Post
by uk868 » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:43 pm
Hi everyone,
I just resigned from the previous company who offered me work permit 2 years ago.
Currantly, they are not happy that I left the company, and they demands a large amount of penalty from me. Simply because when I started to work for the company, they asked me to sign a contract with some special cluases as follows:
* the employee agreed to work for the company for 4 years fixed. another extra one year if the company wants to renew. under any circumstances, the employee can not terminate the contract by giving any notice.
* under any circumstances, the company can give the employee a diffrent lentgh of notice to terminate the contract within 4 years.
*if employee has special arrangement, like getting marriaged in another country, family sickness in home country, etc.. that make employee has to leave the company, the employee agrees to pay £**** penalty to the company, as replacement fee for overseas advertisement on the position at the time the company hired the employee.
*such a penalty if the employee is not capable to pay, the parents should pay for this fee without any failure.
By having said that, I was referred by a friend of mine. and I transfered my previous work permit to this company. I had to pay a fee to the company-appointed solicitor for the work permit application.
I feel that the contract is illegal. the company took advantage of me by signing the contract without leaving them. I had to sign it to get the work permit at that time. The above cluases were not negotialbe.
Currantly, the company desires the penalty fee from me, as they say I signed the paper 2 years ago. I want to ask, is this contract legal or not? Do I protected by uk employment law, even the contrac is illegal in any sense?
Please help.
thanks in advance.