Training repayment agreement provisions (TRAPs),are a new form of “stay-or-pay” contract that indebts employees to their bosses. Often inserted into contracts without workers’ knowledge, these restrictive labor covenants turn employer-sponsored job training and education programs into conditional loans that must be paid back — sometimes at a premium — if employees leave before a set date.
Employers argue that these clauses are a way to recoup their investment in employees who decide to leave the company prematurely. But these contracts have come under fire from labor groups and regulators. Oftentimes, the amount of debt demanded under TRAP contracts — which can be upward of $50,000 — is far higher than the employer’s training costs.
SLAVERY, WITH EXTRA STEPS.
When I was working as an EMT for a private company, we spent 30 minutes getting a patient to the ER following a stroke. This was one of the very rare times when that short window kept that dude alive (The overwhelming majority of people going to the hospital are not actually dying. Not even all stroke patients, or even most stroke patients.). I have no idea what that guy paid us, but I was making $9.50/hour, so I banked $4.75.
Two patients later I had offset the cost of my fast-food dinner. /s