Legal Question in Employment Law in Georgia

New termination policy

I travel for work (3-4 trips/month). Texas based employer travel policy states that employees are to purchase non-refundable airline tickets at least 2 weeks in advance of trip (business tickets are directly billed to company). Employer has recently come up with a new policy stating if an employee terminates employment (voluntarily or involuntarily) the employee must re-pay the company for unused business airline tickets. At any given time, I have 3 to 4 airline tickets for future business travel. Can my employer legally enforce this new termination policy if I leave? How can an employer force an employee to purchase non refundable airline tickets according to travel policy and then later expect that employee to reimburse the company for such tickets? I'm being asked to agree to and sign and date a new policy authorization form by tomorrow! Help!!!


Asked on 2/26/09, 4:07 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Gregory Fidlon Law Offices of Gregory R. Fidlon, P.C.

Re: New termination policy

If you don't use the tickets, you would still have the ability to pay a change fee and apply the value of the tickets toward future travel, right? If so, I would argue that the company should eat the cost of any change fees, but is still entitled to be reimbursed for the remaining cost of the unusued tickets. You may want to suggest a modification of the policy in that regard before signing.

This response is for informational purposes only and does not create an attorney-client relationship.

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Answered on 2/26/09, 4:16 pm


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