I feel like I’ve been scammed by an employment agency.

Stewart90 · 26 April 2013 at 10:16AM

Last week I was phoned by an employment agency who specialises in construction. They asked if I was currently working as there was a building site locally which apparently was desperate for labour and really busy. As I have been unemployed for a while, I snapped up the opportunity and didn’t even bother to ask or care what it was, it sounded like a few weeks work which was good enough for me. I did ask the agency and the site manager about the length of work, but both said they didn’t know.

So I tuned up the following day, did the site induction and then started work. At the end of the day I returned to my car only to receive a text saying that I was no longer needed after today. I went to the Job Centre and spoke to an advisor and informed her what had happened and what I should do. She suggested that I don’t bother claiming my wages as it will do me more harm than good, and to be honest I believe her because she’s one of the nice ones at my local JC – well they all seem nice at my one.

Thinking back, apart from one guy, everyone else was new to the agency and was currently receiving JSA. The guy who worked for them before said that we will only be here for a day and then they will F*** us all off! He said what they do is take on those receiving benefits for a day, knowing full well that either all or the majority won’t bother declaring it to the JC and as a result they won’t bother picking up their wages because they will end up worse off. So the agency receives their cut for hiring out the staff and the wages of all those who don’t bother to collect them, such as mine. I just thought he was some loud mouth guy, so I naturally said: ‘well if that’s the case how come you’re here?’ He replied: ‘I start a new job tomorrow with a scaffolding company so it makes no difference to me.’

I’m actually wondering now if what he said is true as it does strike me as odd. Plus, there were too many labourers for the amount of work available. Was this the point though, more bodies to make sure that the work wouldn’t last for more than a day?

I’ve tapped this out extremely quickly so I apologise for any spelling/grammar mistakes.