Can they force me to do this?

amiga1

I have a contract which states that I may be required to do overtime from time to time for which I will be paid time and a half. Last year the company introduced an online driving course which all drivers are required to take (I'm a delivery driver). However, they're saying that the course has to be taken in my own time but overtime will not be paid. Anyone who fails to complete the course faces being disaplined. The question is, can they force me to take the course in my own time for no pay and can they disipline me if I refuse?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

marlot

I have to do an online driving course for work. It takes about 20 mins.

I'm sure you're right about wanting the time to be paid, but is it something you really want to make such a big issue over? It sounds like you're upset about some other aspect of the work and this is just bringing it to a head?

I take a fairly 'give and take' attitude with my team. If there isn't a huge amount of work on (eg. as happened on Christmas Eve) I let them go early [paid], and similarly if they need to do half an hour or so outside work time they just do it.

Tabbytabitha

Doing a course isn't working.

TELLIT01

Tabbytabitha wrote: »

Doing a course isn't working.

What a ridiculous comment. Virtually every course I have ever done has been work related and some of them have actually required longer hours than a standard working day. As with the OP, the training is required for the job and was certainly no easy day out.

sangie595

TELLIT01 wrote: »

What a ridiculous comment. Virtually every course I have ever done has been work related and some of them have actually required longer hours than a standard working day. As with the OP, the training is required for the job and was certainly no easy day out.

I agree. However, Marlot is correct - is this the item worth taking a stand on. Because they have said it's a requirement for drivers to pass this test. So I can guarantee what the outcome of the disciplinary will be right now! So does the OP want to chance whether the employer is acting fairly in law by talking them to a tribunal after they have lost their job? Assuming they can even make such a claim of unfair dismissal.

The employer clearly isn't messing about here. They've stated what will happen to anyone not taking it or failing it - and if it's compulsory then there is only one possible result, in that anyone who doesn't isn't a driver for them. I'm going to assume that there is no union to go to because otherwise the OP wouldn't be here? And "solidarity" is so not going to work here - most people, for the sake of a bit of their own time online doing a course are not risking their job. The principle just isn't worth it to most.

pmduk

Think of it as an investment in your future and another entry on your CV, rather than something for your current employer.

stuartJo1989

They can't force you to do anything.... But they can force you out of the job.

getmore4less

Do you get any down time during your normal working day that you can use to do the course?

How do those without access(outside work) to a suitable computer do the on-line course?

Tabbytabitha

TELLIT01 wrote: »

What a ridiculous comment. Virtually every course I have ever done has been work related and some of them have actually required longer hours than a standard working day. As with the OP, the training is required for the job and was certainly no easy day out.

I didn't actually mean my comment in the way you took it - I meant that most people do training courses in their own time. I didn't mean that doing a one is easy!

sangie595

Tabbytabitha wrote: »

I didn't actually mean my comment in the way you took it - I meant that most people do training courses in their own time. I didn't mean that doing a one is easy!

If your employer requires you to do training it should be done in their time, not in yours. We took it exactly as you meant it!

That doesn't mean that it's worth the fight, but any decent employer does not expect compulsory training to be done on your own time.