to think this is akin to slave labour.

[northernsoul78]

A friend on JSA is expected to do 30 hours mandatory (voluntary) work in a charity shop for 30 hours per week and apply for at least 10 jobs per week. It wouldn't be so bad if the voluntary work wouldbe likely to lead to a job but ofcourse it won't.
Aibu

I think it's good to have up to date experience and references when searching for jobs. I don't think anybody should be getting less than minimum wage though and that's where this is wrong.

Am I right in thinking that they impose sanctions if you don't attend? And that people have lost benefits because they've had to take time off to go to interviews? Hopefully they've changed that now.

No - slave labour is the NHS posting 40 hour a week full time graduate jobs. For no pay. Which would lead to a job but who can work full time for an entire year on absolutely no pay (not even travel costs).

I did volunteer work in a children's library when I was on ESA after a break down.

Really helped. Got me out, was doing something productive, meeting people.

Being on benefits can be quite isolating.

Yanbu and I'm all for people giving something back but this current system is a fucking disgrace. And of course everyone posting here to say Tabu would be bouncing off merrily for their £75 a week if the shoe was on the other foot.

Support people to develop real skills and find proper jobs says I. At least this is a charity shop and not Tesco (workfare has gone s but quiet lately hasn't it?)

Yes RJ Exactly. Was a different story when tax credits were under threat.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tories-quietly-scrap-scheme-forced-6906383#ICID=sharebar_twitter

It's a complete fucking joke.

To be clear: I do not have any particular objection to claimants being asked to work. I object to the expectation that they should do so for a fraction of the minimum wage.
If we go down this road, there would be little to prevent less scrupulous employers from getting rid of their paid staff and engaging volunteers. We already have zero hours contracts, particularly in unskilled work, so many employers have already demonstrated they have no commitment to their existing staff.
I really think people need to look at the bigger picture sometimes instead of going with knee-jerk reactions.

... and - to add to my post above - we also have unpaid internships. Do we all agree with that principle, too?

Thing is its a conflict of interest unless we are redefining what charity means because if e.g. a charity shop can cause you to get a sanction leading to poverty and possibly homelessness then surely charity now means something totally different to what it used to.

Should be min. wage. I think all unpaid at min. wage 'jobs'/internships/etc should be made illegal.

Ok slave labour is probably strong. But he is effectively working for approximately £2.40 per hour and is expected to apply for 10 jobs per week too. Fortunately no children involved and not sure re travel costs. I expect he walks. I think he has bern out of work for a while.

YABU

It can be really hard to go back to work after a long time, this is a great way to ease back into things.

She doesn't HAVE to, and she gets paid, so nothing to do with slave labor.

Having to apply for only 2 jobs a day is also very realistic. It is time consuming to create a CV based on the job you are applying for, so more than that would be a bit excessive. No point sending the same CV to 100s of companies, you never get anywhere.

Banning* just read you podt. That is awful.

Post

sorry I should have written "he", not sure why I said she.

Why is it a joke Arse? Isn't it better for someone who has been out of work for a while to get back into a routine of going to work and at the same time brush up on their work skills? Or do you think people who can't be bothered to work should be paid to sit at home doing nothing, paid for by those of us who have paying jobs??

Actually he does have tomrsdoe or he will be sanctioned. That's why I used the term mandatory.

I think it's unfortunate that people need to be "forced" to do this kind of thing to help find work. If you're a genuine job seeker, it's the sort of thing you'd be doing anyway. Dh arranged some volunteering and treated looking for work as a ft job when he lost his job, simply because he wanted to be back to work asap.

Agree with expat that it should be minimum wage and internships should be illegal.

I do, however, think that someone who has been unemployed for a couple of years that a couple of months work at a charity shop (minimum wage not JSA) would do them the world of good. Something to put in the CV, get out of the house etc.

OP.... How long has he been on jsa and how long does the work experience last for?

Fair pay for work or not at all. There is nothing to be proud about when you're being exploited.

If the labour has a value it should be paid at that value. Let's not pretend this is giving someone vital skills and training necessary to get a job - support and management will be at a minimum in most charity shops and plenty of people expected to do this work will have already amassed considerable experience of work.

There is also the argument that if this work is necessary then by having unwaged people doing it that's depriving the local economy of jobs.

Plus he was already doing voluntary work for a minimun of 10 hours per week so was already in a routine. He has now been forced to up it to 30 hours.

Volunteering at PoundLand?

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5357809&highlight=poundland+work+experience

From the link.

last week I had a interview at the jobcentre for a paid job at poundland. today I went to see my advisor and he said poundland had been in touch, they told him that interviewed well but they didn't offer me a paid job.
but they said they work take me on doing some work experience (unpaid) my advisor said they are crying out for volunteers
should I do it?
I thought it was a bit of a cheek, they don't have a paid job for me but they want me to work 40hrs per week for free

do you think I am being unreasonable for not wanting to do it

And dated earlier this month. So what happens to the paid Xmas temp jobs.

Most volunteers in the charity shop are not receiving much training. They don't do the till etc but just spend time doing the hard slog out the back. So it does have some value to the claimant but not much.