Contract Issue

[nursedolphin]

Good Morning,

I am having an issue at my new job. I signed a year contract after the completion of my internship-so basically I have to stay for 15 months because the internship is 3 months.

On April 11th I started on the floor and I HATE it. I am so thankful for the job but I am miserable. I know myself to know this job is not for me. I want to ask to get out of my contract and leave the position. I want to give another new graduate a job that they will enjoy.

Has anyone gotten out of a contract without paying back $10,000? I am hoping they will work with me but I have no clue if they will. The contract just stated, "After the completion of the internship, the employee must remain in the Clinical Nurse I position for 12 months, otherwise the employee must repay $10,000." Soooo, I am thinking since they have 3 months to fire me during the internship, I have 3 months to re-sign.

I know I will receive negative feedback but I am asking for help. I personally do not want to waste 15 months of my life working at a job that I am miserable at. Again, I am thankful for a position but I am miserable.

Thank you for reading.

[ToddMSRRT]

It depends on the laws in your state. In NY the court has determined that those "contracts" equate to indentured servitude" and therefore not able to be enforced. The hospitals many times use those contracts to fill positions/units that are traditionally very difficult to fill. Hospitals also bank on the fact that you will not seek out the help of an attorney and guilt you into paying, however in 27+ yrs, I have never seen or heard of one being enforced. Check into the state laws.

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

OP, Have an attorney look at the contract. I am reading it the way I think you are. It seems to state that the $10,000 is linked to the 12 months after the internship ends, not to the 3 month internship itself. A good attorney could argue that, at any rate, and the hospital might just find that it isn't worth fighting it.

I am also thinking this was not a sign on bonus, but that the $10,000 you would have to pay back is to repay them for training you. Is that correct?

You also need to think about your other options before you bail on this. I am all for people leaving a toxic environment, even before their magical one year (I did so myself), but you have to have a backup plan or face the consequences.

[heron, ASN, RN]

I'm thinking the $10K was intended to recoup the cost of orientation. As a sign-on bonus, it's really high and most places do not pay out the full amount in advance.

I agree with the advice to talk to HR or your manager ... there may be another unit that works better for you. I would avoid breaching the contract if they refuse to release you, however. You would wind up with a legal judgement against you for the 10K --> bad reference, bad credit report (which many organizations check) and not particularly ethical.

[nursedolphin]

Thank you everyone for you thoughts and opinions. I never took the $10,000 as a signing bonus-it is the amount of money the hospital spends to train new grads. I will complete the internship on July 1st-which I would have to stay 12 months after.

I am thankful for this but I also know I will be miserable for 15 months. Life is too short to not enjoy your job. I was promised day shifts and cardiology - then on the first day of work I find out I am on a different unit with the evening shift.

Purple Scrubs-you are correct. It is not a sign on bonus.

DekagirlsRN and KcKSK-thank you for your support :)

Esme12-Thank you for mentioning prorating. I think that is a great idea.

ToddMSRRT-Thank you. I will check with the state. I know a person who quit hers after 4 months and the hospital never made her pay the amount back.

Heron-Thank you. I am not sure the hospital is for me but I will ask. It is a for-profit. During the interview the hospital sounded amazing and since I have been on the other side, I think it is awful.

[CompleteUnknown]

Thank you everyone for you thoughts and opinions. I never took the $10,000 as a signing bonus-it is the amount of money the hospital spends to train new grads. I will complete the internship on July 1st-which I would have to stay 12 months after.

I am thankful for this but I also know I will be miserable for 15 months. Life is too short to not enjoy your job. I was promised day shifts and cardiology - then on the first day of work I find out I am on a different unit with the evening shift.

Purple Scrubs-you are correct. It is not a sign on bonus.

DekagirlsRN and KcKSK-thank you for your support :)

Esme12-Thank you for mentioning prorating. I think that is a great idea.

ToddMSRRT-Thank you. I will check with the state. I know a person who quit hers after 4 months and the hospital never made her pay the amount back.

Heron-Thank you. I am not sure the hospital is for me but I will ask. It is a for-profit. During the interview the hospital sounded amazing and since I have been on the other side, I think it is awful.

I find this horrifying. You have to pay the hospital $10,000 if you leave your position before the specified time??

Can I ask why you would sign a contract like this in the first place?

[himilayaneyes]

As I understand it, you took a job that agreed to train you for 3 months and you have to work for them for a year or pay them back 10g. I advise that you stick it out b/c they'll go after you for that money. I know some nurses that broke their contracts and they're stuck paying the hospital back. More than likely, as a new nurse, you're going to hate it anywhere you go b/c you're still a newbie. I stuck it out in a 2 year contract to get the telemetry experience I needed to move to ICU. If I broke it, then supposedly I would've had to pay them 5g. And no I didn't get any sign-on money. Currently, I'm on a one year contract to work in the ICU since they trained me....once again no sign on money...I have to pay the hospital $1800 if I leave before my year is up in Dec of this year. So of course, I'm staying...the hospital pays me...I don't pay them...

P.S. If you finish you're 3 months and then decide to leave...future employers won't look kindly on a nurse who broke their contract.

[nursedolphin]

I totally regret signing. The contract was not mentioned in the interview so when I went in for the Employee health/benefits/physical, I had to meet with HR. It was so on the spot and awkward. I have NO idea what I was thinking....

I know this will not look great for future employers but I would rather explain that the job was not for me and being honest. I will not put this job on my resume.

[dura_mater]

Nursedolphin,

It has only been 11 days that you have been on the job, correct? I guess I am having a hard time understanding how you can have your mind so made up after such a short period of time, save there being some egregious issues.

My advice to you would be to stick it out, new grads are a dime a dozen these days, and new grad positions are quite hard to come by. You may think that you will be able to find another job that is "a better fit" immediately after quiting this one, and I am afraid that you may be in for a rude awakening and a very long wait.

Just think, if you stick it out for the full 15 months, not only will you be much more employable, but you will have grown as a nurse and a person, having learned how to deal with a less than ideal situation.

Whatever you decide I wish you much success

[heron, ASN, RN]

I totally regret signing. The contract was not mentioned in the interview so when I went in for the Employee health/benefits/physical, I had to meet with HR. It was so on the spot and awkward. I have NO idea what I was thinking....

I know this will not look great for future employers but I would rather explain that the job was not for me and being honest. I will not put this job on my resume.

Respectfully, I think this is a very bad idea unless the hospital agrees to void the contract. By breaching the contract, you are establishing yourself as an unreliable and unethical worker. Leaving it off the resume won't accomplish much, especially if the hospital pursues legal remedies ... it'll show up on your credit report and possibly on the background check, especially if you want a job in the public sector. Of course, you could lie about why you owe that money ...

Do you really want to start your career that way? How, as a nurse, will you defend your own integrity if you don't have any?

[BrookeeLou_RN]

After only two weeks - I would suspect you are stressed to the max. Give it some time. I too think you will be repaying the $10k if you don't stay. BTW - just curious - if you only started April 11th and its now April 22nd, have you already received and SPENT $10k?

Not only did you spend the money that fast?? How can you know you hate your job in less than 11 days?? I know you did not work every day either.. You don even know what you job is in this period of time!!! I mean get real! And if you are this immature and scared, you do not truly deserve the job or the money..Of course you have to give it back.. it is a contract... why would they give you one cent when you gave up without even trying?????

Heck if I was the hospital I would want to charge you interest.

Sorry I do not get my feathers ruffled about much but this is too much!

[CompleteUnknown]

Not only did you spend the money that fast?? How can you know you hate your job in less than 11 days?? I know you did not work every day either.. You don even know what you job is in this period of time!!! I mean get real! And if you are this immature and scared, you do not truly deserve the job or the money..Of course you have to give it back.. it is a contract... why would they give you one cent when you gave up without even trying?????

Heck if I was the hospital I would want to charge you interest.

Sorry I do not get my feathers ruffled about much but this is too much!

From what I've gathered, the OP did not receive $10,000. She agreed to pay the hospital $10,000 if she leaves before the end of the contract period.

I do agree with that 11 days is far too short a time to be even thinking about making decisions regarding leaving or staying. It takes far longer than this to find your feet in ANY job, let alone when you're a new nurse.

[BrookeeLou_RN]

From what I've gathered, the OP did not receive $10,000. She agreed to pay the hospital $10,000 if she leaves before the end of the contract period.

Sorry, never even thought of that. OP, is that the case? I am older and never encountered this paying for orientation and training stuff. I guess if that is the case the hospital might not charge the entire 10,000 for her less than 2 weeks. I suppose all she can do is ask.