Letter: Honesty, teacher training, jobs and jury service

Letter: No wonder this country is in a mess. My daughter has been trying, unsuccessfully, like thousands of others, to find a job. She has been looking for something part time to fit around her teacher training degree that will begin in September.

Having applied for more than 40 jobs and having had only a couple of interviews she has become quite despondent, having twice been offered a job and then almost immediately having had it withdrawn once she's revealed she's been called to do jury service in July. She knows it is possible to defer jury service but as you can only do this once she feels it would be better to do it now than having to disrupt her studies later.

The first case was probably understandable as the jury service falls in the week when she would be required to attend compulsory training for a summer play sche- me working with severely disabled children, but the latest case is unforgivable.

Having had an interview at Accessorize in the town centre and having disclosed the forthcoming jury service at interview, today she was contacted and offered the post. On reminding them about the jury service it suddenly became a problem and the job offer was withdrawn.

As employers are legally obliged to let employees att- end jury service it seems wrong that they can withhold an offer of a job on the same grounds.

Perhaps my daughter's mistake is being too honest and should maybe withhold this information. It's a sad day when honest people are forced to lie in order to get employment.

Tracey Thomas

Donnington