Training Payback Contracts

[Nho3]

I am in Illinois. My employer requires that all employees sign a contract that states that if they leave the company withing two years you must pay back training received as stated in the contract. I am curious the legality of this in the case where the training is required and not an optional training and not something done voluntarily. I feel like it is wrong to force us into a contract this way.

 

[Just Blue]

I am in Illinois. My employer requires that all employees sign a contract that states that if they leave the company withing two years you must pay back training received as stated in the contract. I am curious the legality of this in the case where the training is required and not an optional training and not something done voluntarily. I feel like it is wrong to force us into a contract this way.

Don't sign it and get a different job. There is nothing illegal in requiring an employee to sign such a contract.

 

[cbg]

Who is the training required by? Is this training the employer requires, or is it training required by the state or a licensing agency?

 

[Nho3]

Who is the training required by? Is this training the employer requires, or is it training required by the state or a licensing agency?

The employer. They decided to use new technology that me and my team do not have experience with

 

[Nho3]

Don't sign it and get a different job. There is nothing illegal in requiring an employee to sign such a contract.

So it's not illegal to force me into a contract?

 

[Just Blue]

So it's not illegal to force me into a contract?

Did they put a gun to your head and order you to sign? No? Then they didn't "force" you to do anything.

 

[cbg]

You can be required to sign a contract in order to keep your job. You don't want to sign, don't sign and find another job. Nothing illegal about that.

However, I don't think it's 100% certain that such a contract would be enforceable. (Please note that unenforceable and illegal are not the same.) Assuming that you did sign, and then you did want to leave within the two years, your employer might or might not be able to hold you to the requirement. I think an attorney in your state would have to look at the exact wording of the contract to see.