Why can't I get a job as a disabled 42 year old Aspie in the UK?

[Mary Anne]

I've been to most of the Agencies in Sheffield, and in 2008 I actually set up what was going to be an interview for a temporary Office job somewhere near the City Centre, but I got there and the snooty manager denied all knowledge of contacting me to arrange the interview

So discrimination was definitely happening there but of course I couldn't do anything because under the law, the onus is on ME to prove it in a Court of law in any lawsuit against a company, that's why most companies get away with it because the disabled applicant is likely on benefits and doesn't have the resources to fight a big Court battle against big Companies, not even with a Lawyer who operates a "No win no fee" policy

Also, temp work would literally be a pain in the ass to sort out with the benefits office due to its temporary nature and the fact that as discussed previously on here at length, for a lot of reasons I cannot come off benefits in order to work.

Ah, you said two things that I need to ask about. You are stating that the ONLY time you set up an interview via disability employment agency or staffing agency was in 2008? It’s now 2018! What has been going on in the past ten years? You should and could go on multiple interviews each month! Ten years of volunteer work tells potential employers that you cannot fulfill, or do not want paid work. You have cemented yourself into a stagnant situation that sends a negative message to employers. Even a spotty history of paid temp jobs would help your CV.

Your issue with temp work makes sense, but in order to get a full time paying job, is to start taking those part time PAID temp jobs. There are ways that government works with your benefits to ensure you can work and still recieve some. They use mathematical formulas. Please do not keep hindering yourself. I am sure if you had some temp paying positions, that would lead to more permanent paid positions. At any way you can, start getting paid positions...even IF only temp. The references from these temp paid jobs are crucial. This should be the number one goal. Besides, temp positions can lead to being hired full time at that same place. You will never know if you do not try.

I am pretty sure they do not want to hire you full time because you never worked a paid position. For ten years!!! Judge above had an excellent post on that issue. If you start doing the temp jobs, you have started on the road to building a real paid work history and CV.

 

[Mary Anne]

I'm with Autism Plus at the moment looking for work related activities.

They're helping me with my CV, job preparation, interview technique and other stuff

Also .

I posted that this morning.

Yeah, but why oh why has it taken you ten years to get to this point?!? you spend great amounts of time complaining about having no jobs, but your actions to get one are lacking. You pretty much did not read or respond to anything else I said in previous post. I feel like I am speaking to thin air. :-(

 

[Mr Allen]

Yeah, but why oh why has it taken you ten years to get to this point?!?

Because I've been doing a lot of voluntary work in between.

Now I wanna work and get paid for it.

 

[Quart]

To be honest, depending on the severity of your difficulties WRAG might not be right for you.

 

[Mary Anne]

Because I've been doing a lot of voluntary work in between.

Now I wanna work and get paid for it.

You gotta lose those notions of immediately gaining a full time job. Stop with the excuses of benefits, and start going on multiple interviews per month. Take temp jobs. Utilize every social service you can. For ever moment complaining on forums, use that time to scout out jobs, and networks that can help.

 

[Mary Anne]

To be honest, depending on the severity of your difficulties WRAG might not be right for you.

Is this what you refer to?
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/esa-wrag-cut-briefing
That is true, but of course, if one works, they tend to make more money then the difference that is taken from their benefits. Work builds confidence, skillsets, and is more valuable then just the income numbers.

 

[Quart]

You gotta lose those notions of immediately gaining a full time job. Stop with the excuses of benefits, and start going on multiple interviews per month. Take temp jobs. Utilize every social service you can. For ever moment complaining on forums, use that time to scout out jobs, and networks that can help.

The original attitude is ineffective but he might actually be substantially disabled. I'm not an ajudicator (I've been in the system) but looking at the possibility.

Get someone that'll fight for you.

 

[Bella Pines]

Yeah I agree with @pamelaperejil . I have a lot of voluntary work on my resume but I don't declare it as such. I simply state what I did, consulting for a museum on the data model for their collection. It wasn't paid, but I never brought it up and kept the focus on the task, the communications and the interactions, no one even asked if it was paid or not.

It's about telling the story of you. Not about paid/unpaid, disabilities/equal rights.

If you have a LOT of voluntary work then pick and choose. If I was going for a teaching job then I would put all the work I've done with schools (again, not paid but that's not the point). If I was going for a computer job, then I put the work I've done with technology etc. Pick and choose according to the story you want to tell. Always make it a positive story and don't apologize for being who you are. I certainly don't.

 

[Mr Allen]

You gotta lose those notions of immediately gaining a full time job. Stop with the excuses of benefits, and start going on multiple interviews per month. Take temp jobs. Utilize every social service you can. For ever moment complaining on forums, use that time to scout out jobs, and networks that can help.

I can't work full time anyway, if I get a job 40 hours a week, I'd lose everything.

I can only work up to 15 hours a week part time without adverse effect on my benefits, which I need to keep otherwise I would be forced to work 60 hours a week at minimum wage to break even on a week's rent, bills and everything and physically I can't do it.

 

[Mary Anne]

I can't work full time anyway, if I get a job 40 hours a week, I'd lose everything.

I can only work up to 15 hours a week part time without adverse effect on my benefits, which I need to keep otherwise I would be forced to work 60 hours a week at minimum wage to break even on a week's rent, bills and everything and physically I can't do it.

Welcome to my world. And that of millions of people world wide which must work round the clock to pay bills. I have at times had three simultaneous jobs, and worked 90 hours per week in the past. Too old to do that anymore.

I would say that finding a paid job....no matter how many or how little hours per week you want to work...is indeed a full time job in and of itself. Job searching is difficult and exhausting.

 

[Mr Allen]

I think Rich is very much a "doer". I've read his posts here for a long time about his efforts to obtain a paying job. He has spent years "doing" a lot as a volunteer.

Yeah I'm trying, but like Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try"

 

[MrSpock]

I've been to most of the Agencies in Sheffield, and in 2008 I actually set up what was going to be an interview for a temporary Office job somewhere near the City Centre, but I got there and the snooty manager denied all knowledge of contacting me to arrange the interview

So discrimination was definitely happening there...

If there was evidence of discrimination you failed to show it. Although a 'negative attitude' is a difficult thing to define or quantify I have to agree with others that you seem to have one.

Your title shows it. Nobody is looking to hire "a disabled 42 year old aspie", they're looking to hire clerks, managers, people to stock shelves. You give the impression that you're not presenting yourself as a potential employee but presenting yourself as a person they're not likely to hire for reasons that you don't think should matter, daring them to not hire you for those reasons, and now you can cry 'injustice'.

Yes, you can, and you may be right to cry 'injustice'. If you look around the forum you'll find plenty of worse injustice, and that suffered by people who are making an honest effort to correct or escape the situation rather than asking for it.

Also, temp work would literally be a pain in the ass to sort out with the benefits office due to its temporary nature and the fact that as discussed previously on here at length, for a lot of reasons I cannot come off benefits in order to work.

For instance, most clothes shops mainly employ women, however a few months back I applied to Peacock's in Hillsborough Precinct, didn't get the job obviously, but I'm a 42 year old disabled MAN.

You seem to be applying for jobs that you know you won't get or can't take. I don't pretend to know if this is 'self-sabotage' or a wish to play the martyr, but it shouldn't be a wonder that you're not getting the work you claim to want.

I would benefit from part-time work. Due to the benefits system I'm on there are restrictions, I'm pretty much only going to take work that's 'under the table', paid cash with no official record of me being there. And there are limits to my physical ability, I'm not so very good with people. It would be nice to get a job that fit all of my restrictions, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm not trying too hard, really. I wish this were the worst of my problems, but far from it. I know full well why I'm not employed, it doesn't seem too difficult to figure out. I'm in a crappy situation, but it could be worse. I'm able to do things to help myself, but employment isn't a good place to try to do that at the moment, for many reasons.

If you are as disadvantaged as you seem to be and you're not worried about your physical safety, your residence, whether you can obtain good nutrition, being abused... you're doing alright. It's too bad that you're not flourishing, but this thread on this site is a bit like someone in A&E (the ER on the West side of the pond) crying about a cut requiring two stitches next to people with missing fingers and broken legs.

There are many hobbies that won't pay well, but you could spend as much time as you liked doing them and sell the results for a little bit of money. Knitting, for example. I don't know that a hobby is a good solution for you, but you seem to need to change direction in a fundamental way.

I don't mean to discourage you, but this thread seems to contain a lot more posts designed to make you feel better than posts designed to impart reality, and I'm not sure how productive that might be. You are, after all, an adult trying to do something to look after himself.

 

[Mr Allen]

If there was evidence of discrimination you failed to show it. Although a 'negative attitude' is a difficult thing to define or quantify I have to agree with others that you seem to have one.

Your title shows it. Nobody is looking to hire "a disabled 42 year old aspie", they're looking to hire clerks, managers, people to stock shelves. You give the impression that you're not presenting yourself as a potential employee but presenting yourself as a person they're not likely to hire for reasons that you don't think should matter, daring them to not hire you for those reasons, and now you can cry 'injustice'.

Yes, you can, and you may be right to cry 'injustice'. If you look around the forum you'll find plenty of worse injustice, and that suffered by people who are making an honest effort to correct or escape the situation rather than asking for it.




You seem to be applying for jobs that you know you won't get or can't take. I don't pretend to know if this is 'self-sabotage' or a wish to play the martyr, but it shouldn't be a wonder that you're not getting the work you claim to want.

I would benefit from part-time work. Due to the benefits system I'm on there are restrictions, I'm pretty much only going to take work that's 'under the table', paid cash with no official record of me being there. And there are limits to my physical ability, I'm not so very good with people. It would be nice to get a job that fit all of my restrictions, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm not trying too hard, really. I wish this were the worst of my problems, but far from it. I know full well why I'm not employed, it doesn't seem too difficult to figure out. I'm in a crappy situation, but it could be worse. I'm able to do things to help myself, but employment isn't a good place to try to do that at the moment, for many reasons.

If you are as disadvantaged as you seem to be and you're not worried about your physical safety, your residence, whether you can obtain good nutrition, being abused... you're doing alright. It's too bad that you're not flourishing, but this thread on this site is a bit like someone in A&E (the ER on the West side of the pond) crying about a cut requiring two stitches next to people with missing fingers and broken legs.

There are many hobbies that won't pay well, but you could spend as much time as you liked doing them and sell the results for a little bit of money. Knitting, for example. I don't know that a hobby is a good solution for you, but you seem to need to change direction in a fundamental way.

I don't mean to discourage you, but this thread seems to contain a lot more posts designed to make you feel better than posts designed to impart reality, and I'm not sure how productive that might be. You are, after all, an adult trying to do something to look after himself.

Meh, I turned up in a shirt and tie to what was supposed to be an interview for an Agency job, they denied setting up the interview,

Go figure.

 

[Mary Anne]

Meh, I turned up in a shirt and tie to what was supposed to be an interview for an Agency job, they denied setting up the interview,

Go figure.

Turning up in the accepted attire with cv is not only what aces the job interview. Just how often are your disability agencies setting up interviews FOR you? Just how often are you having regular staffing agencies work for you to set up interviews? Are you calling each agency weekly? Or are you trying alone, in your own to get regular jobs? That might be where the problem lies.

Statistics show it’s more difficult for ANYONE in their 40s and upwards to land jobs. That is even with solid work histories, solid marketable skillsets, and NO gaps of employment- older people are simply not hired as readily.

Rich, you have notable disabilities, decades of no paid employments, and have specific part-time hour requirements. So utilising every disability agency and staffing agency to help you and being relentless in hounding them is key. Or, figure out what you are good at and go into business for yourself. That is a great suggestion...go into business for yourself. Or start selling on eBay, or at flea markets, and go underground with the cash income. Many disabled people do these things.

 

[Mr Allen]

Turning up in the accepted attire with cv is not only what aces the job interview. Just how often are your disability agencies setting up interviews FOR you? Just how often are you having regular staffing agencies work for you to set up interviews? Are you calling each agency weekly? Or are you trying alone, in your own to get regular jobs? That might be where the problem lies.

Listen, to me when I say that I
Statistics show it’s more difficult for ANYONE in their 40s and upwards to land jobs. That is even with solid work histories, solid marketable skillsets, and NO gaps of employment- older people are simply not hired as readily.

Rich, you have notable disabilities, decades of no paid employments, and have specific part-time hour requirements. So utilising every disability agency and staffing agency to help you and being relentless in hounding them is key. Or, figure out what you are good at and go into business for yourself. That is a great suggestion...go into business for yourself. Or start selling on eBay, or at flea markets, and go underground with the cash income. Many disabled people do these things.

Many disabled people do work, but the majority of them are in disabled specific non jobs for less than minimum wage because they can't earn much without severe benefit sanctions.

I'm better than that, I want a "normal" job with "normal" pay.

 

[Judge]

Many disabled people do work, but the majority of them are in disabled specific non jobs for less than minimum wage because they can't earn much without severe benefit sanctions.

I'm better than that, I want a "normal" job with "normal" pay.

If you are right about a majority of the British disabled being slotted into low paying menial jobs, there may be one thing to consider. That while overt discrimination against prospective disabled employees is illegal, how those same employers must balance this against Britain's compulsory Employer's Liability Insurance in accordance with the Employer's Liability Act 1969.

While it's illegal to overtly discriminate against disabled job applicants, an employer must still grapple with the cost, proper placement and safety concerns of such an employee so as not to compromise their safety responsibilities not only to the employee, but to their insurer and the law as well.

It may be in fact a very real consideration that prospective employers consider in routinely turning down disabled applicants. Made worse if they incorrectly assess an employee's disabilities versus their actual work and exposure to real injury. (Retail workers behind a counter have relatively low exposure to loss).

Which may be yet another hurdle most disabled job applicants aren't aware of when consistently turned down for work regarding those "normal jobs" with "normal" pay. I used to be a workers compensation insurance underwriter. Knowing full well how conscientious employers can be about containing costs in evaluating their employees exposure to loss.

I'm just thinking as well, that it might be beneficial to seek out any disabled people you are aware of who do in fact hold what you call a "normal job with normal pay". Find out how they handled their job interview and what it took for them to overcome such obstacles within a bureaucracy that in fact may be "two-faced".

 

[MrSpock]

Many disabled people do work...

...I'm better than that, I want a "normal" job with "normal" pay.

Normal people don't receive financial benefits for being disabled, or have help from Autism Plus. Normal people compete with normal people on an equal footing, you are not, you're being helped.

Normal people cannot complain that they're being discriminated against, if there is a way that you can be discriminated against you must by definition not be normal. If you are really better than the rest of us disabled people quit whining to us. How can you expect our sympathy if you're not willing to acknowledge that you're in the same situation?

"I'm better than that"? Really? What makes you think so? Because you're white? Male? Find an inoffensive word, try it. If you can say that, what's wrong with people not hiring you because they're better than you?

 

[tree]

Definition of normal
1 a : conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern

• normal working hours

• He had a normal childhood.

• the effect of normal aging

b : according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle

• The normal way to pluralize a noun is by adding -s.

2 : occurring naturally

• normal immunity

3 a : of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development

• IQs within the normal range

b : free from mental illness : mentally sound

• symptoms of paranoia in otherwise normal persons

4 a of a solution : having a concentration of one gram equivalent of solute per liter
b : containing neither basic hydroxyl nor acid hydrogen

• normal silver phosphate

c : not associated

• normal molecules

d : having a straight-chain structure

• normal butyl alcohol

5 : perpendicular; especially : perpendicular to a tangent at a point of tangency
6: of a subgroup : having the property that every coset produced by operating on the left by a given element is equal to the coset produced by operating on the right by the same element
7 : relating to, involving, or being a normal curve or normal distribution

• normal approximation to the binomial distribution

8 of a matrix : having the property of commutativity

 

[Mr Allen]

I've applied to 3 different jobs since last week, and will take in a CV and cover letter for another one this afternoon.