After coming across this question, I started questioning my knowledge of the software development industry. The top voted answer explains how it is completely unreasonable for the company to ask a recent graduate to study the stack they are working with on their own time.
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that the original question was just the inspiration, and no details of the OP's specific situation should carry on to this one and factor into your answer.
When I was starting off as a junior, it was made clear to me in the interview that I was expected to study our stack both during business hours and on my own, so I can get up to speed quickly. Of course, any personal time spent would not be reimbursed. As far as I know from peers, or at least as I thought I knew, this is pretty standard for the software development industry.
Some things to note:
- This is not about a "bait and switch". Getting hired because you have a specific skillset and being assigned to work on something completely different without prior notice and with the expectation of spending your own time to retrain is obviously a red flag.
- Assume a non-toxic environment. A manager saying "You better study over the weekend or you're fired first thing on Monday" is, unquestionably, a reason to pack your things and go.
- This only considers recent graduates or people just starting out. At the beginning of your career in any field, you undoubtedly have a lot of learning to do. The company assigning time for you to study is well and all, but each person learns at a different rate and there are business goals and deadlines in place.
So, to summarize and properly ask: As a junior developer, is it inappropriate for my manager (or whatever supervisor) to suggest that I spend some of my own UNPAID time studying our company's stack? Should I immediately start looking for another job or should I be understanding, as long as they are reasonable? (As in, work your Mon-Fri 9-5 and maybe an hour or two over the weekend, just to catch up faster, as opposed to you have to work 9-5, and study an extra 3-4 hours per day or you're fired).
P.S. - Obviously, we are not talking about completely skipping office-hours training and expecting the junior to reach mastery on their own time.
EDIT - Regarding the close votes for the question being too broad, I wholeheartedly disagree. This is about reaching a very specific conclusion (by popular vote) on whether this should or should not be happening, as a guide for juniors who find themselves in the same place. If you think it needs some rewording to reflect that, feel free to edit.