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.

Well its obvious why this young person never worked out for themselves, that if the train only arrives on time a few mins before he starts work….then with late trains being an unfortunate inevitably….that from the first day he should have been taking the earlier train.

Thats very simple travel planning. A skill that he should already have at this age.

However, with a parent that thinks it’s fine to turn up late and is now hollering because he got the sack and is blaming the workplace….he had no hope of ever gaining these skills the easy way….now he’s had to learn the hard way.

How much earlier was he gonna arrive each day with the earlier train?

OP are you sure this is only related to being late every day ? Frankly, if he had to be told to get an earlier train so as to be on time, l’d be wondering if there were expectations of initiative in his work that he was failing to meet.

You say nasty
I say
truthful
it’s what people - including employers and colleagues - will think of this

Nope. If there was an earlier train that would have got him there even an hour before his start time he should have just taken that from the start.

The whole thing about him being ‘a few minutes’ late every day should never have come up. and why was he taking holiday within the first month.

He’s 19, a bit of a rocky start to working life isn’t unusual. The employer has acted within their rights to let him go during the probationary period. Your DS doesn’t need his mother involved except to tell him you hooe has learned something from it.

Surely the only thing relevant to his sacking is:
'he is a few minutes late everyday'.
Lesson learned hopefully.

I don't get why getting the train enables him to be late? It doesn't sound like it's works on the line or a one off it sounds like time tabling if the train gets in at 5 to 9 and it's a 10 min walk you get an earlier train. How does he not know this?
40 min train is not a long commute it's an average journey it's not special

Earlier train from day one?
An employee can be dismissed for any reason, during their probationary period.
Ring ACAS or CAB, if unsure?

Was he working late to make up for the time lost when he was late?

I was thinking this too. Either he told them he would be late for the first day, which they said is fine, but failed to tell them it will be every day. As far as I can see, the company probably cannot find any logical reason why he would be late every day if there is the option of him catching an earlier train. Maybe he just didn’t want to get out of bed that bit earlier but that’s just sod’s law and what you have to do if you have a job. Nobody else particularly likes getting up early for work either but it’s what we have to do.

I wonder then if it’s 5mins it’s become very noticeable and they feel he’s not a team player. 1 min, I can’t imagine most employers noticing.

Did he mention the issue of start time at interview or when he accepted the job? Or was it when he was late turning up?

If the job is quite dependent on people being in on time (eg shift work, customer facing role) then it may be taking a toll they can no longer accept.

I’ve worked in many different places in my life, and I would very much suggest at the start of working in any new job, you get there with time to spare, so you are ready to start at the time stated and not just in the building hanging a coat up. Good impressions are very important, and in the current employment market for younger workers, that first impression lasts!

It seems unfair because they told him that were happy to be flexible regarding the few mins and then went back on it without warning.

BUT I will say that this may well just have been a convenient excuse. Employers often decide a probationer is unsuitable but in a more general way (a bit slow/poor attitude/ talks to much/ face doesn't fit/ a bit gobby) but it's easier to pick up on something tangible and less "personal".

In my student days I got sacked from a cafe/bar job - the manager said in a kind, concerned voice that it seemed "too much" for me as I always seemed so tired. I wasn't tired, was never late but strongly suspect it was because of my resting bitch face not being very welcoming to the customers. She couldn't really say that but it dawned on me when i met a former customer in a social context and he said "oh yes i remember you, we all used to call you the miserable barmaid". I practiced smiling harder for my next client facing job and it seemed to pay off.

He applied for a job 40 minutes from home. He knew the start time when he accepted the job, he should not need to be told to be on time. If he wanted to start later he should have negotiated that as part of his contract before accepting the position. I doubt his work thought it was OK for him to be late when an earlier train was an option. He thought he could inconvenience work by being a few minutes late each day rather than inconvenience himself by catching an earlier train.

You thinking he has some kind of case for unfair dismissal because work didn't tell he needed to be on time suggests you have not prepared him for the realities of work or taught him that actions have consequences and he is responsible for his actions. You are doing him a disservice if you endorse the view he has been treated unfairly. You are an adult, refusing to sugar coat reality is not being nasty.

Im not replying to anymore of your venomous comments. Just downright nasty. I suppose letting him waste £17 of his now needed money was brilliant for 90% of you lot as well. I hope karma bites you on the arse for many of you

Rather than be furious the best thing you can do now is encourage him to see it as a lesson.

Start times are start times. If he wants to change it then he now knows he has to do it properly, not just assume it’s alright.

Hopefully he’ll also have learned that in the first few months you’re building the groundwork and finding your way around how the company works in terms of flexibility and changes.

They’re probably fed up of having to state the obvious re timekeeping and wondering what’s the next thing he’d push back on not doing or maid up an excuse for. A week or two with him away means they’ll have spoken internally and agreed the lateness isn’t acceptable.

Why not try replying to the normal questions people are asking then?

Expecting an employee to come into work is hardly a crime.

And it also gave them good proof that when he wanted to he could indeed get to work on time.

Your anger is totally misplaced, and that’s not going to help your DS whatsoever

There is a very good chance there has been a misunderstanding on your ds’s part. They might have meant it’s ok to be late if train is unexpectedly late, not every day, and when he started rocking up late every day they had enough.

Had he formally requested the holiday through normal process and was it approved? (Although that doesn’t seem to be what he was sacked for)

Lesson learnt.

How about you spend less time wishing misfortune upon others and teach your child about travel planning. I think that would be a better use of your time. If you had done that as a parent years ago, he wouldn’t be in this mess.

My adult child had a job in a restaurant in the nearest city and it was agreed he’d turn up a few minutes late each shift due to train times - he worked there for three years and left on really good terms with a nice send off.

So to say that there’s no chance just isn’t true.

Just because people don't agree with you and are calling out your ridiculous attitude, doesn't make people nasty.

If you think the replies are venomous that's a huge overreaction
The vast majority of posters have simply told you that they had every right to dismiss your son and he should have had the initiative to get to work on time.

If he is still on probation they can dismiss him with immediate effect for any reason and lateness especially if it's everyday can be frustrating. He should have had the initiative to get the earlier train from day 1. Even if the train gets him in super early it's better to sit in the team room with a snack and a book or tablet to entertain yourself than be late. I used to sit and read my book for a couple of hours before my shift started.

why did he ever think being late due to transport was ok?

You take a job and you get yourself there on time.

different if there’s no option for an earlier train but there was. He proved he could get there on time and so they decided he was just too lazy and terminated his contract.

Lesson learned.