Anyone from HR around? Employer changed mind about contributing to travel costs for course after I started the course.

[mechanicalpencil]

Work asked me to do a demanding course Level 7 qualification. This involves 100% face-to-face weekly lectures/tutorials in a city which is a 3 hour commute by train (one way).

They have said from the beginning that all costs would be split 75:25 with them paying the 75% and me the 25%.

I am now into the second month of my course and have provided all receipts for the train (£250 per month) from the first week.

However, they haven't as yet paid me back anything for the train... almost 6 weeks on. I have sent several emails about this since I started but had no reply.

On Friday, I was called into the Manager's office to say they wouldn't be contributing anything at all to the train costs as they don’t have enough money left in the training budget.

It was also explained to me that there should have been a written contract for the course but the manager who set it up failed to do this and has since left the company. So there is nothing to prove what was said/agreed on.

Now I am in a position where it is too late to withdraw from the course because there won't be a refund. Also, I cannot afford an extra £250 a month as I budgeted for 25% of costs. Looking at my finances, there’s very little I can do to conjure up this money from elsewhere as I am already following a strict budget. It will be £1500 over a 6 month period which will have to go on my credit card.

AIBU to think they should have told me this from the beginning especially as they would have known how much was in the training budget? or am I being unreasonable?

IABU I should pay 100% travel costs.

IANBU The company should pay for the travel costs or at least consider 50:50 or similar.

You’re not being unreasonable to now find yourself responsible for 100% of the costs but unless this was all put in writing and agreed with finance/HR/whoever then I’m not sure you have any ground to get this money back.

It is awful organisation from the employer though.

What kind of clown company do you work for? Do you have the email confirmation on the agreement from the previous person?

If you have an HR department I'd be taking it to them if you can't negotiate out of the situation.

Does the qualification mean you are more desirable in the market if you look for other jobs?

Presumably if work have asked you to do it, then they have paid the course fees? If so, then I'd tell them that you have no choice but to withdraw from the course, as they have reneged on their agreement to contribute 75% of travel costs, as you can't afford to cover this yourself.

If they argue that the course is required, then it's up to them to find the money to cover their contribution.

Surely there's an email somewhere

This is horrendous. The boss is basically trying to say you could be lying about the agreement to pay for it, as the only evidence this was agreed lies with a staff member who's mysteriously vanished? Yet simultaneously telling you they 'don't have any money left in the training budget' as the reason they won't fund it.
This is utter fuckery. Can you go above that
Manager, to the CEO? Or are you in a union.
It absolutely stinks what they've done.

What kind of clown company do you work for?
Sorry, but this made me LOL! 😂

That is awful OP. A 6hr commute per day to the course would have been a no from me from the start! Our company have recently said no more training fees for the moment- BUT, all courses which have already started/been approved are continuing.

Do you have any evidence of the conversation/email with the previous manager?

What a terrible position to have put you in.

Have you asked them if they can pay the costs from another budget? For example, they could pay you overtime for your travel time and that might even it out? It’s possible that they are just thinking too rigidly about budget lines.

If the company really can’t find £250 a month, I’d be worried they were in real trouble. In which case, I might be tempted to find a way to self-fund the travel to gain a Master’s level qualification on the basis I might need to get a new job when the company goes bust…

Unfortunately not much was put in writing.
There are some emails which outline meetings to be held in order to discuss everything but the details were discussed in person. The manager at the time was very supportive and encouraging and it didn’t cross my mind that i needed to have every detail written down 😟
yes I know, what an idiot😟😟

we are in between HR people at the moment but I believe one is due to start very soon.

Regarding the qualification, yes it will increase my job prospects once/if I get it.

Yes, they have paid 75% of the course fees.
Withdrawing is an option but there will be no refund at this point as it’s too late now. I’m also one third into all the coursework and research 🤯🥺

It is all very stressful.
Unfortunately, the person above doesn’t want to get involved.
I’m not in a union 🙁

So you have paid 25%?

If so, I would put in writing that you have committed your own finances to paying a quarter of your fees and now have been put in a position where you have to either drop out of the course and lose the money you have invested in the course, or put yourself into a precarious position of financial hardship by continuing and paying travel expenses with no notice that you haven’t been able to budget for.

Had you been aware of this at any time, you would have taken a different decision on whether the course was a viable option at that time given your personal financial position.

Also have you looked at whether your educational institution has a hardship fund? It may be worth a conversation with them as I’m sure they’ll be keen to keep you enrolled.

If you haven't signed a training contract then technically you can leave at any point without owing them back the cost of the training.
Depends a lot on the type of work you do but can you find new employer who will take on the cost of your travel. This is common in the sector I work in. Usually we have a contract in placeso if its a two year course you can't leave till 2 years after it finishes.
Even the threat of this may make your current employer step up and pay for travel.

It will help your career to have the qualification, you say. So do it, get the qualification and leave without looking back! You’ll need to suck up the costs just now by the sounds of it, so focus on the long term positive. Horrendously unprofessional company you work for.

I'm not sure if ACAS could help, as you said you aren't in a union.

I would absolutely lose my shit over this. If the course is already paid for, I would be tempted to resign and find a part-time job to tie me over. If your company is pulling the "nothing is in writing" shit then they have no grounds at all to stop you competing the course and taking your qualification elsewhere.

Thank you, I didn’t think of this - other budgets.
It is certainly a possibility…

I will contest it first but from what I have seen before, I don’t think it will be successful. There is an unpleasant bullying culture among some of the management. I have seen them crush people time and again.

That might be the approach I need to take. Self-fund, get the qualification and get the hell out of there. Which is a shame as I wouldn’t normally think like this but it has left a very bad taste.

The manager at the time was very supportive and encouraging and it didn’t cross my mind that i needed to have every detail written down 😟
yes I know, what an idiot😟😟

You’re not an idiot. It’s not like you went to the finance department after this manager had left and claimed this had been promised, but with no evidence of it. They set this up; they let you start the course and get two months into it on that basis. This is NOT your fault.

I would be kicking right off!! I would be seriously concerned about their finances. If my job asked me to do a course, they’d pay 100% travel and 100% of the course!

If there really is no budget, could you ask if they will cover the cost of travel as promised (them paying) and you will pay back via a salary sacrifice over eg 24 months.

It would lesson the impact.

Oh and still speak to ACAS. You do not need to ge in a union to get advice from them

All of my training courses were 100% funded including commute and expenses.

Could you speak to the course provider? The uni or whatever it? Their funding department?
I think what your employer did could be illegal.

Thanks for this relevant and useful update 👍