Training paid by your boss: do you have to pay the money back?

Training financed by the employer is a benefit, until the contract says you have to repay the costs if you leave. But such repayment clauses are not automatically valid: they must be fair and clearly regulated.

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Your chances of getting your money back

A repayment clause is only valid if the training gives you a monetary benefit and the period you are bound is reasonable. Rules of thumb from case law: short training justifies only short binding periods (for example, for a few months of training, at most about one year of binding).

Unclear, overly long or undifferentiated clauses are invalid, for example if you are supposed to pay even when the termination happens for reasons the employer is responsible for. In that case you do not have to repay anything.

What you should do now

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1. Check the clause
Is there a specific repayment rule in the contract with a staggered, decreasing repayment?
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2. Check the proportionality
Does the binding period match the length and value of the training (reasonableness)?
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3. Check the reason for termination
Does the clause differentiate by the reason for ending the employment? If not, it is often invalid.
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4. Reject the demand
If the clause is invalid, reject the repayment demand in writing (get advice if necessary).

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to repay training costs paid by the employer?

Only if a valid repayment clause has been agreed. It is valid if the training gives you a monetary benefit, the binding period is reasonable (short training equals short binding) and the clause differentiates by the reason for ending the employment. Unclear or overly far-reaching clauses are invalid; then you do not have to pay.

How long can a repayment clause bind me?

That depends on the length and value of the training. Case law requires a reasonable staggering: the shorter the training, the shorter the permissible binding period, for example, for several months of training, as a rule at most around one to two years. In addition, the repayment must decrease proportionally over the binding period.

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General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.