Question about the legalities of a training contract

[I.P. Freley]

Some of the idiots on this board have to much SH*# in their eyes to realize you were probably collecting food stamps and you needed the job.

Maybe you should wipe that same SH*# out of YOUR eyes and write a sentence that makes sense.

Suggesting that one should stand by one's word doesn't make you an idiot...



FlyBI-
Signing a contract and believing them when they tell you "we never enforce it" makes me scratch my head in bewilderment. However, you might have a case if you can prove that you were the only one of the recently departed employees who's being docked a paycheck or being chased down to pay off that contract. Either way, if you decide to fight it, you clearly need a lawyer. Just remember, even if you win, you may end up spending as much money as you currently owe to pay for your legal team.

A lot of people will tell you that training contracts aren't enforceable.

A lot of people are wrong. With some exceptions, they are legal and they are enforceable. In future, keep that in mind before you sign one of these things.

 

[Fly BI]

I.P.
You're right. I'll just wait and see.

 

[FN FAL]

FN FAL,

This is where I am torn. Preface this by stating I am dirt poor. Do I press the issue and try to get the $1000.00 they owe me? Do I just walk away and hope they don't come after me with an attorney? Losing $1000 is tough, especially when you've earned it, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. Should I still speak to an attorney?

So they owe you 1,000 and they want to get 4 months of the pro-rated training agreement out of you. The 1,000 may be a loss, but I don't know how much these guys are claiming that you owe them on the training agreement. Could that be as much as 2,000 or 3,000 dollars?

I had a guy who worked for USAir as a captain rip me off for my last check, but since I was a contractor at his flight school, there was no training contract. The advice given me was to let it go. Needless to say, he has written me some stellar job references.

It's up to you hoss, if they keep your last check and don't attempt to pursue getting you to pay the remaining training contract...maybe you are better off putting this one towards life time achivement credits in one class at the "school of hard knocks"?

 

[mrvmo]

I.P.

Your must have brown eyes.

 

[jimpilot]

You know no matter how poor you are, your word should always mean something. Regardless of why or when, you agreed to it enough to sign your name. Now you are backing out and don't want to pay the agreed penalty. What does that say about your word?

This business is a very small community. I've noticed how things like this tend to follow a pilot the rest of his career.

 

[Don]

No it doesn't always mean something because an employer can take advantage. From a moral and legal standpoint it hinges on the negotiability of the contract.

Like I said before; if you quit your old job, moved and showed up for the new one; completely dependant on that paycheck; and then you are presented with a contract you really couldn’t walk away. Now if you knew about the contract ahead of time. Before you accepted the new job, then you could have opted out of it. And that is a different case.

In any case let me translate “we have a training contract”

We plan to treat you like a$$. In fact, every other employee we hired quit as soon as they got the training. So rather than address a piss poor working environment coupled with low pay; we’ve decided to attempt to force people to stay. Be prepared to dance with the boss’ fat daughter, watch his dog and possibly wrestle monkeys in the nude for the guests at his parties.

 

[FlyChicaga]

In any case let me translate “we have a training contract”

We plan to treat you like a$$. In fact, every other employee we hired quit as soon as they got the training. So rather than address a piss poor working environment coupled with low pay; we’ve decided to attempt to force people to stay. Be prepared to dance with the boss’ fat daughter, watch his dog and possibly wrestle monkeys in the nude for the guests at his parties.

Yes, but the thing is, you have the option to write your name down or not. Nobody is forcing you to sign a training contract. You are doing it of your own free will, saying "I will come to work for you for one year, and should I decide to leave then I will repay the training costs." Whether training contracts are right, wrong, moral, or immoral is not the issue. It's whether the contract was binding.

It's amazing how often people will scribble their name down on a training contract without a second thought. But when they move on to bigger and better things, suddenly they are trying to slide around it. Have some integrity, and stand by your decisions.

 

[chperplt]

First of all, call the department of labor and get your final paycheck. Then, call the legal aid department and ask them to look at the contract.

If they come after you, call a contract attorney in your state.

 

[DisrespectedJ32]

If they are interested in pursuing you, they will make it known to you by making at least several calls to you. If they only asked once and didn't follow up I think you could probably walk away like the other folks did.

If they have called you several times I would probably work out a settlement through negotiation. In the end, it is always cheaper to cut a deal than to spend big $$ on some lawyer. Especially if the amount we are talking about is less than $3,000 bucks.

They withheld your last paycheck - tell them to keep it and call it even.

 

[qmaster3]

Agree with FN. Write the check off. Go to the employer ask them if they will agree to give you positive references. It might not matter at your "current" job. Down the road it could.

And hoss, build those bridges don't burn them!