Thank you for looking over this, I have seen other similar posts but from my research it’s a bit of a grey area and each case is individual.
I handed in my notice at work and have been invoiced for training costs totalling £1,445.
The role was a trainee position and it was part of my job specification to undertake an external training course and to gain a qualification, so it was mandatory.
The company provided no on the job training or support and the external distance learning course wasn’t really fit for purpose. At no point was I made to feel like this training was optional the cost of the course was increased by attending a 2 day work shop in Manchester again I was never told that attendance to the workshop was optional.
My statement of particulars relating to terms and conditions of employment states:
‘’If during the course of your training or up to two years after becoming qualified you leave employment, you may be asked to pay back all or a proportion of your training costs. This will be decided according to individual circumstances.’
This clause is the only mention of repayment of fees and I don’t feel that it is worded very strongly.
I left during the course due to the lack of support so I will have gained nothing from the course.
I handed in my 4 weeks notice and went on annual leave for a week (at the beginning of July)
On my return the company invoiced me for £1,455 payable in August, an itemised break down of the cost, and a proposed repayment schedule for me to sign and a copy of the companies learning and development policy.
I had never had sight of the companies learning and development policy until this point.
The policy consists of:
A training agreement to sign, agreeing to repay a the course cost should you leave (I have never seen this so I have not signed anything else agreeing to reimburse costs)
A sliding scale of repayment based on the completion of the course (I would be entitled to no deduction based on this as I have not completed the course)
That an invoice will be raised for course costs when an employee leaves
That the agreement for reimbursement of cost for an employee in a training post will be part of the employee’s statement of particulars.
That the company will not clawback the cost for any course amount under £1,500. But when there is a number of modules it’s the expected total cost for the combined modules. (I undertook 1 module at a cost of £1,445 and didn’t complete it but the company states as I was supposed to complete a further 4 modules it’s the total expected cost of the 5 modules taken into account which is why there trying to clawback the cost).
I had never had sight of this before and it details quite a bit, so I do feel like the company failed to provide me with the necessary information before signing up to the course.
While working my notice the company harassed me to try and get me to sign a repayment plan, to the point where I had to get signed off sick for the rest of my notice period.
Since then the company has asked me to sign up to the repayment plan on a number of occasions, despite the invoice not being due till August.
The company has threatened to withhold my salary or deduct the full cost of the course from my final salary (due tomorrow/end July) should I not confirm with them how I am going to repay the course costs.
I have told the company I have never authorised deductions to be made from my salary and asked for them to treat the course costs and my final salary as two separate issues. It does not state within my contract that the costs could be recovered from my salary.
I have told them the deduction would take my salary below the national minimum wage and for them not to do it. I have also told them I will enter discussions around the repayment of the course costs when the invoice is due (in August) after I have received my salary and they cannot use my salary against me and make threats using my final salary as a tool.
I am not unwilling to pay the course costs but I am trying to look into whether I have to, they did not fully inform me of my obligations prior to undertaking the course.
Thank you for any response I receive, I just feel bullied into paying them and that there using my salary against me.
I handed in my notice at work and have been invoiced for training costs totalling £1,445.
The role was a trainee position and it was part of my job specification to undertake an external training course and to gain a qualification, so it was mandatory.
The company provided no on the job training or support and the external distance learning course wasn’t really fit for purpose. At no point was I made to feel like this training was optional the cost of the course was increased by attending a 2 day work shop in Manchester again I was never told that attendance to the workshop was optional.
My statement of particulars relating to terms and conditions of employment states:
‘’If during the course of your training or up to two years after becoming qualified you leave employment, you may be asked to pay back all or a proportion of your training costs. This will be decided according to individual circumstances.’
This clause is the only mention of repayment of fees and I don’t feel that it is worded very strongly.
I left during the course due to the lack of support so I will have gained nothing from the course.
I handed in my 4 weeks notice and went on annual leave for a week (at the beginning of July)
On my return the company invoiced me for £1,455 payable in August, an itemised break down of the cost, and a proposed repayment schedule for me to sign and a copy of the companies learning and development policy.
I had never had sight of the companies learning and development policy until this point.
The policy consists of:
A training agreement to sign, agreeing to repay a the course cost should you leave (I have never seen this so I have not signed anything else agreeing to reimburse costs)
A sliding scale of repayment based on the completion of the course (I would be entitled to no deduction based on this as I have not completed the course)
That an invoice will be raised for course costs when an employee leaves
That the agreement for reimbursement of cost for an employee in a training post will be part of the employee’s statement of particulars.
That the company will not clawback the cost for any course amount under £1,500. But when there is a number of modules it’s the expected total cost for the combined modules. (I undertook 1 module at a cost of £1,445 and didn’t complete it but the company states as I was supposed to complete a further 4 modules it’s the total expected cost of the 5 modules taken into account which is why there trying to clawback the cost).
I had never had sight of this before and it details quite a bit, so I do feel like the company failed to provide me with the necessary information before signing up to the course.
While working my notice the company harassed me to try and get me to sign a repayment plan, to the point where I had to get signed off sick for the rest of my notice period.
Since then the company has asked me to sign up to the repayment plan on a number of occasions, despite the invoice not being due till August.
The company has threatened to withhold my salary or deduct the full cost of the course from my final salary (due tomorrow/end July) should I not confirm with them how I am going to repay the course costs.
I have told the company I have never authorised deductions to be made from my salary and asked for them to treat the course costs and my final salary as two separate issues. It does not state within my contract that the costs could be recovered from my salary.
I have told them the deduction would take my salary below the national minimum wage and for them not to do it. I have also told them I will enter discussions around the repayment of the course costs when the invoice is due (in August) after I have received my salary and they cannot use my salary against me and make threats using my final salary as a tool.
I am not unwilling to pay the course costs but I am trying to look into whether I have to, they did not fully inform me of my obligations prior to undertaking the course.
Thank you for any response I receive, I just feel bullied into paying them and that there using my salary against me.
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