So i've just resigned from by job

Stolly

Stolly

Stolly

Soldato
Joined
11 Mar 2004
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They are deciding wether to reclaim the cost of a training course i went on last year.

I've worked at a number of companies where this is in the contract, but as long as you are leaving on good terms i've never heard of it being enforced.

Does anyone else have experience of this ?

It is in the contract i signed, but is it even 100% legal ?

If the cost they want to recoup is similar to by final wage it seems as if they would expect me to work a number of weeks for free. Something i'm not prepared to do.
 
If it is written within your contract that you will be charged for any courses you have taken within X period of resigning, then you will have to pay it (if you have signed it).

if you had worries about it, you should have raised it at the point of reading the contract :]

is it legal? would have thought so given i have seen quite a few contracts with that sort of clause in it.
 
Its totally legal for them to do this if it was in the contract you signed or else it would be very easy for people to turn round and leave as soon as the company had just blown hundreds or thousands on training that person up.
 
yes it's legal and yes they can do it.

Hard luck, but it's something you will have to pay if they want to charge you for it.

Read your contract. How long ago was the course and what time frame is in the contract. Most are unusually 12 months. Is it worth working for another few months so you don't incur the charge?
 
AcidHell2 said:
yes it's legal and yes they can do it.

Hard luck, but it's something you will have to pay if they want to charge you for it.

Read your contract. How long ago was the course and what time frame is in the contract. Most are unusually 12 months. Is it worth working for another few months so you don't incur the charge?
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Its two years, so no i don't fancy hanging about that long.

Its been in every contract i've ever signed in the industry so not signing it sort of limits your job options. Never actually seen it enforced though.

Oh well, we'll see.
 
Stolly said:
Its two years, so no i don't fancy hanging about that long.

Its been in every contract i've ever signed in the industry so not signing it sort of limits your job options. Never actually seen it enforced though.

Oh well, we'll see.
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Does it say how you have to pay them back?

Cheques for £1 once a week? :)
 
We used to have such contracts at our place for certain courses, though I heard they got dropped because they were in fact not legal. Much like the clause in my contract that says I can't go and work for our customers, which is a barrier to the free movement of labour. Training should be seen as something that benefits them - equipping you to do your job better, not some sort of handcuff to your employer. Remember - even if you agree to something it doesn't automatically mean it's legal.

Get proper legal advice from the CAB or someone if they start kicking off imo.

Edit - bah looks like it is in fact legal for them to get the cost back (though nothing to stop you negotiating). I don't think it's right that they can do that though - Mrs Thatcher wouldn't have stood for it.
 
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Im just thinking out loud but, i wouldnt of thought it was legal. If your employee's say you must go on this training as part of your job then surely they can not reclaim it it when you leave as they wanted you to have that training.
 
Bry said:
Im just thinking out loud but, i wouldnt of thought it was legal. If your employee's say you must go on this training as part of your job then surely they can not reclaim it it when you leave as they wanted you to have that training.
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a lot of places the training is optional like where I work as a lifeguard if you want to become a swimming teacher the pool will pay for the course as long as you agree to stay for 12months as a teacher if not you owe them the price of the course.
 
if your stuck in a contract and want to get out - get sacked not resign. they cant charge you if they sacked you. thats what I done when I was working as a part time travel agent, we went on holiday (paid for by the company all free) and then I was offered a better job. so I just sat there done no work and chatted and bought people pizza and we had fun.

2 weeks later I was sacked.

3 days after that I started my new job

free holiday, good times and a new job that I much prefer. results all round.
 
blitz2163 said:
a lot of places the training is optional like where I work as a lifeguard if you want to become a swimming teacher the pool will pay for the course as long as you agree to stay for 12months as a teacher if not you owe them the price of the course.
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correct. it was your decision to sign into agreement with them or you just wouldnt get the job.
 
I got charged for a course that I took when I left my last place of work. They took it out of my final pay packet, giving me 1 days warning that they were doing it and I ended up with about £80 to live on for 2 months until my wages on my new job came through. Luckily, I negotiated with my new employer and they agreed to reimburse me with course costs and allow me to continue on it. However, it took about 4 weeks to get the money off them, so I was still temporarily screwed.
 
I got charged for my one of my external training courses £1,000 but as it was a year after the course, they reduced it to £500. I paid it straight away - much better to not be on bad terms with your previous employer - you never know when you'll bump into them again.

Most employers will be able to sort out a payment system for you based on the affordability criteria (which they set out themselves)

Tom*
 
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