Should I stay or should I go?

[CL60]

Work ethics and professionalism

The purpose of a training contract??? Usually, they are for companies that have a hard time keeping employees. Why do employees keep leaving? There are probalby plenty of reasons for the big turnover but my guesses are the two most common, low compensation and undesireable QOL. In my opinion, the cost of training is the cost of doing business for any employer. Asking for a contract is just shameful.

My personal ethics demand however that I stay for at least one year after training, especially a type rating.

Two things to consider:

First, how much will it hurt your young career if you just stay until your obligations are met? From your statistics, I'm guessing you have at least 25 or more years left to fly... there will be many more opportunities for you as long as you maintain a stellar reputation. True, the other job may not be there when you are ready to leave but you will have kept your reputation intact despite the fact you are working for less than reputable people. The other company may respect your character and work ethic and keep you in mind for future reference. They may even prurchase your contract from "evilempire air" after seeing you have character.

Second, if you do leave prior to fulfilling your commitments, how much will it hurt your reputation? How will it look to other perspective employers? What kind of a message will it send to your peers and others who may be a part of your network.

In my opinion, your reputation is everything. It is worth more than money and will take you farther in the long run than flight time or experience. Even if you are fired from "evilempire air" and are unemployed, it is still better than tarnishing yourself over some obscure job early in your career.

Forget the attorney and start thinking about building a career based on solid ethics and professionalism.

Good luck...

 

[pa56pa]

CL60

Thanks for the wise advice... something more important than my career that makes me opt for this upcoming opportunity is that I would be much closer to home and the family. It's tough... If my wife and kids were with me, it would be a different story, but at the moment, my commute is 6 hrs by car and on my own expense... needless to say, I would jump at the first opportunity that would allow me to finally be close to home.

I got to say though, that your post is truly something to think about.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

OK, not to beat this to death, but...

You cannot say you were "FORCED" to sign anything....yes, it was done in a crappy way, they put you against a wall during training...but YOU took this job with this crappy employer and YOU signed your name on that paper right? Sure, I understand, everyone needs a job, we all have families and bills...I just really believe if you go ahead a sign an agreement you should stick to it or make restitution...you could have walked out of training.

Now, in reality, I have learned that in this business you have to solely look out for #1. If this new job is ALL THAT, TAKE IT - dont look back. Treat it as a lesson and dont use it as a reference. I agree with the above post that the types of employers who do this are the lowest crap going, they wonder WHY people leave ASAP? Maybe they should improve the QOL at thier outfits....but....to them its easier and cheaper to run people through school and hope they get a little time out of you. This is the same type of outfit that cringes when you give 2 weeks notice (they need 2 months they say) but when they dont need you they give you 2 days notice!! same old story....

If the new job is a great one, just DO IT I say!!

Good Luck either way!!!

 

[hawkerpilot]

Dont Look Back

Take the new job and pay back the training fee if you have to....and Never, Ever sign one of those contracts again. A company that feels the need to make you sign a contract generally has a good reason for doing this....they are lousy and they know it so they have to make you stay somehow.
The company I am in the process of leaving made me sign a one year contract when I started. I completed this obligation and have been there almost three years but now they are requiring that all pilots sign AGAIN when their contract is up. I will save you the details but suffice it to say that they have turned themselves into one of the half breed charter operators out there and guys are beginning to bail so this is their civilian version of Stop Loss.