Uncompromising treatment at the JC.

Martynb_

Whenever I go to sign-on now and present my job seeking evidence I get the impression that the JC staff are trying to find ways to sanction me.


Every time I go they ask me whether I have used UJM site. If they bother to look at the evidence they will see that I do every day. Then they always ask me for my log-in details even though they know that I present evidence to them in the form of print-outs.


Today I saw a different woman to sign me on. And she asked me when I go on to UJM what do I do when I see a job that is unsuitable for me. I told her I just click back and look for another position. She said that I must record even the jobs I think are unsuitable. I asked her why and she said "so that we can see that you are looking for jobs for 35 hours per week and we can see what you are and are not capable of doing."


I couldn't understand this at first. I know myself what I am and am not capable of, and on my JC contract it states what work I can do and cannot do.


Basically, if you are just recording the jobs you apply for and you only applied for five jobs that day, the JC can say that you haven't looked for work up to the 35 hours. And then they can sanction you.


She also said "There's no point in applying for jobs that you cannot do."


Erm..what happens when I cannot find any suitable positions? I have to apply for anything and usually I have to do that to show evidence of job seeking. Sounds like Catch22 situation.


My job search averages about 20 hours per week. It is almost like having a desk job. And it is soul destroying because no matter what I do no-one wants to employ me. I used to be able to get Xmas work but not anymore. I cannot even get voluntary work where I live.


But I do think that the JC are looking for different ways to sanction people.

DCFC79

Why cant you get xmas work ?

Or do you mean you dont hear a peep from the agencies after applying ?

iammumtoone

Do they mean you have to write down every job you have looked at, if its not suitable? or do they mean what I have to do? Write down just one job from a site I have looked at (if there are no suitable jobs to apply for on the site) I assume they want his as evidence I have actually looked at the site and not just said I did, I have to give the job reference number as well to prove my case.

I don't understand this looking for a certain number of hours business, how can you prove it? Person A might just fire off a standard CV to 20 jobs in 2 hours. Person B could spend 2 hours on one job application researching the company tailoring their CV to the position etc. I am starting to believe that as far as the JC are concerned person A has done more, personally I think person B would find a job quicker.

Chester666666

I think that some are very strict and with no people skills

Is this to do with the post work programme stuff?

Martynb_

Chester666666 wrote: »

I think that some are very strict and with no people skills

Is this to do with the post work programme stuff?

Yes. There's one new woman dealing with all the people from the post-work programme. She seems very determined and mentioned "a lot of lazy people" three times in the space of two minutes.

Martynb_

iammumtoone wrote: »

Do they mean you have to write down every job you have looked at, if its not suitable? or do they mean what I have to do? Write down just one job from a site I have looked at (if there are no suitable jobs to apply for on the site) I assume they want his as evidence I have actually looked at the site and not just said I did, I have to give the job reference number as well to prove my case.

I don't understand this looking for a certain number of hours business, how can you prove it? Person A might just fire off a standard CV to 20 jobs in 2 hours. Person B could spend 2 hours on one job application researching the company tailoring their CV to the position etc. I am starting to believe that as far as the JC are concerned person A has done more, personally I think person B would find a job quicker.

They want me to use that drop down menu which gives you options to choose when the job is unsuitable. I never use this. I just click back.

Martynb_

DCFC79 wrote: »

Why cant you get xmas work ?

Or do you mean you dont hear a peep from the agencies after applying ?

I am told that there are 200 applicants this year for Home and Bargain. B & M say that they have had so many applications that they could not go through all of them. Argos - well, they think I am unsuitable. Wilkinsons no reply or anything. Poundland say that they get lots of students asking for work at this time.


Agencies? I'm signed up with a few but they've got nothing on offer except monotonous factory production-line work in Blackburn (40 miles away) doing 12 hour shifts. I won't do that. It's not that it is beneath me, it's just that I go quickly suicidal after a few hours of doing the same thing over and over and over.

MDM2011

Dear Martyn b

When I was signing onlast year, I was informed I should not list any websites that I had been on ifI did not apply for a job on that website and I had to apply for a minimum of 7jobs per week.

My “Advisor” wouldsuggest and log jobs that I was over-trained for and due to the low wagesadvertised for the role and my experience, I had no hope of getting aninterview. (I got the job that she wanted to scroll past).

I was even told by oneAdvisor that I did not have to write down all the jobs that I applied for, as Iwas going through a booklet per month. I said that I wanted to show that I waslooking for work.

I have been on and offJobseekers for 5 years as I only seem able to get temporary work (one lasted 1year and 4 months). The Job Centre want you to go for any hours for any job,forgetting that maybe we would like to pay for ourselves on a more permanentbasis and have some self respect.

I have had multiplerecruitment agencies. I am rarely contacted, my favourite being finallyreceiving a call for a 1 or 2 day job. (Thankfully, I am on another temporarycontract and employed at present).

I have been used as a “numberfiller” to make up candidates for interviews and been sent to an interviewunder a motorway. (The man interviewing me was very nice, and kindly statedthat a car would be necessary – travelling to that interview and thetime off work cost me £40.00).

I have also been ontwo interviews where the “decision would be quickly” and then heard absolutelynothing back from the Recruitment Agencies, they didn’t even have the decencyto make a quick call or send an email to say that a) I hadn’t got the job or b)the company decided not to employ any of the candidates.

Looking for a job isnot easy and is quickly disheartening after all the effort that we put in (Ipaid for a professional to write my CV, well, my sister did after she realised I was going to put it on my credit card - CV has been updated since which I have paid for).

The Job Centre is aone stop recipe for depression.

I hope the right jobcomes along for you.

Remember that you areintelligent, respected, well thought of and cared for!

I wish you a lovely Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

Chester666666

Martynb_ wrote: »

Yes. There's one new woman dealing with all the people from the post-work programme. She seems very determined and mentioned "a lot of lazy people" three times in the space of two minutes.

I know of at least 2 supposed advisers and 2 who sign some on and all have terrible people skills and an obsession with UJM

I have found them to have terrible people skills and the guy today had an bad attitude for long term unemployed

freeasabird

The Jobcentre are not concerned about the quality of your jobsearch; it's all about numbers.

If you focus on jobs you are likely to get and write detailed job applications; that will not be taken into consideration.

If you fire off 20 CVs for jobs you have no chance of getting; the JC are happy.

I sent off applications just to fill the quota and then once that was done; I spent time working on the job applications that I knew were likely to get me a job interview. That strategy worked for me

As long as you are filling the requirements in terms of jobsearches; the JC can't sanction you.

The process of signing on is soul destroying and some JC staff go out of their way to make you feel like a lazy scrounger but as long as you pay more attention to those who know you and know how hard you're working to find a job; that's all that matters.

Good luck with your job hunting.

red_devil

Poster, dont give them access to your account. Mine tried to get me too but i challenged him, he then agreed i was right and backed down. I keep paper records . They will never get access to mine, there is a tick box for that reason.

my advisor spoke down to me and i emailed him and asked him not too. Hopefully he has the message.