Employer training- repayment terms

Kayalana99

lando71 wrote: »

I finish my degree at Christmas (now November). My employer has just sent me a letter outlining the costs and scale of which I will pay this back if I leave and asked me to sign it.


However, whilst I do not intend to leave, they have stipulated that I will still have to repay a part of the fees up to 3 years. At no point did I expect to have to stay for 3 years, I expected it to be 2 years. I do not want to sign this agreement, do I have to, to keep my job?

Sit down with them, explain that you are very grateful for them funding your degree but the agreement they are asking you to sign should have been bought up before you started. Say whilst you have no intention of leaving, you have no idea what might happen in future and don't feel comfortable signing something that means you have to stay put for 3 years and you aren't willing to sign it.

They won't sack you, they've just spent thousands to keep you and train you up - they would be quite silly to as they are asking you to sign the agreement so you don't leave.

Undervalued

Kayalana99 wrote: »

Sit down with them, explain that you are very grateful for them funding your degree but the agreement they are asking you to sign should have been bought up before you started. Say whilst you have no intention of leaving, you have no idea what might happen in future and don't feel comfortable signing something that means you have to stay put for 3 years and you aren't willing to sign it.

They won't sack you, they've just spent thousands to keep you and train you up - they would be quite silly to as they are asking you to sign the agreement so you don't leave.

That certainly might be the outcome but it could also backfire as described in several posts above.

As I said earlier, a judgement call for somebody who knows this particular employer.

sangie595

Undervalued wrote: »

That certainly might be the outcome but it could also backfire as described in several posts above.

As I said earlier, a judgement call for somebody who knows this particular employer.

Quite. Stating categorically that they won't do anything because they have just spent £000's on the OP is a very foolish thing to do. They may take completely the opposite view - they have just spent £000's on them and their loyalty level is zilch! Given the "right" employer, that would be a red rag.

Want to apply for a new job? "We decline to provide a reference for Mr Lando71." That pretty much screws him, and is a perfectly lawful reference. Want a pay rise? No. Want a promotion? No. Want your holiday dates approving? No. Fancy Christmas leave? No. Want time off for a doctor's appointment? No. Dentist? No. Compassionate Leave? No. Get my drift????

TBagpuss

OK, your employers should have discussed this with you at the outset, before you started your degree.

That said, expecting you to pay back the costs if you leave within 3 years (presumably on a diminishing basis so you'd pay less if you leave after 2 years, than if you leave next week) doesn't seem unreasonable. After all, they have paid for your education over 3 years, so repayment if you leave within the same period seems fairly logical.

However, if your view is that it is unreasonable, then speak to them - perhaps you could go back t them with a counter proposals - maybe having any repayment due over 2 years not three but at higher rates, for example.

You could also take the opportunity to speak to them about your career prospects, payscale and opportunities for promotion, pay reviews etc moving forward.

Do you have any reason to think that they will treat you badly?

YouAsked

I first started this and was on a low wage as a result of me still 'studying' or 'training' and my wage was around what it should be less my study costs.

I think a lot of the replies are valid *if* the employer paid for the course but this indicates that the OP did. If the employer just reduced the wage by the amount of the fees (thus saving NI/tax/on costs) what does the OP *really* owe the employer?

sangie595

YouAsked wrote: »

I first started this and was on a low wage as a result of me still 'studying' or 'training' and my wage was around what it should be less my study costs.

I think a lot of the replies are valid *if* the employer paid for the course but this indicates that the OP did. If the employer just reduced the wage by the amount of the fees (thus saving NI/tax/on costs) what does the OP *really* owe the employer?

Irrelevant. There is no such thing as a rate for the job. As long as the employer paid a legal wage, then the OPs opinion on what they should have been paid, or ought to have been paid, is irrelevant. If the OP didn't like their wage they were under no obligation to stay. And they still aren't. They may resign any time. The OP did not pay for anything.

Savvy_Sue

Is this a professional qualification which you'd need if you moved to a different employer?

I have one friend who found that his new employer was willing to pay the training costs being charged by the old employer - which is always worth raising.

YouAsked

sangie595 wrote: »

Irrelevant. There is no such thing as a rate for the job. As long as the employer paid a legal wage, then the OPs opinion on what they should have been paid, or ought to have been paid, is irrelevant. If the OP didn't like their wage they were under no obligation to stay. And they still aren't. They may resign any time. The OP did not pay for anything.

Yeah I get that. What I meant was that the OP shouldn't be thinking that the current employer is some kind of generous benefactor and be swayed by any kind of misguided loyalty. It's been in both the OP and employer's interests to have this arrangement. The OP now needs to think about what will be in their best interests going forward.

I also understand (and agree with) the points about the OP considering the consequences of not signing this agreement or trying to change the terms.

lando71

Thanks everyone for the advice, some very good points made. I am happy to stay with my employer but I do feel that 3 years is a long time as most others I know who have been funded it's been agreed over 2 which is why I got the idea it would be the same.


I think from what everyone has advised I will try to renegotiate a term of 2 years as this is what I would've expected, should they have asked me to sign from the outset. It's not that I don't want to sign, as I would have done so at the beginning if they asked, but I think 2 years is reasonable. There is no harm in trying I don't think as they are a good company and usually quite understanding but it is daunting to sign the next 3 years away not knowing what could happen.. but I guess this the risk that comes with the benefits of the training! All else fails I will agree the 3 year term!