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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that this organisation should pay towards my travel expenses for attending an interview?

38 replies

melpomene · 02/09/2009 19:20

I applied for a job based a half-hour drive from my home. They invited me for an interview at another office, 68 miles away from where the job is supposed to be based. I travelled there by train (£26) and there was no direct bus from the station to the interview venue so I ended up getting a taxi (£9).

After the interview I asked if I could be reimbursed for my train fare, but was told this could not be reimbursed. I could understand their attitude if the interview had been at the place where the job would be based, but if they're expecting people to travel miles out of their way then I think they should pay something towards it.

I'm out of work but not entitled to JSA (because dh is working and I don't have enough contributions), so £35 is a lot of money to me.

AIBU to think the organisation should pay something towards my travelling expenses?

OP posts:
CybilLiberty · 02/09/2009 19:22

I think YABU. It's all part of the interview process, actually getting there. It would cost them too much to help every applicant like that.

Itsjustafleshwound · 02/09/2009 19:23

sorry but YABU

Original poster
melpomene · 02/09/2009 19:27

But if you were already employed, and had to travel to another location 68 miles away in the course of your work, wouldn't you expect to have your travel expenses paid for getting between the normal workplace and the other place?

Why should interviewees (who could be on low/no incomes) be treated less favourably than employees?

OP posts:
LuluMaman · 02/09/2009 19:29

i would have checked first, but i think you have to bear the cost. i also thikn asking to be reimbursed after the interview might not have been teh best course of action

MmeLindt · 02/09/2009 19:30

DH always had his expenses reimbursed, but that was in Germany where it is common to do so. If it is not common practice in UK then YANBU to be annoyed about it, but cannot expect them to pay up.

Itsjustafleshwound · 02/09/2009 19:33

The same reason why the supermarkets don't pay for us to shop at their local stores!! ..

ilovemydogandmrobama · 02/09/2009 19:38

YANBU -- I recently attended an interview and got an expenses claim sheet. Didn't bother as it was only 3 miles from home, but liked the sentiment.

annh · 02/09/2009 19:46

If you expected to be reimbursed for the interview, you should have asked beforehand if that was their policy. Many companies don't or only reimburse for second interviews. Your point about what would happen if you were already employed is not strictly relevant. Obviously, if as part of your work you were asked to travel to another office you would expect to be reimbursed as you wouldn't have much choice in the matter of whether you went or not. However, you don't work for the company and could have decided that it was unaffordable for you to get to interview.

bigstripeytiger · 02/09/2009 19:53

YANBU.
I have always been able to claim expenses for interviews that I have attended.

ThingOne · 02/09/2009 19:57

Bloody hell, things have changed. I would always expected expenses to be offered for attending an interview. When I lived in London there never were any, but I was always offered them.

YANBU.

jkklpu · 02/09/2009 20:00

agree that you need to establish this in advance - some employers do, others don't, but it's a policy that can easily be checked rather than waiting to the interview itself

purplecurlywurly · 02/09/2009 20:04

Wow! Do people really get interview expenses reimbursed? Unfortunately, it would never happen in my line of work.

rubyslippers · 02/09/2009 20:05

i have never been re-imbursed for an interview

or offered when i have been interviewing

i agree with the others who have said you should have checked this out before the interview

£35 is a lot of money but i do think YABU

nymphadora · 02/09/2009 20:09

I have had expenses forms before but didn't get any for my current job which was similar situation to op. It was in another office 60 miles further away. Now I regularly claim to travel there and it's about £40 a time

pushmepullyou · 02/09/2009 20:10

Our company reimburses travel costs for interview expenses. Although as an employee I am still waiting for July's mileage....

PixiNanny · 02/09/2009 20:12

Er.. I travelled more than 7 hours twice in a day to go for an interview in Scotland costing well over £100; I wanted the job therefore I went to the interview! And they had a centre closer to home as well. You can't expect them to pay it back, YABU.

Original poster
melpomene · 02/09/2009 20:42

I didn't check their policy before interview because although it's annoying it's not necessarily a dealbreaker for me and I did want to apply for the job and find out more about it. But obviously the interviewers are looking for the best person to do the job, and it's a shame if candidates are filtered out according to ability to pay.

I have been reimbursed expenses for interviews in the past, even when the interview was at the place where the job was based.

PixiNanny, what was the distance between the interview venue in Scotland and the place where the job was based?

OP posts:
heartmoonshadow · 02/09/2009 21:08

YANBU

Recently we had to interview a young man who was deaf for a job - we are obligated to interview because of his disability even though he did not meet all of our criteria. Anyway to rub salt into the wounds we had to employ a 'signer' which cost us £150.00 and pay his expenses, full well knowing he would be unsuitable for the vacancy.

BTW he turned up in scruffy jeans and a dirty top - I think he was just form filling to fulfill his obligation to apply for jobs and not really wanting to work.

Anyway I think if an interview is not in the same place as the vacancy then it would be reasonable to offer expenses.

groundhogs · 02/09/2009 22:26

heartmoonshadow, that's awful, pc gone mad or what? Plus the interviewers time etc, that waste of time of an interview cost your company hundreds! Hope your firm was big enough for it not to make too significant an impact.

I'm all for equality in the workplace, but that equality means that a person with or without disability may not have the skills a business requires, the business needs to be able to protect it's time and resources!

Barmy!

Op, yes, put this down to experience, but for all future interviews, ask up front, and explian that you're not working and have no income at all. I'm sure future requests will be viewed more kindly, plus if you ask them when you are on the phone arranging the interview, the request won't over shadow the interview.

Are you getting these interviews privately, or thru a recruitment consultant? If rec cons, explain the situation to them, and they can ask on your behalf, if the location is out of your reasonable area.

Good luck on the job hunting, stay positive!

pickyvic · 02/09/2009 22:32

im in the wrong line of work obviously....i would never dream of asking for interview expenses to be paid. its part of job hunting isnt it?

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 02/09/2009 23:10

YABU. And sadly, you may have scotched your chances by asking...

RussianDolls · 03/09/2009 00:05

YANBU

If you are out of work and you are making the effort.

They should refund you.

bibbitybobbityhat · 03/09/2009 00:09

Yanbu. Yanbu at all. When you applied for the job you did not know that the interview would be 68 miles away did you?

Bathsheba · 03/09/2009 08:16

When I worked in London I applied for a job back in Scotland - the company had a London office and my first interview was there.

I had a 2nd interview in the scottish office and they paid for me to fly up - I was completely broke at the time (hence why I had to leave London) and I was very grateful for that as I'd never have afforded that trip (it was just as Easyjet was formed and there weren't budget airlines).

Tambajam · 03/09/2009 08:36

In teaching it's pretty standard for a school to offer to pay expenses. Or is that just a London thing?

As the venue was so far away from workplace I definitely don't think you are being unreasonable.

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