Jobs Fair - Sanction question

[Flickyhecky]

When i signed on the 1st June, i noticed a small (half A4 size) notice about a Jobs Fair the day after (2nd June), anyway, i signed on as normal and was just about to leave when i asked about the Jobs Fair, he said it was mandatory, and i left...

 

...the thing is, he made no attempt during the signing to mention about it or give me a "direction" letter, and because of this i completely forgot about the Jobs Fair the day after.

 

Can i still be santioned for not going, i thought they had to give you written notice of it detailing the penalties for not attending, all i had was just an unofficial verbal notice (well basically him saying "Yeah it's tomorrow at 10.30", he had to ask someone else if it was mandatory)...does this make it a verbal contract, don't think he put anything about it on the system.

 

I would've attended if i was given proper notice, but because i'm scatterbrained, i genuinely forgot about it.

[Sparks_]

How would they know you had or had not been? Do you have to sign in when you go to a job fair? plus doesnt all mandatory actions such as a job fair have to be given to you in writting?

[Flickyhecky]

Well that's what usually happens, they give you a letter that you sign, and it informs you that it's mandatory, and you usually get given a slip of paper that the people at the fair get you to sign to show you've seen them.

[SabreSheep]

The mandating process has not been followed.

 

*IF* they do a sanction then on the bit where it asks you for your side of the story you can say "Was not aware it was mandated, no letter received and/or signed"

[Nystagmite]

I thought with mandatory appointments, you had to sign in and out to say you'd been. How can you do that with things like job fairs, where hundreds will be there?

[trebormoinet]

I thought with mandatory appointments, you had to sign in and out to say you'd been. How can you do that with things like job fairs, where hundreds will be there?

 

The last job fair I was sent to had about 10 people in attendance but there is someone there from the DWP who signs the form to say we attended.

 

The 2 main stands were from the army recruiting and fostering waste of time and no candy floss .

[jasta11]

This is yet another good reason for recording all meetings at the JC. If anything is said about you not going you could bluff that you were recording the interview and that your recording confirms the adviser never mentioned the job fair to you and you'd be happy to type it up into a nice complaint letter to their District Manager. I find the threat of being recorded always makes them wary.

 

If nothing is mentioned by the adviser then just let sleeping dogs lie. Job fairs are a total waste of time; there's never any actual vacancies going, just companies collecting CVs for 'future' vacancies.