contract-law employment england-and-wales
Can my work force me to pay for their compulsory in-house training?
<p>My contract with work states if I leave within 18 months I must pay for the mandatory training they sent me on of £1800. I am already qualified in my field and this course was just to learn their way of doing things no actually qualification was gained. Also I worked in this role previously so had some experience of what to do. </p>

<p>As I had no choice to attend the course as they would not of hired me if I had refused to go on it, are they legally allowed to make me to pay for it now?</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>are they legally allowed to make me to pay for it now?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Unfortunately, yes. Contract law entitles them to charge you that amount only because --as it appears from your inquiry-- you signed the contract with (or despite) your awareness of that clause.</p>

<p>Perhaps from other terms in your contract you might have the possibility to overcome that liability. For instance, apropos of the fact that you possessed the requisite knowledge beforehand, whether the company intentionally misled you into thinking that you would gain any valuable knowledge from the training (other than the very particular way the company wants certain tasks to be performed). However, that is hard to assess without knowing more details of your situation.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>My contract with work states if I leave within 18 months I must pay for the mandatory training they sent me on of £1800</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This information alone is sufficient to give the <strong>yes</strong> answer.</p>

<p>The contract terms are clear: if you leave early, you pay. The rest (whether the course is actually needed/beneficial) is irrelevant.</p>
