Training Costs

[minniema]

My company agreed to pay my college fees to do a CIPD course as i had just been moved into HR. When they agreed in January 2015 the agreement was verbal and that i would have to pay the fees back should i fail and that they would look at a percentage should i leave after completing it.

The course has now finished (I'm just waiting on results from 2 assignments but no longer have to attend college). My company has just now given me a letter to say that i will pay full fees back if i leave within 0-12 months, 75% of fees if i leave 12-18 months and 50% of the 18-24 months.

What i want to do know is can they just give that to me at the end of the course and expect me to sign it now as they are different terms to what i verbally accepted?

Thanks

[Kati]

Re: Training Costs

:bump: for [MENTION=19071]teaboy2[/MENTION] and [MENTION=26290]mariefab[/MENTION] xx

[ostell]

Re: Training Costs

I don't think they have added something different, they have defined fully one of the conditions that you originally agreed to.

[Openlaw15]

Re: Training Costs

My company agreed to pay my college fees to do a CIPD course as i had just been moved into HR. When they agreed in January 2015 the agreement was verbal and that i would have to pay the fees back should i fail and that they would look at a percentage should i leave after completing it.

The course has now finished (I'm just waiting on results from 2 assignments but no longer have to attend college). My company has just now given me a letter to say that i will pay full fees back if i leave within 0-12 months, 75% of fees if i leave 12-18 months and 50% of the 18-24 months.

What i want to do know is can they just give that to me at the end of the course and expect me to sign it now as they are different terms to what i verbally accepted?

Thanks

No they cannot do that - for a contract there must be a unity of terms, ie they all must be present at the time to form a valid contract. You simply cannot contract for a future event having contracted (ie agreement & commercial intention) previously. Your original contract was the offer and acceptance of the CIPD course fees, so at the date you accepted there was there on a contract in place. If they try to take you to court to get the money, you'll have an estoppel defence, which means you have the right to estopp (stop) any action for recovery of the CIPD against you. You work in HR so you'll know whether there were types of CIPD offers in verbal form as normal practice, if so, you have constructive knowledge and the fact it was not in writing is not a barrier to you. Were there any witness at the time?

[mariefab]

Re: Training Costs

As they've already given you the letter, it seems that they do want you to sign it.
From your description they've done exactly what they promised. i.e. Looked at a percentage should you leave after completing the course.

Is your question really, Do I have to sign and what can they do If I don't?