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Voluntary Unemployment & JSA
DarkShadows
Posts: 2 Newbie
I was working in a pub for about 3 months and to be honest, I was beginning to get sick of working for my employers (one of them, it was a joint partnership).
The reasons I was getting sick of working there was because I felt like I was never getting equal treatment, which I presume was because I was younger than the other staff. On a couple of occasions, I'v been literally seconds late and I was given warnings. I'v then seen other staff been 5 minutes late and nothing was said. If I'm chatting away to a customer for a couple of minutes (which I would have thought was part of the job tbh) and I'v been shouted at, when other staff do it a lot more often than me and again, nothing said. There are quite a few other things, but you probably understand where I'm coming from.
There's also things such as me having to ask what time they want the bar closing down every night I worked because they closed when they felt like closing. Say if I finished at 1am, they would ask me to close the bar down and clean the pub at 12:50am which wasn't enough time, so I usually worked until 1:10am and never got paid extra. Then most nights when I call time at the bar, somebody asks me for another drink and I say no because I'v already called time. So they then go to my boss and ask for another drink and they say yes. They pretty much just contradict me making me feel powerless over the customers.
So on a night off, I was having a few drinks and somebody showed me a photo of their son and I said something like "I never knew you had such a cute son". Her son was 16 and I'm only 20 (gay). So, one of my bosses also saw the photo and he turned around to me and said "I think you should leave". So I then questioned why and he then said "I want you to leave". I then turned around at my other boss (his wife) and she said that "he has sons of his own".
I was a bit shocked and upset that he would make that sort of assumption and to be honest, insulted. Especially when one of his sons is about 14.
I then turned around and said if that's what you think about me, here's your shirt back (work shirt) and I walked out.
A few days later, I spoke to my other boss (his wife) and she said that if I had turned up to work the next day, I wouldn't have been fired. She also said that if I apply anywhere else, she would happily give me a reference.
So because she said I was fired, I applied for JSA and I'v recently got a letter that says that my previous employer has said that I left on my own accord for this reason:
"He found it difficult learning all the aspects of the job and decided it was not for him."
I would agree that I left on my own accord, but not for that reason. The only problem is that I don't really feel comfortable telling people at the job centre the real reason. Especially when it's my word against my previous employers and no doubt they'll go in favour for them. Then there's also the fact that they know most the people I know and when he's had a drink, he's more than capable to say things about me.
I also applied for a couple of other jobs in the area and apparently they refused to give me a reference, even though they said they would?
Sorry for the big post, but does anybody know where I stand with this?
The reasons I was getting sick of working there was because I felt like I was never getting equal treatment, which I presume was because I was younger than the other staff. On a couple of occasions, I'v been literally seconds late and I was given warnings. I'v then seen other staff been 5 minutes late and nothing was said. If I'm chatting away to a customer for a couple of minutes (which I would have thought was part of the job tbh) and I'v been shouted at, when other staff do it a lot more often than me and again, nothing said. There are quite a few other things, but you probably understand where I'm coming from.
There's also things such as me having to ask what time they want the bar closing down every night I worked because they closed when they felt like closing. Say if I finished at 1am, they would ask me to close the bar down and clean the pub at 12:50am which wasn't enough time, so I usually worked until 1:10am and never got paid extra. Then most nights when I call time at the bar, somebody asks me for another drink and I say no because I'v already called time. So they then go to my boss and ask for another drink and they say yes. They pretty much just contradict me making me feel powerless over the customers.
So on a night off, I was having a few drinks and somebody showed me a photo of their son and I said something like "I never knew you had such a cute son". Her son was 16 and I'm only 20 (gay). So, one of my bosses also saw the photo and he turned around to me and said "I think you should leave". So I then questioned why and he then said "I want you to leave". I then turned around at my other boss (his wife) and she said that "he has sons of his own".
I was a bit shocked and upset that he would make that sort of assumption and to be honest, insulted. Especially when one of his sons is about 14.
I then turned around and said if that's what you think about me, here's your shirt back (work shirt) and I walked out.
A few days later, I spoke to my other boss (his wife) and she said that if I had turned up to work the next day, I wouldn't have been fired. She also said that if I apply anywhere else, she would happily give me a reference.
So because she said I was fired, I applied for JSA and I'v recently got a letter that says that my previous employer has said that I left on my own accord for this reason:
"He found it difficult learning all the aspects of the job and decided it was not for him."
I would agree that I left on my own accord, but not for that reason. The only problem is that I don't really feel comfortable telling people at the job centre the real reason. Especially when it's my word against my previous employers and no doubt they'll go in favour for them. Then there's also the fact that they know most the people I know and when he's had a drink, he's more than capable to say things about me.
I also applied for a couple of other jobs in the area and apparently they refused to give me a reference, even though they said they would?
Sorry for the big post, but does anybody know where I stand with this?
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Comments
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you said 'I then turned around and said if that's what you think about me, here's your shirt back (work shirt) and I walked out.'
Do you deny that?
If you do not, you walked out.
What was the 'real' reason? The reason you commented how cute someones son was? Maybe not the best thing to say if your bosses and everyone know you are gay and then again not a good thing for anyone to say even if you weren't gay and it was a photo of a girl.
However it's not a sacking offence as far as I am aware but you did walk out.
I would have gone to work and let them sack you and take it from there.0 -
MissSarah1972 wrote: »you said 'I then turned around and said if that's what you think about me, here's your shirt back (work shirt) and I walked out.'
Do you deny that?
If you do not, you walked out.
What was the 'real' reason? The reason you commented how cute someones son was? Maybe not the best thing to say if your bosses and everyone know you are gay and then again not a good thing for anyone to say even if you weren't gay and it was a photo of a girl.
However it's not a sacking offence as far as I am aware but you did walk out.
I would have gone to work and let them sack you and take it from there.
I did say that, or something along the lines yes. The reason I didn't go back to work was because I was upset and scared to go back, especially when he said it in a quite aggressive tone.
When I saw the photo, I didn't know he was only 16. Even so, I don't see any problem in what I said? It didn't mean I wanted to do anything, I'm already in a happy relationship and 4 years is hardly a gap. In fact, I'v only recently turned 20 and apparently he turns 17 some time soon. So its not even 4 years.
The way I was told, I was fired for not turning up to work. But now they've lied about the reason I left. Sure, there are maybe a few things that I haven't learnt yet, but I can't help that if my bosses get drunk whilst I'm working.
What would be the best thing to do? Put that I quit because I wasn't happy working there?0 -
mate you will find a lot of nasty people on here, put them on your ignore list as they will never change.
As for your problem, you did nothing wrong, I would tell the jobcentre the real reason as you felt your sexuality was an issue and being treated differently from the rest of the staff and this was the final straw.
The jobcentre will try every way to stop your money so you really need to give them a reason not to or they will.
I can understand you not feeling you want to but then again if you can say a customers son looks cute, I'm sure telling the jobcentre your side of it will not be that hard.
Maybe if you could get the customer to give you a letter confirming what had happened it might help.
Good luck.0 -
Your comment about a customer's teenage child was totally inappropriate and would have been so if it had been a girl and you had been straight. You then stormed off unnecessarily and didn't go into work the next day. It also sounds as if they weren't happy with your work ethic and attitude before this incident.
I think that you need to learn from this experience and be prepared for a sanction for JSA for leaving a job voluntarily.0 -
the person in the photo was 16 (almost 17 according to the OP) which is above the age of consent so NO it wasn't inappropriate. You also have no idea how old he looked on the photo.Your comment about a customer's teenage child was totally inappropriate and would have been so if it had been a girl and you had been straight.
My daughter has looked older than she is ever since she was about 12, when we went on holiday when she was 13 and kept getting "hit on" by some older lads who were staying in the same apartment block. As soon as they found out how young she was they all backed off, but my point is you can't always tell someones age just by looking at them.0 -
Oh yes what I said there was so nasty!mate you will find a lot of nasty people on here, put them on your ignore list as they will never change.
As for your problem, you did nothing wrong, I would tell the jobcentre the real reason as you felt your sexuality was an issue and being treated differently from the rest of the staff and this was the final straw.
The jobcentre will try every way to stop your money so you really need to give them a reason not to or they will.
I can understand you not feeling you want to but then again if you can say a customers son looks cute, I'm sure telling the jobcentre your side of it will not be that hard.
Maybe if you could get the customer to give you a letter confirming what had happened it might help.
Good luck.
OP - how does your boss know you are gay?0 -
It seems the boss of the OP is homophobic but then maybe he would have reacted the same way if it was a girl in the photo and someone said she was cute. Maybe the person shouldn't have been showing photos of their kid around if they didn't want any comments.the person in the photo was 16 (almost 17 according to the OP) which is above the age of consent so NO it wasn't inappropriate. You also have no idea how old he looked on the photo.
My daughter has looked older than she is ever since she was about 12, when we went on holiday when she was 13 and kept getting "hit on" by some older lads who were staying in the same apartment block. As soon as they found out how young she was they all backed off, but my point is you can't always tell someones age just by looking at them.0 -
the person in the photo was 16 (almost 17 according to the OP) which is above the age of consent so NO it wasn't inappropriate. You also have no idea how old he looked on the photo.
.
I wasn't even thinking about the age.
Customer in pub takes out photo of beloved child (whatever age), shows it proudly to young bartender, young bartender makes a comment based on child's sexual attractiveness. Totally inappropriate.0 -
I wasn't even thinking about the age.
Customer in pub takes out photo of beloved child (whatever age), shows it proudly to young bartender, young bartender makes a comment based on child's sexual attractiveness. Totally inappropriate.
This ^^
I don't think the boss is homophobic, just protective over his child. The same would apply if it was a straight man looking at a 16 year old girl, who is no doubt still very much a child in dad's eyes!0 -
wow you got all that from the comment "he's cute"I wasn't even thinking about the age.
Customer in pub takes out photo of beloved child (whatever age), shows it proudly to young bartender, young bartender makes a comment based on child's sexual attractiveness. Totally inappropriate.
I've always taken it as a compliment when anyone has commented on how attractive my children are and that hasn't changed now that daughter is old enough for those comments to possibly be meant in a sexual way.0
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