Anyone work in their local jobcentre?

caz246

I have worked for the DWP for 10 years and I am due back to work in 6 weeks after being on maternity leave for a year.

I am considering a transfer request to my local office. This would no doubt result in a customer facing role rather than my processing one which I do at present.

My question is to anyone who works/has worked in their local Jobcentre and what difficulties, if any, did you encounter? Due to the nature of the job I am worried about customers approaching me when I am doing my shopping etc. This might sound daft but I have known it to happen to someone whilst they were having lunch with their wife!

Like I've said it is only something I am considering I need to weigh up the pros and cons. The main pro being it would save us nearly £200 per month on nursery fees/travel costs.

Any helpful advice much appreciated.

flora48

This is a valid concern. I taught for a short while in the local school, as you say, it was convenient in terms of time /travel costs but I found that the parents would stop me in the street, in the shop and say, "How's he getting on?" That was innocent enough but then I began to get phone calls at home from parents and the final straw for me was when I went to a meeting of the Young Wives only to assailed by a friend relaying the content of a confidential staff meeting and asking me if it was true.
I decided then that if I wanted to be friendly to those in the lcoal community it was better to work in a different area.

clairec79

I used to, but it never really used to affect me at all, a lot of the regulars would say hello when they saw me (to be fair haven't worked there since 2005 and some still do) but aside from the odd comment (maybe 3 in 6 years) things like 'do you know how long it'll be till..'

Oh my neighbour did ring and say I was being indictive and trying to get his benefits stopped when he got investigated by fraud - but whilst they had to investigate it, check I wasn't using system to gain info etc, I was cleared

caz246

Thanks for your replies. Claire your post has given me some reassurance, thank you. It would be a big job change for me but sometimes you need to take a chance, especially if it means my family and I would be better off. I will not be making a decision until I return to work anyway so got plenty of time to think it over.

Arsh

Try for an office more local than where you are now but still easy enough to get to. I chose an office 5 miles away so never had a problem when out and about in the town I live in. I can't even remember being bothered whilst out on my lunch in the town.

megc_2

I worked in a jobcentre as a New Deal advisor (yep, that long ago!) for several years before being promoted- never, ever had a problem with people approaching me outside work, even those with whom I'd had to be strict or even sanction. I had far fewer problems then than I did while working in the CAB or now, as a social worker.
If it'll make your life easier, go for it.