Hello HoltCJ,
The contractual agreement signed by the pilot encompassed only those areas related to his actual operational duties, as I am sure you are aware. The verbal agreement to "assist him" in obtaining discounted travel to his home on a regular basis amounted to no more than a convenient enticement to sign, the employer knowing that once the training bond is in force, any such agreement not documented and signed by both parties would hold little weight against that which had been consumated in written form. In a case such as this, the employer knows full well that by disclosing the actual conditions of employment, he is unlikely to acquire the caliber of pilot that his operation by law requires, and faced with the possibility of a crewing shortage and the resultant problems that entail, therefore "modifies" the truth to the extent required to obtain a signature. Whether or not this case has merit in the eyes of the law, is certainly a question for you to determine.
I do not claim knowledge of other professions, but can assure you that the term-contract area of aviation is replete with this kind of incident. It appears to be most common where the junior pilot has been hired with the "promise" of obtaining command, and finds himself many years later occupying the same position in which he was hired. There are certainly many mitigating circumstances in which this can occur, pilot ability and company requirement to name but a few. I do believe, however, there are some on this forum who can attest to, and have indeed experienced problems of this nature, which may shed some light on the current problem at hand.
If there is one thing that is most clear, it is encumbent on the potential employee to uncover as much as possible regarding the potential employer (a subject, I believe, we have up until now been discussing in reverse) and make his/her own determination as to the suitability of the employment in question.
From a contractual point of view, your client does not appear to have any right to legal recourse (pardon me if I over-step your authority with uneducated conjecture), but it would seem to me that barring any agreement entered into directly with a banking institution and/or compromising references that would undermine future employment, there is little if any risk involved. It is certainly not worth the employer's while to pursue a questionable financial gain, if for any other reason than the threat of significant public relations damage. The employer knows that once a professional pilot has been burned in the eyes of his/her colleauges, very few others with the requisite experience would consider applying for work.