Can I get in trouble for handing in my notice just after a training course ?

[Summer78]

Hi there,

I was wondering whether some of you could give me some advice. I have been employed permanently for 1 year and I am planning to hand in my notice in several weeks to be able to work on personal projects. However, I would be handing my notice literally 1 week after undergoing a 3 day training course.

This course is what other employees of my company have had at the start of their employment in my same position but would be a refresher for some other employees and me who have not had the original training. I suggested this refresher myself but quite a while ago and was not thinking of leaving the company then. I am uneasy about handing my notice so early after the training. Although I've heard through the grapevine that the training doesn't cost anything for my employer would there be any reason I could get in trouble ?

Thank you

summer78

[Smackdown]

Hi there,

I was wondering whether some of you could give me some advice. I have been employed permanently for 1 year and I am planning to hand in my notice in several weeks to be able to work on personal projects. However, I would be handing my notice literally 1 week after undergoing a 3 day training course.

This course is what other employees of my company have had at the start of their employment in my same position but would be a refresher for some other employees and me who have not had the original training. I suggested this refresher myself but quite a while ago and was not thinking of leaving the company then. I am uneasy about handing my notice so early after the training. Although I've heard through the grapevine that the training doesn't cost anything for my employer would there be any reason I could get in trouble ?

Thank you

summer78

If you didn't sign a piece of paper making you liable for training fees then you don't have to worry about it. Might be worth checking your contract. Whatever you do - don't bring it up with them or it'll give them ideas. By the sound of it it's an internal course / not towards a qualification so I wouldn't worry about it.

[administrator]

What Smackdown said! Don't give it a second thought. If the company you work for got into financial trouble just after you had bought a house and taken on a mortgage they would not worry about what was going to happen to you, you would be out on your arse. Nothing wrong with having morals and thought for others but business is business and you should always do what is right for you.

[BlasterBates]

You have already worked for them for a year so no problems, also this is internal so it no extra cost to the company who simply send all their new employees once a year on it. As others have said do check your contract, but normally this clause would only apply to your initial training, you would require further new agreements for any training courses you attend after you have already been working there.

[Lance]

Can I get in trouble for handing in my notice just after a training course ?

As others have said check your contract.
On another note, it is difficult for a company to enforce anything around training in your contract if the training is require for you to do the work.
The worst they can do though is block your last salary payment and even doing that is difficult. Small company will get away with a lot more than a big company though.

[NotAllThere]

They cannot legally block your last salary payment. They may dock any debt from that last payment, but that can always be contested.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/wo...u-leave-a-job/

[mattfx]

Legally they cannot take anything out of your wages without giving you written notification first. If they do they are in breach of ACAS and you'll easily get your money back via the early conciliation (and failing that if they are idiots and want to try and be difficult...) or tribunal system.

If they give you prior written notice then as NAT says, it can (and should in your case) be contested.

[Summer78]

Thank you all for your replies. Yes, I think as I didn't get to sign anything for this training in particular making me liable for the fees I shouldn't get into trouble. Thanks for the link NAT- it's good to have.

It is an external company giving us training but they are a company involved in solving technical issues whenever they arise on the machines we work on.

On the company handbook -which states it is part of our conditions of employment with our contract- there is a clause which say fees from training courses can be deduced from salary if we leave in the year following the training, but they are more specifically talking about diploma, masters and other degree/transferable skills qualification so I really don't think it applies there. I didn't get to sign anything yet regarding this course but if something comes up I'll contest it then.

[SueEllen]

Thank you all for your replies. Yes, I think as I didn't get to sign anything for this training in particular making me liable for the fees I shouldn't get into trouble. Thanks for the link NAT- it's good to have.

It is an external company giving us training but they are a company involved in solving technical issues whenever they arise on the machines we work on.

On the company handbook -which states it is part of our conditions of employment with our contract- there is a clause which say fees from training courses can be deduced from salary if we leave in the year following the training, but they are more specifically talking about diploma, masters and other degree/transferable skills qualification so I really don't think it applies there. I didn't get to sign anything yet regarding this course but if something comes up I'll contest it then.

If they take the training money off you then send them a recorded delivery letter asking for the wages to be paid within 30 days otherwise you have no choice to take legal action with a brief explanation why they can't make the deduction. Then if you don't receive the money submit a tribunal claim for unlawful deduction of wages.

The letter has to be sent recorded so you have proof that you sent it. Ideally they should sign it on receipt but you can get away without them doing it.

It will cost them more defend the tribunal claim than to simply give you the money back.

Just a warning - some bloody minded companies will try and defend it until the last minute. So don't let them and/or a useless ACAS advisor pressure/bully you into discarding your case until they have paid you back first. If you discard your case you have no legal comeback against them.