I was unable to attend an interview for a job will UC sanction me?

Completely disagree. I have a grown up conversation with whoever rings me, and then if said child is being blue lighted to hospital (thank God this has not happened so far 😂) I don't finish my tasks and go. If he's just thrown up or is a bit under the weather, then I tell them when I'll be there and text said child (mine are older) similar.

What I find unbelievable is that people just drop everything and run off to get their child for the slightest sniffle without putting professional ducks in a row first. But then I suppose it depends at what level you're working at and how bothered you are about your career.

Is this thread a joke or is the OP that clueless that she cannot see what she did wrong. Thing is I suspect the UK is rife with people like this looking at % of people not in work for xxx reason. My Mum was a single parent back in the day when it wasnt that usual. Ironically she was a teacher!

I have my tin hat here but the sooner the government (dont mind which one!) get to grip with the welfare bill and this sort of behaviour we are just going to continue on like this.

I’m shocked at some of the nasty responses on here! Perhaps op’s a bit lacking in confidence and felt anxious about phoning the school? Either way your pile on about what a rubbish employee she’s going to be isn’t going to help her!

OP if you’re still interested in the job, see if you can find an email address and explain the situation, you never know they may have been unable to recruit and might give you a second chance. The idea that op will be blacklisted across the whole council for jobs as suggested by some is ridiculous, different departments don’t talk to each other when it comes to recruitment.

Im surprised there’s so many who think it’s fine to leave the child at school until you’ve finished what you need to do. You’re the parent, it’s not up to schools to have to spend time looking after sick kids, they’re strapped for resources already. If your job’s so important you can’t be available for your own kid then you need to make sure you have a back up available.

No you didn't
Or if you did then you might want to practice reading a bit more if one typo and a few missing commas throws you so much.

It would have been much better to have told your daughter's school that you would come as soon as possible but were currently attending a job interview so couldn't come immediately. If that was impossible (because your child has a sever medical condition, for example), then you absolutely should have called the place where you had an interview and let them know. Not wanting to phone is not a legitimate excuse.

Finding a job is important. A child's health is important too, but they were at school and so not likely to come to harm. You might not get penalised on this occasion but should be if it happens again. Good parenting includes stepping up and being responsible.

The internet never fails to shock me with people’s total lack of problem solving skills.

I don't think it will have bearing on your UC but googling the school number and leaving a voicemail at the very least would have been the polite thing to do and would have increased the chance of rescheduling.

It's almost like you don't want to get a job!! It's not exactly difficult to find a school phone number, they have websites, click on the location in google maps and there's bound to be a phone number. Surely you remember being a kid and the school having an office and a receptionist?? You really need to grow up and act like an adult if you're going to join a workplace.

OP you aren't really making sense. You didn't want to waste 5 minutes of a receptionist's time letting them know you couldn't attend and possibly postponing the interview? But by not informing them you've probably caused the same receptionist even more work (perhaps several interactions between them and the interviewers querying if you've arrived etc) You've also caused a significant amount of disruption to whoever is interviewing you. They will maybe have taken time out to prepare and may have been waiting for a long time for you to turn up. These are probably senior members of the school who probably have a million and one other things to be getting on with. I think whether you prioritise your daughter over the interview was a judgement call that only you can really make. However I think you've been hugely unprofessional with this job interview and if I was able to I'd sanction you tbh. As pp have said it doesn't sound as if you want to work and tbh that isn't a life choice the people who do work should have to fund

That’s horrific ??? They are totally unreasonable under those circumstances to sanction

I wouldn't be surprised if you do get sanctioned, dp got sanctioned once because he missed a meeting at the job centre. He was in A&E because his face had swollen up! They wouldn't accept that as an excuse. Fingers crossed for you but they can be quite ruthless. It might be a good idea to send an email apology to the interviewer at least.

My daughter's school was an hour drive away for me, she travelled by train. Do you think all parents live around the corner?

There was a sofa in reception where a child could lie down under their watchful eye. She never did though, maybe why she has such a strong working ethic now. Ridiculous to rush to a school when a kid feels under the weather.

She was once taken ill on a school trip, a six hour drive to the hospital. Don't know how you would cope with that.

Come on OP, you said your interview was with the council, then a school. Either way you have been given a time and location of the interview and I imagine who you would be interviewing with. You must have had some paperwork

i get your daughter is poorly and takes priority, but it would have taken 5 mins max to find the number and give them a call. Many interviewers would understand and possibly even rearrange the interview. But you have been incredibly rude and wasted their time.

if the employer were to be followed up by UC it really wouldn’t look good for you. At least if you phoned they could have corroborated your reason, as it stands your just a no show.

For a lot of parents, the commute to school from work would take longer than the time it would have took op to go to her interview ( for which she was already on the way ) , then pick her child up. Also very poor form not to have phoned the school immediately to say she couldn’t attend the interview. Op has none of the attributes employers are looking for.

Yes I expect you will be sanctioned, as you have to update that job's info - as indeed you already did by 1. saying you had applied and 2. you have an interview.

what was the job at a school that means you don't know schools have receptionists and admin staff that are able to pick up a phone...

Your job coach will be asking you how you got on at the interview, and as someone else said they do check ! if interviews have been attended and how the interview went !!! i.e. your time keeping / if you were dressed appropriately / how you acted during the interview.

Sometimes the school rang my work place and were very put out when our secretary explained that I was uncontactable for several hours unless it was a true emergency.
They were also irritated when I had travelled several hours away for work and would therefore not be able to get back to school before it was due to finish.
I was always surprised that they seemed to expect that mothers would always be 20 minutes up the road and available within seconds.

Why didn't you collect her after the interview? If you had a job, and were at work, you wouldn't be able to be at school instantly. Or even if they had called a few minutes later and you were already in the interview. Assuming it's not critical, they can wait half an hour.

To all the people arguing amongst themselves about the rights and wrongs of picking up a child immediately upon receiving a phone call from the school to do so, this isn't really what the thread is about.

The OP merely had to google the number of the school she was supposed to be attending an interview at and explain her circumstances and rearrange for the interview to be another day.

Schools have literal receptionists 🤔

I very much doubt the person interviewing you will be busy with children. Neither will the people in the office taking calls.

I agree. Why is there such a culture of child neglect to prioritise the needs of adults and/or employers ?

There's no need to be rude.

In the example you used, you collected your child as soon as you were able to.

Or at least I think you did, I had to read a few times due to the grammar.

She might not have been and it’s neglect to deliberately delay collecting a child when the school have requested a parent to ? Schools have high thresholds for sending children home

In 2021 the NMW had to be paid to workers on commission.
See the date of this article? Feb 2020.
Do I have to pay my commission based employees the National Minimum Wage if their commission falls below it? - Warner Goodman LLP