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

[melpomene]

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?

I'm usually so happy about having been invited to the actual interview that I wouldn't dream of asking for my expenses to be paid.

I have always been offered expenses. I thought that was usual?

YABU. It is of course nice to be offered travel expenses, but you cannot in all seriousness expect them to pay.

If you are out of pocket it is your choice really, whether or not you attend the interview. It depends on how much you want the job really.

YANBU at all if the interview is a considerable distance from where the job is going to be based, especially if it is beyond the reach of public transport! If you were on JSA I believe they would contribute something towards interview costs.

If you want the job & get an interview, you are expected to arrive at that interview under your own steam.

I guess those who aren't prepared to travel/spend the money obviously aren't that dedicated to getting the job.

Have never been able to claim expenses, actually have never thought of it. I know that teaching staff can claim, though.

Perhaps it is a private V public sector thing. Personally I am of the opinion that if you want the job you get there under your own steam. Plus agree with others that OP may have harmed her chances of getting the job by asking.

YABU to expect it. Some organisations are in a position to refund expenses for every candidate that comes for an interview with them, others are not, or choose not to.

Asking at the interview was very unlikely to endear you to the interviewer. If it was important to you, you should have asked HR or someone else prior to the interview, or indeed after the interview. Asking the interviewer makes you sound grasping.

I've never worked for any company who routinely offered expenses to all interviewees, only sometimes in exceptional circumstances. If average travel expenses are, say, £30, and you are seeing 6 candidates for first interview then say 3 for second interview, that's nearly £300 per post you are recruiting. Many organisations are on tight recruitment budgets and even if they are only recruiting, say, 20 posts a year, that's £6,000 on expenses alone, which could potentially fund a couple of adverts for example.

Some organisations offer and some don't but YABU to expect it. You may have found that even if their normal policy is not to refund expenses, if you had contact someone from HR or something and explained your circumstances, they may have been prepared to refund it for you.

heartmoonshadow surely you are only obliged to interview people under GIS if they fulfill your minimum criteria?

OP ? YANBU. The interview was held nearly 70 miles away from the post?s location. They are being very unresonable imo. If you've damaged your chances by even asking then you might want to think twice about working for them anyway.

YANBU. Sounds like potential employers hold all the cards when in fact an interview should be a two way street - you're offering your skills, experience etc. You're interviewing them too.

It's totally unfair imo that an unemployed interviewee should be tested on how much they want the job by being asked to pay onerous travel expenses.

Not much you can do about it, but morally you are definitely NBU.

My opinion would be that if you don't ask, you don't get! I don't think there was anything wrong in asking, but expenses for interviews aren't something you can really insist on.

I'm in a similar situation, having recently had to travel from the South West up to Nuneaton for an interview for a home working job, even though they also have an office in Bristol! Cost me £50 in train and taxi fares, had to take a day off work (contract ends very soon, hence applying, but still working at the mo) and I'm fairly sure I didn't get it. At least it's more interview experience, so I keep telling myself...

The trouble is Morris, in this economic climate, for most jobs it just isn't a two way street. Most employers are having many more applicants than they used to for jobs, and often higher-quality applicants as well, so the need to 'woo' the best candidates, or to be seen as generous employers, is less important.

Employers are usually cutting budgets as well at the moment, and recruitment travel expenses are something easy and obvious to cut without having an impact on current employees.

I do agree the OP was absolutely right to ask. But putting the interviewer on the spot about it in the interview, while trying to make the best impression of herself possible, wasn't a good idea.

Having a separate conversation about it beforehand or afterwards, both to avoid colouring the interviewer's thoughts about her and to allow her to explain her circumstances, would have been far more likely to get a good result and less likely to jeopardise her chances of getting the job.

Mel: the one closer to home was a two hour train ride away, in Cambridgeshire, a lot less money too, I didn't end up with the job though

I lie, that was a centre with a different company they did have one only two hours away from home though! I got some retribution though, the company I ended up working for brought out the one I got interviewed for originally 6 months later

And it's standard to pay for interviewees travel expenses?!