I signed a contract with my former employer (a beauty academy) that waived a $16k instructor training fee as long as I stayed employed. The contract says if I get licensed and then leave for any reason, I owe the full amount back.
I completed the training, got licensed, and later left due to bullying and other issues (like her not providing promised insurance). I was paid as an employee during training – not a student – and the business covered all costs.
Now she’s threatening to sue me for the $15,999. Can she really enforce that clause? Or would it be considered an unfair penalty?
Location: Arkansas
Comments
Yeah if they paid for your license expecting work that you did not provide you’re going to have to pay for that.
If you were an employee and not a student, and they failed to uphold parts of their agreement (like insurance), that could seriously weaken their case. It might be worth talking to an employment attorney because $16k is no joke, and that clause could be seen as punitive. You did the work, got licensed, and left for legit reasons not because you were trying to dodge a deal.
You posted this a month or two back. Why didn’t you listen to the advice given then?
What does your contract say exactly? Is it pro-rated or is there a minimum time?