Training courses and resigning

bodmil

I am currently interviewing for a new job but my current employer is due to send me on a £1000 training course next week. Even if there is nothing in my contract, is there anyway to minimise the fall out for this? Clearly I don't want to tell them I hope to quit soon!
There's no way to defer or cancel or change the delegate on the course, it is non-refundable.

saintjammyswine

I believe that if there is no specific clause or addendum within the contract that you have signed seperately then the employer cant get the cost back from you.

Best to have this confirmed from one of the employment law specialists on here.

joolesw1972

I would go on the course & say nothing until you know about the new job, they might be a bit miffed, but if you haven't signed anything (before we changed organisations, if you signed up to do an NVQ you had to sign to say that you would continue to work for a set length of time or pay the specified fee back to the organisation) I wouldn't have thought there was anything they could do.

Acc72

You are worrying about something that may never happen.

Concentrate on the interview and actually getting the new job.

In the meantime you will have been on the course.

If you are offered the job then as long as there is nothing in your contract or company procedures with regards to a claw back of fees then your current employer may not be happy but they will not be able to do anything about it.

Uncertain

saintjammyswine wrote: »

I believe that if there is no specific clause or addendum within the contract that you have signed seperately then the employer cant get the cost back from you.

Yes, you are correct.

This is one of the relatively few things in English law where a specific signed agreement is required.

Just putting a paragraph in an employee handbook or similar is not enough.

Acc72 wrote: »

If you are offered the job then as long as there is nothing in your contract or company procedures with regards to a claw back of fees then your current employer may not be happy but they will not be able to do anything about it.

That would not be sufficient, it must be a separate signed agreement.

bodmil

Ahh that's good to know, I don't think I have signed anything although I'll be sure to check.

It may not be a problem just yet but hopefully will in the next few months one way or another!

zzzLazyDaisy

Check your contract. If there is a clause in the contract that states you must repay the training fees if you leave within a specified period, and you have signed the contract, you should consider yourself bound by it.

If they give/have given you a letter or some other document to sign before you attend the course, again you should consider yourself bound.

If you find any other reference to repayment of training fees, come back and post again on that point, just to be sure, but as uncertain says, you have to have signed the document before attending the course.

Otherwise, training fees are not recoverable by the employer.