Get Certified in topic XYZ or be terminated.

[Frodoo]

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

Government contract for a small company. There's a contract requirement, employees must be certified in a XYZ technology with 6 months of hire or they are fired. All training for the XYZ certification is on personal time and expense. Talking hundreds of hours and thousands of $$. I've asked questions here before so I know the drill and the at will deal and the for any reason stuff. Is there something wrong or is this new normal? I'm sure lawyers have looked at ins and outs before of this. Legal, right, but not fare, or more to it?

 

[justalayman]

are you told this ahead of time?

 

[Frodoo]

are you told this ahead of time?

Yes but not the part about who's time and expense. No training during the clock or self study on clock, no classroom or books paid for. employees responsibility.

 

[Chyvan]

Government contract for a small company. There's a contract requirement, employees must be certified in a XYZ technology with 6 months of hire or they are fired.

Who's the contract with: you and your employer or the government and your employer?

Depending on the circumstances, if your employer does fire you because you didn't acquire the certification, you might be able to make a decent case to get unemployment.

 

[Frodoo]

Who's the contract with: you and your employer or the government and your employer?

Depending on the circumstances, if your employer does fire you because you didn't acquire the certification, you might be able to make a decent case to get unemployment.

government and your employer

 

[commentator]

Very questionable. If you knew the requirement before you accepted the job, and you accepted the job with the understanding that you would be certified in XYZ by a certain time, it sounds as though you knew the requirements of the job and you refused to comply with them. If you did your best to get certified, and didn't make it, because you didn't pass the testing or something, in spite of making your best efforts to do so, then that would give you a much better chance of unemployment approval.

If you are terminated because you refuse to do it, it would be a case of being terminated because you failed to meet the standards of the contract. And that you agreed to it without realizing how arduous or expensive or how much trouble they'd be will not really be in your favor. The thought would be that you should've done this homework before accepting the job, instead of assuming they'd foot the cost of this certification process or give you time from work to do it in.