Furious at ds work dismissal

[OneGreyBiscuit]

This is more has my 19 year old ds employers been unreasonable. He's just been sacked for being unreliable. For context - he accepted a new job about a month ago. He informed them of where he lives which is about a forty minute train journey away. He is a few minutes late everyday because of the trains and they said they were ok with it. He's just come off holiday (which he informed them of) and went back today. He was sent an email before today telling him to get an earlier train so he's on time. Fair enough, so he did and would've continued doing. At 9 he was called into a meeting to tell him his contracts been terminated for unreliability. He was only informed of getting an earlier train from today, so how can they dismiss him like this? If he continued to get the later train and continued being late then I'd understand but they've not even given him a chance. I'm absolutely furious. And to add insult to injury he still had to pay for his waste of time and money train fare this morning.

Definitely seek advice. He may still be in probation but if not then there is a set process to get rid of somebody.

Also I hate employer's that are inflexible like this. Is he customer facing?

Well this went well didn't it

I rely on the train and have done for 30 years and have always got one that gets me in before my start time even if that means being a bit too early. I’ll get a coffee etc before I start. I can’t understand not doing that! Next job tell him to be on time.

That said - on a separate note. If trains are always a problem he should be targeting the train ahead of the one he gets. That way he is not cutting it fine.

Really? Is this just an automatic reflex whenever a sacking is mentioned no matter the details?

I’d say it’s the other way round unless your office or admin and even then they’ll be a need to be present at the start and finish time exactly

I had an employer like this. I was not client facing and always came in a bit after my start time (like all the employees).

However I had had a falling out with one of the partners so he decided to have my manager warn me about my timekeeping. I always stayed late mind to help with whatever needed doing. When I told my manager that I always stay late I was told "we don't ask you to".

I said she was right and from that day on - I always arrived early early....and left exactly at my end time.

They really didn't like that either but I used their own argument against them so they couldn't say much about it.

I find in this age group misunderstandings occur around what is considered normal work practise as they don't have lived experience. They likely thought he was telling them he was a few minutes late due to train but he would normally be on time. He likely thought he was telling them his train made him late everyday and they were saying that was OK.
My son is lovely and at a Russel Group uni so reasonably smart ... but he is quite literal and I could see him unfortunately making the same mistake until someone explained things to him.

I can see why he was dismissed! Imagine if the whole team turned up late because they couldn't get a train to work on time?

It is harsh lesson. He should have made the decision to get the earlier train before it had to be brought to his attention.
You never know what the boss is thinking, just because they don’t pull you up the first few times.
Hopefully he finds something else.

If you make a big fuss it might reflect on future employment, it may be brought up in interviews if a compliant goes on record? At the moment they might still give him a half decent reference for character and other aspects of the job? If the time keeping is brought up in future interviews he can say he learned a strong lesson with the dismissal, and he needs to be sure to turn up 10 to 15 minutes EARLY for the interview!

Um no I didn't actually, ive already put I asked him if he got in on time and that's when he told me they were ok as they knew he was getting the train

From what you’ve described, OP, it sounds like there were crossed wires or a misunderstanding from one or both sides. If an employee said to me, “I might be a few minutes late because I’m getting the train”, I would assume they meant because the train might be late sometimes. Even if I didn’t assume that, I’d think “the train” meant there was only one train he could get, which, annoyingly got him in a few minutes late for work.

I suspect that they weren’t over-impressed with him taking a holiday so soon, chatted a bit about him while he wasn’t there, and talked about his lateness “because he had to get the train” - and then someone checked and saw there was an earlier train he could get. They then contacted him to tell him to get this earlier train. Perhaps some kind person even thought there was a technical reason he couldn’t get the earlier train, so they asked him to, waiting to see what he said and did.

He then got the earlier train, as they asked, and got to work on time - thus proving to his employer that he could have done that all along.

Do you know he had not agreed the holiday before starting? I had holiday booked and I took it during probation but I told my employer during interview and said it was non-negotiable and they were fine. Don't know why it's been assumed the employer was unaware of the holiday

No one told him it was ok to be late everyday , that’s ridiculous, they were probably waiting for him to show some initiative and get the earlier train.
you should have advised him , haven’t you ever worked ?

on time = 5 minutes early

They most likely said that they were okay with occasional lateness due to public transport problems but unless he put in a formal request for flexi-working then punctuality & reliability would be expectations of his contract.

Lesson learned

I doubt it will be an issue. And if he suspects it will be he doesn't need to even bother declaring that job in his employment history.

But I just said to OP he should seek advice. If her son is lying he won't bother to do that.

This is just another life lesson and stage of character building. If you start work at 8 common sense says aim to get there for 8:30. Some places allow you get put your bag away, make a drink, maybe even say hello to everyone while your walking through. If you start 8 and roll up at 8:05 you’re late. This is all about lessons being learnt. He won’t be late for his next job. It’s not fair on other co-workers and creates resentment. I have girls who have to put their children in breakfast club and pay more than they earn in the 45minutes because if they have difficulty parking they will be 10 minutes late! They make it work and it’s give and take so on the odd occasion they are late we all cover for them. It’s not done daily and it’s not excepted daily. It’s not ok and if someone said it’s fine they shouldn’t have.

I don't believe the employer told him it was fine to come into work late every day.

😂

You mean you only have your son’s word for this! Being late is my absolute bugbear and would speak to them if it was a regular occurrence. Again you only have his word it’s just his time keeping, as a manager I suspect there is far more to this! HR would not allow me to dismiss someone on lateness alone. He will get a letter stating why he’s been dismissed, I suggest you ask to see it!

I think this is a life lesson going forward, you arrive at least 5 minutes early for any job, even basic minimum wage jobs and get ready to start on time when they start paying you.

This is his own fault and will have to chalk this up to experience. Jobs are hard to come by so employers should be treated with respect as everyone is replaceable.

They are within their right to dismiss someone when they are consistently late regardless of what people do at your work place OP. If he is not on flexi time he needs to be at work on time every day and if that means getting an earlier train he should have done that in the first place. The fact that you are furious is very unreasonable.

It ain’t rocket science 🙄 being late for anything especially your first bloody job is not on , if the one you use gets you there late then get the earlier one

Sadly the fact you’re very defensive suggests you now found out there is more to it! As a parent I’d be instilling the importance of good time keeping, unless of course your time keeping is also lax.

I work in HR and I would allow for someone to be sacked for persistent lateness whilst in probation.