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Original poster

To think they should at least pay travel expenses?

95 replies

Fairyliz · 15/02/2017 14:31

My daughter is in her second year of a four year degrees course with the third year being a year in industry.

She is currently applying for placement and the procedure usually goes - complete application form and online test, have a video interview follwed by a full day assesment at the company. As you can imagine this takes a long time but fair enough thats what she wil need to do when applying for jobs.
The problem is if you get to the assessment stage you have to visit the company which could be anywhere in the UK at very short notice meaning rail fares are expensive.
She has just phoned me in tears because she hasn't got the latest job she applied for and after paying out several hundred pounds in travel expenses (for several interviews)she has no money for food.

So do you think these companies should pay travel expenses?

One mean company even had her there for 5 hours and didn't offer a cup of tea!

OP posts:
rightsofwomen · 15/02/2017 16:18

*companies aren't!

Fakenewsday · 15/02/2017 16:20

i would get someone not easily traceable back to your daughter to complain to the company on twitter, unlikely to help your DD but might help others down the line. i agree i'd talk to the uni hardship fund for the next expenses.

Chewbecca · 15/02/2017 16:22

Can she research travel options other than train?

Bus is much much cheaper normally.

Can she drive? Hiring a car can be cheaper than a last minute train fare.

She really should be thinking up / finding alternatives herself tbh.

OliviaStabler · 15/02/2017 16:33

I'd suggest she contact the Careers Service at her Uni. They must have dealt with this sort of issue before.

Original poster
Fairyliz · 15/02/2017 16:35

Yes she does take the bus if its cheaper she is fairly intelligent!
Not sure how she could have planned things better? She sees a placement she likes, applies and then the company sets the pace. You have to go when they want to see you and they don't say at the start of the process when the assessment days will be.
Yes it appears that most companies do think of young people as disposable so don't give a shit whether or not they have any money.

OP posts:
StickyMouse · 15/02/2017 16:39

So if she had of actually got the latest job then how would she have been able to afford food?

I think that she hadn't has got you more wound up, I get it. In the past I have used Annual Leave, paid for travel for interviews and when I didn't get the job would see it as wasted time/money, however no one forced me to travel.

I would be offering a Sainsburys gift card (if you could afford it) as a way of getting her groceries and suggest that she contacts the Uni about this.

Best of luck to her on her job search, there are some fantastic Graduate programmes out there, hopefully she will get a place soon.

limitedperiodonly · 15/02/2017 16:41

Oh God! The idea that this is all part of an initiative test or proof of being lean and hungry. Hmm

It was routine for companies to pay travel expenses for school leavers/university graduates when I was looking for my first job. It was not a boom time. These included small companies - I got my train fare back from one place that employed fewer than 10 people. Sadly, not the job, but a nice rejection letter.

Expenses aren't generally paid for people already in employment but they can be. It depends on how expensive the journey is.

OP I sympathise with your daughter. You've had good advice from some people. No, I wouldn't name and shame these people on Twitter no matter how much they deserve it.

Meffy · 15/02/2017 16:42

As her parent would you not just help her out?

I worked for a large insurance company in a sales job throughout university so I had a good salary.

Maybe but her a car so she drive herself!!?

Kiroro · 15/02/2017 16:44

I thought it was totally standard for companies to pay travel expenses of a standard class train fare for assessment centers. I certainly had all train paid for when I did the grad milkround.

limitedperiodonly · 15/02/2017 16:46

Maybe but her a car so she drive herself!!?

snort

Eatingcheeseontoast · 15/02/2017 16:50

It's much more common than it used to be that applicants have to fund own travel and accom for interviews, even second interviews. I was quite shocked when my nephews were having to shell out for interviews after uni.

I'd suggest talking to Student Welfare, her own department and googling to see if there's any help available.

Megabus, looking on Moneysavingexpert.com for tips on cut price rail travel - Student rail card?

Roussette · 15/02/2017 16:51

Call them out on Twitter? Does she actually want a job? Companies now can look at prospective employees' FB and Twitter. That is not going to go down well!

Can you not help her out temporarily?

I remember one of my DCs travelling for a job, too early for a bus, had to pay the taxi to the station then the train fare. This was the fourth time doing this, some Cos pay, some don't She got the job and has progressed ever since. Calling the Cos out who didn't pay travel expenses is madness, she might want to work for them one day.

Morphene · 15/02/2017 16:52

I think its part and parcel of the whole 'we can offer you and internship to boost your CV so you can come work for us for free' BS.

And then weirdly no one gets an actual permanent job because hey, here comes the next years worth of cannon fodder.

I think these companies behave terribly.

Oblomov17 · 15/02/2017 16:52

It is extreme OP, for you to suggest that she might not be able to attend a next interview that she gets offered.

Had you not talked to her about all of this, months ago?

Send her a bit of money in the meantime. This is a desperate and usual situation. Get her to investigate emergency funds. And email the companies again. HR , explaining that this is hindering future opportunities. Give them one last chance to rectify this. Why would they be so mean? If they don't agree, I'd expose them on Fb or twitter etc.

Parker231 · 15/02/2017 16:54

Nowadays companies will rarely pay any expenses to students applying for a placement year. There are so many students applying for each place, the companies don't need to offer any assistance.

myfavouritecolourispurple · 15/02/2017 16:55

If they don't agree, I'd expose them on Fb or twitter etc

I wouldn't do this, but I would tell my uni careers service, find out if it's normal and either way, make sure future students are warned.

Parker231 · 15/02/2017 16:56

If she exposes any potential employer on social media she can guarantee that she won't get the job and it could hinder her opportunities with another employer as companies talk to each other!

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 15/02/2017 16:57

I somehow missed that this was for a placement not a grad scheme. That probably changes things - they'll expect she can conveniently get there if she's going to be on placement there, not many people would relocate for a 9 month assignment.

I didn't ask for expenses to placements, but did for grad schemes if they were based away from where I'd work. It sounds like she's going for quite competitive placements if she has a fair few interviews, so I expect they'd just lose her from the process rather than pay fees, unfortunately - I can't see Twitter helping. I'd leave that well alone just because it risks a reputation she doesn't want!

I can totally appreciate her frustration though. Does she have any way of raising a bit more money? Is she already at her max overdraft?

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 15/02/2017 16:57

I somehow missed that this was for a placement not a grad scheme. That probably changes things - they'll expect she can conveniently get there if she's going to be on placement there, not many people would relocate for a 9 month assignment.

I didn't ask for expenses to placements, but did for grad schemes if they were based away from where I'd work. It sounds like she's going for quite competitive placements if she has a fair few interviews, so I expect they'd just lose her from the process rather than pay fees, unfortunately - I can't see Twitter helping. I'd leave that well alone just because it risks a reputation she doesn't want!

I can totally appreciate her frustration though. Does she have any way of raising a bit more money? Is she already at her max overdraft?

harderandharder2breathe · 15/02/2017 16:58

Unfortunately I'm not surprised. It's like the ridiculous unpaid internships, it's another way that well off young people are hugely advantaged over those who's parents can't afford to support them indefinitely and for infinite amounts.

turbohamster · 15/02/2017 16:58

Grad schemes were all travel expenses paid and an overnight stay if necessary when I was doing them. There's no way I'd have been able to attend as a student otherwise.

RortyCrankle · 15/02/2017 17:02

As her parent, is there no way that you could help her pay these costs? Does she have a part time job?

2014newme · 15/02/2017 17:03

As a parent I would loan my child the money or give it.or she could switch to a course without sandwich placement.
In this case she hasn't asked the companies whether they pay travel expenses yet the parent is suggesting she "call them out" on Twitter. What terrible parental advice. Do not do that!

Original poster
Fairyliz · 15/02/2017 17:06

I do love MN sometimes all this send her a Sainsburys card (she shops at the market) and buy her a car. (That wouldn't be much use she can't drive can't afford lessons).
Yes of course I will help her out as much as I can, can't afford a funeral if she dies from lack of food! (That was a joke by the way)

I just wanted a bit of a vent on here and to see if her experience was unusual it appears not.
Thanks to those posters who have been sympathetic it does help

OP posts:
HandsomeDevil · 15/02/2017 17:08

if she really has been left with no money then she needs to apply for university hardship funds.