Training agreement with employer

[Dendrite]

Hi,

I have a training agreement in place with my employer that states if I leave within a certain timeframe, 2 years, I have a repay the cost of training.

The cost is ~£19k.

What I would like to know is, if I were to leave before the expiry date of this contract, can my employer demand full and immediate repayment? If they do, what happens if you can't pay it all straight back?

While I don't have an issue repaying them, immediate payment in full may be a stretch

[atticus]

What does your agreement say? Many provide for a sliding scale, i.e. the longer you stay, the less you have to pay.

[Dendrite]

There were actually 3 courses. One after another. It basically says if you leave within 2 years of completion of each course, the entire cost of each is fully repayable. I finished one course 18 months ago, the second about a year ago and then third about 7 months ago. So there's no sliding scale on the value of each.

[atticus]

Maybe so, but of course each course will drop off with the passage of time.

Obviously you need to factor this all in if considering changing jobs. And next time a training course is discussed, try to get your employer to agree to a sliding scale.

NB the wording you describe suggests agreement to repay in full - immediately. If the situation arises, you may need to negotiate to pay in instalments.

[Dendrite]

The wording states they are entitled to full reimbursement directly repayable by me if the 24 month criterion has not been reached, either through final salary or legal process if means of reimbursement prove to be difficult and unsettled.

I have recently discovered the company awarded annual rises this spring, but excluded me without any discussion, citing a promotion last year as the reason for exclusion even though the discussion at the time did not suggest this would prevent an annual rise.

My requests to discuss this with my employer have largely been ignored. As such I now feel my future lies elsewhere and was quite happy for all of them agreements to fall by the wayside and leave then, but I may have the opportunity at a job for a major company on a high profile project in the next few months.

This is why I'd like to determine what would happen if I offer to pay in installments but the employer demands payment in full.