Corona and trips to the JobCentre

[Jaybee in CF]

I'm aware that DWP policy towards all job-hunters is that, "The government thinks it's right we turn up and work a 35 hour week, so we expect you to be looking for 35 hours a week, AND to turn up here on demand".  I get that - I don't like it, I'm old enough to remember the days when they didn't even ask about your jobsearch.  But I get it.  

 

It occurred to me that, in dragging me into these pointless UC meetings at the JC, where the "Advisor" blankly looks at the myriad agency/company names to whom I've applied, disinterestedly asks, "And how's the job search going?", while already clicking through the diary, they are - statistically - increasing the possibility of any of me, or anyone else attending UC meetings, dying from the virus.  Sorry to scare you, but technically, that's a fact. 

 

We already have a precedent - Italy just shut down all it's educational institutions.  Now, it is clearly a lot less important that jobseekers turn up every few weeks, than it is the DWP themselves turn up to their offices (though I'd argue the bloat within makes the vast majority of them an enormous waste of taxpayers money anyway).  My own job can be done (and increasingly is) wholly online.  Given that I could go into self-isolation, use Skype and thus be available for both interviews and actual work,  the DWP, by insisting that I PHYSICALLY be present in their offices, are needlessly and therefore unreasonably increasing the chance of my exposure to, and demise from, this virus.  And by extension, their own too. 

 

Can you imagine their horrified looks if I turn up coughing and spluttering in their offices?  Perhaps I'd be so kind as to forewarn them, a day in advance, that I'd come down with something, that in fairness I was still strong enough to be up and about, but was very much in the initial contagious phase, and would leave it to them whether they REALLY wanted me to come in. 

 

Hmmm...

Edited March 4, 2020 by Jaybee in CF

[unclebulgaria67]

You can stay in touch with DWP news by visiting their website and also their Twitter feed.

There is new about self isolation on their Twitter feed, which you can view if you click on the Twitter link below.

 

https://www.gov.uk/search/all?organisations[]=department-for-work-pensions&order=updated-newest&parent=department-for-work-pensions

 

https://twitter.com/dwp

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sick-pay-from-day-one-for-those-affected-by-coronavirus

 

If you are adding details of your job search and applications to your Universal Credit journal, why not ask your Work Coach for phone appointments, to save you running the risk of catching anything.

 

 

[tomtom256]

No different to the staff, that have to attend to see you all.

 

Their risk is also increased a lot more than your risk is.

 

We often get customers coughing and spluttering with colds etc, corona isn't really that much different to the common cold/flu and existing coronav virus, it's just a new strain. Gets passed the same way and symptons are similar, normal flu etc can and does kill just the same, if you have underlying conditions.

[Raven1]

The requirement to physically attend a job centre will be removed – everything can be done on the phone and online.