Poundland Girl Wins Forced Labour Ruling
- Thread starter CosmicClown
- Start date
Those are my thoughts, people need training and support to get them into jobs they want to do. How can any right minded person think taking a graduate out of a museum (even if a volunteer) and sticking her in Poundland is the right thing to do for her or the system.
For some Poundland might be ideal, but at least try and match the person to the job. To be honest as it stands it appears to be more to do with rapping peoples fingers for being out of work, not about motivating folk back into work or giving them the skills to get back on their own. And you have to be realistic, lots people would welcome a training placement and the opportunity to learn. (if it were there) But we've also created a hard core of work shy who are almost unemployable. Would you want one working for YOUR company??
I certainly don't know what to do with them. But pushing people into pointless, meaningless so called placements won't do it.
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JSA costs 4.5 billion the work programme costs 6 billion, you are better of spending that 6 billion on proper training courses not the rubbish the job center send people on.
companies like pound land get paid to take on the unemployed, and how many unemployed have been taken on via the work programme for all companies less that 1%.
I still don't understand why everyone kicked off about this scheme...
You worked 11.5 hrs a week and got paid your standard £71 which you would earn anyway except you weren't sat on your **** at home watching Jeremy Kyle
So the reason why people kick off cause they had to work for the money...which is what working people do anyway...and there was also the prospect of full time/ higher paid wages at the end...
Edit: Genuinely confused, not trolling! Can someone explain it to me like I am a 5 year old (which today I feel like)
I "work" 30 hours a week at B&Q doing an irrelevant job and also have to spend almost 3 hours a day on busses to get to and back from work. I wasn't forced to do it I volunteered but I can imagine how ****ed off someone would be if they were forced to do it.
Thing is tho the Job Center is there to manage unemployment nothing more, nothing less. Thats not going to change :S they do not exist to actually help someone find a job.
100% Spot on. They should be done under the trades description act really. Absolutely nothing to do with helping you gain employment. At the moment more to do with perpetuating the stigma of anyone who is unemployed being ****less, witless or a scumbag. (Some are) but the majority are simply trying to make the best of it. We need to invest in training and job creation, but investing in the "unemployed" and spending money would go down like a lead balloon. Industry are constantly moaning about people not having the necessary skills, but won't spend money training people ( The big guys do, but most small companies are shocking) And under recession conditions its worse.
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I'm glad she won the case.
These government schemes are draconian and should be outlawed.
These government schemes are draconian and should be outlawed.
Deleted member 66701
Deleted member 66701
I am genuinely encouraged that a lot of posters in this thread are glad about the ruling and against the way workfare is implemented.
It gives me hope that society can find a way through this challenging period.
It gives me hope that society can find a way through this challenging period.
I am currently unemployed and March last year got put on a "list" for "Compulsary Work Programme" but when I next went to sign on I got told the company lost the contract so the work programmes at my Jobcentre were put on hold.
September same year I got stitched up and penalised so lost my JSA for 1 month. What happened is my advisor printed me off a load of jobs for me to take home and look at, but she printed off that I was going to apply for these jobs. So when I was checked out and they phoned a company I was supposed to apply for but didn't, they asked me why I didn't apply for it, so I told them and it went to the decision department and they ruled I broke my agreement, which I hadn't. All the while I was sanctioned they expected me to keep signing on, which would cost me money in petrol and car park payments to get to and fro without any income, so I signed off for that period.
Exact same thing happened to my brother the year before and it really screwed him bad, not being able to pay his bills which then went to debt collectors which were phoning hourly every day for a month trying to get him to pay despite his bank account being empty.
Back onto the work scheme, I have a mate who finished 4 years in Uni doing 3D Modelling and right away as he signed on he got put onto the work scheme and was made to work into a model shop that sell toy RC helicopters, cars, model kits, stuff like that for 30 hours a week. Business owner said that at the end there won't be any work for him as he can't pay him due to to many workers. So he left that and got put into working at a computer repair place which he was at for 3 months and finished his time there last week.
Did he get a job at the end? no. Any workable experience? no. Anything he can use to get a job with? no, a job like that outside of slave labour requires qualifications. Did he get anything at all for him time there? no. How did this 3 months help him? it didn't.
The forced labour into work places not relevant to your existing skills only detracts the ability of getting a job TO your qualifications. If we are stuck Monday to Thursday 9 to 5 where is our time to have a good job search, phone companies and liaise, visit companies or attend job interviews. How can anyone see that Work Placement schemes are a good use of time or a better use of time for an unemployed person.
September same year I got stitched up and penalised so lost my JSA for 1 month. What happened is my advisor printed me off a load of jobs for me to take home and look at, but she printed off that I was going to apply for these jobs. So when I was checked out and they phoned a company I was supposed to apply for but didn't, they asked me why I didn't apply for it, so I told them and it went to the decision department and they ruled I broke my agreement, which I hadn't. All the while I was sanctioned they expected me to keep signing on, which would cost me money in petrol and car park payments to get to and fro without any income, so I signed off for that period.
Exact same thing happened to my brother the year before and it really screwed him bad, not being able to pay his bills which then went to debt collectors which were phoning hourly every day for a month trying to get him to pay despite his bank account being empty.
Back onto the work scheme, I have a mate who finished 4 years in Uni doing 3D Modelling and right away as he signed on he got put onto the work scheme and was made to work into a model shop that sell toy RC helicopters, cars, model kits, stuff like that for 30 hours a week. Business owner said that at the end there won't be any work for him as he can't pay him due to to many workers. So he left that and got put into working at a computer repair place which he was at for 3 months and finished his time there last week.
Did he get a job at the end? no. Any workable experience? no. Anything he can use to get a job with? no, a job like that outside of slave labour requires qualifications. Did he get anything at all for him time there? no. How did this 3 months help him? it didn't.
The forced labour into work places not relevant to your existing skills only detracts the ability of getting a job TO your qualifications. If we are stuck Monday to Thursday 9 to 5 where is our time to have a good job search, phone companies and liaise, visit companies or attend job interviews. How can anyone see that Work Placement schemes are a good use of time or a better use of time for an unemployed person.
As far as I am aware this was called a sector based work scheme she was on.
Surely if there is no current employment opportunities relating to her Geology degree than I think it was completely appropriate to make her work in a sector that does have jobs available in this case learning to stack shelves at Poundland makes her a better candidate for the retail sector where there are normally more jobs available, and it did since she got a part time job working at a supermarket afterwards.
Just because you decided that you wanted to work in the field of geology or whatever doesn't guarantee that you will get a job in that chosen sector nor should it be an excuse to focus solely on work relating to that position.
Surely if there is no current employment opportunities relating to her Geology degree than I think it was completely appropriate to make her work in a sector that does have jobs available in this case learning to stack shelves at Poundland makes her a better candidate for the retail sector where there are normally more jobs available, and it did since she got a part time job working at a supermarket afterwards.
Just because you decided that you wanted to work in the field of geology or whatever doesn't guarantee that you will get a job in that chosen sector nor should it be an excuse to focus solely on work relating to that position.
Hostile_18
Hostile_18
Well I've trained and worked with a lot of these unemployed people put on these training schemes over the years. If a candidate could work to a level we would expect from an employee they will more often than not get a job offer as soon as one becomes available. I know a lot of people that have held down steady jobs for several years thanks to the work placement scheme.
There are of course those that are not work ready and if they are open to it will learn a lot about holding a regular job if they make the effort. Some naturally make no effort and will forever be jobless until they change their attitude. The skills learned for retail are for more than "filling shelves" there's timekeeping, merchandising, appearance, customer service and learning to work as part of a team etc etc. Honestly you would be amazed how much some candidates change from the start of a scheme to the end of one. At the very least its either experience, an employment opportunity or for those who don't want a job its making them earn their keep.
There are of course those that are not work ready and if they are open to it will learn a lot about holding a regular job if they make the effort. Some naturally make no effort and will forever be jobless until they change their attitude. The skills learned for retail are for more than "filling shelves" there's timekeeping, merchandising, appearance, customer service and learning to work as part of a team etc etc. Honestly you would be amazed how much some candidates change from the start of a scheme to the end of one. At the very least its either experience, an employment opportunity or for those who don't want a job its making them earn their keep.
Deleted member 66701
Deleted member 66701
I don't think anyone has an issue with that - and as she'll be working (and lets face it, she's not going to be getting any worthwhile training whilst there is she?) then limit her hours to 11.5hrs - i.e. min wage rates.
The whole issue here isn't the workfare scheme itself, it's the Job centers stance of "go and do 30 hrs unpaid work or lose your measly £71 a week JSA" that's wrong.
Hostile_18
Hostile_18
It would be hard to make someone employable (or more attractive to employer's) with just 12 hours a week to work from, especially considering a lot of candidates need time and patience. Its hardly teaching them about the demands of full time employment either which is what they need presumably.
Deleted member 66701
Deleted member 66701
They could do 12 hrs work and 18 hrs in training at a recognised educational establishment.
£71 a week? Someone working in a factory will actually work 35 hours a week and only get 3 times more (and taxed). No wonder the young brits can't be arsed to work and leave it for the "foreigners".
The difference between £200 and £71 is hardly worth the effort.
The difference between £200 and £71 is hardly worth the effort.
Meanwhile poundland probably sends the profits she helped them make into some offshore account to avoid tax.
All these placements obviously mean poundland have vacancys which should be filled up with proper workers not those forced at the end of a pen to stack shelves.
Work experience? how much do you need to stack a shelf? put the old stock in the front and the new stock in the back and make sure the labels face outwards./
Ta-Da now you are a fully trained shelf stacker grats
All these placements obviously mean poundland have vacancys which should be filled up with proper workers not those forced at the end of a pen to stack shelves.
Work experience? how much do you need to stack a shelf? put the old stock in the front and the new stock in the back and make sure the labels face outwards./
Ta-Da now you are a fully trained shelf stacker grats
Have you tried to live on £71 a week though? Who in thier right mind would decide to sit on jobseekers as a way of life? £71 would not even pay for oil,electric and food considering how much prices have risen which was always the intention anyways as they could never lower jobseekers in public.One bus fare for an interview alone can set you back £7 out of your £71.What happens if you need to make 2-3 interviews per week?
Unless you plan on eating those value horse burgers everyday
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Plus it's just depressing not working.
It's actually really bad for you mentally.
I'm always a bit amazed at the idea people are actively choosing it because it's genuinely an unpleasant way to live even without the public perception that you are a scrounger.
It's actually really bad for you mentally.
I'm always a bit amazed at the idea people are actively choosing it because it's genuinely an unpleasant way to live even without the public perception that you are a scrounger.