Forced to do online training at home

[m3coupe]

Quick question for everyone. My sister works for a large pub chain who have told she needs to complete online training. Nothing wrong with that I hear you say however she has been told she needs to complete it at home, in her own time. She's offered to do it after her shift at work but was told by her boss to get it done this weekend and if she doesn't have a computer at home, find one.

Surely training needs to be done either in your working day or if it has to be done out with, it should either be instead of working your normal shift or paid overtime.

Can employers 'force' someone to train without pay and in their own time? Sounds like the boss is trying to get himself out the brown stuff as he's been told he needs to get his staff trained by a certain date.

[Vaud]

How long are we talking about? An hour? 3? 20?

[m3coupe]

No idea about this one but last time she was 'asked' it took about 2-3 hours.

[Grandfondo]

Is it a Food hygiene course?

[Boris Morris]

What would she be doing instead, watching TV?

[Gargamel]

If it is a one off, is it really worth battling? Work is always a compromise of many things.

[davepoth]

Let's face it, stty pub jobs are stty. If she moans, she'll get her shifts cut and she'll be cleaning toilets. I know it's not right but it's just the way it is.

[rog007]

Telling her she 'must' complete what I assume is classed as 'mandatory' training at home is unusual. Whilst many organisations will deliberately set up their e-learning systems so that they can be accessed on the WWW, and thus at home, few would say only do it at home. I do know that some staff prefer to do it at home whilst in their PJs drinking capuchino and watching Countryfile at the same time.

In this case, it's about the culture of the employing organisation and her direct manager. If neither are people-centred then this is the sort of action that could turn some staff off and thus on to their next employer. She does of course have choices: do it; don't do it; or resign. Only she knows the risk/reward of her preferred option. Good luck!

[Eric Mc]

If she has a letter in writing from her manager saying she MUST do it from home, any costs she incurs in doing the training can be offset against her income for tax purposes.

[yorkshireegg]

This sounds very familiar, exactly the same was expected of employees when I worked for a similar organisation. Does the name of said company go around and around, by any chance?

Also look out for these gems:

- Turning up for a shift to be told it's too quiet, wait until it gets busy to start. Unpaid, not allowed to leave the premises.

- A lack of any real awareness of health and safety beyond the initial induction (line cleaning fluid is pretty nasty stuff, no COSHH controls in place for it)

- Having to fight for your right to a mandatory 20 minute break in a six hour shift. They'd use the excuse that you'll be finished before your 6 hours is up, that was rarely the case.

- Only being paid until the time you're 'expected' to have finished cleaning down the bar.


But standing up for yourself in such a position only serves to get your hours reduced; I lost an average of 4 - 5 hours a shift (~20 hours per week) when I did and I was one of the better members of staff!

It's the kind of job where you just have to keep your head down and enjoy the good bits!