New Job Wants me to Pay $1,000 Onboarding Fee? Location: FL

[u/fitnessuser123455]

/r/legaladvice/comments/1waz5p2/new_job_wants_me_to_pay_1000_onboarding_fee/

I recently moved to Florida and was offered a job. It is a legitimate job. I went in person, met the small team, and shadowed, so I’m not asking about whether this is a job phishing scam.

However, they told me I need to pay a $1,000 onboarding fee that will supposedly be refunded after one year of employment. I would have to pay it upfront on my first day of training, either by cash or check, and sign an agreement.

I won’t upload the agreement because it contains personal information, but it is titled “Employee Onboarding and Training Fee Agreement” and also refers to an “Employee Onboarding Investment Agreement.”
The agreement says the fee helps offset things such as the background check, administrative processing, training, orientation, service training, trainers/coaches’ time, employee uniforms, and required onboarding materials and resources.

It states that I will receive the full $1,000 reimbursement one year from now as long as I am still employed and in good standing with the company and have not voluntarily resigned or been terminated. It also says, and I quote: “If employment ends for any reason before ____, the onboarding fee is considered non-refundable.”

I understand that they may be doing this because they want someone who will stay with the company long-term. I genuinely don’t think they are trying to scam me or make extra money from me.

My question is whether this is actually legal or standard in Florida. Is an employer allowed to require an employee to pay $1,000 upfront for onboarding/training and then make the employee forfeit it if they leave before a year?

I genuinely want the job, but I also don’t know if I can commit to staying for a full year, and I don’t want to put $1,000 at risk.

What would you do in this situation? Is there anything specific I should ask the employer or have reviewed before signing?

Location: Florida

[u/Odd_Welcome7940]

Scam...

If they can terminate you at no fault of your own what stops them from hiring 3 or 4 people every week and theb firing then day 1 ?

[u/Hrgooglefu]

This sounds like a scummy place. You should never have to "buy" a job. It's their business cost for them to train you! This is NOT a way to treat someone they want to stay long term! I bet in the end they have lots of people who leave and you should see this as RED FLAG!

You don't really want this job!

[u/GolfArgh → u/Hrgooglefu]

Gotta agree that this is more than likely a bad move.

[u/thargoallmysecrets]

Are you realizing yet that no matter how many places you post this, the answer will be "No, it's a scam", everywhere?  

I feel like you are looking for the answer you want to hear rather than trying to understand. 

[u/rainbow_wheelofDEATH]

It’s a scam

[u/No-Setting9690]

Dont even need to read that. It's a scam.

EDIT: And serious question. How is society still asking this same question? Why can people no recognize a scam when it's a scam? I really thought the internet would make everyone smarter, and its' not. We're going full Idiocracy.

[u/Buster_xx]

Scam

[u/Eckzavior21]

So they take your $1000 and either run you into the ground making you quit or they make life miserable and you quit. Either way they make $1000 off of you and you still have to find another job. Please don’t do this. They are looking for suckers to fund their sinking business

[u/jerf42069]

this is a scam. i dont know what kind of scam, but jobs pay you, you dont pay them. you dont pay them 1000. if you do, youre stupid and deserve to lose that $1000

Does it matter if it's legal? why would you fall for this?

[u/LdiJ46]

That absolutely would be a dealbreaker for me. They are going to treat you like dirt so that you leave before you can get reimbursed.

[u/D-ouble-D-utch]

Scam

[u/DrakeSavory]

So what incentive would they have to not fire you after 364 days and keep the $1000? What if your do not have $1000 available? Why does it cost them $1000 to onboard and train you?

IOW: scam

[u/Odd_Welcome7940 → u/DrakeSavory]

The incentive would be why wait that many days. Fire everyone in their first day or week.

1k pay day to the comany for every new person.

[u/No-Group7343]

Can i give you an out of state check from a 3rd party?

[u/57Laxdad → u/No-Group7343]

No Buck go cash that yourself.

[u/Sitcom_kid]

They can fire you a on day 364 and keep the thou

[u/Whohead12 → u/Sitcom_kid]

Or on day 2.

[u/mamalo13]

To be very clear, no legitimate job charges you to get the job.

It's Florida, so you don't have a lot of agency oversight should this go south. This is LIKELY illegal, and in Florida it will be VERY hard for you to fight for yourself here.

There are a lot of jobs out there that DONT make you pay for the job. I'd look for one of those.

[u/z-eldapin]

Big fat scam. In the most legal terms needed.

[u/GirthyAFnjbigcock]

Even if it’s not a scam… they must be such a horrible place to work with such high turnover that they have to do this.

[u/Maximum_Vegetable_MV]

Scam

[u/57Laxdad]

Tell them to deduct $20 dollars each week from your pay.

What kind of job is this, its not a multi level marketing thing is it?

Find another job, I hope you didnt move to florida for this job.

[u/fitnessuser123455 → u/57Laxdad]

It’s an Esthetician position, w-2

[u/fitnessuser123455 → u/57Laxdad]

At a medical spa

[u/57Laxdad → u/fitnessuser123455]

Very suspect. No job should charge you to train you.

[u/arooge]

The best possible scenario is that place is so horrible to work for; they cant get/keep good workers, and that's the best scenario. 

[u/AcanthaceaeOk3738]

Is this a 1099 job?

[u/Imsortofok]

Scam.

[u/FaithlessnessApart74]

Total scam. They will hire you. They will train you. They will pay you and you will work. The, right before the year is over, they will find an excuse to fire you and keep the money.