Resigning - issue with training fees

[Lostkat]

I am leaving my current employer next Friday. I owe them £900 for my college course (you have to sign an agreement saying you will pay the course money back if you leave within 2 years of completing the course). My new employer will be paying these fees upon joining the company.

The T&C's say that the money will be "deducted from final pay or invoiced as appropriate".

Now, since I will only be receiving partial pay for the month, I thought that deducting £900 from my salary (leaving me with virtually £0) was rather unappropriate, and asked HR if I could pay via invoice at a later date. I was told no.

I was told that the money would be deducted from my pay. When I asked for an invoice, I was told that "it will show on your payslip". I told HR that this was unacceptable, and offered to pay the money by cheque so that I could get a proper invoice & receipt to prove payment of fees to my new employer. However, HR seem to be having a problem with this. I've been told that I'll get a receipt, but probably not an invoice.

I'm now worried that my new employer won't accept just a receipt for my college fees. I've called them today, but the guy I need to speak to is out of the country, and I'm paying this money to my new employer tomorrow so I need an answer.

Has anyone been through this before? Will a receipt detailing what the payment was for be acceptable to my new company? Are they legally obliged to provide me with an invoice when requested? Is there anything I can do to ensure that everything will be OK when I get to my new employer? £900 is a lot of money, and I really can't afford to lose it.

Any sensible help/advice would be gratefully appreciated.

 

[Lostkat]

I have no issue with paying them. I signed a contract and owe them the money, simple as. I am highly annoyed that they're taking it off me right this instant, rather than invoicing me when I left (as they did with a friend of mine), but that's another issue entirely.

The question I am asking is am I legally entitled to request an invoice off them tomorrow before I pay them? I know I am getting a receipt, but they don't seem to want to give me the invoice. Will my receipt cover me instead of an invoice?

They don't actually seem to know what I owe them. When I handed in my notice I asked two questions (1) How much will my final pay be? and (2) How do I sort out payment of my CIPS course? They had to come to me and ask how much I owed. I had to give them the full break down. They don't even seem to have the paperwork for it. In retrospect I wish I'd said nothing. That's the price you pay for being honest I guess.

 

[Lostkat]

I would suggest talking to a manager or someone along those lines, as HR seem to have a nack of ******* the simplest of jobs up.

I spoke to my manager and his attitude was little more than apathy to be honest. It's amazing how attitudes change when you leave the company. Last week he was telling me what a valued member of staff I was etc.

 

[Lostkat]

No they wouldn't and even if for some reason they had to include a space for VAT they would just put 0%

Yep. VAT has already been paid anyway. The £900 is the absolute value that I owe.

My HR department are universally hated throughout the business. They're pretty much incompetent. I'm so angry about this that I could go into a 10 page rant, but I won't. I'll just seethe quietly.

If they are too incompetent to provide me with an invoice, I'm going to ask for that in writing along with a statement of what I owe, and what for. I'll then get a receipt for it all.

And to make things worse, my chequebook has run out RBS haven't bothered sending me a new one, so I need to go down to the bank today to withdraw £900. I'm going to insist someone comes with me, because I'm not walking through town with £900 in my purse.

Don't think this could get much worse to be honest

 

[Lostkat]

When you buy a product you are not legally entitled to a receipt. In other words the shop is not obliged to provide one so I doubt that they are.

I've already been told I will get a receipt for it. They're a multimillion bluechip organisation, so they shouldn't have an issue with that one

 

[Lostkat]

Have you double checked what the agreement you signed said?

"I agree that any outstanding money owed to me as a result of this plan can be deducted from my salary or invoiced to me as appropriate"

It also says "The company will pay for the cost of the course required by the college. However in the event that you withdraw from the course, before its completion, you will be required to reimburse caterpillar the full amount"
It says 'cost of the course'. If I'm reading that correctly, this shouldn't include exams or books? Hmmm