Is DS17s employer unreasonable to take the cost of his driving lessons out of his pay?

Very normal, what they paid for hadn’t benefited the company.

Try ACAS.

I think its fair if you don’t stay in the job, to take that back. It’s pretty standard.

Everyone saying "keep all the money" and then wondering why no one employs young people anymore

Don't be ridiculous. The only thing that matters here is the legal position.

Whilst there's no moral obligation (you could argue that the lessons were of benefit to the employer, especially if they took place during work time) I suspect that PPs are right that there's some stipulation in his contract about length of service.

Yes it is common but it HAS to be agreed in writing prior to the payments being made.

Its common when an employer provides training or education that he has to be paid back if you don't remain with the employer for long enough afterwards.

If there's nothing in writing then I think it's unlikely it's legal, pay deductions are quite carefully regulated. But call ACAS for more qualified advice.

We had someone come and work for us whose previous employer was threatening to deduct the cost of some training from his final payslip.

I helped him write a formal letter to them pointing out that it would be unlawful & they backed down.

OP says there is nothing about it in his contract.

This

And it won’t cost more to pursue an unlawful deduction claim, you can do it for free.

Check his contract and check with ACAS. I don't think they could just take the amount out of his wage, but they could well have written into his contract that he has to stay X amount of time after the completion of the lessons otherwise he will have to pay the money back. That's quite normal and fair when a workplace pays for a sizeable amount of training that will benefit the person for the rest of their lives.

We don't know enough about the "bullying" to be able to judge. Plenty of people claim they have been bullied when they have simply been asked to do something they don't want to do. He also left the job because he was "bored"

Of course the costs paid towards the lessons should be paid back, he is no longer in the job and didn't stay long. Honestly, the entitlement of some people is astonishing.

There needs to be a specific (to the training) signed agreement in place. A blanket training deduction clause in a contract wouldnt suffice.

If no specific agreement its unlawful deduction of wages and likely taking him below NMW.

He should speak to ACAS who will probably advise he advises them of the error in writing in the first instance. It wouldnt cost him a penny either to take to a ET for unlawful deduction and/or report them to HMRC if he doesnt receive at least NMW.

Your son has had the benefit of the driving lessons, why shouldn’t he pay for them if he’s not going to stick the job out?

As for bullying, young people where I work consider it “bullying” if they’re told off for being late, told they can’t vape or mess about on their phones whilst working, told they have to tie their hair back and wear correct uniform, or told they shouldn’t be filming tiktok videos in the workplace. Sadly the “gentle parenting” generation are not well prepared for working life.

To make the deduction there needs to be a specific clause in the contract. Otherwise it amounts to an unlawful deduction from wages. Here is a link to the form that needs to be completed within 3 months of the deduction. It is free to submit the claim.

They could recover it by asking him to pay it back, potentially in instalments BUT ONLY if there was a prior agreement that he would pay it back if he left in a certain timeframe.

@Kyffin it simply hangs on what his contract of employment says. If the employer did this on an informal basis that was not mentioned in his contract then the employer cannot retrieve it.

So you need to check his contract of employment.

Union rep here. It’s unlawful deduction of wages. If he’s not in a union, ring ACAS. They can’t do it legally.

The tax treatment of the lessons depend on whether getting him driving and were necessary for work, but if not, and they were treated as a benefit in kind, I would make sure he doesn’t pay income tax on it if he’s repaying.

Why do you think the ex employer should bear the cost of your child’s driving lessons?

I have a company which employs young people. We used to be SO generous with things like this but I have pretty much put a stop to it altogether now due to the entitled attitudes of kids who don’t want to actually work but think the world owes them everything on a plate.

I’ve also had kids claim ‘bullying.’ What they usually mean is being asked to do menial tasks suitable for an entry level employee with no skills and qualifications. They think it’s ‘mean’ and ‘unfair’ and ‘being picked on’ that their elders who have been with us years and have all the experience get the ‘better’ jobs.

Under ‘bullying’ see also ‘being asked to adhere to company clothing policies’ etc.

They shouldn’t take and aren’t allowed of it takes him below NMW, but morally, as a parent, I’d expect him to pay it back.

I think, but am not certain, that if it puts him below minimum wage, they can't recover it? Maybe I am mistaken though.

Phone ACAS for free, accurate advice.

Im surprised people here think its morally ok to bully a teen put of work, then deduct his last wage.

It does count. If it takes someone under NMW then it can’t be deducted at source.