Expected to do training unpaid

[Kittyloulou]

My 16 yr old DD works on zero hours contract, minimum wage for 8 hours a week for a major sports store. She’s been there around 4 months and they’ve now asked her to do some online training at home in her own time (there’s around 23 topics). It includes a test at the end of each module. It will take quite a few hours. Is it reasonable for them to expect her to do this in her own time, unpaid? What should she do?

its standard, in just about every industry and sector

Does she fill in a time sheet?

Just write it on there.

Yep, I agree, there’s nothing unusual about this.

It is not allowed if she is on minimum wage, as it will take her wage below minimum wage.

Son does same for his part time zero hours job but so does husband for his high paid professional job. It seems to be the norm whatever level you are and I guess it depends if you want to keep the job. Although they often say takes 1 hour it frequently takes a fraction of the time.

If this is mandatory training required for her job role only is it unreasonable but it is illegal, if she is on NMW then any additional time she “works” will lead to a failure to pay NMW. Report to HMRC :)

It might not be unusual, but I’m pretty sure they have to pay her. I’d strongly suggest you phone ACAS.
How I hate those sodding stupid courses - tell her to take plenty of screenshots!

She charges them the same hourly rate as she normally does. If she’s on nmw training unpaid is illegal.

The firm will try it on though - many do.

The big difference being that if your husband is in a highly paid job, lets just say for example his salary works out at £25 per hour, then him doing an extra 1 hour of training will not affect his wage in the sense that he will still be being paid well over the NMW rate taking into account that extra hour.

For staff on NMW, even working an extra 10 mins will lead to an NMW failure. This is illegal.

My sister is a carer and has this. She is also on a zero hours contract. I think it is unreasonable. I keep getting links at work for training. No time allocated. I have ignored so far

I always did in my job, was slightly over nmw. I'd check the legalities though

I work in a care home and all staff ,regardless of their wage are paid for all mandatory training. People need to speak up if they are not ! Totally unacceptable and immoral .

They should facilitate time for her to do these on shift when she will be paid.

I agree. And it's unlawful too. But she's 16, part-time, zero hours and there will be plenty of other 16 year olds willing to step up and do it. What is reasonable, legal or moral has to be balanced by how much she wants the job / income. If it's the store that I suspect it is they have been named and shamed for breaches of the NMW on other occasions - they don't care.

OP, assuming she wants the work, then I would suggest that she simply ignore the request, and if she is asked say that she is far too busy with school / colege work outside her working hours to do more studying. Meanwhile looking for a better employer.

If she wants to report it - and even at her age it should be her choice - then I would suggest HMRC and anonymously, although I doubt anything will happen as a result. She should avoid getting iodentified or dealing with it head on unless she really wants to lose her job. Not fair, but a 16 year old against them - she won't stand a chance.

I was sent on a course,15hrs a week for 12w. On top of 37.5hrs a week ft job. It was brutal but really normal for us.

Yes Linlui it is THAT store. She is doing her A levels so actually is too busy studying to have time to do this so this is what she will tell them. Thank you

Yes, that’s what all her friends, cousins and sister have done with who they work for, which is why this has rung the alarm bells.

No, she clocks in and out on a machine

This is complete nonsense.

No OP, they can't ask this, it violates the NMW requirement for a start

If she CBA to argue with them just tell her to click through the training as fast as possible and use CHATGPT to solve the quizzes. She will probably find she knows the answers even without doing the training, it will be idiot proof stuff.

Whilst anonymoanonymously reporting to HMRC

I had to do the same in waitressing jobs. Pain in the arse. They wouldn't let you work if you hadn't done it by x date as well. I just skipped to the test bits and did that. It was a load of absolute crap tbh. Diversity and inclusion training etc for a pt waitressing job seemed like overkill, but I did it anyway. I was 37 I think the last time I did it

To be honest I’ve never come across it before. Everyone I have spoken to in my immediate circle have said it’s unreasonable as she on NMW. That’s why I thought I’d ask on here to see if anyone had.

dont do it unless paid.
Consult ACAS

Not standard, when I worked for a supermarket it was done in house on the clock.

In 23 years of working I've never been asked to do training in my own time, it has always been during normal work hours.