Hi, hoping Mumsnet can give me their usual sage advice. I'll give a bit of background to avoid drip-feeding.
In October I started working 2 days a week at a local preschool as 'bank' staff.It all went well. They are lovely colleagues. In November, I was asked if I wanted to be made permanent. I asked what the difference would be: I'd be a key worker for some children, so more responsibility, but still minimum wage. I decided I'd like the experience, so I accepted.
However, after a few weeks it turns out I was also expected to stay an extra 2-3 hours once a month for staff meetings, for no extra pay. When there is training, which I welcome, (e.g. 5 hour first aid, 1 hr FGM, 1 hour food hygiene) it is not on work time, but I am expected to do it on the computer at home, in my time.
I have worked for a big company in a past life, and I have also been self employed as a childminder. If the company needed you to go on a money-laundering course, they didn't expect you to do it after work in the evenings. When I was a childminder I went on courses in the evening/ weekend, but I think that is different: it's my business.
I started to feel that I can't deliver what they need in just 2 days 9-3, I'm just not there enough to do all the observations/ assessments on 5 children and write them up, and do the job. They really need someone F/T (I also work for my DH). And I have to confess, I also don't think it's right that staff on minimum wage are expected to stay late regularly (not talking 10 minutes now and again) unpaid. I know it's the industry, nothing is going to change, so I decided I need to rethink my career plans, and I resigned yesterday.
We had all only just been given contracts to sign, so that also made me decide - I didn't want to sign a contract and then go a few weeks later, that seemed silly. So I wrote a really nice letter to my manager and copy for the owner saying thank you so much for the opportunity, the staff had all been amazingly supportive and kind, but I was handing in my notice. And while I did not have an agreed notice period, I was giving them 4 weeks notice (as per the new unsigned contract), or would they like me to stay until Easter if that made things easier. I handed it to my manager, and verbally said I just didn't think I could do the job they needed in 2 days a week, and I thought they'd be better with someone full-time. The manager was really gracious, said 'oh no, what a shame, we've loved having you'.
Phew. That went better than expected.
Half an hour later, the manager asks for a word. The Director has said that as they have signed me up for some on line training, and it is non-transferrable I will have to pay that back, or it will come out of my salary of about £85 a week.
(The week before half term I was given the websites and passwords for some online training. I was busy that week, and away at half term. Then I have resigned. I thought it was also better to resign now, rather than do the training and resign in 2 weeks time.)
I said I am not happy about that, and that legally I don't think they can do that. They never said there were any clauses attached to training. That if I did some training I would have to stay for a week/ month/ year or pay it back. There was nothing in the contract-- which I (and some of my colleagues) have not signed. My manager just looked uncomfortable, bless her, and said I should speak to the owner.
I am sorry this is so long-winded. If you are still with me: can they do this? And they still want me to spend 5 hours of my free time before Monday doing the First Aid course (Ofsted are imminent.) Which just seems surreal: I could be going to work Monday, to earn the money to pay for an online course they signed me up to.
Advice gratefully received...