WAHM Forums

Morning/Afternoon ladies!

This morning, while gathering leads for work at home jobs for moms, I came across a lead for a CSR where the company requires anyone who is hired to pay for her own training. I didn't post it on my site, because I don't believe anyone should have to pay to work (and this includes training). However, this position is for an independent contractor and not an employee. The ad states that the company is hiring CSRs to work from home for a nationally recognized company. I don't mind when potential workers are asked to pay for fingerprinting or other minor security check costs, but a training fee of $100+ just seems outrageous to me.

Am I wrong about this? Is this standard in WAH CSR jobs?

In my years of experience I have heard of CSR positions in which you are required to pay the background check and often times the credit check. I have never heard of a person required to pay for their training fees. There is a company that hires CSR's that asks you pay upfront for the manual because apparently it is very large, but other than that I can not think off the top of my head of any such position. Personally, I would not pay anything to train for a company, but that is just my .02.

Thanks, Melissa...at least I know now that I'm not alone in thinking this is a ridiculous request. I probably wouldn't have questioned myself on it if the company didn't mention the reputable company they were hiring for (or others they have worked with). Still, at a $100 training cost, it just rubbed me the wrong way regardless of the name-dropping.

Hi,

I have seen a couple of companies that said you have to pay for training manuals and pay for training. They were good, legit companies but I refuse to pay to start work. I am a single mom so I'm not gonna pay you, unless it's for a background check, to work for you. But there are alot of companies out there just trying to scam people out their money by saying, "small fee for training"

Just my two cents.

thanks,
Lisa

I'm with you, Lisa, it makes no sense whatsoever. Why should a person have to pay an employer to teach them how to do whatever it is the employer wants a person to do? That's like me hiring a housekeeper and then telling her she has to pay me to show her exactly how I like my bathroom cleaned! I don't doubt that some reputable companies do this, I just question their ethics in doing so. If employers hiring at a brick and mortar location tried this, especially in this economy, people would be up in arms. That it happens frequently in WAH customer service jobs (of which I imagine a large number of employees are women) really burns me up.

The only thing that causes me pause is that most people in these scenarios are hired under Independent Contractor status. Still, unless the training is wholly usable with other companies or on other jobs, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole idea. Even as an IC, it sounds like a pay to play gig. Maybe someone better versed in these matters can explain it to me, because I'm really at a loss as to how companies are getting away with this.

I did a brief stint at a clothing retailer in high school who insisted that we wear their clothes when working. Of course, we got an employee discount (and the clothes were cute, lol) and we could have the expense deducted from our paychecks, but that still peeved me. I had other things to do with my money and didn't like being forced to buy my employers clothes with the little bit of money they were paying me. Guess that's where some of my ire comes from on this one, lol.

Anyway, didn't mean to go off on a tangent. :) Thanks for weighing in and have a relaxing weekend!

I'm sure companies have a *good* reason for charging for training, but I have yet to figure out what that reason is. But I'm with you, MoneyMakinMama, it doesn't make sense at all to me!

I agree, don't think it's right to charge someone for training. I don't mind not being paid for training as an IC, but that's as far as I go. Some of the popular very big IC companies, charge fees for job certifications. Their sales pitch is you own your own business, therefore you can write it off. That maybe true, but not when you're starting out. By the time you start working you've got so much invested in the company, even if you hate it, you're sorta stuck.

When I started w/AA about 5 years ago, they paid for background, credit cks, now they charge employee. I understand why they do it, because people are not honest, and then the company wastes a lot of money, but personally, I won't pay for those things, and fortunately, I've not had too.

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but this is something that really bugs me.

Arise requires a 100 dollar training fee...

Morning/Afternoon ladies!

This morning, while gathering leads for work at home jobs for moms, I came across a lead for a CSR where the company requires anyone who is hired to pay for her own training. I didn't post it on my site, because I don't believe anyone should have to pay to work (and this includes training). However, this position is for an independent contractor and not an employee. The ad states that the company is hiring CSRs to work from home for a nationally recognized company. I don't mind when potential workers are asked to pay for fingerprinting or other minor security check costs, but a training fee of $100+ just seems outrageous to me.

Am I wrong about this? Is this standard in WAH CSR jobs?

Thanks for letting me know this, although I'm not surprised at all. According to the ad I saw, this company is affiliated with Arise.

The company name dropped all throughout the ad by mentioning Arise and other companies they've either worked with in the past, are hiring for now or may have openings for in the future. Arise is known to be a legit company, as are the companies this current company is contracted to work for. The idea then becomes that since these places are legit (which they are), this kind of behavior is acceptable (no matter how unacceptable it feels to our gut instinct). Hundreds of people go along with the shenanigans because Arise and the others have helped to make it a standard practice. But if it's wrong, it's still wrong.

How do you tell a single mother who's been out of work for 3 months that she's hired, but she's going to have to pay $100 for training. And, I'm sorry, taking it out of her first check isn't cool, either

I take further issue with this because I'm constantly working to convince people that legitimate work at home jobs do exist. Although these places are legitimate, they don't act like it and it's this kind of foolishness that gives this entire sector a bad name!

Thanks for letting me know this, although I'm not surprised at all. According to the ad I saw, this company is affiliated with Arise.

The company name dropped all throughout the ad by mentioning Arise and other companies they've either worked with in the past, are hiring for now or may have openings for in the future. Arise is known to be a legit company, as are the companies this current company is contracted to work for. The idea then becomes that since these places are legit (which they are), this kind of behavior is acceptable (no matter how unacceptable it feels to our gut instinct). Hundreds of people go along with the shenanigans because Arise and the others have helped to make it a standard practice. But if it's wrong, it's still wrong.

How do you tell a single mother who's been out of work for 3 months that she's hired, but she's going to have to pay $100 for training. And, I'm sorry, taking it out of her first check isn't cool, either

I take further issue with this because I'm constantly working to convince people that legitimate work at home jobs do exist. Although these places are legitimate, they don't act like it and it's this kind of foolishness that gives this entire sector a bad name!

I am sure you are familiar with Arise and if you want to be contracted with them you need to have a registered business i.e LLC, S-Corp, etc. What some people do (I have a friend who does this) is take on several clients and hire CSRs under their registered business. Basically, you will be an employee of the person's company, who is contracted with Arise.

The fee is probably for the ACP 101 or training. Some people don't want to go through the additional expense with registering a business and then paying for training. In some states it can be very expensive. Personally, I would incorporate my business and work for myself, but some don't want to pay all the upfront money and prefer to work under a contractor.

There is a lady who posts on here and WPLH who does this. I forgot the name of her company.

I have a csr egg that charged for background check and like five dollars for each new skill attained unless it is during the free time. It is definitely a legit company though. I guess it depends on the company.

I've never been asked to pay for my own background or credit check or training expenses - I have done free training as an IC and paid training as an employee

IMHO those are expenses to be paid by the company as a cost of doing business