Furious at job centre unprofessionalism!

cazziebo

Warning - this is a rant.

My sister has had a terrible time recently. In brief, went into hospital for a minor op on a slipped disc, ended up with a severed artery, three weeks in a coma in intensive care and has a scar from her pubic bone to her rib cage. When she came off the ventilator, she had to get a tracheotomy. The trachie failed, and she had to have a second emergency trachie. the result is a scar on her neck which has gone keloid. In the grand scheme of things, this is rather minor. She's alive and can walk.

She has now been medically retired against her will. She wanted to go back to work but their Occy health (Atos) said no. She has been really traumatised by all this. She's only early forties, and is still getting flashbacks from her time in the ITU.

She went to the job centre yesterday. Woman she saw "was very nice" - she won't be forced to look for work for 24 months because of her "condition". (My sister won't accept she has a condition- she wants to work) The advisor then pointed to the scar on her neck. "Can't they do something about that? Plastic surgery or something?" My sister is so upset. She said she burst into tears on the spot and just left. I told her to complain, if only to stop the adviser being so insensitive with future clients. She won't - no fight left.

I'm raging :mad:

CKhalvashi

I'd be a little off with that comment, too.

There should be a formal complaints system somewhere.

https://www.gov.uk/complain-jobcentre-plus

Here it is.

CK

Guest101

I would complain, there's clear discrimination, which is completely unnacceptable.

There's nothing stopping her applying for work, just so you know. The JC in that sense have used a common sense approach. I would have thought she would be claiming ESA though, rather the JSA?

lemontart

what an insensitive thing to say - Jobcentre worker or not - defo complain.

I wish your sister every success in finding work.

Dunroamin

It's all in the tone of voice, I could see that as being a useful suggestion if the adviser was helpful in other ways. I'm afraid it sounds as if your sister is over reacting.

tyllwyd

Are you sure that it was a work-related comment? Reading what you said, it sounded like someone chatting and asking a friendly question, but putting their foot in it by mentioning something that your sister was very sensitive about.

fluffnutter

Dunroamin wrote: »

It's all in the tone of voice, I could see that as being a useful suggestion if the adviser was helpful in other ways. I'm afraid it sounds as if your sister is over reacting.

tyllwyd wrote: »

Are you sure that it was a work-related comment? Reading what you said, it sounded like someone chatting and asking a friendly question, but putting their foot in it by mentioning something that your sister was very sensitive about.

Really? So it's the role of job centre staff to go around pointing out visible scars suggesting that it's a reason someone might not be very employable is it? Or that it's 'friendly' to point out people's imperfections? How utterly utterly rude. What next? Pointing at people's birthmarks or facial deformities saying 'can't you do something about that?' whilst looking a bit revolted?

OP, perhaps you could write to the job centre yourself if your sister's not feeling up to it. I doubt they'll need the complaint to come directly from her. Personally I think this is appalling.

prowla

Dunroamin wrote: »

It's all in the tone of voice, I could see that as being a useful suggestion if the adviser was helpful in other ways. I'm afraid it sounds as if your sister is over reacting.

My thoughts too; evidently they had discussed the background and so-on, and it could well have been a genuine and well-intended question by the assistant (who may themselves be upset at the reaction).

But do tell your sister that the scar does not define her as a person, and wish her well in her search.

Dunroamin

fluffnutter wrote: »

Really? So it's the role of job centre staff to go around pointing out visible scars suggesting that it's a reason someone might not be very employable is it? Or that it's 'friendly' to point out people's imperfections? How utterly utterly rude. What next? Pointing at people's birthmarks or facial deformities saying 'can't you do something about that?' whilst looking a bit revolted?

OP, perhaps you could write to the job centre yourself if your sister's not feeling up to it. I doubt they'll need the complaint to come directly from her. Personally I think this is appalling.

There was no mention of it being related to employability or of any question of looking revolted. I don't see that it's unpleasant to enquire whether plastic surgery's available to help someone's who's self conscious after a recent operation, particularly as many peole might not have even considered it.

When I had a mastectomy, several people asked whether I'd be having reconstructive surgery afterwards and I've asked the same of other women in the same position - some of whom had never considered it or even knew that it was available,

suejb2

Sometimes it's not what is said it's how it is said.Maybe she said it in a sympathetic way yet when it is retold to others it gets twisted into derogatory almost as lost in translation.

Tiddlywinks

Given that the advisor was so understanding of what had gone on... and that they were friendly and having a relaxed chat... I feel the remark was intended to be helpful and supportive.

Your sister is understandably still fragile but you cannot measure the advisor's efforts by the reaction of your sister.

Instead of prolonging the upset of this incident you would be better to convince your sister to get some counselling for the anxiety she is now feeling... after her operations, forced retirement and flashbacks.

Don't make the situation worse for her by dragging this out with a complaint.