Redundancy risk & training. 27 January 2021 at 11:41PM in Redundancy & redundancy planning 5 replies 111 views

daffodilem

Hi all, had a little read through the threads for the last couple of months but can't seem to find a thread for this so hopefully someone can help. 

I have been placed at risk of redundancy, I are due to find out by the end of the week. There are lots of issues surrounding this that I will not go into as there is one main concern.
My employers selected me to do a training course once a week in a different county, they pay for the course, travel and my normal days pay that I would lose otherwise. I am very very very lucky....or so I thought. There has been a change of management & I have been furloughed (was not allowed to even go into work to train) & now in a risk redundancy position. I am only 1.5 years into a 3 year course, they have paid for 2 years of the course, but the third year I would be liable for as I am the student around £2345. I would also be liable to pay all the travel going forwards up to £100 a week for the remainder of this year and next, and loss of earnings as I would need to get another job to pay bills ! I am not young and this was a change of career job three years ago. We do not have a contract for this set up, it was a verbal agreement, shown so far by employer paying fees and travel. Its not even about the redundancy, thats hard enough to cope with, its the fact they asked me to do this course, and now I may be liable for it. Of course if I am made redundant this may not be the case, but I am just wondering if anyone has any experience with this ? I have called ACAS & my industries association legal team, they can only help once I am made redundant. 

Thanks for reading, hope someone can help. 

avawat20

Sounds like you need to talk to your employer but surely if they can no longer fund it then it stops - unless you choose to self fund and then that's your choice. You may be able to look into student loans if you want to continue.

sharpe106

Do you want to complete the course?

How was the course paid did the company give you money to pay for the course and you then paid for the course or did they pay the provider?

daffodilem

Hi @sharpe106 I do want to the complete the course, its a lot of work and I feel so far in ! And also would love to do this is a career ! The company paid the course provider directly. I paid my travel and they refunded me once a month. @avawat20 The main issue is if the employer fails to pay, the fees default to me. I already have a student loan from 12 years ago

Whalie

If you are made redundant then try and see if they will pay for the last year of your course. You have good reasons for asking. 

sharpe106

As above you can ask if they will pay for the course, but I can’t see why they would if they no longer need you. Unless you have an agreement that they will pay for the full course in writing I can’t see why they would agree to this as it will no longer benefit them.

 

If they are asking for people to take voluntary redundancy then they may.