Duties
"Go grab me a coffee!"
You are told to run private errands for the boss — shopping, fetching coffee, washing the car.
§ 14 BBiG
The boss may NOT do that
No! Private errands are off-limits!
Private errands for the trainer have absolutely nothing to do with the training and are clearly non-training activities. You are not a personal assistant. The training company is obliged to teach you the knowledge and skills needed to achieve the training goal — and washing the boss's car is definitely not one of them.
What the law says
§ 14 BBiG – Duties of the training company
Trainees may only be assigned tasks that serve the purpose of the training and are appropriate to their physical strength.
What you can do
- Private errands for the boss are always impermissible — no matter how nicely he asks.
- Even "just quickly" making coffee is not part of your training (unless you are training as a cook/in hospitality).
- Politely decline and refer to the purpose of the training.
- If the pressure becomes too great: report it to the IHK/HWK as a training deficiency.
Email template for your trainer
Subject: Request to clarify task allocation
Dear [name of trainer],
I am writing to you because I have recently been repeatedly assigned tasks that are not connected to my training (e.g. [private errands, fetching coffee, etc.]).
Under § 14 BBiG, trainees may only be assigned tasks that serve the purpose of the training. Private errands do not fall within this scope.
I would like to make meaningful use of my training time and kindly ask that in future I be assigned only training-relevant tasks.
Kind regards
[Your name]
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