarmed and some what angry that I was upset. He phoned the job centre on my behalf to complain about the way that I had been spoken whilst looking for help and signing on.

I just felt like !!!!!! on her shoe. I am 19 and have suffered from depression and anorexia in the past. I already have low self esteem. Looking for a job is depressing as it is, without bats like her around. Her whole purpose is to encourage me to find work. I nearly told her to shove her sheet and her benefits up her hole. But obviously need the money badly - plus isn't that what she wants me to do.

I am waiting on someone to call back so they can speak to me directly. And I am really nervous.

Hi
I would advise anyone when you go to meet the people at the Jobcenter allways record your meeting on your mobile, this way you have eveidence? Bullying can be a criminal offence and is not accepted in todays society and most of all not by this Government. When i have signed on i get one of thoes big folders like a diary but with no dates in side it, and right down all jobs i apply i try to show at least 15-30 a week EVEN apply for jobs you cant do and if you use the web ask for e.mail confirmation and store it in your inbox.
Look for as many jobs as you can this will keep J Center from causing you a problem and if they are rude to you you will now have the evidence to take action against that person.


Thanks

Neil

CCFC_80

donnajunkie wrote: »

.

from now on i am going to apply for everything they give me, even if i cant get there or i am not qualified. if the company contacts me i will just explain i am here because the jobcentre sent me and sorry for wasting their time.

Out of interest and not currently claiming JSA myself,how can they make you apply for a job if you just cannot get there ? It doesn't make any sense. When I last claimed JSA, I had to show 3 job seeking actions a week which could be anything just to satisfy them but now if I am correct you have to apply for 3 vacancies a week even if those jobs don't exist.

Also when I last claimed JSA they would be tougher on people who had their own transport because they would want you to apply for jobs within an hour of your home(in my case 80 mile round trip) for the bare minimum wage. I always stated I had no transport or was a shared car owner which lead them to believe I could only apply for work locally.There was no way that I would spend £50.00 per week on petrol and travelling an extra 2 hours a day for a minimum wage job.

dmg24

loobie-lou wrote: »

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the JC. I have been signing on for the past 6 months and can honestly say that the only staff that actually treat people with respect are either the security - who have been nothing short of courteous as I needed to go in the staff lift owing to being on crutches - and one gentleman who I had to see every week for 6 weeks. The rest of the advisors are rude and abrupt. I can understand that a certain stereotype is placed on people who have to receive JSA, or maybe that's just in Leeds, but not all of us are out to play a system of receiving 'free' money! I graduated in July 2010 and haven't had any luck with jobs or anything because of my knee injury, which required surgery in November.

I hope you get somewhere xx

When you only have five minutes per customer, it is difficult not to be abrupt. The advisor has no time to build up any kind of a relationship with the claimant - think about how demoralising that is for them as well?

neil277 wrote: »

Bullying can be a criminal offence and is not accepted in todays society and most of all not by this Government.

Care to name this law?

danothy

dmg24 wrote: »

Care to name this law?

Hmm, interesting point. I suppose that you could try to show that it was harassment (or is harassment a civil matter?) or assault. Not sure how effective that would be though. Interesting that lying to someone can be extremely damaging too but not illegal in itself (unless you call it fraud).

dmg24

danothy wrote: »

Hmm, interesting point. I suppose that you could try to show that it was harassment (or is harassment a civil matter?) or assault. Not sure how effective that would be though. Interesting that lying to someone can be extremely damaging too but not illegal in itself (unless you call it fraud).

Harassment can be a criminal offence, but this would not fulfil the criteria. The same with assault, there is no intent there. Plus would the CPS even entertain a prosecution? I don't think that even needs answering!

Loopy_Girl

viktory wrote: »

Nonsense! She may have been brusque, but I saw nothing in your OP that demonstrated that you were mistreated - and you are not a customer!!!!

It does sound like you need to do more to find a job - when I was job hunting I had a spreadsheet running and it was full!

You seriously need to get a grip and grow a back bone! And your father!!! I would not have allowed either of my parents to baby me like that - and as a customer facing employee I would not have entered into any discussion with your father. Honestly - how old are you???

I agree fully with this - Daddy 'grabbed the phone out my hand'?!! Oh dearie dear...perhaps at 19 you should be able to tell your Dad in a polite way to butt out and you will deal with it...though frankly it sounds as if you enjoy this cocooning and being Daddy's special princess.

Interesting that you go on about you being 19 and pretty and you think the advisor was jealous - so she must have been making judgments that you didn't need the money? But then you go on to say that you don't wear tracksuits, you wear shoes (?!!) so you aren't a chav - don't chavs need money then?

It's crystal clear as well that it was a performing arts course that you were on - drama queen springs to mind...jesus, it's a crappy tough world out there - what would you do if an employer questioned what you had done all day? Let your eyes fill with tears and then run home so that Dad can snatch the phone up and fight your battles?

It's a 5 min meeting every 2 weeks - suck it up sweetheart and by all accounts it actually sounds like a half hearted attempt to find a job as you really want to be at Uni.

And as for the past illness' getting brought up - well that was just a 'natch wasn't it. Another example of someone playing the 'woe is me' card which leaves the genuine ill out there subject to being tarred with the same brush.

You're 19. Hopefully you will look back on this in a few years and cringe and realise what a drama you made out of nothing.

donnajunkie

dmg24 wrote: »

Have you ever considered that this is why you are long term unemployed?

There is a glaring difference between those on JSA and those who are financially independent on this thread. The former seem to dwell in self pity and find endless barriers for their unemployment. The latter have found ways to overcome barriers and to keep moving upwards.

Being on JSA is demoralising, but you make your own destiny. If you are only unwilling to think for yourself and go beyond what is in your JSAgreement, you will be attending the JCP for a long time yet.

the first thing i did in that post was to acknowledge that they're maybe not doing as much as they could. why say to me this is why i am long term unemployed. how do you know i arent doing more than what my jsa agreement requires. please read my post again. i am sure you must see that it is perfectly fair and reasonable because like i said in it if they are fulfilling whats required of them then they shouldnt be getting threatened. if you want them to be threatened for not doing more then you first need to change the agreement to say that.

donnajunkie

andy46 wrote: »

Out of interest and not currently claiming JSA myself,how can they make you apply for a job if you just cannot get there ? It doesn't make any sense.

going by the rules they cant. it is due to pure incompetence that i am in the situation i am now. i blame myself a bit because if i had been more observant when i was getting refered for it i would have pointed out that i could not get there for 7am. she probably wont have refered me then. most of them are capable of seeing sense. i remember one time being refered for a job which i did apply for. a few weeks later my application came back to me saying addressee has gone away. a few weeks after that i got a threetening letter asking me to explain why i hadnt applied for it. the decision makers saw sense then so i am trying to have faith in them now.

dmg24

donnajunkie wrote: »

the first thing i did in that post was to acknowledge that they're maybe not doing as much as they could. why say to me this is why i am long term unemployed. how do you know i arent doing more than what my jsa agreement requires. please read my post again. i am sure you must see that it is perfectly fair and reasonable because like i said in it if they are fulfilling whats required of them then they shouldnt be getting threatened. if you want them to be threatened for not doing more then you first need to change the agreement to say that.

I asked if you had considered if this was the reason why you are unemployed. I did not say that it was. Something to consider!

donnajunkie

dmg24 wrote: »

When you only have five minutes per customer, it is difficult not to be abrupt. The advisor has no time to build up any kind of a relationship with the claimant - think about how demoralising that is for them as well?

they dont care. they're still getting paid. they dont get sanctioned for making a mistake. lets face it in most cases were people get sanctioned it is due to poor judgement rather than being workshy.