the new Jobseeker's Agreement
   
     

Jobseeker's Agreement: The Sequel

Here is a copy of my new Jobseeker's Agreement.

What I must do to meet the terms of the Jobseeker's Agreement:

  • Email one employer per week
  • contact Jobseeker's Direct twice per week
  • Ask people I know
  • Look in papers once per week
  • Apply speculatively an unspecified number of times
  • Checkout the jobcentreplus website
  • Keep documentary evidence

As always, you are are under threat of sanction for non compliance. Of course, the above is no challenge whatsoever for a seasoned New Deal veteran who has been made to do Jobsearch for weeks on end five days a week. We vets have no trouble handling such demands. Is there a reason that you are supposed to provide them with evidence even though Jobcentreplus do not follow the same practice? Evidence is an ambiguous term and you should reserve the right to apply your own definition. If it means absolute proof, it is unlikely that either you or they can provide it. 
In practice the written jobseeker's agreement gets overruled by verbal agreements with staff in order to facilitate day to day running. This is acceptable if it isn't detrimental to the client. The general rule is that, according to the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations, you are expected to take 3 steps to look for work each week.  Many Jobcentreplus employees have told me that it is common for clients going into sign on not to have done anything at all. Jobcentreplus make the rules up as they go along in order to suit their needs at  any particular time. If they want to attack an individual, they will conveniently ignore the agreement.* This should not be tolerated. 
Now, I could perform a very interesting experiment. Let's say I proceed not to meet the terms of the contract. As a result I get sanctioned, having my payments suspended on the grounds of non compliance. So in response I say "you cannot sanction me on those grounds, as according to Nick Parton, Jobcentreplus Contract Manager, it is not possible to determine whether I have met the terms of the Jobseeker's Agreement". They ask him, he agrees, verbally, to that because he knows it to be absolutely true and 100% credible, so there can never again be such a thing as non compliance resulting in sanction for any Jobseekers? It is acknowledged by Nick Parton that it meets Jobcentreplus standards, so it is indisputable, right?
I would love to do it, but I like to observe standards in excess of that. It's so much easier to conduct yourself without integrity. Unfortunately, that just isn't good enough for me or the others I would affect.
Jobcentreplus's policy of stamping on individuals who do not meet the requirements of their contract should not be discriminatory. It should apply to Pertemps as well, after all, they cost a lot more than any individual's dole payment.

  * since writing this, a case study has arisen.

Remember the Jobseeker's Agreement is in reality under law neither an agreement nor contract because it places you under duress and is based on a "sign this or face the consequences" threat.