Thursday 15 December 2011

Does Casual Work?

Here, if the link works, is the sort of job typical of what you might find in the jobcentre. It wasn't actually advertised there, I found it by searching on the WHSMith site. These days most businesses have a careers site/page. Unfortunately Jobseeker Agreements aren't up to date with this; mine says that as well as applying, I have to ring up 2 employers. I don't bother, instead I visit the sites for the major high street businesses I can think of (even though it's largely a waste of time and I have zero interest in retail careers). This is easier to do, and fortunately I haven't had a jobsworth yet criticise me for doing this as opposed to following the JSAg to the letter.
I don't see how it's effective to ring a business up and expect whomever answers the phone to even be in a position to know if there are vacancies. Meanwhile these sites have vacancies listed for all shops (at least htat's the intention), not just the one you might be ringing.
I remember a time before when I was given a job in one particular shop to apply for with a named contact (the manager). He wasn't available when I rang up (as per the instruction), but the person answering had the authority to deal with me. I didn't get the job for whatever reason and the JC sought to sanction me (they may have been successful, I have blacked out the memoery) on the ground that I didn't speak to the exact contact as specified!
I digress (big time, in fact). The reason I mention this advert is, even though the venue makes it unsuitable (i can't get to the airport), I have a metabolic condition the doctors have noted as hypoglycemia. This was a diagnosis they took and accepted in lieu of something more accurate as they can't specifically nail it down. I've had this for little over a decade and it manifests not far off Hypoglycemia (though I've been assured I'm not diabetic), so it's easier to describe it thus. Essentially I get faint, woozy and not really able to work when I get hungry. I have to therefore manage my food intake uniquely. Now this hasn't always been easy but I'm here today. However when you are working on someone else's time for their money a higher demand on your time is placed than is always possible for me to meet. Certainly ATOS weren't sympathetic. Looking at the hours for a job like this it would be very very difficult for me to do this without fainting around dinner time, and they certainly aren't going to give me pause to eat a suitable meal within a 5 hour shift.
It's issues like this that the current system cannot cope with. It doesn't prevent me fully from working, but it does inhibit what I can do. But what support am I offered? None. Even the doctor's just regard it as a quirk of my metabolism. That would be fine, but it implies that it's not serious and therefore not an issue. Unfortunately in order to navigate the welfare system to get the help one needs, these things have to be regarded or recognised as issues, whatever they are. It's the same with Aspergers (if indeed that is what I have in regard to my head). The problem is that society has become so right wing and so 'law of the jungle' that admitting such issues is synonymous with admitting weakness, and that is admitting you are lazy and a loser etc. We have got to change our thinking.

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