Duties
"Go sweep the hall!"
You are told to clean, tidy up or do tasks that have nothing to do with your training.
§ 14 BBiG
It depends …
Only in moderation — not as a permanent task!
Trainees may only be assigned tasks that serve the purpose of the training (§ 14 BBiG). Occasionally tidying up your own workstation is fine. Regularly cleaning the entire company, which has nothing to do with the training, is an impermissible non-training activity. The trainer is obliged to carry out the training according to the training framework plan.
What the law says
§ 14 (1) no. 1 BBiG – Duties of the training company
Training companies must ensure that trainees are taught the vocational competence required to achieve the training goal. The training must follow a training plan structured by subject matter and time.
§ 14 (2) BBiG – Non-training tasks
Trainees may only be assigned tasks that serve the purpose of the training and are appropriate to their physical strength.
What you can do
- Keeping your own workstation clean: completely normal and allowed.
- Regularly sweeping the hall, cleaning toilets, making coffee: non-training and not okay.
- Compare the tasks with your training framework plan — is cleaning in there?
- Document repeated non-training activities with date and duration.
Email template for your trainer
Subject: Training content in line with the training framework plan
Dear [name of trainer],
recently I have repeatedly been assigned tasks that, in my assessment, are not provided for in the training framework plan of my occupation (e.g. [describe specific task]).
Under § 14 BBiG, training companies must ensure that trainees are taught vocational competence. Tasks that do not serve the training purpose should only be assigned in exceptional cases.
I would like to make the best possible use of my training time and kindly ask that task allocation be aligned more closely with the training framework plan. I am happy to discuss this.
Kind regards
[Your name]
More cases: Duties
- Go grab me a coffee!
- Just keep doing the same thing!
- I don't care if it's against the rules, you're doing it now!
- You're working piece-rate now, or no bonus.
- Next week you're helping out at our partner company.
- From now on you drive the deliveries.
- We'll take the till shortfall out of your pay.
- You broke the device — you pay.