Rishi is in cloud cuckoo land if he thinks employers are rushing to offer jobs…

[dameofdilemma]

To people who have additional needs, a disability, need flexibility or adjustments etc.

The ideal employee most employers want is someone who can wholly focus on work, ideally with no caring responsibilities, no need for flex etc. Employers aren’t thinking how can I help people get back into work. They’re thinking how can I get the most work out of the lowest headcount and cheapest payroll.

Yes lots of employers might offer flex to employees after they’ve worked for them a while and they’ve come to rely on them. But the reality is they’re unwilling to choose a candidate with additional needs over one who has none.

Rishi is blind to the fact lots and lots of people WANT to work but face barriers in the workplace.

What’s even worse is lots of employees have no wish to accommodate colleagues who have additional needs either.

How or why Rishi thinks stopping benefits is the answer is anyone’s guess. But the car lobby voters are too incensed about ULEZ to care apparently so I guess we’ll find out.

Yes I agree. My employer took someone on recently but already ( barely out of probation period ) they want to reduce hours due to MH issues, caring responsibilities etc. want time off to see their GP and therapist all the time etc . None of this was mentioned at interview. It hasn't gone down well but employer is generally a caring organization. Maybe the government will be paying companies to take them on?

To people who have additional needs, a disability, need flexibility or adjustments etc.

You can add to that list people over 50.

The jobs available locally want full 24/7 flexibility from their employees in exchange for a zero hour contract, minimum wage (at best) and extra work in terms of training in your own time for free.

For most of them you will be working a hard job in poor conditions that is overmanaged and underpaid, with too few colleagues and constant demands for you to develop more skills and knowledge (often in your own time and paid at your expense) for the sake of your 'personal development'

If you're really lucky they will expect you to use your own car - tax and insurance paid by you of course (make sure you have business tax) for a piddling per mile rate that does not cover costs at all (thus reducing your wage).

You never know how many hours will be available - and if you ask the wrong questions or make any protest , it will be 0 at the drop of a hat.

Work has become exploitative and government needs to be putting a lot more work into protecting workers instead of pandering to businesses who throw money at them whilst sucking up subsidies and trying to underpay their workers/ let the taxpayer subsidise their business costs.

So no chance for people who are likely to need adjustments/time off sick - they'll never cross the threshold.

I'm inclined to agree.

For some people, in order for them to be productive and not end up off sick. They need adjustments.

Although on paper there are laws around this type of thing, in reality most employers aren't accommodating. Especially to someone with few/no skills.

Yes and add to the sick/disabled/ND list people with childcare needs and caring responsibilities.

Existing employees are the ones who take the hit

Expected to train up people who can't understand or pick it up quick enough.

Then the sickness starts.... they are gone for weeks and need to be trained again...

We are losing patience with it now as it also takes us from our own work and are expected to pick up the extra from under performing colleagues? Nah sorry. I don't get paid for that

How about managers take responsibility for training up the new hires

"Would you like a job in finance ...?" 🙄

Also, it's not just about getting a job it's keeping a job. I know a single mum to a child with health problems who frequently has to have time off for his medical appointments etc. She finds it difficult to get past the probationary period because she's seen as unreliable and he bosses often tell her she should organise appointments further in advance or for the beginning/end of the day (which really isn't possible in the NHS). And I'm sure loads of places decide not to even short list her because her CV is full of short term jobs (or pretty empty of she doesn't include them)

We've had 2 new starters start full time only to date they now want to reduce hours because they failed to disclose they are studying full time and work hours now need to work round uni

We didn't advertise part time roles

I've just had a Quick Look on indeed in my town, if you are not a qualified dentist, a teacher or willing to join the army you're out of luck.

i have a job that i luckily got In my early twenties and have been able to bring my hours down accordingly and make work work around my busy life as a mum of 3. But there's no way in hell I'd get another job that allows me to work the hours I do now from the get go. For context I work

wed- 5-9
fri- 6-10
sat- 3-8

my OH is a plumber so he makes the majority of the money, and I just do those hours to help out and get out the house a bit really. We don't claim UC but my younger sister does she's a single mum and she's gonna struggle

i don't enjoy my job but im
stuck there until littlest goes to school at least because my availability and home commitment won't allow it and that's with a partner, I feel for disabled people and single mums without support

@OhHelloMiss Existing employees are the ones who take the hit

Expected to train up people who can't understand or pick it up quick enough.

People with disabilities are lacking in intelligence are they?

No, it takes some of them a lot longer.

Rishi is in cloud cuckoo-land full stop. He has no awareness whatsoever of what real life is like for the general population.

But there are a lot of people who could work but are struggling with mental health issues that they need help with. If more timely help is available then perhaps some will be available for work. Employers though should do their part by offering more consistent shifts in retail and hospitality because not everyone copes well with unpredictable rotas, and more hours too

Employers will never do more unless there is something in it for them.

Wombling - spot on. This is the reality behind employers complaining they have lots of vacancies they can’t fill.

The real problem is that we've spent 25 years concentrating on university education and completely ignoring everyone else. So we've huge numbers of "average" people without professions, without trades, etc., which is where the job shortages are. The vacancies are either for skilled/professional roles or they're zero hours minimum wage jobs, neither being suitable for "average" people without skills/trades/professions but who do have responsibilities for family etc. Rather than bullying unskilled people into unsuitable jobs (square peg in round hole), they should be massively ramping up adult education, manual skills/trades, etc - the sooner the better, to stop the rot getting worse. Blair and his 50% aim for university has to take a lot of the blame as that's when colleges and adult education were trashed.

Rishi showed his stupidity during covid. When challenged about the 3 million he excluded from covid support, particularly workers in the Arts, the government came up with frankly ridiculous adverts encouraging people to retrain, such as suggesting a ballet dancer retrain in cyber security. He's not got a clue.

Rishi knows all this. He doesn’t actually care if people get a job or not, he just wants an excuse to cut their benefits and make it look like he’s doing them a favour.

I said something similar on another thread. Unless Sunak compels employers to take on those with sickness/disabilities/caring responsibilities/over 50's, then all his grandstanding means fuck all. Of course employers are going to employ people as cheaply as they can so won't be eager to take on people that will ultimately cost them more £ to train and/or make concessions for.

It's just him panicking at the thought of historic losses at the next GE. He's got nothing to offer, so he's trying to attract a particular "kind" of voter to try to minimise the hundreds of MPs who're going to be unemployed this time next year! I imagine we'll get a few more bonkers/extreme ideas coming from him as he gets more and more desperate.

I remember when rishi met a guy at a homeless shelter. He asked him if he works in business and plans to move into the finance industry

No sense that addiction and mental health issues are what generally make people homeless, and that without a whole heap of support, that guy had a cat in hells chance of moving into hedge fund analysis any time soon

But that's rishis circle. Oxford educated, high flyers, who have had every chance in life, and have connections to get the best jobs. He doesn't know anything else.

The homeless guy looked awkward as fuck. He replied no.

If they had disclosed at interview, how likely is it they woukd have been offered the job?

Honestly I’d pay Rishi myself if I could stop having seizures and go back to work. I went from having a successful career to having epilepsy in one day, surviving on UC and PIP.

He’s a fucking cunt and he doesn’t understand what disabilities do to people. It’s not just the physical but the mental struggles.

I can’t wait for him to be gone.

A poster here has already shown the nasty attitudes disabled people can expect from colleagues should they actually find an employer so thanks for that illustration.

No

The post didn't exclusively mention disability so why assume that's what's being referenced