volunteering at poundland ?

patman99

To those who openly support these schemes, just think of the following.

Using MWP schemes to get free labour in a charity shop where people may well volunteer their time anyway is counter-productive. Their very prescence makes the genuine volunteers feel un-wanted and more likely to leave for another charity shop elsewhere. This was bourne to be true when all the volunteers at British Heart Foundation shops threatened to quit en-masse unless BHF left the MWP schemes it was part of.

This would have left BHS unable to open it's stores as MWP people only work 32 hours a week Mon - Fri.


In the retail sector, the effects can be even more devastating.
Tesco decided to change the way their shopfloor staff rotas were with the end aim being to reduce the number of part-time staff by increasing the number of full-time employees. As part of the re-shuffle, they got rid of 20,000 staff members. They then made up the staffing shortfall by making 14,000 places available via the MWP scheme.

4 years on, Tesco are in financial trouble as the effect of the public backlash against the MWP scheme bites them hard on the butt.

B&M have signed up to the MWP scheme and have cut a lot of shopfloor staffing hours by 50%. This leaves staff leaving as they get more on benefits than by working. This in turn, has had a negative effect on staff moral and this leads to the staff moaning to their friends who in turn, will stop shopping at B&M.

I'm an avid member of BoycottWorkfare and KeepVolunteeringVoluntary and when my local Scout Group at which I am a Leader decided to do a bag pack at B&M, they emailed out the details to all the parents and Leaders. I used the 'Reply to all' button to let 149 parents and the whole Leader team know I would not be attending the event and gave them some interesting facts on how demoralising MWP is to those forced to take part.

red_devil

tomtontom wrote: »

I know a lady who did an unpaid trial there and was then offered a permanent full time job. Have you asked the Jobcentre if they'll cover your expenses?

and on the flip side people who were working have been sacked so that employers can take people who have been told to work for free.

If there is a job to do pay someone a wage a proper wage at that!

red_devil

patman99 wrote: »

To those who openly support these schemes, just think of the following.

Using MWP schemes to get free labour in a charity shop where people may well volunteer their time anyway is counter-productive. Their very prescence makes the genuine volunteers feel un-wanted and more likely to leave for another charity shop elsewhere. This was bourne to be true when all the volunteers at British Heart Foundation shops threatened to quit en-masse unless BHF left the MWP schemes it was part of.

This would have left BHS unable to open it's stores as MWP people only work 32 hours a week Mon - Fri.


In the retail sector, the effects can be even more devastating.
Tesco decided to change the way their shopfloor staff rotas were with the end aim being to reduce the number of part-time staff by increasing the number of full-time employees. As part of the re-shuffle, they got rid of 20,000 staff members. They then made up the staffing shortfall by making 14,000 places available via the MWP scheme.

4 years on, Tesco are in financial trouble as the effect of the public backlash against the MWP scheme bites them hard on the butt.

B&M have signed up to the MWP scheme and have cut a lot of shopfloor staffing hours by 50%. This leaves staff leaving as they get more on benefits than by working. This in turn, has had a negative effect on staff moral and this leads to the staff moaning to their friends who in turn, will stop shopping at B&M.

I'm an avid member of BoycottWorkfare and KeepVolunteeringVoluntary and when my local Scout Group at which I am a Leader decided to do a bag pack at B&M, they emailed out the details to all the parents and Leaders. I used the 'Reply to all' button to let 149 parents and the whole Leader team know I would not be attending the event and gave them some interesting facts on how demoralising MWP is to those forced to take part.

Good post. Boycott Workfare and Keep Volunteering Voluntary are excellent sites. People have also been known to stop donating to charities who take workfare conscripts so its not in their interests to take them.

Topcat1982

I wonder, if the OP went back to them and said they really want to work there but I can't work for free cause I have bills to pay/3 kids etc etc. I mean, just act keen. It's worth a try.

mattcanary

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

There is a surprise...Mark and Andy both going offline when their rhetoric is proven wrong.

You haven't proven anything.

GwylimT

andygb wrote: »

Because I do not agree with you, and nothing I say will change your mind.
You are obviously an employer who doesn't turn down the chance to have workers who you don't need to pay.
I suppose that you believe zero hours contracts are OK as well - because they give employees (as well as employers of course) "flexibility"?;)

Without zero hour contracts my brother would be unemployed as his sons care days and hours are only released 24 hours in advance. So he is unable to commit to n day or n hours per week.

GwylimT

Volunteering requires choice, so if you are told to do it you are not volunteering. If you arranged some volunteering yourself and the position had previously had a paid member of staff the job centre wouldn't actually consider this volunteering, they like bending the rules to suit them.

Are there not many xmas roles being advertised in your area?

A great number of organisations need volunteers in the winter, especially those focused around the elderly. Such as people to pop round for a cuppa, do a bit or garden/house work, then at xmas you can volunteer at places that hold communal events for lonely people.

slenderkitten

DON'T do it the are looking for FREEBIE STAFF you will never get a job out of it. Why would they offer you a job when they can have a revolving door of FREE staff courtesy of the government workfare scheme.

Stay away from this, if you want to volunteer find some charity that you want to offer your services for where you CAN get useful experience and work for a worthy cause NOT A COMMERCIAL CON COMPANY SCHEME!

jeune13

"Crying out for volunteers"? I just bet they are, I'm sure plenty of employers would love some free labour.


If it doesn't benefit society, it's not volunteering. As others have said, why not look for some part time volunteering that would boost your skills in the area you feel you need experience in?

dekaspace

red_devil wrote: »

and on the flip side people who were working have been sacked so that employers can take people who have been told to work for free.

If there is a job to do pay someone a wage a proper wage at that!

Yep that happened locally and it was for a charity no less! the guy was laid off, went to sign on and was told to work the SAME job unpaid or not get any benefits.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/03/dwp-benefits-electrician-work-placement-labour