Sharp practice at the Job Centre
Sharp practice at the Job Centre
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Riley Blue

Original Poster:

23,205 posts

255 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
quotequote all
My O/H was made redundant at the end of November. She registered on line and was advised of the date and time of a first appointment at the local Job Centre.
When she went to that one a second appointment was made for 15.38 the following Tuesday. She attended and was given a card for her regular appointment and was told "Same time next week."
She went back the following Tuesday for 15.38 to discover she should have been there on _Monday_ at 15.38 and because she hadn't attended she'd been 'sanctioned' - her money has been stopped, not just for that week but for the whole fking month!
The sneeky bds had changed the day without telling her and she hadn't noticed the date on her card was a day out - why would she look, they'd said "Same time next week..."
She can appeal but what's the point, she's recorded as a 'no-show' which she can't argue.

It strongly suggests the rumours about Job Centre staff having targets for sanctions are true and that new applicants are being targeted. Being made redundant is bad enough without being hit with st like this. Guess what, the local JC staff deny they didn't mention the date change so any appeal she may make is a case of her word against theirs - no guesses whose side will be taken.

What a sthole this country has become.

GaryGlitter

2,282 posts

212 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
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But if she had checked the card she would have seen the anomolie.


GadgeS3C

4,727 posts

193 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
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Last year when I took redundancy I had a pretty good experience with the job centre. I was lucky to get a team leader as my advisor and we developed a good understanding.

When he wasn't in things were a little more "interesting". On one occasion I'd had my appointment changed and I was told I was wrong about my appointment time and I was late. The advisor told me I must be wrong as they didn't do appointments at 10 past the hour so I was late as I arrived at 11.05. I suggested he check and they had no record of my changed appointment so when he started getting arsey I slid the confirmation letter from them across the desk. He did at least have the decency to apologise.

My understanding is they are under much more pressure to sanction now and given the quality of some of the staff I can see this sort of crap happening a lot more.

Riley Blue

Original Poster:

23,205 posts

255 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
quotequote all
GaryGlitter said:
But if she had checked the card she would have seen the anomolie.
She was told "Same time next week." If you were told that, wouldn't you expect it to be on the same day? They lied and are now denying they lied.

Engineer1

10,486 posts

238 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
quotequote all
Riley Blue said:
GaryGlitter said:
But if she had checked the card she would have seen the anomolie.
She was told "Same time next week." If you were told that, wouldn't you expect it to be on the same day? They lied and are now denying they lied.
This If someone says same time next week I will go to the same place at the same time next week, the only time I would check an appointment card is if I managed to give myself a doubt about what I remembered and wanted to double check - I have a memory like a sieve so chances are I would check.

GaryGlitter

2,282 posts

212 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
quotequote all
Riley Blue said:
GaryGlitter said:
But if she had checked the card she would have seen the anomolie.
She was told "Same time next week." If you were told that, wouldn't you expect it to be on the same day? They lied and are now denying they lied.
Personally I would have looked at the card at some point before 'next week' especially as it was a rather loose and casual confirmation of the next appointment time.



ArmaghMan

2,791 posts

209 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
quotequote all
GaryGlitter said:
But if she had checked the card she would have seen the anomolie.
Personally I wouldn't use the word anomaly if I couldn't spell it correctly

Disastrous

10,210 posts

246 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
quotequote all
GaryGlitter said:
Riley Blue said:
GaryGlitter said:
But if she had checked the card she would have seen the anomolie.
She was told "Same time next week." If you were told that, wouldn't you expect it to be on the same day? They lied and are now denying they lied.
Personally I would have looked at the card at some point before 'next week' especially as it was a rather loose and casual confirmation of the next appointment time.
Why are you doing that? I appreciate it's 'fun' on PH to try and always blame the OP for whatever has happened to them (presumably you can wittily chip in with "this thread hasn't gone how the OP hoped!"?) but it's absurd.

"Same time next week" isn't loose or casual at all. It's utterly unambiguous.

Edited by Disastrous on Thursday 19th December 13:20

Riley Blue

Original Poster:

23,205 posts

255 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
quotequote all
GaryGlitter said:
Riley Blue said:
GaryGlitter said:
But if she had checked the card she would have seen the anomolie.
She was told "Same time next week." If you were told that, wouldn't you expect it to be on the same day? They lied and are now denying they lied.
Personally I would have looked at the card at some point before 'next week' especially as it was a rather loose and casual confirmation of the next appointment time.
What's "loose and casual" about "See you at the same time next week"? It may have been, "I'll see you again at the same time next week." but the meaning is unambiguous.

Engineer1

10,486 posts

238 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
quotequote all
If you where planning to meet up with a mate see you same time next week is a firm appointment the details being the same as for the current meeting just a week later, however if your mate said see you next week, then you would need to communicate again to arrange the details.

shouldbworking

4,801 posts

241 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
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If my sole income depended upon being at a given place at a given time, i'd double check when that was.

Sir Fergie

795 posts

164 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
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Im with Riley here - to me same time next week - would usually appear to mean the same day as well.

I can see why it could mean simply the time of the day - not the actual day.

But the punishment is very harsh for what was clearly a misunderstanding rage

Been docked by a week is bad enough but a whole MONTH.

Maybe they should start dishing these punishments out to the workshy - rather then to genuine people whove been working - but have recently been made redundant.

Such people should be at least given the benefit of the doubt at the start - plenty of time to start bringing on the big punishments at a later stage if the job centre realises that the applicant is messing about.

GaryGlitter

2,282 posts

212 months

Thursday 19th December 2013
quotequote all
ArmaghMan said:
GaryGlitter said:
But if she had checked the card she would have seen the anomolie.
Personally I wouldn't use the word anomaly if I couldn't spell it correctly
Personally I wouldn't try and be a smart arse if I couldn't punctuate correctly.

ArmaghMan

2,791 posts

209 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
GaryGlitter said:
ArmaghMan said:
GaryGlitter said:
But if she had checked the card she would have seen the anomolie.
Personally I wouldn't use the word anomaly if I couldn't spell it correctly
Personally I wouldn't try and be a smart arse if I couldn't punctuate correctly.
To anomaly we now add smart-arse.

Keep up the good work.

Tannedbaldhead

3,190 posts

161 months

Friday 3rd January 2014
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http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Basically the same stuff I had posted here.

0a

24,137 posts

223 months

Friday 3rd January 2014
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Riley Blue said:
"Same time next week."
It was the same time, and it was the next week, just a different day.

On a series note it's a shame that we seem to be punishing the genuine at the expense of those that need sanctions which isn't good. I would definitely complain.