NationStates Jolt Archive

Jobcentre adverts may lead to women becoming prostitutes, a group dealing with trafficked sex workers has warned.

"The jobs included stripper, webcam stripper, adult show hostess, lap dancing and work with an escort agency."

The DWP said Jobcentres had to advertise the job vacancies after the Ann Summers sex shop chain brought a test case in 2003.

The High Court ruled that advertisements for legal work in the "sex and personal services industries" should be allowed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7373449.stm

The article is from a couple of weeks ago, but the issue came up again today on the radio and reminded me of it.

Should 'adult' jobs be advertised at government Jobcentres? In other words, if you run a porn company and need new girls for your 'webcam operation', should you be allowed to go to the Jobcentre and ask them to place an advert for you?

I think that they should not be allowed to advertise here. Firstly, there is no restriction on the age of the people who are looking at these adverts, and so a risk that under 18s will attempt to apply. Secondly, it may encourage desperate people who otherwise would not consider such a job to get into something that they later regret.

Finally, and most importantly, there is the fact that if you are on the dole and a job comes along that you are capable of doing, you are obliged to take it or risk losing your benefits. While it's unlikely that anyone could actually be forced to take a job in the sex industry, there is a risk that undue pressure might be put on people if they fit the job 'description'.

Thoughts?

iirc most of these jobs happen to be in the phone industry which pays well and basically involves texting some guy whilst you sit and watch TV(way better than being a cleaner or something I guess)

...why am I not in on this?!

iirc most of these jobs happen to be in the phone industry which pays well and basically involves texting some guy whilst you sit and watch TV(way better than being a cleaner or something I guess)

...why am I not in on this?!

I'd be pretty pissed if my 'hot girl' on the end of the phone turned out to be you. :p

But the jobs in the article are a lot more 'hands on' than that. What do you say when your job advisor says "so why won't you apply for this lap dancing job"?

the people looking at the jobs won't be that young, they'll be like 16+ they're old enough to make their own mistakes and learn to live with them

and also, if they wern't advertising them it would just encourage more stigma around those kinds of jobs and the people who do them which isn't right

Should 'adult' jobs be advertised at government Jobcentres? In other words, if you run a porn company and need new girls for your 'webcam operation', should you be allowed to go to the Jobcentre and ask them to place an advert for you?If the job is legal, I don't see why it should be discriminated against.

I think that they should not be allowed to advertise here. Firstly, there is no restriction on the age of the people who are looking at these adverts, and so a risk that under 18s will attempt to apply.So any job that someone inapplicable might apply for should not be allowed to be advertised?

Secondly, it may encourage desperate people who otherwise would not consider such a job to get into something that they later regret. Well, yes, put the same goes for jobs like cleaning toilets; I don't imagine many people want to end up in deep shit, but it's an occupational hazard.

Finally, and most importantly, there is the fact that if you are on the dole and a job comes along that you are capable of doing, you are obliged to take it or risk losing your benefits. While it's unlikely that anyone could actually be forced to take a job in the sex industry, there is a risk that undue pressure might be put on people if they fit the job 'description'.I don't think people should be forced to do a job they have moral objections to doing. And undue pressure should be illegal on account of being undue.

I'd be pretty pissed if my 'hot girl' on the end of the phone turned out to be you. :p

having known some of the people who do these I can assure you that you will be lucky :p

But the jobs in the article are a lot more 'hands on' than that. What do you say when your job advisor says "so why won't you apply for this lap dancing job"?

if your at jobcentre looking for work odds are your heading that way anyway...

seriously if I was an illegal immigrant maybe but 16-19 year olds have like connextions (or whatever its called) and subway

the people looking at the jobs won't be that young, they'll be like 16+ they're old enough to make their own mistakes and learn to live with them
You don't think that 16 is just a little bit too young to be considering becoming a stripper?

and also, if they wern't advertising them it would just encourage more stigma around those kinds of jobs and the people who do them which isn't right
I don't think that necessarily follows, anymore than classifying pornographic films as 18+ stigmatises the industry. Society has always recognised the distinction between adult topics and those suitable for children.

If the job is legal, I don't see why it should be discriminated against.
Like above, pornography is legal, but restricted to 18 years and older. So if you can't view it before 18, how can there be a risk that you could star in it?

Well, yes, put the same goes for jobs like cleaning toilets; I don't imagine many people want to end up in deep shit, but it's an occupational hazard.
Your kids are unlikely to come to you 20 years later with videos of you cleaning toilets and want to know what the hell you were playing at.

You don't think that 16 is just a little bit too young to be considering becoming a stripper?
no, if you're old enough to have sex and deal with the consequences then why are you not old enough to use it to make some money?


I don't think that necessarily follows, anymore than classifying pornographic films as 18+ stigmatises the industry. Society has always recognised the distinction between adult topics and those suitable for children.

if you don't advertise these jobs with the other jobs then you're saying that these jobs aren't as worthy (for want of a better word) as the other jobs, you're saying that it's wrong to do those jbs because otherwise if it's ok to do those jobs then why not advertise them?

no, if you're old enough to have sex and deal with the consequences then why are you not old enough to use it to make some money?
I don't know about you, but I know how much I changed between the ages of 16 and 18, and then again between then and now. There are of course issues in general with 16 years olds having sex, but in the real world there is not a lot you can do about that. But as for them using it to make money, the risk for exploitation is enormous.

if you don't advertise these jobs with the other jobs then you're saying that these jobs aren't as worthy (for want of a better word) as the other jobs, you're saying that it's wrong to do those jbs because otherwise if it's ok to do those jobs then why not advertise them?
But why does my analogy not apply? Does the fact that you can't advertise The Usual Suspects at a cinema showing of Bambi make it any less of a 'worthy' film?

Like above, pornography is legal, but restricted to 18 years and older. So if you can't view it before 18, how can there be a risk that you could star in it?How is seeing an advert for it being at risk for taking the job you're not eligible for? Pornography companies are not allowed to hire underage people.
Should they disallow adverts for pilots because someone without a piloting license might apply and crash a plane killing hundreds?

Your kids are unlikely to come to you 20 years later with videos of you cleaning toilets and want to know what the hell you were playing at.And?

Does that mean that women will lose their benefits if they don't apply for these jobs if there's all that there is? :eek:

How is seeing an advert for it being at risk for taking the job you're not eligible for? Pornography companies are not allowed to hire underage people.
Should they disallow adverts for pilots because someone without a piloting license might apply and crash a plane killing hundreds?
If a 17 year old is offered a job as a 'webcam operator', she may not have any direct contact with her employer. I'd rather hope that this is something an airline doesn't do.

And?
...and therefore the consequences of being forced by circumstances to take these jobs are somewhat more severe.

If a 17 year old is offered a job as a 'webcam operator', she may not have any direct contact with her employer. I'd rather hope that this is something an airline doesn't do.They are obligated to find out the age. Driver's license, passport, or some such thing.
And it's not like a seventeen year old can't manage to put herself naked on the internet without the help of an adult entertainment company.

...and therefore the consequences of being forced by circumstances to take these jobs are somewhat more severe.Well, firstly, this thread in the conversation wasn't about force, but people regretting a job they find themselves encouraged to do (which may be the case with many jobs, though perhaps not regretted to the same extent). It is still fully their choice. Secondly, if people are actually forced by circumstances to do something, then they are not culpable for what they do. Thirdly I doubt circumstances would force someone, unless they're so extreme as to make job adverts completely irrelevant.