JSA - Do You Have to Take Job if Offered

rogerblack

pennypincher3562 wrote: »

I'm thinking to myself though, is it not a really bad idea to coerce someone into a job that they have doubts about - surely it will just lead to them leaving/being sacked at a later date? It's not really fair on the employer.

Is it acceptable to go to interview, and tell them there and then 'I've got a much better picture of what that this job entails after speaking to you for the past 30 minutes, and am not sure that I am the best candidate.'

Intentionally dissuading the interviewer in any way is 'not participating in the interview'.

What the employer chooses to do is up to them.

pennypincher3562

Hi Roger


Thanks for clarifying. I've only been signing on for 2 weeks and am still trying to clarify how the system works.

Do you think it's fair to say that once you start claiming JSA, you lose total control over your own job search. Or is that a bit of an extreme interpretation? That's the picture I'm getting from some of the responses on MSE.

Thanks
PennyPincher3562

rogerblack

pennypincher3562 wrote: »

Do you think it's fair to say that once you start claiming JSA, you lose total control over your own job search.

That depends what you mean by total.

You have some degree of control.
How much this is depends on how the people you are dealing with feel about your case, and any targets they may be required to meet.
If you look like a disliked ex, or they don't believe your prior job was 'a proper job', or you're part of a group they're biased against (for example, claimants) - they have extraordinary powers to decide things on your claim with very little recourse other than to appeal any sanction that may occur.

In general, for someone that's recently been in work, there will be some leniancy initially about being able to choose the desired field of work and such.

Topcat1982

welshbookworm wrote: »

I have just been offered a job starts at 10PM till 12AM 5 days a week.
2 hours traveling each night. £6.75 an hour, so still will have to sign on.
Do you think I have good reason to say NO?
Or is it worth it for the extra £5 per week?
Fares will be £22.50 a week

2 hours to get there? Yes I have heard people turn down jobs more than 90 minutes away, I would ask

welshbookworm

Topcat1982 wrote: »

2 hours to get there? Yes I have heard people turn down jobs more than 90 minutes away, I would ask

No, 2 hours work
2 hours round trip travel (there and back)
2 buses there, 2 buses back - £4.50 a day travel

Indie_Kid

welshbookworm wrote: »

I have just been offered a job starts at 10PM till 12AM 5 days a week.
2 hours traveling each night. £6.75 an hour, so still will have to sign on.
Do you think I have good reason to say NO?
Or is it worth it for the extra £5 per week?
Fares will be £22.50 a week

When I was on JSA, I was told I didn't have to take work under 16 hours per week and didn't have to take a job that would make me worse off.

pinpin

If these are jobs that you are finding off of your own back, they'll never know you turned it down if you don't tell them.

If it's a job they told you too apply for, it's a bit tricky.

pinpin

rogerblack wrote: »

Intentionally dissuading the interviewer in any way is 'not participating in the interview'.

What the employer chooses to do is up to them.

I always wondered about this.
When I signed on about 3 years ago, they made me go to an interview for a job I really really didn't want.

I gave the worst interview in history. Not on purpose. I am just awful at job interviews, and combined with the fact that I didn't actually want this job, it came over even worse. I wish I had it on tape. You'll never see a more useless interviewee than me! lol

I never heard from the employer again (obviously) and the jobcentre never mentioned it to me.

I guess ''not participating' isn't something that one is accused of very often. Maybe the employers feel that there could be a legal issue if they start making accusations that can't really be proved, so they just report back to the job centre that ''he wasn't a good fit'' rather than ''I'm sure he gave me the worst interview in the world on purpose!''

HappyMJ

welshbookworm wrote: »

I have just been offered a job starts at 10PM till 12AM 5 days a week.
2 hours traveling each night. £6.75 an hour, so still will have to sign on.
Do you think I have good reason to say NO?
Or is it worth it for the extra £5 per week?
Fares will be £22.50 a week

You can turn that down....it's not worth it. 2 hours travelling for £13.50 per night. You'd be worse off. You don't have to take a job which makes you worse off.

Great job if you already had a day job and needed some extra cash but not suitable if you want full time employment.

I can't take work finishing after about 8PM due to a lack of transport nice easy get out clause don't ever tell the DWP you have a car. I did have a car at the time but had SORN'ed it due to not being able to afford to run it so technically my answer was truthful. I've got to say though if I really like the job and it pays well I will take it...but not at £6.75/hour. I couldn't put the car back on the road for that.

rogerblack

pinpin wrote: »

I guess ''not participating' isn't something that one is accused of very often. Maybe the employers feel that there could be a legal issue if they start making accusations that can't really be proved, so they just report back to the job centre that ''he wasn't a good fit'' rather than ''I'm sure he gave me the worst interview in the world on purpose!''

Practically speaking, this would be very difficult to prove.
It's worth noting that they don't have to prove it - merely assert it though.
It would be interesting to see if there are any statistics held on breakdowns of reasons for sanctions.