JobCentre staff standing by to help as Kimberly-Clark plant in Barton earmarked for closure

“I think their remit is to have people transferred to private training organisations as soon as possible, thus reducing the unemployment figures. They're basic administrators so it can't be anything too complicated.”

“Job Centres must be costing the country a fortune. Quite some years ago when I was unemployed, I registered with the local centre. At that time, when a suitable job came up I received a telephone call advising me of this and I seem to think they may have actually made an interview appointment for me. Could somebody enlighten me as what their actual role is nowadays please?”

“They seem to have two modes: rude and useless. My Sister-in-Law has a serious health problem which means she will never work on a regular basis again. She went for a medical, they told her she couldn't work, the Job Centre called her in for a work interview??!! We were a couple of minutes late because we didn't know where to go and they said "Did you know your appointment was at 2pm?", she said "yes" and explained why we didn't quite make it. There was no queue or anything, so it didn't really matter. The man said "I don't want to hear your excuses I just need to know if you knew when your appointment was". Well, I had very unholy thoughts but kept them to myself. Then, after 10 minutes of being unable to switch his computer on, he gave her some leaflets and expected us to leave. My Sister-in-Law asked if she could do ad hoc voluntary work to keep her mind active and help people out. He said "What do you want to do that for? You won't get paid." and closed the interview.
The whole thing was quite distressing, especially for a lady who should never have been there in the first place.”

“This is a perfect example of a "Catch 22" type of scenario.
The calibre of personnel working in the country's Job Centres is dire. They are only employed because they are too ineffectual, incompetent and unambitious to find themselves a properly paid position in the 'real world' economy. No one else will employ them.

They can't find themselves a good job themselves so what arrogance to suggest that they can find someone else a properly paid 'real' job.”

“I was out of work after 35 years with an employer, I remember some of the interviews I had at the job centre benefit office, in one the lady turned to a colleague and began speaking to her as though I wasn't there about another case entirely with someone else she was very rude and only apologised when prompted by one of the nearby security guard type people! I had another interview with a training company representatives in the job centre who turned up 15 mins late for the interview from lunch without any word of apology started the interview but looked so bored and disinterested, I am a very tolerant person but in the end I thought the best thing to do was just leave as I could feel myself getting angry so I stood up and walked away. I claimed three weeks benefit after 35 years uninterrupted employment, but in terms of finding a job they were totally useless.”

“Eight years ago i had an accident at work , went to hospital had an mri scan , surgeon told me i had five crushed disc in a place where if he operated on me the chances are i would would not be able to walk , So he would not operate until the pain was unbearable and that i should rest my back. The company i worked for held my job open for me so i still had my job , A short time later i was told i had to go to a back to work organisation , I explained i still had a job but was told if i did not attend i would loose my sick payments , I was suppose to be resting my back but was forced to go , Had to do some silly tick box test a five year old could have passed , Write of a cv , and apply for three jobs i explained i had a job and yet again was told if i did not i would loose my benefit . I was told not sure if this was right that each time i attended the company claimed around £150 . What a waste of tax payers money ,I still had my job what was the point of all this just hampered my recovery .”

“Things are bad enough for the employees of K-C who are being laid off without inflicting the "Job Centre Experience" on them.
Patronising and ineffectual, the average Job Centre employee enjoys a mega-cushy job with gold-plated pension payable as soon as they can concoct a suitable "illness" to secure early retirement.
A waste of space the lot of them.”

“I am sorry to report Job centre staff, with a few exceptions were worse than useless when I needed help.”

“englander
Yeh job centre staff standing by alright and yakking, what it should say is job centre staff standing by to inform those newly made redundant that virtually no full time jobs are available and only part time low paid agency work is to be had and that if you fail to turn up on time to sign on that they will stop your payments. Also those poor soles that have already paid for a holiday abroad or in the UK will not be now able to take that holiday as they will loose their state benefit.
Also englander I agree, we can not do any worse than this lot already in power or the last lot that was in power. However as I have said before it is our own kind that are idiot's, while they can watch cora / eastenders / x factor and similar while eating fast food and drinking coke and bear things will not change. One morning these people will wake up but it will be too late, they will go to work and the gates will be locked. They will go to the cash point but it will be turned off, then and only then will they look outside their little world and see.”

“YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD , SPOT ON JohnJohn2011 We should start our own party put the country back on its feet .”