HR tip: Recovering training costs from departing employee

HRD & Payroll Solutions continues to bring HRZone.co.uk members a range of HR and payroll tips in 2007. A market leader in the provision of HR and Payroll training and nationally recognised professional qualifications, HRD & Payroll Solutions are highly experienced in teaching about common HR and payroll problems. A wide selection of tips, tricks and guidance can be seen below. HRZone.co.uk highly recommends that any tips are taken as a starting point for guidance only.

Question:
"We paid for a new employee to go on an expensive four-week training course. Two weeks later, he handed in his notice and is joining another company on the basis of his newly acquired skill. This seems most unfair. Can we recover the cost of the training from him or from his new employer?"

HR tip:
No, from neither. In future you should have employees sign an agreement whereby they repay the cost of particularly expensive training on a reducing scale if they leave during the few months following completion of the training. This should cover the cost of training only and not travel or accommodation costs.

Previous HR and Payroll tips:

May 2008
Employing husband and wife in same unit

April 2008
Employee relocation
Does raising standards require new contract?
Return after redundancy
Mobile phone use

March 2008
Proof of drunkenness
Satisfactory references
Time off for funerals
Redundancy – bumping

February 2008
Companion at informal warning
Advising retirement age employees of their rights
Alcohol on site
Lawful discrimination

January 2008
Reducing company car standard
The disappearing employee
Pre-employment medicals
Monitoring bullying
Controlling absence

2007 tips

2006 tips

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Number of comments: 1

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Don Rhodes , 09 May 2008 @ 05:50 AM  Recover training costs A question, not a comment.........why can you not recover all costs involved, especially if they are substantial? Cheers.

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