And another one bites the dust.....

Hi seclusion, you did well with that post and it was kind to make the effort for phoenix. Keep posting

A lot of people who drive 90mins to work are either doing it for a large salary at the end of it or they have a company car or can claim expenses for their own car.

Nobody in their right minds would travel 90mins at their own expense unless it was financially worth it.

I would be tempted to ask the wally JSA person where he/she lives and how much does it cost to get to work?

Every good wish to Phoenix - love her posts and hope things improve
for her soon. Don't post much as too old and slow but love the way people are helpful and practical and kind.

The people who make the rules assume everyone can hop on and off buses, trains and tubes. They really have no idea of the difficulties of living in a rural area, or even of trying to get from small country towns to the nearest centres for work, which are often located outside the nearest town or city.

DH had to travel 90 minutes each way to work for a couple of years, it was draining both physically and financially, not to mention wear and tear on the car. How someone on JSA could be expected to do it is beyond me.

[thoughts] and

phoenix you know we are all rooting for you (((hugs)))

90 minutes travelling by what? If you don't have the use of a car and there's no public transport, what then? Is it 90 minutes by bike?

Hear here Eloethan. phoenix

So if a job comes up 90 minutes' journey away from your home, you could be forced to take it! Three hours travelling a day, not to mention the cost involved. I am so sick of this government.

I hope things get better for you phoenix.

The world of work is a strange old one. When I was a 16 - 18 year old school girl with a Saturday job at M&S I never imagined I'd be back there 40 years later earning peanuts again!
With my current part-time/post-retirement job, I had to negotiate to start 15 minutes later than contracted in order to get an off-peak train using my senior railcard, otherwise the peak-rate fare would make nonsense of doing the job at all! Apart from that, the hours and money fit perfectly. I'm sure something just right will come along phoenix!

phoenix your not being negative!!!! I personally think people living out in the sticks should be have an allowance for the extra travel they have to do to have access to any employment available. I know its hard being positive but chin up lovely ladyxx

Many thanks to you all, your support is, as ever appreciated.

glass most of the places where there is anything resembling a high street are a bit of a distance from me, and there is an extremely limited public transport system, ( nearest town, Holsworthy, 1 bus a WEEK on market day!) so would need to earn more than minimum wage to make up for fuel.

Sorry, that probably sounds very negative of me and also as if I'm being a bit "precious" about what I will and wont do, which id definitely not the case.

Did you know that part of a condition of receiving JSA is that you have to state you are prepared to take jobs that are up to 90 minutes travelling each way from your home? In theory that means that if I was offered a job at minimum wage in for example Newton Abbot or Torquay, (for example) I would be expected to take it. How much of ones wages would that take in fuel!

Sorry again, feeling pretty crap low at the moment.

dust not dud..silly fat fingers!

Sorry to hear that phoenix. pick yourself up, dud yourself down...

I d hope that something comes along soon and that you are soon happily working.

Years ago we young mums were teachers, civil servants etc, all doing the job to fit in with tiny children and OH's work schedule.

Shelf-stacking was very hard physical work and I hope something more suitable is on the horizon, phoenix.

Oh phoenix, it's so demoralising. I heard a man on the radio last night describing how he makes a living as a cat sitter when their owners go on holiday. You definitely have the relevant experience for that!

nannaanna thats exactly what I found when I worked in an M&S store after being made redundant from my Office Manager job. phoenix {{{hugs}}} give the high st stores a try it can be a good stopgap.

Well, as I pointed out, it is hard physical work and I found it tough years ago.
I am sure phoenix knows how much we are all behind her and hope there are better days ahead.

I think many current supermarket staff these days are way over-qualified!
In recent years I spent 14 months working in an M&S store, having initially been taken on as seasonal Christmas staff in a huge store, and then offered a p/t post in a new store opening in the following Spring.
I have a degree and have run my own businesses, as well as working for government departments, an university and the NHS in a long and diverse working life.
Amongst my colleagues on the tills were a former tax inspector (made redundant), a former bank manager (made redundant) and several former business owners, who (like me) went bust.
We made up the majority of the staff, and from my experience, we were not an unusual store!

Well I was the first to respond to the original post but it didn't stop me feeling rather sorry for people doing the job, sometimes out of necessity, over qualified or not.

Yes. I appreciate the hard work of shelf stackers and night workers everywhere but all we're doing is trying to offer support and encouragement to one of us who is going through a testing time at the moment.

I agree - there probably aren't that many on GN (as so many of us are retired), but it must be extremely hard work and if anyone's still doing it in their 50s, 60s or 70s I take my hat off to you!

(Not that I wear one...)

I stacked shelves in a supermarket in the evenings when DC were small. The staff consisted of mainly mums with young children and a group of jolly 6th formers.
Much has probably changed since then as it was over 30 years ago.

It fitted in with children and partner's hours before so much child care was available. We started off stacking the dog meat and hoped to get promotion to biscuits.
I was much younger then and it was hard, physical work.

If any shelf stackers are reading this thread, I appreciate what hard work it can be but absolutely essential for all of us.

Does any one else feel rather sorry for the staff at Waitrose and probably MandS and the other stores who must be feeling rather undervalued by some of these posts?

Phoenix, A night shift would be my idea of hell. Be thankful you are over qualified and they didn't offer you the job.

I hope you find something soon that is right for you.

phoenix, I am sorry you can't find a job, but, really, that would have been so bad for your health. It's not worth that. Something decent will come along.