Job Centre Employment, job seekers allowance

[Postie1]

I have hired someone on a part time flexible employment due to business needs, however as its under 16 hrs per week the job centre are making my employee attend job interviews when i need him to work, which in turn is not helping me.

Is anyone else having these problems, or is there a way around it.

[RevaxMedia]

Hi Postie sounds like a nightmare, have you tried contacting the job center? also is there no flexibility to change their hours of work around interviews?

[Postie1]

Yes just contacted them, it turns out they have to attend the job centre interviews or their money gets stopped.

The job centre are happy to re-schedule them but yet again as i work outside the weather sometimes causes me to cancel jobs and re-schedule them so if the job centre has re-scheduled an appointment and the work i have falls on that day, we are back to square one.

The Job centre are in full support/agreement with my scenario but they are the rules.

Until the employee has over 16 hrs pw they have to attend these interviews.

I told the job centre its pointless employing someone on a part time basis if they cannot work due to job centre appointments, you just can't run a business like that as they might have to attend possibly 3 times per week.

[tony84]

But you cant expect them to keep reorganising appointments because of one person...they have jobs to do too.

Im not saying i agree or disagree - i can see your argument. But the benefits people cant run their work load around 1 person, its far more beneficial to them to get him/her on full time employment or something more consistent with over 16 hours and if getting them into the office does that then theyre doing their jobs.

[BoredomBusters]

Could you not buy a gazebo??

[Postie1]

Hi Tony, you are right about them reorganising appointments, however how do they expect employers to run a business when an employee is not there.

I can see the job centres point of view i.e 16+ hrs per week, but i thought it was their job to get them jobs, not prevent them from doing one.

Gazebo, i have 2 already

[BoredomBusters]

Why does the weather mean you have to cancel if you have shelter? sorry but I work outside too, and although I do a different job if you can pop the car into a shelter to work on it, just wondering really!

I would be more worried that your employee would have to leave to take up a proper job if they got one after all these interviews. Could you not consider someone who has taken early retirement and doesn't claim benefits?

[RevaxMedia]

What hours are they currently working? I suppose the only other way around it is to offer 16 hours per week but it would be pointless if the work is not there.

[Postie1]

The weather is one of the factors, but when i am working on a car costing around 100k i very rarely put up a gazebo, i have had issues in the past where they collapse on the vehicle. High winds/rain etc.

You soon learn your lesson.

[Postie1]

My main issue is, i have enough work for me on my own with a good customer base, however some customers want more work doing and their is not enough hrs in a day in some cases hence the employee.

How else do you grow your business without taking on employees, if you only have the work for x amount of hrs, thats all you would pay for.

My work load is increasing faster than i would like & its now getting to my busy season.

[JandJC]

Maybe you should identify if you could employ this person as an apprentice?

I think there is a legal requirement that you must pay the apprentice £90 per week and enable them to have day release to college to obtain a relevant qualification.

I would contact http://apprenticeshipsengland.org.uk/ and see if they can help you and your part time worker.

It could end up a win, win situ; Part time worker comes off benefits - you get his time, he gets qualification, if he attends the course, that is.

Hope that helps?

[BoredomBusters]

You have to give an apprentice 30 hours per week, once I get premises I can have one, but that's the hours I was told I would need to offer.

Postie, appreciate gazebo is not worth the risk for some cars! But maybe your best bet would be someone who doesn't need to sign on. My first proper assistant was a student on a gap year, not entitled to benefits, started him at 2 hours per week, by the time he went to uni a year later he was up to about 16, as obviously I could take on more work knowing I could call on him. It was so helpful looking for his replacement, knowing how many hours I could offer!

My latest assistant is 16-20 hours a week - early retired, doesn't need a particular income but wants to get out and about doing a job he enjoys. It's hard to find someone who can work only a few hours and build up, but I think you might be better off with someone like either of my two guys.

[Phil Richardson]

I don't know if it is me but I have never had any good dealings when dealing with job centres.

In the past I thought I'd try and use them to employ unemployed people instead of going through standard agencies. My thinking being we are in a recession, lots of unemployed so I can do my bit to try and help.

I will never even think of working with Job Centres again. I found them lazy, unhelpful, ignorant, unreliable and inflexible. I dread to think how much of our taxes are being wasted on this so called service.

Sorry my post isn't helpful in your situation but Job Centres just make me angry.