Ridiculous Job Interview

[RealName]

A while back JCP asked me to apply for a number of jobs with low hours and high travel costs. The vast majority either ignored my application or got back to me telling me that I lived too far to be considered. However, two of the employers have been completely moronic and have actually offered me job interviews. I wasted £10.50 travelling to one yesterday, where the interviewer immediately rejected me for living too far. However, my upcoming interview is much worse.

 

The job is six hours a day and five days a week, which sounds nice enough compared to most jobs out there. It's minimum wage of course, so I'll be paid £30.95 a day. However, it will cost me £48.50 a day to travel there. I'd be working too many hours and would also be paid too much to be able to claim JSA, so I'd end up paying £87.75 a week to have a job if I took it.

 

The interview clashes with my signing time, so if I am to attend the interview I'll have to inform JCP that I can't make it to my usual signing time as I have an interview. I'm not sure what the best course of action would be. £48.50 is a lot to spend just to travel to a job interview for a job I'll have no choice but to turn down if I'm offered it. Do I just not bother attending the interview and hope it doesn't get back to DWP? Or should I explain to them why the job wouldn't be worth having, hoping they'll allow me to not attend the interview and sign on as normal this week.

[Guest]

Bonkers!!!! how the hell can anyone be able to pay more to get to/from a job than they actually earn from the job? The world really has gone totally mad, even for this Govt that is ridiculous.

[Nystagmite]

Unless it's changed since I was signing on, (and this has been discussed recently I believe) you can't be made to take a job that will leave you worse off.

[RebeccaPidgeon]

A while back JCP asked me to apply for a number of jobs with low hours and high travel costs. The vast majority either ignored my application or got back to me telling me that I lived too far to be considered. However, two of the employers have been completely moronic and have actually offered me job interviews. I wasted £10.50 travelling to one yesterday, where the interviewer immediately rejected me for living too far. However, my upcoming interview is much worse.

 

The job is six hours a day and five days a week, which sounds nice enough compared to most jobs out there. It's minimum wage of course, so I'll be paid £30.95 a day. However, it will cost me £48.50 a day to travel there. I'd be working too many hours and would also be paid too much to be able to claim JSA, so I'd end up paying £87.75 a week to have a job if I took it.

 

The interview clashes with my signing time, so if I am to attend the interview I'll have to inform JCP that I can't make it to my usual signing time as I have an interview. I'm not sure what the best course of action would be. £48.50 is a lot to spend just to travel to a job interview for a job I'll have no choice but to turn down if I'm offered it. Do I just not bother attending the interview and hope it doesn't get back to DWP? Or should I explain to them why the job wouldn't be worth having, hoping they'll allow me to not attend the interview and sign on as normal this week.

In terms of interview expenses, report back to the employer and

i) enquire whether the date/time of the interview may be rearranged, given that it clashes with another appointment

ii) confirm your attendance subject to the employer confirming that they will reimburse all travelling expenses...travelling expenses falling within the domain of responsibility of the employer.

 

Of course, if the employer does not confirm that they would reimburse expenses, it is difficult to see how a candidate could attend a meeting with an employer at a date/time/venue of their convenience.

[RealName]

Unless it's changed since I was signing on, (and this has been discussed recently I believe) you can't be made to take a job that will leave you worse off.

This is correct. However, JCP consider applying for a job and accepting a job as two different things. We can be made to apply for jobs that would leave us worse off, but they can't force us to take them.

 

 

In terms of interview expenses, report back to the employer and

i) enquire whether the date/time of the interview may be rearranged, given that it clashes with another appointment

ii) confirm your attendance subject to the employer confirming that they will reimburse all travelling expenses...travelling expenses falling within the domain of responsibility of the employer.

 

Of course, if the employer does not confirm that they would reimburse expenses, it is difficult to see how a candidate could attend a meeting with an employer at a date/time/venue of their convenience.

I'll try this tomorrow thanks. I imagine JCP will still see it as turning down a job interview if my expenses can't be covered though. And of course they won't. No employer will spend £50 to have someone attend a job interview for a minimum wage job.

[Nystagmite]

The JCP can pay your travel expenses for you.

[RealName]

The JCP can pay your travel expenses for you.

I'm on the work programme, so this isn't an option.

[biggeorge]

Get in touch with your WP provider, Job interview, need travel costs, No costs you can't attend the interview.

 

If you have not signed the data form though you will get nothing as no outcome for the drones even if you get a job.

 

George

Edited June 30, 2013 by citizenB

[dyfed]

I think its crazy that your travel would exceed your wages but some folk would say why not move to where the work is. When I lived with my parents whilst growing up we had to move closer to my fathers employment. Hell Polish people move countries to find work.

[antone]

I think its crazy that your travel would exceed your wages but some folk would say why not move to where the work is. When I lived with my parents whilst growing up we had to move closer to my fathers employment. Hell Polish people move countries to find work.

 

I suppose the main reason why not is the cost. If I were to up and move tomorrow, I'd need about £700 minimum as month's rent and deposit (probably a lot more) plus another £100 or so to rent a van, plus some other incidental costs. We'd be talking about £1000 cash up front. Most people on benefits don't have that lying around.

[san_d]

It should be one of your duties to check beforehand if the job application is reasonable. If you have applied for a job knowing that it's too far away or it is not worth it, the DWP can successfully argue you have applied just to make up the numbers (which is understandable, form a human point of view).

 

If at any stage you realize the job is not worth you should stop applying for the job.

 

For example I can apply for a vacancy that's only 20 miles away, however the employer contacts me and informs me that it's only reachable by private transport and I have none, I inform the employer that due to new circumstances I can't progress my application further.

[RealName]

I contacted the employer again today and explained that it would cost me £50 to travel to the interview and I asked if they would be able to help cover my expenses. They told me not to bother coming and that they would reject my application since it was unreasonable for me to pay to work.

 

If you have not signed the data form though you will get nothing as no outcome for the drones even if you get a job.

I wasn't stupid enough to sign that, which is why I have to pay for all travel costs myself.

 

I think its crazy that your travel would exceed your wages but some folk would say why not move to where the work is. When I lived with my parents whilst growing up we had to move closer to my fathers employment. Hell Polish people move countries to find work.

I can see the logic behind that. antone explained the reason well. There's also the fact that this isn't the type of work I am qualified for and if I was to take this job I would be moving in the opposite direction of where most of the work is.

 

It should be one of your duties to check beforehand if the job application is reasonable. If you have applied for a job knowing that it's too far away or it is not worth it, the DWP can successfully argue you have applied just to make up the numbers (which is understandable, form a human point of view).

If it wasn't for JCP telling me to apply for the job I wouldn't have bothered. I am constantly pointing out to them that it's unreasonable asking me to apply for jobs with high travel costs, but they don't care. I've pointed out that making me apply for the job is only wasting the employer's time as I live too far away to even be considered. They still don't care. Given the number of jobs I apply for each week DWP are going to have a hard time claiming that I applied for a particular job just to make up the numbers. However, I will admit that in the past I have applied for jobs I knew I wouldn't be considered for just to reach my quota. If there aren't enough jobs in a particular week and I am required to apply for a certain number each week, then what am I supposed to do? I recall the Christmas period being particularly bad. I ended up having to apply for jobs from weeks ago that I'd already rejected since the company was looking for someone with experience in that field. If it's a sanctionable offence to apply for jobs just to meet a certain number, then JCP shouldn't be setting numbers in the first place as you can then be sanctioned no matter what you do.

 

If at any stage you realize the job is not worth you should stop applying for the job.

If JCP have asked you to apply for a job and you don't apply for it you risk being sanctioned for 13 weeks. Even if you have sufficient proof that it was unreasonable they will still reject both your reconsideration and the appeal in the hope that you give up before it goes to court. So we're talking about no money for 13 weeks, with you having to wait around a year to get the money back that shouldn't have been taken from you in the first place. It's better to just go along with the lunacy and apply for the job.

Edited June 30, 2013 by citizenB

[san_d]

 

If JCP have asked you to apply for a job and you don't apply for it you risk being sanctioned for 13 weeks. Even if you have sufficient proof that it was unreasonable they will still reject both your reconsideration and the appeal in the hope that you give up before it goes to court. So we're talking about no money for 13 weeks, with you having to wait around a year to get the money back that shouldn't have been taken from you in the first place. It's better to just go along with the lunacy and apply for the job.

 

I am savvy with my money and have enough warchest to survive any of their stupid sanctions. I also make my point of letting them know I'm prepared for any battle. If their request is unreasonable I let them know beforehand and I explain why, citing evidence. So far it has worked.

 

When the interview takes place far away I always ask for a telephone interview. Most of the times the employer gives up at this stage, especially when they don't really have the job in hand and they're just f**ing about, and we both save each other's time and money. But in some rare cases I have met good reception with my request. For some highly qualified jobs the perceptive employer has taken my request for a telephone or skype interview as a sign of reliability. In once case I had three skype interviews before the real interview and the recruiter thanked me for saving them a lot of money. Pity that I didn't get that dream job.

[jasta11]

I've only ever had one telephone interview..for an admin job in Marks & Sparks and I had 10 weird questions to answer, each one dafter than the last. I'm sure she had the question list for a shop assistants job, rather than the admin job because some of the things I was asked were;

 

'Assume you're stacking lipsticks (!!) on the shelves and you find there's not enough space for them all, do you just stop, or ask for assistance or summon a supervisor?' I politely asked if, as an office administrator, I'd be doing much work with lipsticks??

 

'If you were working in the staff canteen (!!) and a senior manager came in, would you ignore him, or show him to a table or bring the canteen supervisor?'

I replied 'My, I get about a bit in this admin job, don't I !'

 

The last question was the best by far...'If you were working on the gents clothing counter (!!) and a man brought back some trousers he'd bought and they were torn but you suspected he'd damaged them himself, would you refund his money, or tell him he'd caused the damage and refuse a refund or call the supervisor?'

 

I swear these were real questions! By now I was resorting to sarcasm and I replied 'It depends where the tear is in the trousers..if it's at the ankles I'd assume he caught it in his bicycle pedals and would refund his money, but if the tear was in the seat of the pants I'd assume it was far more sinister so would not refund him and might even call the police'.

 

After a long silence, she said 'Thank you for your answers, I'll enter your scores into the computer and tell you if you've passed the initial interview'. I'm sure there was no 'computer'; she just waited a minute before replying 'I'm sorry but you haven't passed the interview and we can't progress your application any further'. 'Thank God for that!' I replied and hung up

 

Got a good laugh out of it if nothing else.

[dyfed]

Get your bond back from where you live now and move into cheap bedsit near your new job. It aint rocket science lots of people have done it.

[antone]

Get your bond back from where you live now and move into cheap bedsit near your new job. It aint rocket science lots of people have done it.

 

Yep, lots of people have done it, and lots of people can't do it. I wasn't aware I was staking out a controversial position (that it costs money to move, which is why people don't just up and move every other week) but oh well. I'm using "I" for convenience, but I'm not actually in this situation in real life, it's just an example.

 

I can't get my deposit back until I move out and demonstrate that all final bills are paid. I can't move out until I have a place to move to. I can't have a place to move to until I pay a deposit. Therefore, I need to be able to front the deposit on my new place. If I'm on benefits, I can't front the deposit, nor can I front the first month's rent, because I need that money to pay the rent on my current place which, as you will have noticed, I can't move out of until I've paid the rent on my new place. But I can't pay the rent on my new place until I move out of my old one.

 

Now it's true that some people can manage this under some circumstances. Good for them. But most people on benefits can't simply up and move.

[Nystagmite]

 

I can't get my deposit back until I move out and demonstrate that all final bills are paid. I can't move out until I have a place to move to. I can't have a place to move to until I pay a deposit.

 

I'm also sure sometimes if you wish to move out, you need to find someone to take over your room.

[antone]

I'm also sure sometimes if you wish to move out, you need to find someone to take over your room.

 

This may be the case for folks in shared houses who wish to leave before the end of their contract, yes.

[Guest]

Agreed its not that simple or more would do it I am sure, just for the peace of mind of a job and no pressure from not being able to find one. Removal costs are high if you don't have a friend with a van and have a whole home to move. When I down sized last year, I had to pay to get my cooker and washing machine, fridge-freezer etc moved, family packed up their 3 cars with all the smaller bits and because it was within walking distance I carried several bags round on foot lol.....I have ornaments and sentimental value stuff from my Mother who has since passed away, and it wasn't just a case of a few black sacks jump on a bus with the refunded bond or whatever......this is the real world not fairy land. To move out of my area for instance for a job would not be good for me, as my family network are my carers/helpers that keep me from losing the plot totally at times, and have certainly kept me out of the nuthouse, I would be in a dire state without them nearby. There are many reasons, all different, for many people. Moving for a job is not as simple as the statement itself.

If its bedsit moving, as antone has said, people want the deposit etc up front and its a catch 22 for a lot of people. Maybe if a moving allowance, even if paid back over a period of time, like the old budget loan, that would help people be able to do it. But lets face it this Govt isn't about helping anyone other than themselves to the honey pot they claim we don't have.

[Consumer dude]

The nut house might be the best place to be..

[Guest]

well I may be booked in for the summer methinks lol

[Consumer dude]

well I may be booked in for the summer methinks lol

 

Might see you in there. Society is breaking down and I don't always follow how to interact with what's going on..

[san_d]

Society is breaking down and I don't always follow how to interact with what's going on..

 

There's no such a thing as society (according to that woman).

[Consumer dude]

There's no such a thing as society (according to that woman).

 

I blame her then, but I can't as she is no longer with us..

[Guest]

well if I am in there before you consumerdude I will save you a seat in the lounge lol