Very Rude Job Centre Staff

gravitytolls

scooby088 wrote: »

Those are your thoughts but i am, i use the jobcentre daily and the staff aren't there to get you a job, if they give you a job to apply for apply for it, as this can lead to benefit being sanctioned.

The OP did say her daughter wanted to work in the same industry again but with todays job market nearly every industry is highly competitive so limiting yourself to one industry when you may have transferable skills is quite frankly foolish for the time being.

I do have a certain amount of sympathy for jobcentre staff when most of the customers who they see are for all sense of the word hopeless causes.

What are they for then? It should be called a job centre if the staff can't/won't assist in finding jobs.

FOX_HOUND

gravitytolls wrote: »

What are they for then? It should be called a job centre if the staff can't/won't assist in finding jobs.

Its not the jobcentre, its called the jokecentre.

But the laugh is on the users by this repulsive coalition government.

Vincent_Buenisedes

gravitytolls wrote: »

What are they for then? It should be called a job centre if the staff can't/won't assist in finding jobs.

Nowadays I feel their main function is to handle all the bureaucracy piled upon the from above and handle the continuous shunting of claimants around the various differenent benefits and employment schemes.
The days of them actually HELPING you are long gone. Just over a decade ago, I got my first job through the Jobcentre where I took a card off the wall, saw the advisor, they rang up the employer and arranged the interview and I started the next week. Now all they can do is print off a couple of jobs as time is usually pressed. I think in the future the whole lot will privatised.
I've had my fair share of petulant advisors and at first I would get angry with them, but I've learned a nice formal complaint to the manager usually sorts it.

daveandjadea

OP, your daughters experience is unfortunately nothing compared to what she could face...

For two years they made me apply for call centre work, I can't use a phone due to having Asperger's but despite telling them this they ignored me, when they finally acknowledged this they insisted I was to blame so were going to kick me off JSA, they deemed me 'mentally incapable of working' so told me I had to apply for ESA (using phone) - denied ESA as there's no criteria for autism in the assessment and I'm perfectly capable of working, got back on JSA but it took a year to sort out my payments; insisted I had to contact head office (using phone), when they could have done it from their PC's.

I've had to go to New Deal (packed into a room for 13 weeks without enough seats, nothing to do, treat like children, and unable to apply for work - I had to leave college for this), very basic numeracy and literacy course as they didn't believe I have A-level maths and English, call centre work placement (again - using phone) which was dodgy as hell so caused me to have a huge meltdown which knocked my confidence, they've also made a point to set my sign-on days so I had to leave college for a second time...etc...etc...etc. Currently they're making me apply for retail work as they don't think I'm capable of anything else (despite having held down good jobs long-term) - I have no experience in retail, it's far from ideal work for an autistic person, and retail work doesn't offer nearly enough hours - they also STILL give me jobs to apply for that require me to use a phone (my disability support advisor too).

Anyway, getting past the 'woe is me' tangent I've gone into here...

The point is that they are rude, prejudice, and ignorant. They're attitude is that we're all lazy and stupid, they can be as rude and prejudice as they like because we can't really complain, but they don't seem to understand that this attitude within society is what keeps many of us out of work! They're there to safeguard against scroungers, but right now the majority on JSA are far from scroungers, so the system no longer works and prejudice against unemployment means we all experience rudeness and the job centre does less to help us and more to stop us from getting back into work.

[/rant]

mickyrod

Thanks for all the comments - good and bad!

Happy ending to story - Daughter now has a new job in the industry she loves. More money that he old job as well.
She found this job herself, not through the jobcentre. If they had their way she would now be working as a receptionist on minimum wage!!

By the way bluenoseam, it was her national travel award that got her the job.

ARM10

mickyrod wrote: »

Thanks for all the comments - good and bad!

Happy ending to story - Daughter now has a new job in the industry she loves. More money that he old job as well.
She found this job herself, not through the jobcentre. If they had their way she would now be working as a receptionist on minimum wage!!

By the way bluenoseam, it was her national travel award that got her the job.

Congratulations on your daughter's new job! :T

debrag

pillion wrote: »

Our son was made redundant in June and I took him to his appointment at the Jobcentre myself. I was shocked to see a security guard on the door and couldn't understand why they would possibly need one, it is a very quiet town and certainly not known for trouble. By the third visit I understood fully why they needed a security guard! They had infuriated me no end and I wasn't even claiming JSA. I was told which chair to sit on while I waited and all around me there were desks where the Jobcentre staff interviewed those coming to sign on. I was able to clearly hear many conversations I shouldn't have heard where the staff gave claimants a really hard time regarding their job search and threatened them with the loss of their benefits. My son, who is 25, would come away feeling intimidated and demoralised. They never offered any constructive help or advice. He was going to just stop claiming because he couldn't face going anymore. In the end we set him up in business on his own. He's not making any money yet but at least he's got his self respect back. I realise not everyone has this option and have no choice but to sign on and I feel for them. Something really needs to be done about the Jobcentre, they do little or nothing to help with peoples job search and do far more harm than good.

you actually could wait inside? I never could when going in to support my partner.

Gambit4PM

After my first appointment at a Job Centre yesterday, I can only agree with much of what has been written here - though with a caveat at the end. I am recovering from surgery to remove a deep brain tumour in January - the diagnosis meant that I sold my succesful renewable energy business in December, in case I died. Unfortunately, whilst I was in hospital, my wife emptied my bank account and left me. So, I lost my health, my job, my savings, my family and my home (and my driving licence) in the space of a couple of months. Despite this, I have not wallowed in selfpity and have worked hard on my rehabilitation. I have been trying hard to find work and support myself without resorting to benefits. I have had a bit of luck with temporary part-time work, such as university lecturing in the holidays, writing technical articles for trade magazines etc, but nothing permanent or durable.
As even this work has recently dried up, my doctor and brain injury rehabilitation therapist advised me to apply for JSA - what a mistake.
I was treated like an errant child in the initial interview and the member of staff poured scorn on me for not claiming disability benefits instead - she said that I'm either disabled or I'm not. She didn't even want to check my medical notes to prove that I wasn't making it up. I don't feel disabled and I want to work. I wish I could drive, but I'm not allowed to as I'm epileptic. I also have certain neurological deficits as a result of the brain surgery and a brain haemorrhage I suffered as a result of the tumour. But I don't see why I cannot lead an ordinary life like other people. I just need some JSA because I have no money left, to tide me over until I get my next job. However, the advisor treated me like subhuman scum and belittled me in front of an office of people. Without even bothering to look at my CV, she told me that I was applying for jobs way above my league (i.e. managerial, consultancy and advisory level) and that I would have to apply for 'entry level' positions otherwise I would be 'sanctioned'. This apparently means I would not be allowed to apply for any benefits for 3 years. The jobs she had in mind were bin-emptying and street cleaning. Furthermore, she told me I had to apply for jobs within a 90 minute commute. I pointed out that such travel costs would be excessively punitive for someone on minimum wage and that something closer would be fine - not so difficult as I live in Birmingham - but she was implacable and said that my 'attitude' meant I risked being 'sanctioned'. At this point I felt so humiliated that I left the centre without continuing any further. After everything I have been through, it felt like the final insult.
Having been awake all night, reduced to what felt like impotent rage and frustration, I called the Jobcentre helpline this morning to make a complaint. Fortunately, the lovely lady I spoke to restored some of my faith in humanity and told me that I should never have been treated like that. She was very constructive and has arranged for me to meet other entrepreneurs. She asked me if I would like to take the complaint against the member of staff further, but I don't feel like stooping to that vindictive level or wasting my time and emotional energy on pondlife. However, I suspect that she is in the minority of staff at the Jobcentre.
It is a sad fact that certain people exhibit a sociopathological nature, which usually derives from some sort of social or sexual inadequacy. These people are often to be found in positions where they can exert a little bit of power over those less fortunate than themselves, or who need their permission/assistance to get something. They choose to exert that power in a negative way, as it makes them feel better about their own miserable lives. Many of those who joined the Nazi party had similar deficiencies...
Just remember that one day you'll get a job and that fundamentally you're a better person. If you can't get a job, try creating one with your own business. It's far better being your own boss, even if it means you're doing some of the mundane jobs the numpties at the Jobcentre have in mind for you! With a bit of luck, you'll get paid in cash which means you won't have to pay tax to subsidise the likes of Jobcentre staff. Having been a hardworking taxpayer all my life, I now salute the likes of Jimmy Carr!!! What's the point of paying tax and NI if the help isn't there when you need it?

makeyourdaddyproud

Your employment preferences should be ring-fenced for approx 12 weeks, after which your search restriction will be inspected and widened.

Apart from the advisor not having the induction they needed, their people skills are seriously left wanting.

Seadogs_2010

I was on JSA for 6months this year. My job is in quality control. My job centre at Bridlington were off with me at first. I cant stand the smell of raw meat, to the point it would make me be sick. They told me I had to apply for a job at meat factory here that slaughter animals! I did but filled in the application form poorly.
Example, Why would you like to work for our company??? Because its local!
What experiance do you have that may help your application??? None
The job centre have to get people back into work asap so they will try and put you into any job. I emailed over 100 companies with a covering letter and my CV just asking if they had any work available. I got around 60 emails back saying sorry but we don't have any work at the minute.
I printed all my feed back off and showed them at the job centre. They were then fine with me and they could see I was trying very hard to get a job.
Best thing to do is take a job like an office job in your situation then look for a job in the sector that you would like to work.
All the best