breaking a ( 2 years) contract after signed but have not started the job!

Sour Lemon · Sep 14, 2018

One huge piece of information is missing here. What does the actual contract say?

Six weeks of orientation doesn't sound great to me. I'm under the impression that Kindred patients are super-heavy.

Tortuguita · Sep 14, 2018

I have not seen the contract yet, either have I signed it. Im wanting for it so I can sign it. The contract will say what I was told I guess, Orientation - 6 weeks then two years contract and if I decide to leave earlier, I would have to pay a fine. ( Still do not know the amount, will know when I get the contract ).

I want to learn and I think I will learn a lot in this facilityt, but I might get another job that I would like way more.. I dont want to sign the contract when it arrives, and then 2 weeks later ( and before I actually start the orientation ) I received another job offer... :( I dont know what to do.. I have read so many bad things about these facilities ( not particularly about the one I got the offer from, but still ).. I dont want to be stuck in a hospital where they treat their employees so bad, or where I will have a 8/10 patients which is not even safe when they are very sick!! You know what I mean... out of 10 reviews only 1 is positive!! that made me think in what kind of hell I am getting to.. should I better keep looking?

Sour Lemon · Sep 14, 2018

I have not seen the contract yet, either have I signed it. Im wanting for it so I can sign it. The contract will say what I was told I guess, Orientation - 6 weeks then two years contract and if I decide to leave earlier, I would have to pay a fine. ( Still do not know the amount, will know when I get the contract ).
I want to learn and I think I will learn a lot in this facilityt, but I might get another job that I would like way more.. I dont want to sign the contract when it arrives, and then 2 weeks later ( and before I actually start the orientation ) I received another job offer... :( I dont know what to do.. I have read so many bad things about these facilities ( not particularly about the one I got the offer from, but still ).. I dont want to be stuck in a hospital ggigtwhere they treat their employees so bad, or where I will have a 8/10 patients which is not even safe when they are very sick!! You know what I mean... out of 10 reviews only 1 is positive!! that made me think in what kind of hell I am getting to.. should I better keep looking?

It's all about options. If you have better ones, take them. If you don't ...

But either way, you need to actually read the contract before you decide. They say the devil is in the details, right?

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 18, 2018

It's all about options. If you have better ones, take them. If you don't ...
But either way, you need to actually read the contract before you decide. They say the devil is in the details, right?

I can't like this enough. They (generic, not directed specifically at OP) sign these contracts without giving it a thorough look, and then are surprised/angry that they can't break them without penalty. If you sign, you are saying to them, "I understand and agree."

That being said...

You can't plan based on a job that you "might" get. Until you get an OFFICIAL job offer from that organization's HR department, you don't have anything.

So you need to decide whether to:

1. Sign the contract and make the commitment. That locks you into two years, but it's a job. As a new grad, job opportunities can be tough to come by. And most of the time, that first job is for the experience more than anything else, because after you get that experience, you will have more opportunities available.

2. Pass on it and take your chances that you'll get hired elsewhere. Here, you're foregoing that guaranteed job in the hopes that you'll get this second one. Is that a wise move for you? I don't know, only you can answer that question. The thing to consider here is what will you do if you don't land that other job after all. And what is your local job market like for new grads: is it promising or do you see new grads taking several months or more to land something? Were you lucky to get this offer? It is worth the risk of losing it?

3. Sign but are willing to pay the penalty should that second job offer comes through. This gives you the security of having a new grad job, but should you want to leave for that second (or any other) job offer, you acknowledge that you'll have to pay a price to do so. Again, whether this is a good decision can only be answered by you. For some, the penalty may be worth it. For others...

Best of luck whatever you decide.

sushiiphile · Sep 20, 2018

The fee/penalty they are talking about is their reimbursement for training you in the event that you leave. They want a two-year commitment (or pay a fee) so they can recoup the money, resources, and time spent training you. But since the job or training hasn't started, the contract hasn't started. They haven't expended a lot of resources on you, so they are unlikely to sue you.

I was in your position a month ago. I accepted an RN resident job offer and signed a two-year contract, but one week later, received an offer for a position elsewhere that pays $4 more and is much closer to my house. Orientation or training hadn't started for the first job, but I informed them I was declining their offer as soon as I could, out of courtesy, so they can find someone else.

I spoke to a nursing recruiter about this and apparently, it's very common. Especially since different hospitals interview for their RN resident positions around the same time. I think that was how I got hired at the second job -- because someone else backed out when he/she was offered a position in a unit that they preferred to work in.

Mergirlc, MSN, APRN, NP · Sep 22, 2018

I think there's a lawyer on AN who debuted about a week ago. Nurse attorney.......can't remember her name. Look up old posts here on AN and see if you can post a question to her. Chances are, she might be able to give you an idea of what might happen, but she will still probably need to know exactly what is on the contract to give you a correct answer.

callmetallcake · Mar 26, 2020

On 9/13/2018 at 3:08 PM, Tortuguita said:
Hi people, I have a question and I would like some input here on the matter.
A kindred hospital decided to give me a chance as a New Graduate and make me an offer. the offer is a Full time day RN Position with 6 weeks orientation with a commitment of two years with the company, I will have to pay a fee if I leave ealier. The job is to start next month, Oct 2018..( around 20 days to go ) they sent me the contract online and everything is electronically.. my question is.. if I sign the contract now and if by the next month I decide I do not want to start working in that hospital.. Can I just let them know and no legal consequences will take place?
The thing is, my resume is under review for 2 positions ( one of them is a residency program in the Unit I have always wanted) .. what if I sign the contract at Kindred and I get an offer from the other hospital where I have always wanted to work?
Also there is a Job fair in my local hospital next week... What if I get an offer from there?
On the other hand, competence is huge in my area, NG and nurses without experience have big problems finding a job... I know Kindred was not my first option.. but it is something.. I dont want lose the offer/job for nothing.. so
Can I break a 2 years contract with a fee penalty if I have not started the job yet?
Thank you

I know this is an old thread, but what ever happened with your situation? Did you get out of it?