Training Bond on type being retired
 

Just been asked, retrospectively (by 12 months), to enter into a 3 year training bond for an aircraft type being retired by a UK Airline. Bond will run for approx 12/18 months on a type that the employer will no longer use nor can the training be credited to other types in the fleet. View's? Legal?

Eh? I'm no expert but before I started flying I used to employ a small number of people, and therefore had a working understanding of UK employment law. Briefly, an employment contract, as far as I understand, cannot be entered into "retrospectively", as you put it, without the agreement of both parties ie. it would be a new contract, superceding the old one with both parties agreeing to the changes.

You do not state whether you already have a contract, and I assume you have already done the training on the aircraft in question, later (by 12 months) to be asked to sign a bond.

It's not enforcable. Both parties had to enter into the agreement before any expenditures took place. This looks like another lame attempt at indentured servitude to me. Perhaps your employer has got wind of you wanting to move on?

Is the type still being used by other companies? If so then weigh up your options carefully.

But if you're blissfully happy where you are, have no intention of leaving etc then you've a decision to make. Accept the bond = employed in a stormy market versus don't accept the bond = they'll find some way of getting rid of you.................perhaps.

Of course, this then sets a dangerous precedent for the type being introduced to replace the type you're currently on. Will you then have to enter into another three year bond for the new type, effectively bonding you to the company for 4 and half years?

Sign of the times I'm afraid.

If the old timers had seen this coming a few years back and acted then, guys wouldn't be finding themselves in this sort of position today.