Contracts

[say again]

What about companies that make you sign for recurrent training? I've heard of a few doing this, and to many pilots, unexpectedly.

 

[Whistlin' Dan]

What about companies that make you sign for recurrent training? I've heard of a few doing this, and to many pilots, unexpectedly.

Again, that's a technical question. The definitive answer will come not from "some guy on the internet" or even a lawyer, but from a judge. But if I were a betting man, I would think it would come down to who received the primary benefit of you having been through recurrent training. Your old company would probably make the argument that you being current is what made you employable to another company, and therefore had value. Your lawyer, on the other hand, might counter by saying that the certification you received ("Pt 135/121 recurrency check") was applicable only to your previous employers operations, and that it holds no value to you outside that enviornment. I'm sure there's case law on this, but even case law would be subject to some interpretation by the judge.

The bottom line, I suppose, is that you do whatever you have to do to keep your job, try to document what you perceive to be wrongdoing by those you work for, and have a lawyer lined up in the event you need some legal muscle. "Workers rights" have taken some serious hits in this country over the last several years, and I'm not seeing anything that gives me much hope that they're going to rebound soon. Sad as that may be, you still have to deal with the reality of the situation.

 

[BeeFCaKe]

my .02 Recurring training contracts are uneforcable. It's a ********************ty place to be in, and they may come after you. Take your new (and hopefully much BETTER job) and roll with it. good luck.

Other options to try and get out may be:
FMLA
"Losing" your medical or being unable to fly for an extended period(sick).
Leave of Absence

Unless you are jumping ship to fly the same plane for a competing co the training is useless to you and of no value.

 

[jet2work]

I have left a job that had a training contract after 6 months (promised one thing, delivered another). They kept my last paycheck, but never came after me for the training.

I had another employer whom I had worked for, for a year, ask me to sign a promissory note for a new aircraft type that they wanted to send me to. I told them that I was trying to buy a new house, and that I would technically be required to list this as a loan on my mortgage application. I said that if I couldn't buy a house, I would have to look for work somewhere else, but if I went to the expense of buying a house, why would I leave? They sent me to school, and I left anyhow, because of the bad taste that had left with everyone when they sprung a training contract on us after having already been there.

I had another employer try to get me to sign a contract for a 135 recurrent (again, in the form of a "loan"). They sprung this on me after I had given notice at my previous job. I quit the day before going to recurrent, and they got upset. I'm sure that this employer would have tried to come after me (that's why I refused to sign).

If you sign anything, I would put (s.u.d) next to your signature. Then if they take you to court, I would explain to the judge that you were indicating that you signed under duress. Hopefully, your attorney could get the contract negated.

It has been my experience that companies that require a training contract, usually have to because they are crappy places to work. I would never stick around at a lousy job to satisfy a training contract. I would avoid signing a "training loan".

 

[dhc8fo]

Often times it is more expensive for them to pursue you than to take the loss and fill your position. Weigh the likelihood that this company will come after you and decide from there.

Also, how about asking your new company to help with the bill if the old company comes after you. I have worked for a few places that had done something like this for several pilots (or just paid their obligations as part of negotiations).

 

[gret]

It is a tough situation. The problem is that a lot of pilots that came before us took advantage of some very good employers by completing their training and then jumping ship right afterwards. You can find posts on the fractional board where there are still some slimeballs who say they would do it at the drop of a hat.

No easy answer and it will stick with you in case you every need to have references check.

The new employer is receiving the benefit and they should pick up the pro rata expense.

 

[ksu_aviator]

Do you guys even know what signed under duress means? Because signing a contract to do a job that is legal is not "signed under duress." Unless, of course, they held a gun to your head or threatened to kill your daughter.

 

[brokeflyer]

you guys are all idiots.....the reason they can get away with training contracts is because you idiots agree to sign them.

stop doing it and training contracts will go away.

Its the company's obligation to pay to train me so I can use my superior decision making process in their airplane.

 

[FO4life]

That's easy to say untill you are out of work, got a wife and two kids at home. a morgage, two car payments, and all the rest of the bills you have. then signing a paper is not that hard to do. but it will not keep me from finding a new and hopefully better job.

 

[brokeflyer]

That's easy to say untill you are out of work, got a wife and two kids at home. a morgage, two car payments, and all the rest of the bills you have. then signing a paper is not that hard to do. but it will not keep me from finding a new and hopefully better job.

think about what you wrote. then think about what i wrote.