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Trainee Train Driver (and now qualified/'part-qualified') - Newcastle - East Coast Trains

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Dobb

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It appears today is the day as I have had the phone call so good luck to all
 
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Dobb

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8 Dec 2014
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Congrats. Hopefully see you there if I pass the medical lol.
Anybody else?
 

DM4

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26 Oct 2017
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I have also had the good news. Well done everyone, I look forward to meeting you all pending our medicals
 

KJ83

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20 Nov 2019
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Congrats! I think it'll take another few tries for me but who knows?
Very many congratulations to all of you that have received the call.

No call for me today and I assume that's not good news. No doubt all the positions are now filled. I'm certainly disappointed, but equally those of you that have made it deserve a huge amount of credit, that was a very thorough and at times intense selection process.

You'll all have a ball on the course at what looks a super exciting opportunity and prospect for a great career.

Guys you never know, I heard there was a reserve list incase someone fails a medical or can't make the start date so don't give up hope till it's deffo done.
 

vintagegt

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12 Jan 2017
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Whats the worst outcome if you don't work the months notice ?
The very worst outcome is you’re in breach of contract and your employer pursues you legally for that. That actually happening is hugely unlikely and most times notice periods are largely unenforceable. The only real issue you have is you kind of burn any future bridges with your previous employer so if the worst happens and you need to try and get your old job back, you’ll likely have no chance. Also, as I said, it reflects poorly for you in future references from them if you’ve left them high and dry.
 

Dobb

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8 Dec 2014
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Has everyone been told about the issue with medicals?
Not sure work will allow me time off to go to Leeds but can only ask when I'm in tomorrow
 

KJ83

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20 Nov 2019
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Yeah, theyve been massively let down by the place they use in Gateshead so they've had to use someone in Leeds which also means the start date has been pushed back a week to accommodate this. The poor woman in HR sounds like shes having a nightmare organising this for us!
 

Dobb

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8 Dec 2014
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At least the positive is we should get the conditional offers through tomorrow when it's signed off - silver linings and all
 

KJ83

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20 Nov 2019
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At least the positive is we should get the conditional offers through tomorrow when it's signed off - silver linings and all

Exactly! if the railways are anything like the industry im in now, things never run to plan haha you just have to roll with it and adapt, and get there in the end!
 

vintagegt

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Hey. Don't stress about notice period. Pay in lieu of notice (PILON) works in both directions: Employer <> Employee. You can pay your current employer to leave early whatever your daily salary rate is. Although I'm sure you can negotiate outstanding leave or days off, or even good will to make it work.

Also I very much doubt leaving early will affect your reference from them. Most references now are just to confirm you did work for your previous employer and the dates that you did.

Basically, don't stress, just turn up for ECTL when they say. I get the feeling that the start date may be delayed anyway.
Agreed.

I need to give over a month so that ship has long since sailed for me anyway.
 

Dobb

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8 Dec 2014
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Can I ask if there's anybody from the Friday assessments that got offered the job? 5 were put through so curious how many made the cut after the dmi
 

ainsworth74

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Just a note on notice periods. As has been mentioned they're largely theoretical in that there isn't much actual comeback an employer has if you just leave before your notice period is supposed to run out. They could take you to court for additional costs they've incurred but they'd need to be able to show that you're action in leaving early caused them to incur unavailable costs (so if you're a key member of staff and leaving means they have to shutdown a factory then clearly you've cost them, or if they've had to hire in an agency worker at a higher hourly rate, then again that's a cost). However, my understanding is that such actions are incredibly rare if not unheard of. So I wouldn't be sweating it very much.

You're more likely to find that having an honest conversation with your manager and asking them nicely to waive part of your notice period (particularly if you point out that you're actually saving them a bit of money in wages by leaving early) will yield positive results in most cases.

It's possible that they might give a poorer reference but I doubt First will care that much as it's easy enough to explain away because of First's own issues! Plus you'd have to be very brave to give an outright negative reference because if someone found out they'd been given one by a former employer they could possibly consider taking legal action of their own against the organisation that gave it. Indeed I think quite a lot of organisations now have policies on this sort of thing around either not giving references at all or only giving very formulaic responses (x worked for us for y years, their sickness/absence records shows they missed z days through sickness/absence, etc etc) which are easy to show as being unequivocally true unlike personalised references.

So I'd suggest trying not to worry quite so much (you've done the hard part getting the conditional offer, that's further than most get!) and just have the conversation with your current employer and I'm sure it will all shake out fine in the end.

*Usual warning that I'm a bloke on the internet not en employment lawyer ;)
 

vintagegt

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Joined
12 Jan 2017
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115
Just a note on notice periods. As has been mentioned they're largely theoretical in that there isn't much actual comeback an employer has if you just leave before your notice period is supposed to run out. They could take you to court for additional costs they've incurred but they'd need to be able to show that you're action in leaving early caused them to incur unavailable costs (so if you're a key member of staff and leaving means they have to shutdown a factory then clearly you've cost them, or if they've had to hire in an agency worker at a higher hourly rate, then again that's a cost). However, my understanding is that such actions are incredibly rare if not unheard of. So I wouldn't be sweating it very much.

You're more likely to find that having an honest conversation with your manager and asking them nicely to waive part of your notice period (particularly if you point out that you're actually saving them a bit of money in wages by leaving early) will yield positive results in most cases.

It's possible that they might give a poorer reference but I doubt First will care that much as it's easy enough to explain away because of First's own issues! Plus you'd have to be very brave to give an outright negative reference because if someone found out they'd been given one by a former employer they could possibly consider taking legal action of their own against the organisation that gave it. Indeed I think quite a lot of organisations now have policies on this sort of thing around either not giving references at all or only giving very formulaic responses (x worked for us for y years, their sickness/absence records shows they missed z days through sickness/absence, etc etc) which are easy to show as being unequivocally true unlike personalised references.

So I'd suggest trying not to worry quite so much (you've done the hard part getting the conditional offer, that's further than most get!) and just have the conversation with your current employer and I'm sure it will all shake out fine in the end.

*Usual warning that I'm a bloke on the internet not en employment lawyer ;)
Very sensible words
 

heedfan

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4 Oct 2017
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277
What you may find is that if you are currently in a driving role, eg a depot driver (not sure if any of you are) then your current TOC may withhold your safety of the line record until your full notice period has expired, meaning that you are unable to start driving with a new TOC until it has been transferred. That has certainly happened at my TOC in the past. But probably not relevant for any of you I would guess.
 

KJ83

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Joined
20 Nov 2019
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116
What you may find is that if you are currently in a driving role, eg a depot driver (not sure if any of you are) then your current TOC may withhold your safety of the line record until your full notice period has expired, meaning that you are unable to start driving with a new TOC until it has been transferred. That has certainly happened at my TOC in the past. But probably not relevant for any of you I would guess.

Luckily, we're all trainee drivers with no experience... :)
 

Stigy

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Luckily, we're all trainee drivers with no experience... :)
Not necessarily for everybody who applied though as some may be internal to the company, or come from another TOC where they were depot drivers for example. They’d still have to start as a trainee. Unless of course you know everybody who has been offered a job, in which case I’ll eat my hat :D
 

vintagegt

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12 Jan 2017
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115
Let’s just all keep our heads and take this as it comes.

Speaking with ECTL today it seems the blunder with the medicals couldn’t have been foreseen and they’re doing what they can. What will be will be.

Let’s be glad we got this far and think positive about getting over the remaining hurdles.
 
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