Rallying call to save Royal British Legion clubs
- Today's leader
Letter: Honesty, teacher training, jobs and jury service
Friday 8th July 2011, 6:00AM BST.
Letter: No wonder this country is in a mess. My daughter has been trying, unsuccessfully, like thousands of others, to find a job. She has been looking for something part time to fit around her teacher training degree that will begin in September.
Having applied for more than 40 jobs and having had only a couple of interviews she has become quite despondent, having twice been offered a job and then almost immediately having had it withdrawn once she’s revealed she’s been called to do jury service in July. She knows it is possible to defer jury service but as you can only do this once she feels it would be better to do it now than having to disrupt her studies later.
The first case was probably understandable as the jury service falls in the week when she would be required to attend compulsory training for a summer play sche- me working with severely disabled children, but the latest case is unforgivable.
Having had an interview at Accessorize in the town centre and having disclosed the forthcoming jury service at interview, today she was contacted and offered the post. On reminding them about the jury service it suddenly became a problem and the job offer was withdrawn.
As employers are legally obliged to let employees att- end jury service it seems wrong that they can withhold an offer of a job on the same grounds.
Perhaps my daughter’s mistake is being too honest and should maybe withhold this information. It’s a sad day when honest people are forced to lie in order to get employment.
Tracey Thomas
Donnington
Sponsored Links
Most Commented
- Shropshire Council will face £8m redundancy bill
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff doesn't raise a smile
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Generally speaking, it is not worth reading any piece of writing beyond the words “no wonder this country is in a mess”. This letter is no exception.
Report abuse
supermarket ? asda is taking on pt seasonal workers, evening pt cleaning job , early morning cleaning job . She needs to apply for jobs which have a shift system where she can fit it in with her training . I am aware all jobs mentioned are menial, however still essential, but my daughter worked late shift in a sweet factory while doing her degree.Where is always an answer.
Report abuse
Firstly, I thought it was illegal to not employ because of jury service. It is also not a reasonable excuse not to employ someone as jury service is extremely unlikely to last more than a couple of days, if you are selected to sit which is not guaranteed.
With over 1 million young unemployed, seasonal work like this would have been picked up months ago.
Report abuse
Hmmm. jury duty or a job?
I know which one I would go for, perhaps the writer’s daughter should check her priorites…
Report abuse
Quite a woeful and naive letter I must say. Off the record, Employers will expect new staff to be very keen to get sutck into their new position and anything such a Jury Service would be seen as a hinderance and for the jobs mentioned, the employer can easily pick other candidates who do not have need to take time off in the near future for Jury Service.
Tracey’s daughter is at fault for dithering over making the choice about deferring her Jury Service
Report abuse
It’s one area of professional training that a wider experience of the employment world can only be an asset.
It used to be not unusual for someone to leave school start teacher training living in provided accomodation along with other student teachers, qualify then get a job for life in a school never having any other view of the world than from a three terms and time controlled classroom perspective.
Many older teachers in the schools today would fall into that category.
I would point out to Tracey that her daughter would be wiser not to mention that she has other committments when applying for part time work which is basically all that is around. Say you have 12 hrs per week at a supermarket, the local convenience shop has a job at different hours. They will not want you if you already have a job as they want 24 availability at short notice too.
This is a problem for people who are invariably given low hour contracts then rely on unpredictable overtime in order to pay basics like rent etc.
Report abuse