Mistreated at job centre - filing a complaint.

Sambucus_Nigra

You need to learn to play the game.

I had the pleasure of the dole office for 3 1/2 months this time last year.

I was asking for a new book every fortnight as I WAS completing every line. In fact, I would run out of space - the jobs I applied to were focused and on the ball.

I also noticed that each job they printed out for me never ever resulted in any response at all. I suspect that these are in there to check that you are applying and [again] playing the game.

Although Mr Redundant is a little hard hitting, and sharp - the advice about where to look and the number of jobs that you need to be applying for is spot on.

Uncertain

To get back to the original question.......

Obviously the woman should not have behaved as you have described.

However, the problem with making a complaint that is in any way meaningful will be a lack of evidence.

She will no doubt deny acting inappropriately so her bosses will be able to do little more than have an informal word.

Also, you will not find out what, if any, action is taken against her for data protection reasons.

For the future, either have somebody with you (I assume that is allowed) or secretly record the meetings (most mobile phones can do this these days). That way you will at least have hard evidence if it happens again.

This might just help others in the future but I'm afraid at best you will get a meaningless letter of apology.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Savvybunny2009 wrote: »

In my experience, you go there, are kept waiting an hour or so whilst they chat, sip their coffees and make it very clear that they are catching up on the latest episode of their favourite soap opera gossip when they could actually be helping with the signings. Have you asked about vacancies at the jobcentre? I only ever met one helpful advisor and he was truly brilliant at his job.

!

Not been to one for a while have you? They get 5 min slots now to see people and try and gleen as much info from you as they can..

Blobby8_2

Sorry to agree with mr redundant, but if you think your efforts are going to get you a job you are mistaken. Hopefully they(JCP) will allow you to dawdle about on benefit whilst the real jobseeker will go out, do the time, get the job, and progress by showing hard work, self belief and application. Its a tough market place, shape up now or fail.

neas

My wife had to visit the job centre after she quit her uni course and she too was treated pretty rubbishly.. but she said it was pretty rubbish in there.

Like she was just a number... they wanted 6 job applications done per 2 weeks... she didny have your problem though as she kept her own diary and applied for well over 10 jobs a week.. everthing and anything.

I'd also like to add a little nugget to anyone looking for work... I helped my wife get her job and what we learned was this.

1. A well written CV will help tremendously
2. A Well written COVERING LETTER... CUSTOMISED for the job will help the most.

Simply handing your CV to various stores or jobs... and sending dry copy and pasted letters for generic job titles shows you put less effort into an application form that someone who relates and talks abou the position or how they would be a good candidate etc.

Heart_Shaped_Diamond

How many jobs are there for someone with little or no qualifications and no experience. Where there are no retail jobs because of the time of season. Even the supervisor from the job centre agreed with me on that. I am being offered admin jobs on print outs but am probably not as likely to get call backs because of my lack of experience, as I previously pointed out. I also have previous illness that is known about.

I'm doing what I can. It's not that easy.

Heart_Shaped_Diamond

And if you've ever job searched, you'll know that nobody ever wants your CV and nobody ever has applications. The ones that take them in usually go straight into the bin or dumped on top of a massive pile of CV's behind the desk the poor mr or mrs has handed in before you with false hope.

All the people that say it's as easy as putting some hard work in finding out who's looking and applying. It's not, even if you work hard to find a job nobody is looking to hire anybody - you just go around in circles in the same places day after day after day.

Blobby8_2

I didnt say it was easy, I said its up to you, if you want to fail , carry on as you are , if you put in lots more effort you may still fail, but you may succeed. So in a way you currently have two choices win/lose or lose/lose not my preferred odds but hey its up to YOU no one is going to search you out.

Heart_Shaped_Diamond

Why are you making the assumption that if I carry on the way I am, I will fail? What am I doing, to your knowledge, wrong?

suburbanwifey

Just my two-penneth after reading this thread!

I have never had to 'sign on' fortunately as I cannot imagine a more soul-less place than the so-called job centre. I did however, go in with a friend who had to sign-on quite a few years ago.

The place was staffed mostly by women and one man I think. They were arrogant, unpleasant, treated my friend like crap and spoke to her in a manner that would seriously annoy me if I was spoken to like that.

She got a pittance in money from them every fortnight. She had worked all her life from age 16 and had been made redundant when the large firm she worked for closed the entire plant where she had worked and earned a large salary from. She probably had earned 4 times what the arrogant fat moo earned who spoke to her like she was crap on her shoe.

She was highly qualified and they were expecting her to apply for minimum wage jobs? how ludicrous was that! The few they forced her to apply for sent her packing as she was over-qualified. They don't try to get you the right job for you in there, they try to get you any job, even one that is paid so little its not worth getting out of bed for.

I sat there seething next to my friend, who took it with a pinch of salt and then we slagged off the fat witch who treated her badly.

I pity anyone who has to walk unto such a place. They are horrors and treat you like dirt.

I can well understand the OP being upset and her dad going mental. I would if she was my daughter. What were they doing forcing her to leave college? she was on her way to being more qualified and would have found it easier to get a good job. They want her on minimum wage and living like a pig the rest of her life? It seems so....

Yes, they have a duty to get a job, yes, some of Redundants points are valid...but come on, they treat you like crap in there. I think I'd rather starve than have to lower myself to that..I hope to God I never have to.

Poor lass....get yourself back to college, go get that degree...stuff getting a minimum wage 'go nowhere' job where you will live in poverty all your life....the nasty woman who abused you isn't fit to work in there, where people come in who are down, demoralized and poor enough as it is..