is it wrong to leave a job because youre only earning as much as the dole?

Rossin

background: mature student off for the summer, got a job working part-time, 5 days a week 4 hours a day

i thought id be able to get something from the dole on top of what im getting to make it worth my while. last summer i worked 3 days a week for €300 and got €50 on top from the dole, this year im doing 5 days for €200 but the dole officer said that because i work 5 days im not entitled to anything

is that right? do you think she misunderstood me thinking that im working full hours on those days?

so the way it stands im earning €12 more than what id get on the dole. Is it awful that id rather look for work elsewhere or at least enjoy my summer more than i would working this job! its the first summer ive had off in ten years and will be the last after i get my degree next may

seamus

Rossin wrote: »

is that right? do you think she misunderstood me thinking that im working full hours on those days?

No, she understood fine. Bizarrely, under Irish law "Part time" is recognised as working less than a typical number of hours per week. So you are part-time by law. However, the Social Welfare system defines "part-time" as working 3 days or less, even if someone works 36 hours or more in those 3 days.

If your work is somewhat static (e.g. processing forms) maybe you could discuss working your 20 hours over the course of 3 days instead of 5?

so the way it stands im earning €12 more than what id get on the dole. Is it awful that id rather look for work elsewhere or at least enjoy my summer more than i would working this job! its the first summer ive had off in ten years and will be the last after i get my degree next may

Well, you need to weigh up all of the benefits you get from the job against all of the costs. Don't forget to factor in travelling costs to and from the job.
Benefits of work that you mightn't consider are things like experience gained, contacts gained, social interaction, etc.

Rossin

its data entry, but it has to be done everyday. id say the only pro from the work is that i get to learn how another type of business is run, although there's not much too it all the same! and when im looking for work next year, if there happened to be an IT/system admin job going in the transport industry it'd stand for me to have been involved. Still though, there's slim odds on that

thank for the reply!

Dublinstiofán

I'd stick with the job!

I find that doing incredibly boring mundane work during the summer reminds you of how 'lucky' you are to be a student and gives you focus in September when your back in college.

Mrs OBumble

Dublinstiofán wrote: »

I'd stick with the job!

I find that doing incredibly boring mundane work during the summer reminds you of how 'lucky' you are to be a student and gives you focus in September when your back in college.

+1 to that.

See if you can do your hours all in the morning, or all in the afternoon, and look for another p/t job to go with it.

Let it be know that you're looking to pick up more hours.

And lastly, calculate 12 as a % of 188 - it'll make the amount more than the dole seem more palatable.

Rossin

the thing is i missed 2 days last week cause of exams, will miss a day next week, a day the following week and god knows how many over the course of the summer and when i miss these days i lose 40e each time which i wouldnt if i was on the dole. i do already have a job that i do now and again (holiday cover) so i cant work during the day(current job is evenings)

thanks anyway, i think ill just chat to the boss about it and see what he thinks

dlofnep

I was earning only slightly more than the dole all the way through college. I was happy to work for it. I'm on illness benefit now, and I'm bored off my head every day of it. What I wouldn't give to be health again and back in employment. Day's are too long to be stuck at home, trust me.

bmarley

This goes to show the unfairness of the system towards part-time workers - would be a much fairer system to calculate hours worked and wages earned during when considering entitlements to benefits. The whole system sucks. Interesting too that a student claiming B.T.E.A. cannot take a job during the summer months as she would no longer be entitled to the B.T.E.A. for the next year. There's barriers at every crossing!

Proview

Was listening to late show on 4fm and this was the debate and the amount of wasters that called and said they would not get out of bed for a job unless it pays much more than dole was crazy .. thats whats wrong with this country . The host tore the wasters apart and called them lazy good for nothings ... he was on the money ...:mad::mad:

On a side note its a great debate show better than anything we have in cork :D:D

evercloserunion

Well, you need to weigh up all of the benefits you get from the job against all of the costs. Don't forget to factor in travelling costs to and from the job.
Benefits of work that you mightn't consider are things like experience gained, contacts gained, social interaction, etc.

I think this is the nub of the issue. I don't think it's morally wrong to want to leave a job which is worth the same as the dole. However, when you take into account the factors bolded above, I think you will find that continuing in the job is a much more valuable experience than going on the dole. That shouldn't stop you looking for extra or replacement work, of course.

Cavehill Red

Drudge or freedom? You decide.
Me? I'd go with the freedom. It's not like you need the job for a purpose in life - you're studying for that.
No one ever lay on their death bed wishing they'd done more overtime.
Enjoy the summer.

(Don't quit, though - you won't get the dole for weeks on end. Get sacked instead.)

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

Proview wrote: »

Was listening to late show on 4fm and this was the debate and the amount of wasters that called and said they would not get out of bed for a job unless it pays much more than dole was crazy .. thats whats wrong with this country . The host tore the wasters apart and called them lazy good for nothings ... he was on the money ...:mad::mad:

On a side note its a great debate show better than anything we have in cork :D:D

As a working stiff, it pisses me off aswell but I have to be honest, I'd do the same if I was in their shoes. They're making rational economic decisions. It's the governments fault for having the system like this. Of course, if they slashed the dole, they'd be attacked from all angles by the bleeding hearts brigade.

mloc

Yet another example of the insanely high rates of social welfare being handed out in Ireland.

Rossin

well i spoke to the owner and he agreed it made no sense to work for less the dole and that the job would be more suited to a younger fella

on a brighter note i got a call to do holiday cover for 10 days at the start of june which is the equivalent of at least 5 weeks data entry

Nijmegen

That's good news Rossin. The loophole you were caught in is an example of our very poorly structured and thought through social welfare and tax system, and if you are in full time study then I daresay you won't have a career gap on your CV, which is what I'd fear for the most.

Rossin

I pay my way through college doing IT admin holiday cover for 2 companies so im not stuck really it was just something to fill those extra weeks throughout the summer,its wasn't nice work though and I wouldn't learn a thing so id rather use the time otherwise. Thanks for all the replies.

martineatworld

Is twenty hours a week really worth it for data entry experience?...

There has to be a proper incentive to work, and for someone in the OP's position, money is probably the most important.

As previously said, needs to be a larger gap between min wage salary and the dole to incentivise work.

SmartMonkey

Work experience always looks better on your CV rathar than X amount of time unemployed.

jacklad

Nijmegen wrote: »

That's good news Rossin. The loophole you were caught in is an example of our very poorly structured and thought through social welfare and tax system, and if you are in full time study then I daresay you won't have a career gap on your CV, which is what I'd fear for the most.

not sure really

Gadgie

bmarley wrote: »

Interesting too that a student claiming B.T.E.A. cannot take a job during the summer months as she would no longer be entitled to the B.T.E.A. for the next year. There's barriers at every crossing!

This is incorrect. For those already on the scheme, BTEA is paid for the next term regardless of whether the claimant was able to secure summer work or not.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW70/Pages/ABacktoEducationAllowanceBTEA.aspx#paid