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AIBU?

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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:
jcsp · 23/03/2017 11:47

In my claiming days in the late 70s/early 80s I got to understand why the furniture was bolted to the floor.

I was just a young lad, no children to feed etc. But you could see others who were being let down and frustrated.

reuset · 23/03/2017 11:53

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

This. The stories I've read on here about the treatment people have received, nothing surprises me. I'm just gad you weren't sanctioned.

It's not on.

reuset · 23/03/2017 11:56

Judy - don't they get a time frame in which to apply for jobs in their field first, or am I living in cloud cuckoo land? I'm thinking of artist/actor friends out of work years ago *although one in last 5 years, admittedly.

CancellyMcChequeface · 23/03/2017 11:57

YANBU. Yes, in an ideal world nobody would ever be late for anything, but 'telling off' an adult for being all of three minutes late when they rarely run according to schedule themselves is just a power trip.

I suffer from anxiety and depression and when I was unemployed I didn't claim benefits because I already felt like crap for not having a job and couldn't take the risk of being treated poorly/sanctioned instead of supported to find a job. People I know without MH issues have struggled to cope with the way they're treated. Which I guess suits the people in charge just fine - less for them to pay out.

I've attended job interviews where the interviewers were running very late. I've always had an apology and an offer of tea/coffee while I wait. At the very least I'd expect a notification, not just being ignored and 'forgotten about.' If the jobcentre's rationale is that they're replicating an interview situation and you wouldn't be three minutes late for an interview (condescending as that is) then they should at least behave politely and professionally themselves.

maggiethemagpie · 23/03/2017 11:58

It's like work - you can't be late but if you have to stay late to finish something that's fair game!

FlappinSwazy · 23/03/2017 11:58

If you can't make it to a job centre appointment on time, how are you going to make it to work on time when you find a job?

PigletJohn · 23/03/2017 12:01

In such cases, I sometimes like to nod sympathetically and say "oh yes, I know just how you feel. I felt just the same when you did it to me."

Judydreamsofhorses · 23/03/2017 12:04

Reuset six months, then I think if you were actually getting benefits, you would be marched to any job interview that would have you. The whole thing is soul destroying - my DP has been applying for minimum wage posts just to get some cash coming in, but of course, he's vastly over-qualified and not even getting interviews.I think it's more disheartening to be rejected for a post stacking shelves at Tesco than to be rejected by for a post at £50K.

limitedperiodonly · 23/03/2017 12:06

My nephew called the job centre to tell them he had a week's work experience starting on his signing-on day.

He expected to be excused. He was told he had to come in to sign or be sanctioned. She thought it was perfectly okay for him to be several hours late on his first day of work experience Confused.

Luckily, after a complaint, the manager saw sense, postponed the signing-on and wished him good luck. I don't know whether my nephew's case officer was stupid, spiteful or both, but there are a lot of them about.

SapphireStrange · 23/03/2017 12:12

People are getting very sanctimonious on here. Have none of you ever been a few minutes late?

They sound like a bunch of hypocrites, OP. Hope you get a job soon and then you won't need to do it any more.

limitedperiodonly · 23/03/2017 12:18

It's the MN way sapphirestrange. It's the duty of the rest of us to put them right.

stitchglitched · 23/03/2017 12:20

That's bloody outrageous YouCanStandMeUpSpartacus.

reuset · 23/03/2017 12:21

I agree about the sanctimony. Very black and white, narrow thinking.

Judy that reminds me, within the timeframe that they were allowed to look for similar jobs, they were being 'encouraged' to apply for jobs tenuously not at all connected to the jobs they were qualified for, including things like catering. Also the big problem of being over qualified, yes.

pointstaken · 23/03/2017 12:21

Have none of you ever been a few minutes late?

No actually. I have never been late for a job interview, a client interview, a doctor or hospital appointment, to drop or pick up my kids from school because I plan accordingly, even if it means arriving 45 minutes early for an interview because the trains didn't work out better. (I don't mean arriving 45 minutes early in the office, I am not insane, it's just as rude).

Welcome to the real world.

SapphireStrange · 23/03/2017 12:22

'real world'. Do fuck off, points. But not before you've collected your halo, obviously.

pointstaken · 23/03/2017 12:22

limitedperiodonly
glad you got that solved, because it was ridiculous, some people are clearly not that smart.

Buck3t · 23/03/2017 12:22

bald
I'm the first appointment, how can surgery be 20 minutes late?
Maybe because the doctor had to deal with an emergency? Do you think they actually keep you waiting for the fun of it?

And herein lies the lack of respect part. By not saying sorry - dr had an emergency, or would you like to make another appointment the dr has been held up (giving me a choice and giving them the chance to then run to time for later appointments), that is disrespectful and assumes my time has no value. When I'm sat looking at the message scrolling across the screen telling me if patients are more than 10 minutes late etc etc.

Oh and was that the same excuse for the Dentist? Or was she just caught in traffic (she however managed to say sorry, different kind of attitude).

reuset · 23/03/2017 12:25

You've never been three minutes late for anything, points Wink I'm impressed.

pointstaken · 23/03/2017 12:25

SapphireStrange

wow, insulting other people because you disagree? Are you trying to show us how you deal with contradiction?
And again, in my experience as a recruiter, in the real world a majority of people are polite and on-time. Sorry if it makes the sloppy ones look bad.

pointstaken · 23/03/2017 12:28

You've never been three minutes late for anything, points wink I'm impressed.

Sometimes I wonder on which planet other people live. My point was that it takes effort and planning to be on time, I live in London and transports are a painful mess. Why would I turn up late and immediately fail an interview or lose out on a contract, therefore completely wasting my time, and losing money? Why would that make any sense and why being an adult makes me "smug"?

Buck3t · 23/03/2017 12:29

pointstaken good for you.

However, in the real world most people have been late. Most people have been taken advantage of in their job at some point. Most people have had great days in their job too. Life is variable for most people. Your unique experience is very unusual.

Not to say you can't take pride in it, but right now you sound a little
pompous with it.

PS: I remember being late once for work (have been other times too), but I remember it well because it was 7/7. Crap happens that even you can't prepare for.

EnormousTiger · 23/03/2017 12:31

I am often 30 minutes early for things to avoid being late! It's one reason i have been very successful in business. I am always trying to drum it into the children - much better hanging around outside for 20 minutes than being late. We are just about never late for thigns as a family. One of the most useful skills.

Woody Allen was once asked why he did well in life. He said "I turn up." So many people from workmen at the house to people coming to meetings are late. It's theft of time. Woody Allen (and I - 30 years into my legal career) have simply turned up every day for decades without fail through thick and thin whether feeling good or ill.

reuset · 23/03/2017 12:33

Don't derail the thread now, points. Grin

It's probably because in the 'real world' we've all been late for something, at some point in our lives, events beyond our control and so on. Somebody pretending saying that has never happened to them, not even three minutes late, is either extremely lucky or telling fibs.

HillysChair · 23/03/2017 12:38

You can't turn up 30+ minutes early at our jobcentre. The security guards won't let you in and check your appt time on their clipboards.

So you can plan to get there early all you want, you'll be outside in the rain until they decide you can come in.

pointstaken · 23/03/2017 12:38

Buck3t

what you don't get is that people prioritise. Clearly, there are valid excuses. I can be late for a team meeting because I have been delayed by a client. Everybody understands. Coming later in the office after a doctor appointment is not "being late".

I am not taking pride in it, just saying that I won't put through someone for an interview if he was late to meet me. There are rare exceptions, but in general some people are NEVER late, it's always the same ones who are. They might be living 5 minutes from the office, they will be the ones coming up with various excuses. My experience is not unusual. Ask my clients what their client requirements are.(and yes, I am aware that working hours and time keeping requirements vary depending on the role)