29th June 2015, 11:35 AM
GnomeKing Wrote:re: Driving > not so much out employability but simple practicality, for the employee aswell. If i look at new staff for new job somewhere, likley people will need to get themselves there, often with no convenient public transport. If we offer accoadation also then it is not difficult to get people without cars to site, or pick up/drop off somewhere at start/end of week...but often that might not be so easy.
You dont have to own a car > for full time employees, many company have vehicles for use...i am always happy to make arrangments where practical to accomadate people without vehicles.
Personaly, my own car is an essential and fundamental piece of kit, for this profession and other work i do...(i aprreciate the now vast costs of learning to drive and new driver insurance however, which are bigger problems).
I get all that and it is true, but...........(takes deep breath)
nearly every job (I'll take a wild guess at 99%) specify a driving licence as an essential in their job specs. Is it? Absolutely? I've seen jobs advertised in central London which say it is. And other jobs based in offices which claim it is due to occasional travel around the country. Surely that is what a train is for? The ones that offer a 'cycle to work scheme' whilst insisting on driving are funny too in their green box-ticking hypocrisy.
Not every archaeological job requires a driving licence surely?
What does it for me is that it is the common denominator in job descriptions. Not how much experience one has (negotiable), or positive character trait (?who cares), or the ability to always get the pointy end of the trowel to stick in the ground when thrown at it :face-approve:. Oh no.
I know I'm fighting a losing battle. I know that I'm out of date. But I still think it's unfair :face-crying: