Can they force me to take training courses in my free time?

It depends on the contract you signed, but generally speaking, no, they can't force you to do training on your own time if it's not explicitly stated.

If it's something that falls under your job duties, that has to be during work hours.

Check your contract carefully and if you have any doubts, ask your union or a labor lawyer, because there are exceptions and it varies quite a bit depending on your sector's collective agreement.

Don't sign anything without reading it carefully - that's the first mistake I see people making all the time. Training during your free time is an annoying gray area because technically your free time is yours, but company agreements can contain clauses that make it mandatory. Check your contract and your sector's collective bargaining agreement - if there's nothing in writing that requires you to do courses outside working hours, you can refuse without any problem.

Years ago I worked in a call center and they asked me to do evening training on the new platform. I said no, it was my free time and the contract said nothing about it. They insisted, saying it was an essential skill for the role. So I looked into it more carefully and found out it was something proposed but not mandatory - if I'd signed the hiring agreement form with that clause, it would've been different. It was enough for me to say they could do it during working hours and that was that. It's important that you understand: if training is required for your job, the company should provide it during working hours, period.

If they keep pushing after you've said no, send a polite email asking for clarification on the contractual basis for this request, so you have a written record. If it's something generic like "language courses to improve yourself," you can afford to refuse. If it's something directly tied to your job duties, then yeah, they'd probably be right, but even then it should be covered by working hours or paid separately.

Technically your employer can't put a gun to your head to force you to study on weekends, but it really depends on how your contract is worded and especially how much you're willing to "cooperate" without letting them walk all over you.

When I worked at a café I was asked to take a coffee specialization course, and at first it seemed optional but then it basically became a veiled condition for not falling behind on shift rotations.

The annoying part is that these courses are often unpaid and everything stays pretty murky: you'll never find it written down as "you're required," but the pressure is definitely there.

If you really don't want to do them, formally they don't have much to say, but you need to be ready for the unwritten consequences at work.

But does your contract mention "professional development" or "continuous training" in vague terms? That's where the trick is, because lots of companies exploit generic wording to make you understand it's "expected" in your free time, even if technically they can't force you to do it.

A practical tip nobody mentions: ask them in writing via email ("I'm confirming that training X takes place during work hours?"), so if they later insist on doing it on the weekend you have a record of what you objected to and it's not just your word against theirs. If it's one of those courses that really only benefits them, not you, then fight to have it included in paid hours.

The solution is simple: check what your contract says about training and if there's nothing written about mandatory stuff in your free time, you can refuse without any issues 💪 If your employer insists anyway, document everything (emails, messages) because it could be a violation of your right to rest. When in doubt, a consultation with an employment lawyer doesn't cost much and it's always better than letting them walk all over you.