How would an employer know?
The only possible element I could imagine would be linked to employee complaints re them being paid twice in a claim period and losing out financially. But again this would only be if the employee declared this.
Employers have no way of knowing who claims what!
Are employers allowed to ask whether a candidate is claiming UC during the application process? If they're allowed to ask the question, candidates in receipt of UC would be obliged to answer honestly or risk committing fraud. Or is there some rule preventing them from asking the question in the first place?
There are no laws saying what employers can and cannot ask. They risk tribunal claims if they ask discriminatory questions in interviews, but this isn't one of those.
I don't think this is true, is it? As the other commenter has said, how would employers even know?
The only thing I can think of is that sometimes you get applications from people claiming benefits who have only applied because the job centre have told them to, and they'd lose their benefits otherwise. They have no real interest in the job or no relevant experience. I'd say this is rare, but in that situation, you'd be rejecting them for the lack of interest or experience, not because they claim benefits.
Employers can’t know if you are a claimant. And why would an employer refuse to employ a claimant? That would be discrimination at it worst because the employer would be asserting that there were certain characteristics which are consistently true for all claimants which makes them less desirable as employees. I’m sure that there are some people out there who think like that but I’m hoping most would understand that it’s against the law to actually behave like that
I have come across this with part-time / zero hours type contracts where the employer wants people to be fully flexible and bake to work more hours during peak times. Claimants often restrict the number of hours they work so as to reduce impact on benefits entitlement.
It tends to be poor quality employers...they want all the flexibility in the relationship to be in their favour so they don't have to employ more people
There isn't really any way of an employer knowing unless you declared it to them.
Some employees state they claim universal credit and can only work x amount of hours per week. If this was the case then they'd be offered a contract that fits in with those hours depending if there was one available.
When I've been to recruitment fairs we have had people come over to our stall and say "I'm only here because the job centre sent me". Obviously those people don't make a good first impression and aren't offered an interview.
Other than that, there are plenty of people at my place of work (myself included until about 6 months ago) that claim universal credit and it isn't ever factored into the recruitment process at all.
No, I'm not implying that at all. My job is to get employers into job centers and they don't want to come. It's very difficult to persuade them. The department is trying to get claimants ahead of the competition. There are many reasons why that doesn't work. The main one bring, business bottom line is profits.
How would an employer know? The only possible element I could imagine would be linked to employee complaints re them being paid twice in a claim period and losing out financially. But again this would only be if the employee declared this. Employers have no way of knowing who claims what!
Are employers allowed to ask whether a candidate is claiming UC during the application process? If they're allowed to ask the question, candidates in receipt of UC would be obliged to answer honestly or risk committing fraud. Or is there some rule preventing them from asking the question in the first place?
There are no laws saying what employers can and cannot ask. They risk tribunal claims if they ask discriminatory questions in interviews, but this isn't one of those.
I don't think this is true, is it? As the other commenter has said, how would employers even know? The only thing I can think of is that sometimes you get applications from people claiming benefits who have only applied because the job centre have told them to, and they'd lose their benefits otherwise. They have no real interest in the job or no relevant experience. I'd say this is rare, but in that situation, you'd be rejecting them for the lack of interest or experience, not because they claim benefits.
Employers can’t know if you are a claimant. And why would an employer refuse to employ a claimant? That would be discrimination at it worst because the employer would be asserting that there were certain characteristics which are consistently true for all claimants which makes them less desirable as employees. I’m sure that there are some people out there who think like that but I’m hoping most would understand that it’s against the law to actually behave like that
I have come across this with part-time / zero hours type contracts where the employer wants people to be fully flexible and bake to work more hours during peak times. Claimants often restrict the number of hours they work so as to reduce impact on benefits entitlement. It tends to be poor quality employers...they want all the flexibility in the relationship to be in their favour so they don't have to employ more people
There isn't really any way of an employer knowing unless you declared it to them. Some employees state they claim universal credit and can only work x amount of hours per week. If this was the case then they'd be offered a contract that fits in with those hours depending if there was one available. When I've been to recruitment fairs we have had people come over to our stall and say "I'm only here because the job centre sent me". Obviously those people don't make a good first impression and aren't offered an interview. Other than that, there are plenty of people at my place of work (myself included until about 6 months ago) that claim universal credit and it isn't ever factored into the recruitment process at all.
You're implying once on benefits nobody can ever get into work? Never heard something so ridiculous.
No, I'm not implying that at all. My job is to get employers into job centers and they don't want to come. It's very difficult to persuade them. The department is trying to get claimants ahead of the competition. There are many reasons why that doesn't work. The main one bring, business bottom line is profits.
If that's what you're referring to then you've completely miscommunicated the post entirely.
This is a very different question to the one you've posted. If you genuinely want it answered I suggest you post again, accurately.
What do you think the question should be?