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AIBU?

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Job centre suggesting a blind person applies for a car park attendant job, with driving licence as a criteria

84 replies

BlindCarparkWarden · 01/03/2021 16:13

Have namechanged because I’ve plastered this all over social media and don’t want it linked to my usual username.

I was born blind. In my life I have worked in positions such as secretarial, customer service etc but I gave up work to be a SAHM when my DC were born. Once they were older I looked to go back to work but then I fell ill so work was out of the question for a while.

I am now much better and in a position to work so I have been looking hard, but also registered for universal credit so that I would fall under the job centre.

It is slightly harder to get work when you can’t see because positions such as checkout assistants for instance use tills which aren’t accessible, otherwise I’d be working in a supermarket by now, so I’ve been applying for admin/customer service roles but am also aware that in the current climate there is very little around.

So today I received an email to check my UC journal, and there was a message from my job coach, stating that I need to apply for a specific job. And the job is for:

A car park warden, with the criteria as “have to hold a driving licence or moped licence.

On one level I actually think it’s hilarious. After all it’s so stupid you couldn’t make it up.

But on the other hand, people are sanctioned for not applying for certain numbers of jobs, which means that many apply for roles they will never get. Added to which, employers have to then sift through hundreds of pointless CV’s so the whole thing wastes everyone’s time.

I have been talking to some others about this and some have told me of their own experience, being sent jobs as:

Forklift driver
Amazon delivery driver
Security guard. Grin Grin Grin

How can people possibly be expected to get into work when this is the way the JC are behaving?

I would suggest that maybe she’d like to apply for the parking warden job and that would leave a job coach vacancy free for me to pursue. Grin

OP posts:
marchez · 01/03/2021 19:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MidnightHangingTree · 01/03/2021 19:53

Why on earth would you need a driving licence to be a car park attendant though? Surely it doesn't involve actually driving? (Not saying that makes it suitable for someone who is blind, but just baffled as to why you would need to be able to drive...)

SoUmmYeah · 01/03/2021 19:59

On the surface of it, it sounds ridiculous BUT my line of work (social worker) also has needing a driver's license as an essential criteria yet we employ blind social workers (several in my LA) and they get taxi's, which the LA pays for. It's considered a 'reasonable adjustment'.

Countrysidebloos · 01/03/2021 20:00

@MidnightHangingTree driving between different carparks, which are often very spread out.

BlindCarparkWarden · 01/03/2021 20:02

The job spec specifically says you must hold a driving licence. But even without that, you need to be able to read car registration numbers, recognise which ones are parked illegally, and write out tickets.

OP posts:
JustAnotherPoster00 · 01/03/2021 20:35

Something which they AGREED to do at the very beginning.

I doubt any other contract made under duress would be held legally binding in any other circumstance

marchez · 01/03/2021 21:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JustAnotherPoster00 · 01/03/2021 21:21

Exactly what duress do you think a customer is under?

Risk of homelessness or starvation would that be enough duress?

What happens if they refuse to sign the 'contract'?

marchez · 01/03/2021 21:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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