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Original poster

Is my employer being unreasonable?

22 replies

LittleNoona · 08/09/2013 09:37

I work part time, 3.5 hours a day. I work less than a mile from my home.

I have been asked to attend a mandatory training course for 3 days, 17 miles away that runs from 9am to 5pm.

How much notice is it reasonable to give me of this training and expect me to attend?

Should I have the same amount of notice as other members of staff that work full time?

OP posts:

lougle · 08/09/2013 10:10

If it is mandatory, then your options are to go or lose your job.

Are you being paid for the extra time, or offered time in lieu?

Thurlow · 08/09/2013 10:19

Difficult one. As for timing of telling you, I imagine that will depend on your employer.

You sound annoyed by this (probably rightly so!) but if it is a mandatory course for your job then there isn't too much you can do about it, and they will probably never run courses like this part-time. If this is going to cause problems with childcare or travel, I would talk to your employer about it but don't go in all guns blazing. Say that you know you need to go on this course but it causes some big difficulties so can you talk to them about this. And of course discuss whether it will be overtime or time off in lieu. It might be that you have to have a horrible 3 days around the course, but then get the rest of the week or more off.

LIZS · 08/09/2013 10:23

They should probably reimburse your travel costs and give you the additional time off in lieu. Why would you not have heard at the same time, give or take half a day ?

Original poster

LittleNoona · 08/09/2013 12:17

Ok before I found out about this training I had requested 2 days annual leave as I have plans to stay with family from abroad.

I am meant to be attending g this training with people from another office. They knew about this at least 6 weeks ago.

I have an email telling me that my training will be in October. Which is what I was expecting.

OP posts:

Original poster

LittleNoona · 08/09/2013 12:18

Should add I will be reimbursed for travelling expenses and will request time in lieu rather than be paid for the extra hours.

OP posts:

LIZS · 08/09/2013 12:20

That is a slightly different matter to your op . If you have had leave approved for 2 of the proposed training days then you can't go, if you have requested it presumably they won't approve it. Did the course date change or is there still an alternative in October ?

Original poster

LittleNoona · 08/09/2013 12:23

The 2 days leave hasn't been approved.

No explanation has been given as to why the training is a month early.

OP posts:

flowery · 08/09/2013 13:35

Are you able to attend or not, sorry that's not clear. If not, would more notice have made any difference?

Just trying to establish exactly what the issue is, as you were expecting this training at some point anyway.

Original poster

LittleNoona · 08/09/2013 13:45

I do have plans for the week. Plans that I would not have made had I known this training was booked.

OP posts:

Pozzled · 08/09/2013 13:52

So how much notice did you actually get? Why can't you go to the training in October as originally planned? I think it depends if it's a genuine error (mix-up with dates) or if they have changed things and just expect you to fall into line.

flowery · 08/09/2013 14:02

Are they the same plans that involved taking holiday which has not been approved yet? Or plans that you could still do if you didn't have the holiday approved? Because as the holiday hasn't been approved, the "staying with family" plans weren't firm were they?

Original poster

LittleNoona · 08/09/2013 14:24

No - as I only work part time I have plans for outside of working hours. I was going to stay with family only if I got the 2 days approved.

OP posts:

Original poster

LittleNoona · 08/09/2013 14:24

I got 5 days notice where as others got at least 6 weeks.

OP posts:

HappySunflower · 08/09/2013 14:29

Have you actually spoken to your line manager about it?
If you explain that you were expecting to go in October, and that it would be difficult for you to attend the earlier date, they may well be happy to stick to the original date, and this will be a non issue.

If not....well, then you could have to make a difficult choice, I suppose.

I work part time and only have childcare booked for the hours I work. Finding childcare outside of these hours is difficult-my plotter knows this and understands that I will need as much notice as possible to work additional days.
Sometimes, good communication makes all the difference.

HappySunflower · 08/09/2013 14:30

Plotter?? Lol

I meant employer!

flowery · 08/09/2013 14:31

5 days notice isn't much at all for this type of thing. What did you say to your manager when you were told?

Pozzled · 08/09/2013 14:37

Do you ever have to vary your hours apart from this? Is there anything intrinsic to the role that requires you to be flexible? If no (and given that other staff had a lot more notice) then I think you would be within your rights to say that you couldn't make it.

I work pt and would go in (and have in the past) provided I hadn't made other plans that were important to me. I also expect a bit of give and take- I try to be flexible, but I expect my employers to show me the same courtesy as other members of staff. That means giving me the same notice as others- or more given that it's outside my normal working hours.

lougle · 08/09/2013 14:43

5 days is not reasonable.

LIZS · 08/09/2013 18:58

but from their pov taking 2 days off at 5 days' notice probably wouldn't be either.

Pozzled · 08/09/2013 20:27

LIZS Where does it say the OP only gave 5 days notice when requesting time off?

Original poster

LittleNoona · 08/09/2013 20:28

5 days notice for annual leave is acceptable in my office. As long as no other members of the team I'm in are off there is no problem. Minimum we have to give is 2 days notice.

I have always been as flexible as possible in my job. I have done a huge amount of extra hours when needed and done many other things that are not in my job description.

OP posts:

Unexpected · 09/09/2013 11:34

Five days notice of training is not reasonable when you only work part-time. Even if you hadn't requested leave for two of those days, presumably you would need time to make childcare arrangements to work three full days when you normally only work 3.5 hours? It sounds as if the training date was changed from October, the people in charge forgot to tell you and it only came to light when you requested leave and they realised there was a clash!

What would happen if you told them you had made arrangements to work the three full days in October and couldn't change them at this kind of notice?

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