Are the Jobcentre out of order?

john539

garybarlowforpresident wrote: »

Great advice:

"Dear Mr Department Store, I would like to complain because the pesky Jobcentre would not rearrange my interview to fit in with my holiday".

"Thank you for your complaint Mrs Holiday. I am sorry you felt your holiday was more important than the opportunity to work for us. We value commitment and flexibility in our staff, probably best not to reapply in the future. Hope your holiday was worth it".

No, more like the Jobcentre were incompetent in sifting people & arranging interviews at reasonable notice.

It's useful for department store to know.

Do you think Jobcentre staff or majority of employees would cancel a prebooked holiday at 4:45pm day before, because something cropped up next day.
No, they wouldn't.

If people can delay or rearrange a family holiday fair enough, but most people can't.

And any sensible department store, company, HR department would know this.

T_T_2

john539 wrote: »

Do you think Jobcentre staff or majority of employees would cancel a prebooked holiday at 4:45pm day before, because something cropped up next day. No, they wouldn't.

Yes but then there is one major difference between an employee and a jobseeker...one of them has a job and one of them is supposed to be looking for a job.

I know it's an inconvenience and I'd be inclined to tell them to shove it but the reality is that all jobseekers have an obligation to make themselves available for work and interviews.

1940sGal

T_T wrote: »

As a side note. Did you know that you are supposed to inform the Job Centre when you go on holiday? You need to fill in a form called a ES674 and you are allowed up to 2 weeks in a 12 month period. You are also only allowed to holiday in the UK whilst claiming JSA, or they won't pay you for the period where you are abroad.

I don't think the OP's wife is on benefits and registered with the JCP, just that the interviews were being done by the JC. The OP stated she worked P/T so i assume she wouldn't be on JSA.

T_T_2

1940sGal wrote: »

I don't think the OP's wife is on benefits and registered with the JCP, just that the interviews were being done by the JC. The OP stated she worked P/T so i assume she wouldn't be on JSA.

Gotcha! Thanks 1940sGal. I've gotten completely the wrong end of the stick and shall retreat to my cave.

dori2o

T_T wrote: »

As a side note. Did you know that you are supposed to inform the Job Centre when you go on holiday? You need to fill in a form called a ES674 and you are allowed up to 2 weeks in a 12 month period. You are also only allowed to holiday in the UK whilst claiming JSA, or they won't pay you for the period where you are abroad.

My wife isn't claiming JSA, but it's good info to know should that situation ever arise.

She already has a job but it is only part time with no chance of becoming full time and she wants full time hours.

We're just going to put this down to experience and move on.

On the good side she's applied for 4 more retail jobs today so hopefully something will turn up soon.

1940sGal

john539 wrote: »

No, more like the Jobcentre were incompetent in sifting people & arranging interviews at reasonable notice.

It's useful for department store to know.

Do you think Jobcentre staff or majority of employees would cancel a prebooked holiday at 4:45pm day before, because something cropped up next day.
No, they wouldn't.

If people can delay or rearrange a family holiday fair enough, but most people can't.

And any sensible department store, company, HR department would know this.

To be fair it really depends on what the employer is asking for time wise. It's entirely possible that they needed the recruitment done within a certain time scale so they could get on with training and/or other things regarding the opening of the sore.

For example, when i applied for Waterstones in Oxford a few weeks ago, they invited me for interview but I was travelling to Glasgow for a funeral the next day and would be gone 3 days (including the day they wanted to interview me). They said they would try to arrange an interview the following week but that they liked to do things quickly and I got a call the following week to say they had hired someone while i was away.

I'm not saying the Job Centre couldn't have handled it better and called sooner but they were only acting on instructions from the employer.

john539

T_T wrote: »

Yes but then there is one major difference between an employee and a jobseeker...one of them has a job and one of them is supposed to be looking for a job.

I know it's an inconvenience and I'd be inclined to tell them to shove it but the reality is that all jobseekers have an obligation to make themselves available for work and interviews.

No, it's about commonsense.

If the person contacts department store & explains, they may make exception.

It is obvious many people can't make an interview at very short notice, like day before, so it is stupid to use a practice which excludes the very people you may want to employ. :doh:

And it is useful to point this out to the department store.
.

sniggings

simple answer is they were wrong to give you less than 24 hours notice.

If you complain will they be bothered, I doubt it.

My guess is the jobcentre were either incompetent which is likely or they were trying to catch out a load of claimants on JSA at the last minute.

john539

garybarlowforpresident wrote: »

How many millions unemployed at the moment? Why would they not be available at short notice?

(Yes, I know the OP's wife already has a job, but as already stated, she is not offering anything different from any other applicant.)

We're talking about the OP, not other millions of unemployed.

The OP's wife may be one of best candidates.

Using an unreasonable practice which excludes good suitable candidates is stupid & counterproductive.
.

T_T_2

If you complain then the Job Centre is likely to jump to the wrong conclusions as I did and they will threaten to suspend your JSA payments. At which point you can tell them you aren't claiming JSA! :P

The reality is that your efforts would be better spent looking at other opportunities, the Job Centre really don't care bless them. I'm convinced that those working for the JC must have been recruited at a time when there were more jobs than jobseekers.