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.

But that’s a necessary adjustment. Getting an earlier train would have got him to work on time and instead he actively chose to be late every day. That says a lot about commitment.

What with the state of the country, higher employer NI contributions, higher NMW, the welfare budget, NEETS and on it goes, and then employer lack of confidence in employing and training young people because of perceived attitude, don’t make excuses for your DS, make him not that person.

Nobody is venomous. It’s stating the obvious, you need to get a train which gets you to work in good time.

when my eldest started work. I said to him, never be in late, never leave the earliest and never say no to an ask. Those who you met on the way up can push you on the way down.

All actions have consequences, hopefully he has learnt his lesson

I think you're right. He turned up late, said it was because of the train and work said it was OK because they assumed the train had been delayed. OP's son then took it for granted he could be late everyday whilst his employer assumed he would find a solution and when he didn't they decided to terminate his contract.

I do agree but anyone has the right to request flexible working.

I really feel for the younger generation. When they have parents who clearly haven't taught them that they need to be on time, or who suggest that it's fine to be unreliable as long as nobody has explicitly told you that you are expected to be reliable, what hope do they really have of succeeding in the workplace?

The OP says she is furious that her son's employer didn't proactively spell out that they wanted him to be on time. Surely it was his job to ensure that he arrived on time without being told, unless his employer had proactively spelt out that they operate a flexi system and that they weren't bothered?

I was unable to get to an old job of mine on time as there were no buses early enough. It was a rural area. This was some years ago, I drive now. I told them this from day one and got it in writing from them that I could start early and finish half an hour later as a condition of me taking the job.
There were then no problems and they offered me the job.
However in this case there was an earlier train and so your son had zero excuses to be late.
Did they really say he could be late everyday or is he just telling you that. Im finding that highly unlikely. Why didnt he get the earlier train from the start?

From a legal perspective he has no comeback. He has only been there a few weeks so he cannot claim unfair dismissal in this situation.

The fact that people are late every day at your place of work isn't relevant. An employer is entitled to expect employees to turn up on time. If they actually said it was ok for him to be a few minutes late every day, it is a bit shitty of them to dismiss him purely on that basis.

I note that you say he informed them of the holiday. You don't say that he requested the time off and had it approved. If he did not do so, that would be likely to lead to dismissal on its own.

But arriving 5 minutes after your start time probably means not actually starting to work until 10 mins after your start time.....a 9am start time means working from 9am not walking through the door at 9am (or 9.05 in his case).

It shouldn't have needed to be but hopefully it's a lesson learned.

Likely it baffled his employer too - which is why he was sacked !!

“He is a few minutes late everyday because of the trains”………begging your pardon I’m sure but I took that quote to mean that the service wasn’t reliable!

Why wasn’t he already getting the earlier train? If it says 9am in his contract that’s when he needs to get there.

Also what did they do/ say to make him think they were “ok” with it? Because obviously they weren’t…

This is a life lesson for him- best to take it on the chin and move on.

I'm sorry for the nastiness of the responses. I hope your son finds another job soon.

It’s possible they asked about any holiday plans at interview and he informed them at the time. Doesn’t excuse the lateness issue though.

Most of them weren't nasty. One that was has been deleted.

I took it to mean the train gets in a few minutes after start time.

Is it possible that there’s been a misunderstanding by ds? First time he was late, his manager was sympathetic and said it was fine meaning that he knows that trains can inexplicably be late 10-15 minutes and not it’s fine to come in 1-5 mins every day. If he wanted to be late every day then he needed special permission from the manager.

Obviously we don’t know the type of work but some jobs need the next person to turn up before someone can leave and 1-5 minutes daily could be pissing off the person who wants to leave on time. How many minutes does it take from entering work to being work ready? This depends on the job too but if it takes another 10 minutes then that’s going to annoy an employer. Does he leave bang on time (or even 1-5 mins early)?

No.

That’s what l took it to mean too - that it was unavoidable. It took a while for it to become clear that an earlier train was available. OP flounced before she clarified how much earlier that would have got him into work.

You can’t come in everyday late for the first week even if it is down to the trains.
Most people would have got 1 train earlier than they needed just to be sure.
Your son needs to change his attitude if he wants to hold down a job.

As most have said he should have been getting an earlier train from the start to make sure he was there on time.

When he didn’t, why didn’t you tell him he should be getting an earlier train. You and him are in the wrong not the employer.

Well that is where he gets his attitude from. Like mother, like son.

This happened to me in my late teens. I had to get a train 45 minutes earlier, because the following one, left no margin for lateness. I was literally on the shop floor from the time we got paid from on the dot, but they wanted you standing to attention ten minutes before. You really just have to suck it up, it's a learning curve.

He'll be fine in his next position.

So he’s been late everyday and had a holiday. Did he not think of getting an earlier train?

Good life lesson for him.