Workplace's "Tuition Repayment"

[Literphor]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

I'm working for a company I no longer wish to work for because of their very sketchy business practice.

I'm currently in mandatory paid training. I'm being paid 7.25 /hour and I signed a "Tuition repayment" agreement stating that if I quit or am fired with cause within the next two years I will be obligated to pay back a total of $10,000 for the training I'm receiving.

My question is, is this agreement enforceable? This is mandatory training, and it's being taught by an employee of the company. It's a 6 week training course and we reach the end of it Monday. It doesn't even seem like a legitimate class, as my supervisor told me "This is the opportunity to develop the skills you need to become self sufficient on a project", in other words we're required to teach ourselves the concepts during training with our trainee showing up only present slides and the assignment for that day.

Thank you for any insight.

 

[cbg]

Since I can't read the full agreement from here, I suggest you show it to an attorney in your state.

 

[Literphor]

First Page:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0GBH355LvfZeGhCS2ZwN0Z0M1E/edit?usp=sharing

Second Page:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0GBH355LvfZdjdqa1g0b1pKclk/edit?usp=sharing

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Apparently, this is more than just a little training, since they are paying your wages and hotel expenses to be there. This also means you are not producing for the company. You are a paid student. I would take it to a lawyer, however, it appears from their perspective you simply stayed there to get paid for no work and now want to walk off laughing. They simply want their investment back. I bet they can collect it.

 

[Literphor]

The thing is I haven't received any actual training. It's an employee of the company presenting powerpoint slides with content copy and pasted off the internet. Any questions we may have we're expected to find the answer ourselves, and there's been no support otherwise. I'm currently living in corporate housing, we have to pay for gas and food.

How do they justify their training costing $10,000? It's a consulting company and they want to send out fake resumes saying we have 6 years of experience in this line of work.

 

[sandyclaus]

The thing is I haven't received any actual training. It's an employee of the company presenting powerpoint slides with content copy and pasted off the internet. Any questions we may have we're expected to find the answer ourselves, and there's been no support otherwise. I'm currently living in corporate housing, we have to pay for gas and food.

How do they justify their training costing $10,000? It's a consulting company and they want to send out fake resumes saying we have 6 years of experience in this line of work.

No one said it was GOOD training, but training is indeed what you are receiving.

The fact that you have to research to find answers to some of your questions only means that the trainer is expecting a bit of self-reliance and proactivity from their students.

As for gas and food - presumably, if you were driving around and eating, those you'd have to pay for ANYWAY. You are, however, saving on rent for the housing while being trained, and depending on the accommodations, that could be worth a pretty penny.

What they WANT is immaterial. If you are asked to send out resumes with falsified information, politely decline. Of course, you'd probably be fired and have to find a new job, but you could at least apply for unemployment. At that point, it wouldn't be YOUR fault that you lost the job, and the question of tuition reimbursement could be challenged based on the reasons for your termination. Right now, you just don't like what you signed up for, and just walking away will likely require you having to reimburse for the training due to a contract obligation.

 

[Literphor]

What a great idea. Thank you.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Unfortunately it does not appear the state of GA requires any special licensing to be a consultant. This basically means as long as the agreement itself is legal, there is no specific matter of law, regarding what you view as their misrepresentation.

 

[tranquility]

I did not read the agreement but know such things are routinely enforced. If you want to address the" sketchy business practice" issue, you need an attorney to review the facts.

 

[swalsh411]

I find it very hard to believe any Court would enforce an agreement whereby an employee making minimum wage would have to repay their employer for on-the-job training. That is unconscionable. We're not talking about taking college classes outside of working hours.

 

[ecmst12]

It also sounds very much like a scam.

 

[swalsh411]

I would like to know what type of business this is and what sort of work the OP will be doing, or at least what sort of work the employer claims he will be doing. The arragement smacks of MLM.

My advice to the OP would be start looking for another job pronto and not worry about this supposed pay back for training. I think it would be unenforceable.