Bond Bonded

[chainblock]

If a company was prepared to put you through an IR and give you a job and bond you for say................£5000 would you do the IR and quit on day 1 and buy yourself out of the bond as a cheap way of getting an IR????

I am not suggesting anyone has or is about to do this..........just an idea!:mad:

[Whirlygig]

Is that all a bond is? Well, were I in that fortunate situation, I would stay with them to get a few hours under my belt and then leave and buy myself out!

Leave at an appropriate point to have gained some experience and not to give myself a bad name in the business by pulling such a stunt!

But I thought bonds were more than that.

Cheers

Whirls

[chainblock]

But I thought bonds were more than that.

Afraid not, in my experience, bonds are pretty much a simple financial deal.. I guess nobody has previoulsy considered that somebody might use it in the way I suggested.

[Thomas coupling]

They are not legally binding in the UK. You don't sit down and discuss a contract pertinent to the bond do you?
They are only binding where work prejudices the secrets act, or you have personal responsibility for a companies finances.
Question is: would you call their bluff and would it harm your future in the industry once word got out that you walked away from the bond?

[Ian Thompson]

Geeze guys If I could find a job like that Id stay, Its my goal to get multi IF time but the way things are going itll be 10 years before I get there.

[mongoose237]

Figures that I have heard recently are £10,000 per annum for 5 years.

A practice that atleast one airline utilizes is:
A loan is taken out in your name
Company pays off your loan each month
You walk, the company stops paying off your loan

[RHRP]

There is no question that bonds are legally enforceable in the UK. I know of a number of cases supported by BALPA where pilots were advised to repay their bonds rather than incur additional expense in fruitless legal fees.
RHRP

[chainblock]

I am not questioning the legality or ethics of being bonded just pointing out that somenoe could be really callous and realise that it is cheaper to pay back a bond that pay for your own IR with no intention of ever working for the company that stumped up the cash.

[Whirlygig]

Yes but as Thomas and myself pointed out; your reputation in the business would suffer. Word does get round and it's not really professional so, if that was someone's plan, they should stick around for a little while! Besides, it would give good experience and hours which would make you more marketable.

Cheers

Whirls

[chainblock]

All hypothetical of course, but he might allready have a sugar daddy to provide him with another job and the cheque to cover the Bond bond.:eek:

I think it is an appalling thing to do, 5 years ago I would have done anything for a company to put me through an IR and guarantee me a job for years and if someone were to do what I have suggested it would stuff some other guys chances.

[mongoose237]

and realise that it is cheaper to pay back a bond that pay for your own IR
Fantastic if you get such an offer. But as I said, certainly some individuals are being bonded to the tune of £50,000, and whether their salary is less too I do not know. Self sponsored IR is anywhere between £25,000 to £35,000

[Helinut]

Some bonds are enforceable in law and some are not. It depends what you are being bonded for, and for how much amd how long and stuff like that. The IR is one that tends to fall into the category of being "legal", but it depends how far they take the paybacks. If they are too huge, then from similar cases in other arenas, they are held to be not binding if you stick them in fornt of a judge. Don't know if FL is listening, or it falls in his area of expertise.

I had not heard of the "take a loan out" routine. That sounds sneakily effective. I do believe, there are some initial training schemes for plank guys that set you up with a loan until you virtually retire, but I think you are meant to pay that back from your own salary anyway

[Rotorbike]

I would also say that the industry is far too small to jump a bond.

But why would you want to??? Even if it is only a small one.

I got bonded last year for 3 years for over £30,000 for an instrument and a type rating. But I'm on the same salary as someone who didn't need an instrument... and the company won't tend to get rid of you either if you are on a bond.

Guaranteed employment, which in aviation is kinda rare!!! :rolleyes:

[HOGE]

When I finished my HP course at Bristow, (quite some time ago!), I was bonded, like all the other sponsored HP students, for 6 years. Ended up working for BHL for over 12 years, so it can't have been that much of a burden.

[Geoffersincornwall]

I'm not a lawyer but some years ago had to organise a bond. We were informed that a properly contructed and legally appropriate and documented 'relationship' between a company and the beneficiary of a training course was basically sound if it was based on a reasonable sum and reduced linearly over the period of the bond.

Maybe one our learned friends couls comment.

:ok:
G

[SASless]

Are we seeing the repercussions of training getting so expensive only the Landed Gentry will be entering aviation in the UK? I assume the company sponsored loans must have some sort of credit check requirement in order for the recipient to qualify for the loan. Does that mean some poor fellow without a good credit rating is unable to get the loan? Why would a bank loan someone the money in that case? Does the company ultimately have to pay the loan if the hireling either will not or cannot? Silver State Helicopters UK all that sounds like to me.

[Gerhardt]

Sounds like an incredibly uncouth act to me. Someone offers you employment (which is a huge plus), wants to help you get an IR (a huge plus) and asks only that you work for them for x amount of time...and before you even start you know you're going to shortchange them?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying all employers would be fun to work for, but if you know starting out that it's not the place for you perhaps you should keep looking. And not just in this industry, but in life in general, it pays to maintain your integrity and keep a solid reputation.