Can an employer refuse training during your notice period if you resign
ChoccyPiglet
Posts: 8 Forumite
My son is 17 and has been employed as an engineering apprentice for almost two years. For the first year he was at college originally four days a week, which reduced to two days a week by the end of the year. He has attended college one day a week during his second year and is due to finish his course in the middle of June..
His employer has given him no training at all, and basically he is now working in quite dangerous conditions, often unsupervised. He injured his hand a few weeks ago and had to take a few days off work because he cut his finger really badly while using dangerous machinery, again unsupervised, and it swelled so much that he could not bend it for almost a week. He could easily have lost his finger.
This has really worried him and he decided he couldn't take any more and handed his notice in today. He has to give four weeks notice, which takes us to the first week of June. His employer has threatened that he will now not be allowed to finish his college course.
I can see that his employer might think this is deliberately timed to coincide with the end of his college course, but he has been having a really tough time. He is frequently left to work on his own; at other times he has no work at all to do and is left to his own devices, which he finds completely demoralising. No-one has been given the responsibility of training or mentoring him.
My question (after this long post, sorry!) is, can his employer take away his training during his notice period, or make the college withdraw his place even if he is prepared to use holiday for the days he has to go to college?
Also, can an employer refuse to provide a reference? He has done nothing wrong, other than decide he wants to leave for his own safety and future career.
His employer has given him no training at all, and basically he is now working in quite dangerous conditions, often unsupervised. He injured his hand a few weeks ago and had to take a few days off work because he cut his finger really badly while using dangerous machinery, again unsupervised, and it swelled so much that he could not bend it for almost a week. He could easily have lost his finger.
This has really worried him and he decided he couldn't take any more and handed his notice in today. He has to give four weeks notice, which takes us to the first week of June. His employer has threatened that he will now not be allowed to finish his college course.
I can see that his employer might think this is deliberately timed to coincide with the end of his college course, but he has been having a really tough time. He is frequently left to work on his own; at other times he has no work at all to do and is left to his own devices, which he finds completely demoralising. No-one has been given the responsibility of training or mentoring him.
My question (after this long post, sorry!) is, can his employer take away his training during his notice period, or make the college withdraw his place even if he is prepared to use holiday for the days he has to go to college?
Also, can an employer refuse to provide a reference? He has done nothing wrong, other than decide he wants to leave for his own safety and future career.
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Comments
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This employer could refuse to give a reference - but his college could provide one.
He should ask his college about the commitment the employer has about releasing him for attendance with them. In advance of that, do you not have written material about their obligations?0 -
As an apprentice, does he not have a college supervisor / tutor who should have been made aware of the situation at the employer's?Signature removed for peace of mind0
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anamenottaken wrote: »This employer could refuse to give a reference - but his college could provide one.
He should ask his college about the commitment the employer has about releasing him for attendance with them. In advance of that, do you not have written material about their obligations?
It would be very disappointing if they refused to give him a reference but, yes, hopefully his college would do so.
There is nothing in writing about the company's commitment to training. He was reeled in by verbal promises of Level 3 then HNC training but, having almost done his two years Level 3 training, the company is being very non-committal about any further training.0 -
As an apprentice, does he not have a college supervisor / tutor who should have been made aware of the situation at the employer's?
Yes, he does have a college tutor. In fact, on a previous visit to the company, the tutor's off the record advice to my son was "get your qualification and get out" because of the way my son has been treated and the lack of commitment to his training by the company.0 -
ChoccyPiglet wrote: »It would be very disappointing if they refused to give him a reference but, yes, hopefully his college would do so.
There is nothing in writing about the company's commitment to training. He was reeled in by verbal promises of Level 3 then HNC training but, having almost done his two years Level 3 training, the company is being very non-committal about any further training.
I was thinking about the employer's agreement with the college. I would have expected there to be some College form which would include allowing a specified amount of time per week for participation in college activity.0 -
ChoccyPiglet wrote: »Yes, he does have a college tutor. In fact, on a previous visit to the company, the tutor's off the record advice to my son was "get your qualification and get out" because of the way my son has been treated and the lack of commitment to his training by the company.
If unsafe working practices could be evidenced, the tutor should have done more than make an off the record comment, they should have formally recorded it and the college should have done something.0 -
Sorry but it does seem to be deliberate timing. If practices were so bad, why did he wait until the end to go? Two years on the job, surely he should have reached a level that he doesn't need supervision all the time. Did he ever raised concerns with his boss or his tutor?
If I was the company, I too would be giving him a hard time. Companies invest a lot in apprenticeship, they don't like to be used and then dumped when something else comes along.0
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