Can an employer ask you to go on a course that you pay for yourself?

danjackson2021

If an employer wants an employee to have some training but do not want to pay for it what can they do?

can they sack you if you don’t pay for the couse

epm-84

Unless the job offer was made on the basis that the employee already holds or would undertake a training course acquired at their own cost then no they can't sack you for not doing it.  They could, however, decide the role they currently hold is no longer required and start a redundancy process.

[Deleted User]

You could see if you could get the course as cheap as chips? I don't know but I recall something happening early days in my current job that made me reflect personally doing a course on stress management could be a good idea in recognising I had a problem - just under a tenner later the cheapest online course I could find was a little underwhelming as it just indicated stress management could be the Employer responsibility - not sure that was helpful, I was really after coping tips for myself. Plus end of session test just kept crashing so that was personal resilience tested which was the one useful thing mentioned! Ha!
I'm jolly hopeful the £40 priced course which I should have gone with first place wouldn't honestly be as bad.
Just getting some books might be a just as good option to.
Development for a stable job could be worth investing in.
I remember years ago my first step into Care was 4 days in a training room (unpaid) at the time (wouldn't happen today) but I still remember the stuff we were taught that week.

gettingtheresometime

Depending on how transferable whatever the course will give you at the end, it might be worth paying for it yourself as then you're free to move to other employers without the potential worry of having to pay back the course fee

Brie

I've been asked to take a course to improve my suitability for a role.  And told to pay for it myself.  But was also told that if I passed I would be reimbursed.  In some situations it was a case of being paid back for it over a number of months or if I left the company/role I would have to swallow the cost.

Brie

Sorry - forgot to add - do be sure that it's not a course you have to take to first get the job.  I've heard of scams where you pay over the odds for special role training prior to employment but there's no actual job and it's just a money spinner for someone.

Dakta

might help to be a bit more specific? is the course accredited? (sometimes it's worth paying for a course even if the employer offers because then they don't hold the cards so to speak) but the above are risks as well.

Grumpy_chap

What is the course?
How long have you been at the employer?
Does the course result in a transferable qualification?

It is not unusual if an employer pays for a course they ask the employee to repay if they leave within a certain period (on a reducing scale).  If you are being asked to pay and then be reimbursed over time, it sort of sounds like the reverse of that?

elsien

Is this for you or another question for someone else? Sometimes the specifics are helpful to get any sort of half decent answer. 

Andy_L

What sort of course is it? If it is H&S training required for you to do your job safely then the employer is legally obliged to provide/pay for it.

How long have you worked there? <2 years & they can fire you for any (non-discriminatory) reason. 

oh_really

Op has a history of asking random questions that appear to go nowhere.