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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Job center telling me off for being 3 mins late

175 replies

makowhite · 23/03/2017 09:50

When they never apologise when they call me in 20+ mins later (when I'm early) and the half an hour meetings never last more than 5-10 mins.

I'm rarely late, but seeing as the appointment is far longer than needed and they are late most of the time.

OP posts:
PeaFaceMcgee · 23/03/2017 09:53

YABU. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 23/03/2017 09:56

Ooh don't speak out about the powers that be, now.Hmm.
You should know quite well. Its one rule for them and one for you.

Unusualllly · 23/03/2017 10:01

Just because they run late does not give you the right to be late too. Although I understand it is annoying.

MsJamieFraser · 23/03/2017 10:03

Well you were late, how did they tell you off?

Stormtreader · 23/03/2017 10:05

Its all part of the attitude of treating unemployed people like disobedient children, really annoys me!

Branleuse · 23/03/2017 10:05

as long as they didnt sanction you, I would just take it, and try harder to be early next time.

FlyingElbows · 23/03/2017 10:07

It's part of the attitude of expecting unemployed people to turn up on time for a pre-arranged appointment just as you would have to were you an employee.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 23/03/2017 10:08

Exactly, Storm.

The irony is though. If it were not for the unemployed. They wouldn't have a job.

AllebaraMama · 23/03/2017 10:08

Wow it was 3 minutes not 30 minutes. They're such arseholes

LilacSpatula · 23/03/2017 10:09

Don't they run late as a consequence of people being late? Just sayin... Hmm

Universitychallenging · 23/03/2017 10:10

It's an interview. If you were 3 mins late for a job interview you wouldn't get the job.

harderandharder2breathe · 23/03/2017 10:10

Presumably they treat it as if you were late for work or for an interview

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 23/03/2017 10:15

No one knows why the op was late, though, do we.
For all we know. She may have been caught up in an accident.
Her bus may not have turned up. Anything can happen
. I don't suppose being unemployed, that. She can afford to hire a helicopter.

RB68 · 23/03/2017 10:16

Next time they are late give them a good telling off.

More seriously, just tell them it was unavoidable and not a regular occurrence. They are playing power trip and mind games

Its called how to make people feel as shit as possible so they don't come back and we can massage the figures to look good

Bodicea · 23/03/2017 10:19

But they probably run late because of people turning up late for their appointments. If no one was late they wouldn't run late as much. Also I assume they are trying to get you to treat it as a job interview.

Lucked · 23/03/2017 10:20

I think it is probably a chronic problem with some people and they end up taking it out on everyone.

Unexpected delays happen - buses break down, accidents block roads etc take it on the chin if you can.

theBaldSoprano · 23/03/2017 10:23

If everybody arrives a few minutes late to show how casual they are about the appointment, how is that going to help anyone?

HillysChair · 23/03/2017 10:23

How many of you have ever actually been to a jobcentre Hmm

They don't run back to back appts one in one out, the interview lasts 5-10 mins.

Fuck em OP. It's all part of making it as horrible and dehumanising as possible.

AllebaraMama · 23/03/2017 10:25

I've been to the job center before and on more than one occasion I've seen staff scoffing chocolates at their desk, gossiping colleagues or sitting on their phones for up to half an hour. They're piss takers, well most of them.

AllebaraMama · 23/03/2017 10:26

So it's not always because other claimants are late. They just like to take breaks when they please.

Universitychallenging · 23/03/2017 10:27

You know they will have paperwork (well computer work) to do after the meeting?

PonderLand · 23/03/2017 10:31

When I used to sign on my appt was always delayed. However I suspect this is because a lot of people were late before me!

JustAnotherPoster00 · 23/03/2017 10:31

If everybody arrives a few minutes late to show how casual they are about the appointment, how is that going to help anyone?

I take it you haven't been to a job centre lately, if lots of people turned up late there would be a lot of sanctions going on, hopefully they didn't sanction you OP, they sanction for a lot less

welovepancakes · 23/03/2017 10:33

I think you have to suck it up, but can see it's frustrating

timeforabrewnow · 23/03/2017 10:34

There are A LOT of Smug Do Gooders and patronising Twerps on this thread.

'You're making other people late'

'It's practise for a real job interview' REALLY???? Get a grip and read the OP properly.

The OP was 3 MINUTES late - and has a valid point that it is annoying that she is preached to for being late when the same office of people is a lot later for her and screw up repeatedly.