to think my friend has a good argument for refusing to attend this job interview?

[listsandbudgets]

She's going anyway because even though she argued until she was in floods of tears, the job centre have told her that if she does not she'll have her benefits taken away.

She's strictly vegan and has been since her mid teens - she's now in her late 30s. She won't even wear leather shoes. They are sending her to be interviewed for a job in an abattoir Normally I'd say if people can work they should but surely she's got a good argument for not going for this job?

What on earth can she do? Will she be sanctioned if she lets them know her views during the interview and does her best not to get the job?

She has to go. Beggars can't be choosers.

Just tell them at the end that she is vegan.

If it's working in the office, then she could take the job, put the effort in for a few months to get a decent reference and use it to get a more suitable job elsewhere.

If it's a job actually working with dead animals, then I can understand her upset.

Walk in and puke on their shoes?

Unless she's in some fairy bubble in the UK with 100% employment, it makes sod all difference to the public purse whether Ms Vegetarian is the one who takes up the vacancy at the abbatoir, or it goes to Mrs RedinToothAndClaw who was behind her in the dole queue.

Best strategy here is to perform badly I think. Be late, act stupid, tell them you are a vegan and do not want the job.

Surely anyone can go to an interview and fail it on purpose. That said perhaps your friend needs to improve her efforts to find a job that she is prepared to do.

But MrsDeVere - I don't know. I am not a vegan and yet I have similar feelings about the slaughter of animals. I would find it incredibly distressing. But I can't imagine many people would enjoy it - so in a sense the old beggars can't be choosers applies here.

I do really sympathise though as I'd feel sick.

Veganism is about avoiding all animal products, this includes not having honey, not wearing leather or wool or other materials derived from animal sources.
I think it is totally unreasonable of them to expect.her to attend.
But I don't make the rules.

Feel slightly torn but I suppose if it was work in an abattoir or you and your family starve she would do it

Vegan or not, the sounds and smells she'll encounter when approaching the site could be very traumatic.

Interesting responses. I feel sorry for her being put in this position but she's going to go. She does not want to be on benefits and has applied for loads of jobs without luck.

How did she end up with an interview there in the first place? When I was on JSA as long as I applied for a decent amount of jobs I wasn't forced to apply for any I didn't want to. Was I just particularly lucky?

Interesting definition if the word traumatic there. Unpleasant perhaps.

Tricky one. What's better to work in an abbatoir or receive an income provided by others over whom one has no control. The prospective employee doesn't know how her benefits are funded. Would she do a "Margot" and go down to the Job Centre and say "I will accept the 80% earned by moral means but I won't accept the 20% that might be funded by organisations whose Corporate Social Responsibility Agendas I don't agree with".

Can't decide to be honest. I think my view is that if she doesn't want the job in the abbattoir, she needs to find work elsewhere, however unpleasant or inconvenient it might be.

I really hope something else turns up, lists x

www.urban75.com/Action/Jsa/jsa5.html

www.convery.org.uk/website/pubs/hb99/html/ch08.htm

According to both these sites your friend has " good cause" to refuse to take the job, even if offered.

Yes, she does have to go.
Common sense has no place in the argument unfortunately.
The job centre call the shots. You have to jump through the hoops.

My XDH lost his job a couple of years ago.
He was sanctioned for 6 weeks after not applying for a job he'd said he would apply for.

No matter that he'd applied for 15 other jobs in that time or that the reason he changed his mind about applying for that one specific job was that they wanted a qualification he didn't have. It was in their rules. He said he'd apply for it and he didn't. End of story.

I hope she finds something soon. The bureaucracy is soul destroying.

I also feel massively sorry for the abattoir who need staff and are having their time wasted as well. They must hate being sent candidates by the job centre and not being able to screen the people they see for themselves.

I think she is on shaky ground having already objected if she is deliberately obstructive she could also face sanctions for not trying hard enough etc. It is a rubbish situation - she is going to have to find her own job ... and quickly.

Ive been a vegetarian for 37yrs, since I was old enough to make the decision.
Four years ago I needed a job, the only one that was anywhere near suitable was in a supermarket- on the meat and fish counter.

Despite my own personal beliefs, I had to consider my childrens needs and felt that they had to take priority at the time. I now hold a gnvq in fishmongery, I can clean, gut and fillet them. I can also bone lamb etc.

Two years ago I was offered a promotion in another, much more suitable part of the business and I will never choose to work in that department again.
It was very difficult for me, I used to work hard to sell everything as I believe that at least then there was a purpose for the death of an animal.

Fwiw I worked that department with other vegetarians.

it is all shades of wrong to expect anyone to take any job just because it is a job. I agree that attending interviews for generic skills jobs should be part of the deal for getting benefits (assuming they are genuine jobs that is not this workfare shit) but some jobs eg: mortuary attendant, carer for elderly, nursing auxilliary, slaughterhouse, funeral director assistant etc etc attract a person who wants to work in that field or is not worried about doing so. lots of people just would not want to / be able to do them and should not be made to. I for one know I would be unable to wipe some strangers arse and would not take a job doing so, I get very upset around elderly vulnerable people and would be rubbish at caring for them which is why I would never apply for such a job. Also to be fair some people on benefits are well qualified in a certain area and naturally want a job in the field they trained or something similar, I think as long as they are looking for work then the job centre staff should use a bit of discretion and common sense.

www.equalityhumanrights.com/human-rights/what-are-human-rights/the-human-rights-act/freedom-of-thought-belief-and-religion/

The Equality Act website actually uses veganism as a belief that should not be discriminated against. I don't know if this is any help?

it sounds like indirect discrimination on the grounds of a firmly-held belief under the Equality Act 2010 info. It is unlawful to make her apply for this job.

I'm going to go against the grain here.

She is currently unemployed and on benefits. She should attend the interview and perform to the best of her ability. Ditto if she gets the job. In this economic climate she should be bloody grateful she has a job, and is earning her own money, even if it is in a slaughterhouse.

The same applies to anybody who if they had the choice have some sort of beliefs that would preclude them working in a particular job. If you are unemployed and on benefits any job will do unless you are medically unfit for that particular job.

I am a vegan by the way, and if I was in that position I would just suck it up and keep looking for other jobs.

This is a bit old but it does suggest veganism can be a protected belied under the Equaliy Act.

www.personneltoday.com/hr/atheists-and-vegans-will-be-protected-by-equality-bill/