Mandory course, expected to do in own time.

[techsup1983]

Hello. I would like to run something by you all and get some opinions about an issue which has been the cause of some work place stress.

At work we have been forced to go on a mandatory course (related to my job) and additionally they expect us to complete all the work in our own time.

This to me sounds ridiculous as I believe my own time is my own time. And for my place of employment to force this upon me is out of order.

My stand on this has brought me negative feedback in performance meetings and I am starting to feel bad about it.

My question is, am I in the wrong?

Can they do this?

Do I have any say in how I spend my spare time or do I just have to accept that out of work I have to work on this course.

Any comments welcome. I am thinking of taking this up with my HR department but I am sure this will bring me more negative feedback.

Please help!

Edited April 15, 2013 by techsup1983

[elsiegee40]

Hello. I would like to run something by you all and get some opinions about an issue which has been the cause of some work place stress.

At work we have been forced to go on a mandatory course (related to my job) and additionally they expect us to complete all the work in our own time.

This to me sounds ridiculous as I believe my own time is my own time. And for my place of employment to force this upon me is out of order.

My stand on this has brought me negative feedback in performance meetings and I am starting to feel bad about it.

My question is, am I in the wrong?

Can they do this?

Do I have any say in how I spend my spare time or do I just have to accept that out of work I have to work on this course.

Any comments welcome. I am thinking of taking this up with my HR department but I am sure this will bring me more negative feedback.

Please help!

 

Are you in a union? If not, join one and get support now. I think you are in the right, but without help you may not get the deired outcome.

[bossman]

Unless it states firmly in your contract of employment that any mandatory courses offered to you by your employer must be done in your own time then I feel your being put upon,

 

As elsiegee40 has so wisely stated "Join the union" you can still get advice from the union even if your not affiliated.

 

It does seem a little odd and I wonder if the teaching staff are required to commit to this type of training?

 

As for your performance management being brought into this I feel this needs to be nipped in the bud before it gets out of hand, tell them that you don't accept what they are giving you as part of your performance management and that you are going to take it up with your union.

 

See what becomes of it then!

 

Good luck

[techsup1983]

Thanks for the advice. I will make enquiries about joining the union. But before that I will have a word with my manager to remove this negative comment from my performance review.

[Cache]

While I wouldn't be chuffed at having to do it in my own time, especially a mandatory one, are you employed whole year or term time only?

 

If term time only, does it include like mine does a termtime + 1 week of inset + 1 additional week and if it does, do you do the +1 inset and +1 additional week or not?

 

Just to bear it in mind.

[ozydave]

No chance can they force this (unless its in contract)

Makes me think about last job I had. They tried to force me to do similar thing. Contract said I started at 8am finish at 4:30 (I was generally in by 7:45 and working).

So from then on I would not enter school gates till 8am and at the end of the day I packed up and was walking over the gate 4:30 on the dot. They then tried to pull me about this speaking about good will etc. They could not do a thing. 8 till 4:30 was my contract and told then I was not insured to be on site outside if these hours. They didn't like it but put up with until I left.

Not a nice position to be in. Feel for you. All you want to do is a good job, where do these people get off!

[techsup1983]

Hello and thanks all for your replies. I don't think that doing this kind of work is part of my contract. I will raise this issue with my manager tomorrow and see what he says, but after giving this some thought I have decided that I will look for a more suitable job, I just have to hang in there till the opportunity presents it's self.

Thanks again all for sharing your knowledge/views/opinions regarding this matter.

[CAM]

What training is it? If it's something interesting or only takes a few minutes may as well do it anyway. If it's hours upon hours of council guff then I'd tell them to make time in the working day.

[ButterflyMoon]

Once had a similar issue along those lines. Was expected to go to a meeting that started at 6pm. Cutting a long story short it resulted in me getting a letter from the Chair of gov's. However after stating writing that attendance to these meetings is 'not optional' I replied with if they are saying that then they are in effect changing the work and conditions of support staff of the whole --Council. I got REALLY bad rep for all that and though it was never said was downgraded in job evaluation. After moving within the school to another position the person who took over my role had the role renamed and given a rise to the tune of 6 grade points!! As I said at the time goodwill does not pay the rent!! Maybe this should be move to BRD?

[Achandler]

You realise renaming a job and then making it pay more would be illegal to? I don't want to go off topic.

[GrumbleDook]

Changing of jobs and upgrading them is a problem covered in many other threads ...

 

Required training is a difficult one to pin down and must be consistently applied across all staff *in accordance with their contract*.

 

If on the job spec there is a requirement to be trained in x but you got the job and that was missing in your CV (ie you got the job anyway) then it could be expected that you fill in that gap during your own time. It might be that the CPD structure of the school gives staff broken up training time and if people take that as a day off then you have to do the training in your own time. If it is a course that is required as part of your professional development and is link to improvements in your contract (ie if you upskill over and above the existing requirements then you might get a better grade) then again it is reasonable that you do the work in your own time.

 

I would also say it depends on the CPD itself. Without knowing what it is then it is hard to say whether this is filling a gap you should already have to do the job or if this is an unexceptional request. Remember that many people need to complete courses as part of their work to remain qualified to do the work. I need to gain accreditation for PRINCE2 again but I know that as this is a requirement to do the job then it is up to me to do so. Some employers are relaxed about giving some or all the time to do this, but some point out that it is my contractual and professional requirement so it is my responsibility.

[Gibbo]

Out of interest, how long is the course and what are the hours its running?