Work Coach says I still need to go to a jobs fair even though I’m at work.

Hi all.

Just wanted some advice, really. I’d like to first say that I don’t have a driving licence so I have to rely on public transport to get me places.

I have my first day at work tomorrow 6pm to 11pm and I’ve also been booked onto a Jobs Fair at 2pm. Now, when I got booked onto the jobs fair, I didn’t have an actual start date yet so I agreed, however I did ask what were I to do if I was working and she said I still needed to make time to go depending on what hour I started. This confused me a bit but I was too scared to question further so I just left it. Fast forward to the other day, I found out that I was put on the rota for tomorrow at the times I have stated, and didn’t think it was reliable for me to get a bus to the jobs fair for 2pm, get a bus home to get ready for work, get a bus to work for 6pm and then get either a taxi / bus home when I finish at 11pm. So I put on my journal that I couldn’t attend due to working matters, and that was all good.

Then I had my video chat meeting on Monday and she completely backtracked and said I still needed to go. And now I’m worried that if I don’t attend they’ll find out and I’ll be sanctioned, but I’d rather take tomorrow morning preparing for my first late afternoon shift and not spend loads of money on public transport when I need to save it for me to be able to get to and home from work and my phone bill.

I’m just so stressed out. I have another phone meeting on the 13th if I’m not working at the time with another coach so I’m not sure what to do.