Dole
Here's something most people will never see: the interior of a modern dole office (now known as a "Jobs and Benefits Office")
This is reception. Security sit and watch TV behind the desk on the right, and pile out when voices are raised. The graffitied poster can be seen behind the fat man. The Civil Servants in the background assess the career options of those about to claim Job Seekers Allowance, and show you how to fill out your JS4 Looking For Work diary. Unemployeds are rarely tended by Civil Servants on that side of the office; it's only for initial assessment and indoctrination, or if you have the audacity to claim back travel expenses to and from an interview.
Those of you that were unemployed several years ago may remember display boards with attached hand written postcards advertising job vacancies. Well, the boards have been replaced by banks of touch screen monitors; part of one bank is visible on the right of the picture. They display a map of Northern Ireland; touch the region that you would like to work in and a list of vacancies sorted by category will appear. If you see a vacancy that arouses interest, you can press a button that will print a little receipt, and it will pop out from under the monitor. You then proceed to another button on a pillar that prints out a ticket informing of your place in the queue. An electronic voice calmly assigns ticket numbers to booths, and a board flashes both numbers (just visible above the TV, at the top of the picture). Usually, there are so few doleites and so many Civil Servants, so as soon as you press the ticket button the electronic voice will administer a booth. The girls in the background deal with job vacancies (as opposed to Job Seekers Allowance signing). Again, because of the ratio of staff to bludgers, you will always get the girl on the left (partially visible behind the chair), who blushes when eye contact is made.
I don't know what this lady was doing; no-one waits in the jobs and benefits office for as long as she did. Maybe she was a homeless; she had four bags stuffed with the type of paraphenalia a homeless would carry. But she had matching midninght blue ballet shoes, A-line skirt and shoulder bag, and the courage to wear a clashing turquoise wool-knit cardigan. Maybe she was just hanging out being cool.
Nope, definitely a low incomer. Who got lucky at the charity shop.
This is reception. Security sit and watch TV behind the desk on the right, and pile out when voices are raised. The graffitied poster can be seen behind the fat man. The Civil Servants in the background assess the career options of those about to claim Job Seekers Allowance, and show you how to fill out your JS4 Looking For Work diary. Unemployeds are rarely tended by Civil Servants on that side of the office; it's only for initial assessment and indoctrination, or if you have the audacity to claim back travel expenses to and from an interview.
Those of you that were unemployed several years ago may remember display boards with attached hand written postcards advertising job vacancies. Well, the boards have been replaced by banks of touch screen monitors; part of one bank is visible on the right of the picture. They display a map of Northern Ireland; touch the region that you would like to work in and a list of vacancies sorted by category will appear. If you see a vacancy that arouses interest, you can press a button that will print a little receipt, and it will pop out from under the monitor. You then proceed to another button on a pillar that prints out a ticket informing of your place in the queue. An electronic voice calmly assigns ticket numbers to booths, and a board flashes both numbers (just visible above the TV, at the top of the picture). Usually, there are so few doleites and so many Civil Servants, so as soon as you press the ticket button the electronic voice will administer a booth. The girls in the background deal with job vacancies (as opposed to Job Seekers Allowance signing). Again, because of the ratio of staff to bludgers, you will always get the girl on the left (partially visible behind the chair), who blushes when eye contact is made.
I don't know what this lady was doing; no-one waits in the jobs and benefits office for as long as she did. Maybe she was a homeless; she had four bags stuffed with the type of paraphenalia a homeless would carry. But she had matching midninght blue ballet shoes, A-line skirt and shoulder bag, and the courage to wear a clashing turquoise wool-knit cardigan. Maybe she was just hanging out being cool.
Nope, definitely a low incomer. Who got lucky at the charity shop.
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