Bank Holiday working whilst training

[TheBadger]

I'm due to start as a trainee driver soon. With Northern, if that helps, and I was wondering whether I would be working on the back holidays over the next couple of months.

I've asked HR but they seemed to suggest it depends on the individual trainer, which seems a little odd.

Can anyone clarify?

Cheers.

 

[Quote]

I'm due to start as a trainee driver soon. With Northern, if that helps, and I was wondering whether I would be working on the back holidays over the next couple of months.

I've asked HR but they seemed to suggest it depends on the individual trainer, which seems a little odd.

Can anyone clarify?

Cheers.

If your trainer is rostered to work then you will, if not you won't. Some trainers also come off the roster so they will then choose the day's you will come in. So you might be doing some specific routes, times or days to cover your training needs. Hope this helps

 

[TheBadger]

Thanks for your help.

This is the initial classroom rules phase so I thought there would be a more hard and fast rule, either yes or no.

 

[Railweigh]

Almost certainly no. The classroom trainers do Mon-Fri. I didn’t work any bank holidays, or Christmas Eve or NYE. A lot of the trainers left driving for that reason.

 

[TheBadger]

Almost certainly no. The classroom trainers do Mon-Fri, I started before Christmas and we didn’t work any bank holidays, or Christmas Eve or NYE. A lot of the trainers left driving for that reason.

That's more like what I wanted to hear!

 

[freddo]

What kind of notice do you get for shifts? My childminder tends to like a months notice at least, does that sound realistic?

 

[221129]

What kind of notice do you get for shifts? My childminder tends to like a months notice at least, does that sound realistic?

Once you're in a link you should be able to work out what you're rostered turn is until the next roster change so months or years in some cases. However if you're spare then depending on the TOC then you could have as little as a couple of days notice to pick up a job.

 

[Numbnuts846]

What kind of notice do you get for shifts? My childminder tends to like a months notice at least, does that sound realistic?

Welcome to the railway ..... family life is difficult due to shifts. Depends on what Part of the railway you are on . My shifts and the better halfs have been worked out to the minute for child care etc , sometimes she comes in at 4am from nights as I'm getting up to go work the she will do the school run and go back to bed again.

 

[RBSN]

Thanks for your help.

This is the initial classroom rules phase so I thought there would be a more hard and fast rule, either yes or no.

When you’re at the driving academy you will not work bank holidays.

 

[TheBadger]

When you’re at the driving academy you will not work bank holidays.

Thank you for the definitive answer.

 

[lvaxb24]

When you’re at the driving academy you will not work bank holidays.

Not necessarily. You could be scheduled more than one week of front end turns during your classroom training prior to your 'hours'
This would involve following an instructors rostered hours for that week regardless of weekends or bank holidays. However you should get a good indication of the classroom schedule early on in the training.

 

[TheBadger]

How early on during classroom are you likely to start going out doing front end turns?

 

[sw1ller]

You’re about to join the railway, I’d get used to never seeing a bank holiday again! No one on here can give you a yes/no answer. It depends on the needs of the course you’re on. The classroom trainers may not work bank holidays but you may be scheduled to work it for whatever reason. Once your 12 weeks in the classroom are over though, you’ll be following an instructor in a set 4-5 day week. If that lands on a bank holiday, then so be it. There’s no such thing as a bank holiday on the railway.

 

[Dynamonic]

We did our Rules exam on a Bank Holiday.
As has been said, Bank Holidays don’t mean anything on the railway, and it will be down to your trainer which days you train or not.

You should hopefully get an idea of the training schedule though once you’re training is underway.

 

[Llama]

If bank holidays are a relevance, working as traincrew is going to cause issues, you had better get used to working them! As others have said, bank holidays are generally not even a consideration on the railway these days, apart from a couple in December.

 

[TheBadger]

I've not had time off on a bank holiday in 16 years. It's really not a problem. All I was looking for was some clarity as to whether I can make plans over Easter.

 

[LLB]

As said above, during rules its pretty much Mon-Fri with no bank hols, but if you're out doing hours with a DI and he/she is rostered to work a BH then you'll be out with them.