I worked as a PCA and an ER tech while in Nursing School. At the beginning of my first semester of nursing school I signed a contract to the hospital saying that if they paid for some nursing school in turn I would work as an RN for them for 2 years. The contract I signed was VERY vague, said they would give preference to people with this contract but the employee CAN be asked to repay if they quit school or get terminated.
This hospital system is huge and owns 6 area hospitals. In December I applied for 20 RN positions at 5 of there hospitals. I applied for every type of floor and all kinds of shifts. I never ever heard anything from anyone in the 3 months since...not even for an interview with HR and I WORK THERE ALREADY!! I had a great review in January, well liked by the staff/managers on the 2 floors I worked on previously, good GPA, and 4 years of experience with the company and no disaplinary problems/background. I also know that this company put through a corporate wide hiring freeze in November. Then 2 weeks ago they sent eveyone letters saying they were no longer going to fill the vancancys!
The good news is in Febuary I was offered a great job at a University Medical Center. ( Better reputation, closer to house...) I took the job because I never heard from the hospital system I had a contract with ( and truthfully who knows what decade they would have called me for an interview at this point)
The problem is I heard from a little birdie in HR that in 6 -8 months the hospital will send me a bill for 20,000 !!????
So my question is What do I do!? I feel that the company ( not me) breeched this contract!
I have student loans to pay and I don't have a spare 20,000 sitting around.
PS- I also did have to go on LOA because of my health for 6 weeks in Sept. I am fine now. The same people in HR who fill out that paper work are the same who pull applications for HR interviews and to show the managers. Should I be suspisious that they didn't exactly love the idea of hiring a 24 year old new grad with chronic health problems.
I was not terminated..I had quit after I had gotten a new RN position at the other hospital.
I also did try to chat up some managers and none of them were hiring. Some of them were only hiring RN's with 5+ years experience. Ive gave nothing but my best within my 4 years and truthfully I was well-liked by those who I worked with and managers ( I think its because I always was plesent and avoided drama)
I just feel like the hospital is in the wrong! It makes me so upset! That I feel like I took the right steps and they ( the hospital) is just not in a financial position to hire RNs...therefore I get the bill. I also heard from this HR girl that they send you one lump some and they are very very unwilling to try to help you break it up into payments. = (
However I did hear I could keep my part time job as a Tech for two years to avoid this! ( however I am pretty sure thats a bad idea)
I was thinking about calling HR and getting the facts straight however I was told by some friends and family that I should consult a contract lawyer and have them do the talking.
I was going to say too, the fact that you have to pay it is not a question in my mind. How it gets paid back is another story.
If not for this contract, you would have gone for financial assistance at school and would have received school loans. School loan payments are dispersed over 30 years. Now, you have to pay it all up front.
I think that part coulb be arranged differently. A lawyer for that part might be a good idea.
I'm still confused about how the hospital broke the contract. Did anyone from HR ever actually tell you that they would not be able to give you a position, or did you assume from their lack of timely response to your applications that this was the case?
If you can make all copies of applications. Prove that you were willing and tring to fulfill the contrace. I have a something like that happening to me. I make copies of all applications I file with that hospital and the dates. I even told the hr people that I am tring to fulfill the contract however if they chose to not hire me then it is they whom are breaking the contract not me.
I'm kind of worried about a similar circumstance. I got a $10K Loan Repayment bonus (sign on bonus) that was to be given in smaller amounts over 9 months if you work for a year full time in the position you were hired for (and I think it included the shift). The last payment, the 9th month exactly, was not given to me-no reason I should not have recieved that in my pay. Unfortunately, I was in a massive car accident because I was working too many 12 hour shifts in a row on very little sleep. This was two days after I should have been paid. I was in a different hospital for about 1 month and, now, 2 and1/2 months after release I am still in a wheelchair. From what I understand I will have home therpy and inpatient therapy over the next 2 months. Then I will go back to work. My dilema is: should I ask for the $3,000 , and when, or would that incline them to demand all of the money back. Many of the nurses, including the manager I work with saw me and the shape I was in (although I don't remember all of it). Would that count as some special circumstance regarding the $10K sign on bunous even though there is not mention of getting out of the deal? I do plan to return to work there again. Although, I won't be doing as many extra shifts.
A $20,000 commitment would seem to me, to be an incentive to perhaps be a little more proactive. Did you leave anything out? I would suggest not relying hearsay and call HR and ask about your situation.
It also might not be a bad idea to go for a consult now.........depending on the contract, you may be able to bolster your position, and an attorney is going to be much better qualified to advise you than anyone here.
You wouldn't go to an attorney for a nursing question, right? Same thing applies in reverse.
However I did hear I could keep my part time job as a Tech for two years to avoid this! ( however I am pretty sure thats a bad idea)
I was thinking about calling HR and getting the facts straight however I was told by some friends and family that I should consult a contract lawyer and have them do the talking.
That's a very bad idea. Do not accept any liability or offer to repay this money. Nada Nil Zip.
Though I haven't seen the contract - my best guess would be:
You are only obligated to work for them as an RN
They aren't hiring
They have broken the contract
Why should you be paying back?
They have dishonoured an agreement with you to give you a job for 2 years.
The term I believe is "frustration of contract" - in that they have put you in an impossible position to honour the contract.
Don't talk to anyone about it - don't even approach HR.
I agree the working as a tech is a bad idea, but for a little different reason. There is a very good chance they only will accept that because they want to bring you in, let you go on for a few months, then fire you for something petty and now you are the one in breach of contract.
Similar thing happened to me, and I am not responsible for the payback beause they breached the contract AND never returned calls from the facility I work for now, who was willing to reimburse them for my schooling. Check with a lawyer in your state, FL has nice little "civil agreement" clause, you send a check in for what you can afford, even if it's less than the minimum, they cash it and they are in civil agreement to accept that amount monthly, now they can still hit your credit and harass the daylights out of you, but they can't take you to court for full payment, settlement or attempt to garnish wages. Good luck!
imalilteapott
39 Posts
Thanks Everyone for the advice!
To clarify more details for everyone.....
I was not terminated..I had quit after I had gotten a new RN position at the other hospital.
I also did try to chat up some managers and none of them were hiring. Some of them were only hiring RN's with 5+ years experience. Ive gave nothing but my best within my 4 years and truthfully I was well-liked by those who I worked with and managers ( I think its because I always was plesent and avoided drama)
I just feel like the hospital is in the wrong! It makes me so upset! That I feel like I took the right steps and they ( the hospital) is just not in a financial position to hire RNs...therefore I get the bill. I also heard from this HR girl that they send you one lump some and they are very very unwilling to try to help you break it up into payments. = (
However I did hear I could keep my part time job as a Tech for two years to avoid this! ( however I am pretty sure thats a bad idea)
I was thinking about calling HR and getting the facts straight however I was told by some friends and family that I should consult a contract lawyer and have them do the talking.