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Payment for Education if Terminated

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llamaglama

Junior Member
Colorado

Hello

I have a friend working for a small telecom up in north Colorado, when he was hired on he was offered and given paid for training ($14,000 worth) In their rules it stated if he quit he would have to pay it back. Now the company is revising their rules so that if he is fired also he would have to pay it and he has to resign the new handbook.

The company is having many financial problems right now and he feels they are doing it so they can get out of paying for his education.

Is this a common practice for companies and is it legal? Is his best bet to not sign and just take a termination before he binds himself to those rules?

Thanks guys
 


Usually the company forgives normal approved reimbursements when an employee is involuntarily terminated.

Kind of crappy that they are trying to screw him like that, but hey maybe they are having issues with people getting the education than booking...
 

BelizeBreeze

Senior Member
llamaglama said:
Colorado

Hello

I have a friend working for a small telecom up in north Colorado, when he was hired on he was offered and given paid for training ($14,000 worth) In their rules it stated if he quit he would have to pay it back. Now the company is revising their rules so that if he is fired also he would have to pay it and he has to resign the new handbook.

The company is having many financial problems right now and he feels they are doing it so they can get out of paying for his education.

Is this a common practice for companies and is it legal? Is his best bet to not sign and just take a termination before he binds himself to those rules?

Thanks guys
He is not obligated to sign the new handbook and even if he does, absent specific language in the handbook stipulating that signing constitutes the acceptance of a contractural relationship, it's not enforceable.

HOWEVER, if he doesn't sign, they are also free to fire him.

So, tell friend to tell his company he will take the handbook home, read it and study his options and return it when he's made his decision. Then tell him to take it to an attorney.
 

llamaglama

Junior Member
BelizeBreeze said:
He is not obligated to sign the new handbook and even if he does, absent specific language in the handbook stipulating that signing constitutes the acceptance of a contractural relationship, it's not enforceable.

HOWEVER, if he doesn't sign, they are also free to fire him.

So, tell friend to tell his company he will take the handbook home, read it and study his options and return it when he's made his decision. Then tell him to take it to an attorney.
Awesome info, thanks for the advice, I will relay that!
 

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