Paying a training course

bebex

My work are putting me on a training course on Monday that I don’t want to go on (I’m awaiting a medical for a new role, not yet given my notice in). It’s for manual handling, I have to pay for the house whether I go or not. It does state in my contract that could deduct this from my pay. Is there anyway I can avoid this? It’s a minimum wage job and I can’t afford the cost of the course that I can’t even use anywhere else.

tacpot12

Your employer can deduct the cost of the course from your wages because you agreed to this in your contract of employment, and there is nothing you can do about this, other than breach your contact of employment by not turning up for work so that you earn nothing that they can deduct the cost of the course from. You won't get paid your notice pay, or holiday pay, and your employer would be fully entitled to give you a bad reference saying that you walked out without giving notice. This is likely to cost you more than paying for the course. 

The best way to deal with this is to discuss this with your manager to see if there is a date you can give your notice in by such that they will agree that you do not have to attend the course. 

bebex

I don’t need to a new reference from the as my new role isn’t bothered about the job as it’s one then only took it due to covid and the place is a mess. 12 hour shift with no breaks, not proper measures for social distancing. I’ll just give them my notice and see what happens. Charging for a in house manual handling course says it all for me.

caeler

Assuming you can still do your job without doing the course immediately, maybe you get sick that day and can't go into work?  Such a shame it was the day of the training course and now it has to be rescheduled.
Now I don't recommend this, it is dishonest and could back fire and you might end up rescheduled immediately meaning you've gained nothing!

Andy_L

Manual handling sounds like H&S training. In which case, as an employee, you shouldn't be paying for it at all.

bebex

Well after all this the course is cancelled as someone raised issues with covid and packing 20 of us on our day in a room would basically void the course and I’ve given my notice and they’ve just sacked me off.

Savvy_Sue

so problem solved, but I'd just like to say that I'd tend to accept any H&S training offered, even if I didn't think it was relevant to my role in the future, because you never know when it will give you an edge over another candidate when job-hunting. 

Not to mention that it might save you from injury in or outside work if you've learned what to do and not do ... 

oh_really

As mentioned, it should be free, it breaks a duty placed on the employer if they are charging.

HASWA S2 (2) (C)  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/section/2 and 

(2) (9)  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/section/9

https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/authority.htm

DCFC79

bebex said:

Well after all this the course is cancelled as someone raised issues with covid and packing 20 of us on our day in a room would basically void the course and I’ve given my notice and they’ve just sacked me off.

How long had you been there ?