Employer offers to refund PR fees but with strings attached.

[BubbOZ]

Hi folks,

We personally paid for our PR application and were successful.

My spouse's employer has offered to refund us the cost but must agree to stay with them for 3 years. Should we leave the company before that, we must give it back. If I go on company mandated training and quit the next day, I don't owe them. Why should we tied in this case?

Is that legal? Doesn't it violate some labour standards?

Cheers...

 

[zardoz]

Hi folks,

We personally paid for our PR application and were successful.

My spouse's employer has offered to refund us the cost but must agree to stay with them for 3 years. Should we leave the company before that, we must give it back. If I go on company mandated training and quit the next day, I don't owe them. Why should we tied in this case?

Is that legal? Doesn't it violate some labour standards?

Cheers...

If you enter into a contract (they pay for the PR, in exchange for a 3 years commitment) and then you break the contract, why shouldn't they get their money back?

 

[BubbOZ]

I understand their logic ...

But I put that in the same pot as training. Surely it is illegal to recoup training fees from an employee. Isn't it?

The employer paid for the work permit a few years ago and there was no commitment or clawback clause.

If you enter into a contract (they pay for the PR, in exchange for a 3 years commitment) and then you break the contract, why shouldn't they get their money back?

 

[zardoz]

I understand their logic ...

But I put that in the same pot as training. Surely it is illegal to recoup training fees from an employee. Isn't it?

The employer paid for the work permit a few years ago and there was no commitment or clawback clause.

It's quite common for companies to claw back training fees if the employee leaves soon after the training.
It depends on the individual contract of employment especially if the employee is fairly new.

 

[Leon]

If you don't want to be bound for 3 years, then simply don't take their offer.

Regardless of the legality of the agreement, it would be dishonest of you to make such an agreement not intending to pay the money back if you break it.