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Tesco: JSA Plus Expenses Job Ad Was 'IT Mistake'

Tesco Jsa

Huffington Post UK   First Posted: 16/02/2012 13:14 Updated: 16/02/2012 14:24

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Tesco has hit back at criticism of its employment policy after a job advert appeared listing wages for a night shift role in East Anglia as "JSA plus expenses."

The supermarket giant has said that the advert was an IT error, and that the position was not permanent but offered three night shifts of "valuable work experience" in exchange for Job Seeker's Allowance, with a guaranteed interview at the end.

Users of micro-blogging site Twitter have threatened to boycott the store and Guardian reporter Sunny Hundal described the job posting as "modern slavery" on his blog Liberal Conspiracy.

But in a statement on Thursday the supermarket giant said the job was posted as part of the "government led work experience scheme" and that through that offer of work experience "300 young people have so far gone on to get permanent employment with us as a result of work experience in recent months."

Although Tesco said that it was trying to get Jobcentre Plus error to take the advert down, it still remains on the site.

Customer assistants at Tesco get £7.00 an hour, but the role advertised was not "a replacement or substitute for permanent staff. "

The job is part of the government's scheme of Sector Based Work Academies (SBWA), which can last up to six weeks and is intended to offer job seekers "work experience" to improve their chances of finding long term employment.

Initially Tesco defended the advert, tweeting


Tesco Customer Care
We are taking part in a government-led work experience scheme to help young people, this has already led to 300 permanent jobs.

After widespread anger expressed both at Tesco and at the Department for Work And Pensions scheme, the DWP press office has also taken to Twitter to clarify the role.

Although DWP pointed out that a job interview was guaranteed as part of the scheme, for some Twitter users, this was not enough.

"A guaranteed interview but not a guaranteed job?" Tweeted one angry user.

Other social media users have started using the hashtag #boycotttesco to further express their displeasure at the scheme. However DWP, also being lambasted on Twitter has pointed out that the website Jobhits, on which the Tesco vacancy is advertised, is not the official goverment website.

For many, though, the response from Tesco and the Department of Work and Pensions, was not enough.


Henry Roberts
DWP saying that the Tesco job was advertised in error. That's fine then, if Tesco don't advertise their use of slaves


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Tesco has hit back at criticism of its employment policy after a job advert appeared listing wages for a night shift role in East Anglia as "JSA plus expenses." The supermarket giant has said that...
Tesco has hit back at criticism of its employment policy after a job advert appeared listing wages for a night shift role in East Anglia as "JSA plus expenses." The supermarket giant has said that...
 
 
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Xyshon
2 Fans
23:06 on 19/02/2012
Hey look, another 'isolated IT error'

http://jobcentreplus.jobhits.co.uk/CUSTOMER-ASSISTANT---TESCO-id-WOF-22786

I wonder how many 'isolated errors' there have to be before it turns into 'consistant pattern.'
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dtownsend84
0 Fans
19:18 on 17/02/2012
Not that Im defending Tesco or the Department of Work and Pensions, but the issue that is at hand here, is that of, those who have been out of work for a long time....through their own fault or not, would be overwhelmed by the amount of diposable income available to them if they were to be paid a wage. This then would have the "hole in the pocket" effect, whereby they spend alot of the money on unnessary items, then when they have nothing to put food on the table....guess what, emergency loan from the social. Therefore back to square one. I understand that not everyone is the same, and some would strengthen their bank balance rather than waste the lot, but given the society we are living in...whereby, you want the best clothes, all the latest gadgets etc, its more than likely the situation I described would occur. Therefore, it is a very sensible way for people to get back into the routine of working.....and besides, advertising the job with remuneration of JSA, will undoubtably only be applied for by those who actually want a job rather than those who just go through the motions to continue to receive the JSA
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Catherine Hester
54 Fans
01:34 on 18/02/2012
How do you account for the self-serving politicians who never spent their salaries, instead charging everything to expenses(which was really living off of the taxes of the lowly paid workers). Our noble leader David Cameron has a personal fortune of £300 million pound, but being the scrooge he is, he had the audacity as patron of a disabled charity to use it's services for FREE. In an interview he claimed one of his voters used her child benefit as a champagne allowance, showing the contempt held by these billionaires for the poor in society. They obviously have no need for instructions in how to spend disposable income available to them, especially when they've never done a decent days work in their ENTIRE life's. But the human race is an absolute disgrace, especially when comprised of these upper class Eton educated Lunatics?
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John Sleepy
0 Fans
15:48 on 17/02/2012
Even if the Tesco job ad was 'a mistake' (perhaps computers post messages by themselves these days?!), there is a huge pool of transitory labour to choose from now that unemployment has been deliberately inflated by the Tories. Free labour! That should get the country back on its feet again.

Three days of 'training' for an endless string of displaced people should warm the cockles of Cam's heart.
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Catherine Hester
54 Fans
16:19 on 17/02/2012
What heart, an ALIEN has no HEART?????
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
David Daisy May Boldock
Yorkshire..Gods Own Country
471 Fans
16:37 on 17/02/2012
Computers posting messages would be a far sight better than the clap-trap what comes from government!
Cameroon has no heart but a swinging brick!
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Catherine Hester
54 Fans
13:44 on 17/02/2012
Of course the real Villain in this work fiasco is the self-serving government who endorses these entrepreneurs, who only pay 1% tax for every pound earned and receive a 40% tax relief pension, unlike the hard toiling serfs who create their wealth. I would bring this charlatan government down to earth by putting them onto the unemployment scrap heap and giving them job-seekers allowance, followed by a good healthy doze of the Charitable Sanctions of £4.00 a day for 6 months and replace them with the efficient Robots in Parliament instead of the health service?
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x1x
60 Fans
07:05 on 17/02/2012
AN INTERVIEW ...... OOH thank you kind Sir (tugs his forelock)

I hate the benefit scrounger culture, but NO ONE and I mean NO ONE should be forced into this kind of gross exploitation.

The unemployed are basically vulnerable - one step from homeless and hungry, they are in no position to say no to any kind of exploitation

We'll give you an interview if you do free work for us? this is utterly repugnant

Lets put our MP's on work experience.

Oh.... no more shopping in Tesco for me..... I'll take my cash elsewhere.

WHY ARE THE UNIONS NOT KICKING UP ABOUT THIS

WHERE THERE IS WORK THERE IS A WAGE
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tiggielijahscat
12 Fans
23:28 on 16/02/2012
has the y.t.s scheme re emerged as tesco offer work with no money and no union or holiday pay or sick pay lie it was back in the good old days not. tesco' use some common sense and remember "every little helps" doe not mean getting work done for free as gov. pays job seekers.

good to see teturn of the rich businesses using loop holes to get free work. job experience is done in schools. people wanting to volunteer to get experience is fine but using a job centre to exploit youngsters is wrong. an apprenticeship and guarantee of a job is a help. but not this.
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angelusan
153 Fans
 
23:09 on 16/02/2012
It most certainly isn't a mistake - and Tesco's is more than happy to have what will be thousands of unemployed and disabled people working for them full time essentially for free.

The whole workfare aka work experience scheme is nothing less than gross exploitation and people must stand up to fight this or you too may find yourselves expected to stack shelves full time for months with no pay.

Either there is a job or there isn't. And it's not just Tesco either - dozens of companies are involved in this criminality - and it is criminal in every sense. Holland & Barrett for example are not only taking on workfare slaves but are cutting back on the hours of their existing paid workforce in order to exploit workfare.

I am boycotting Tesco + Holland & Barrett, and the rest of the workfare mob - a list of whom can be easily found online.
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chrsanders
22 Fans
23:42 on 16/02/2012
Every business using this scheme should be compelled to pay the minimum wage and the nett amount earned by the claimant, after tax and deductions, deducted from their JSA. Wonder how many of the businesses would take part in the scheme? Or better still, why not bring back the workhouse?
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Catherine Hester
54 Fans
00:05 on 17/02/2012
SLAVERY is obviously 'Alive and Kicking' in this just "human rights"? loving fair British society?
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solly1
0 Fans
22:46 on 16/02/2012
Remember the work houses??
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Catherine Hester
54 Fans
23:11 on 16/02/2012
Remember the SANCTIONS, that's how the Department of Work and Pensions rewards hard working people in this country who work and pay taxes for years. Note, I said hard working, not the free loaders who've lived off of state benefits for years or illegal immigrants or asylum seekers. Only decent hard working law abiding citizens have the pleasure and privilege of these charitable sanctions which are currently being dished out by the Lunatics running this Insane Asylum called MAD Britain?
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tiggielijahscat
12 Fans
23:33 on 16/02/2012
well said. i have worked nearly 30 years and been told i can have very little in benefits. if i was told if i had never worked i could have it all and as i was moving to disabled bungalow i could have had £4,000 IN MONEY INSTEAD OF BEGGING CHARITIES FOR HELP.
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rosewoodlass2
5 Fans
22:43 on 16/02/2012
Just another way for tesco to get cheap labour . what next why do these big companies get away with it?? stating they employ 100s pf people but really all they are doing is giving any jobs that come up ,say from some one leaving or retiring on full time hrs... Tesco then splits the hours between two people then say their employment statistics go up and then they look good to the public ,this is a common ploy for companies... the poor folk they employ are left with only up to 18 hr jobs , unable to afford /pay the rent excetera. having to get help with benefits . ludicrous
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samcar567
3 Fans
21:23 on 16/02/2012
What a weird response. I'd be happy to do work experience especially if it led to a job interview. As for blaming Tesco...all retail work is poorly paid and always has been. Trouble is everyone wants the benefits but doesn't want to do anything for it. Most people claiming JSA haven't paid any taxes or NI conts. They just want to be paid and then do their own thing. I like to think I'm eaning my JSA by actively looking for work and being prepared to do anything that will give me a wage and enable me to support myself. why do so many people think it's OK to do nothing and let the tax payers support them. What's wrong with trying to get some work experience and what's wrong with firms offering this. They may not be able to offer 50 jobs at the moment but they might offer 50 people the chance to get something on their CV.
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susie sue
3 Fans
22:28 on 16/02/2012
Go Your right. I did rock bottom retail 35 years ago- had a great career and have now been able to do my own thing work wise. Retail can be great even if you start at the bottom you just have to love it and have agreat feel for it. Not a rotten career at all.
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angelusan
153 Fans
 
23:12 on 16/02/2012
Are you insane! You want to work full time for months for nothing but a LOW paid benefit and your bus fare if your lucky.

I think you need to look into what is actually going on

For gods sake
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samcar567
3 Fans
19:15 on 17/02/2012
Are you going to offer me a job then? I've been told I don't have to work for months, I can agree a time scale. I.m not lazy an I don't think I'm insane. I do think your comments are a bit mad tho. How else will I ever get any experience. The scheme I'm going to do will give me a mentor. I'd rather be working for nothing than being a lazy git. Of course I'd rather get a paid job but i can't !! There are 50 people applying for all the jobs I go for and they have EXPERIENCE. Do you think I should do nothing for ever then?
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samcar567
3 Fans
21:16 on 16/02/2012
I don't get any of this!! What's wrong with a company offering work experience? What's wrong with someone getting work experience as it's something to put on an otherwise empty CV. It's a very competitive market now and firms have hundreds to choose from when they have a vacancy.Getting work experience is just a good start. Can't see why everyone is so up in arms. Why should we get benefits for sitting at home doing nothing? Isn't it preferable to be doing someyhing useful? It isn't like we're talking about working for a year...
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northern git
fed up with all the political crap in life
203 Fans
21:43 on 16/02/2012
no one is saying you should get benefits from doing nothing while at home.
doing something useful is good but when you are fodder for firms making BILLIONs of £ profit
then that is obscene and too many companies are doing just that
that is where much of their profit come from.
it is calle exploitation by people who should know better
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rosewoodlass2
5 Fans
22:46 on 16/02/2012
i totally agree this is exactly what this is.. this company stated that all casual workers when worked 12 hrs have to be given a contract .so immediatly got rid of all casual staff
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samcar567
3 Fans
23:03 on 16/02/2012
How else am i to get any work experience?? What's aweek or two out of my life if it's good. Every company is out to make profits and i'll have to work somewhere, why not in retail? How will i know if that's what suits me if I don't try ot first. It wouln't be fair to waste empoyers time if I wasn't right for ajob.
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rosewoodlass2
5 Fans
22:50 on 16/02/2012
wake up sam its a con .. believe me it is ...
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samcar567
3 Fans
23:00 on 16/02/2012
But why is it a con? I can't get a job as I don't have any experience yet. I don't even know if I would like retail work. If I get some work experience, won't that be useful for me? If Tesco liked me they may put me on their waiting list. If I don't like the work I'll start looking for something else. I want to do something rather than wait for a non existent job to find me. Why is everybody against doing something for benefits.
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rosewoodlass2
5 Fans
20:11 on 17/02/2012
Sam the idea is maybe ok but companies like Tesco's prime target is to get PROFIT and they will attempt anything that will get those targets ... I have a close relative and friends that work for them and they promised more hrs .. but to start them off only gave 13 hrs ,( no one can live on basic wage of 13 hrs only )... but after alot of pleading they gave 16 hrs so they qualified for help with rent /c.t now they have raised this so the goal posts are wider .... if you live at home and your parentsand they will keep you then it may not be a problem but beware ..what they say is totally not what they do it is your choice.
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dsole1948
It is our duty to speak out against injustice
169 Fans
21:13 on 16/02/2012
I’ve posted a comment that has simply disappeared is it something I said, not for the first time
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northern git
fed up with all the political crap in life
203 Fans
21:16 on 16/02/2012
mine too

I note my postings on this and one, the main comment appeared then disappeared.

well done Huff
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rosewoodlass2
5 Fans
22:47 on 16/02/2012
maybe Tesco have shares in this too
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dsole1948
It is our duty to speak out against injustice
169 Fans
10:37 on 17/02/2012
Probably frightened of losing advertising revenue can’t upset big business with the truth.
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northern git
fed up with all the political crap in life
203 Fans
21:29 on 16/02/2012
you are not alone
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dsole1948
It is our duty to speak out against injustice
169 Fans
10:40 on 17/02/2012
A true but frightening thought probably why I like having ago.
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wAdrian
106 Fans
21:08 on 16/02/2012
Aprox 400 000 British people leave UK permenantly each year , I wonder why ? Oh but dont worry they are replaced three times over by UKs open door immigration policy, so plenty of shelf stakers in the pipe line
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northern git
fed up with all the political crap in life
203 Fans
21:44 on 16/02/2012
If I were thirty years younger I would be gone from these shores
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BOMBAYMONEYLENDER
40 Fans
20:13 on 16/02/2012
Tesco now opening the new yop scheme from the thatcher years.
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jack2649
60 Fans
18:44 on 16/02/2012
Thats it will not be shoping at tescos again or should I say the slave market !
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northern git
fed up with all the political crap in life
203 Fans
21:14 on 16/02/2012
shop around I do and shop a lot cheaper than at these bigger stores.

I shop locally where possible and don't buy processed foodstuffs, I can it real food and use butchers where the meat is not pumped full of water and chemicals and lasts a lot longer.

to shop at big stores i use half a gallon of petrol or more, I halve tat shopping locally and at local markets.

it is not hard when you get into it
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jack2649
60 Fans
21:44 on 16/02/2012
Thank you for your good advice my friend
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northern git
fed up with all the political crap in life
203 Fans
21:17 on 16/02/2012
I wouold encourage everyone not to shop there as you can do better and cheaper elsewhere

I did
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chrsanders
22 Fans
23:46 on 16/02/2012
Tesco are well known to be the dearest shop in town after Waitrose
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martynemh
4 Fans
01:25 on 17/02/2012
If you all boycott Tesco, you'll put a whole lot of retail workers out of a job. Calm down. Find something serious to whinge about.
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