Q: Can a California employer require an employee, who is a minor, to pay for a mandatory job training class?

A: Being a minor does not enter into the analysis.

An employer cannot force an employee to pay for training if the training is related to company-specific products, practices or procedures. The employer must pay for that kind of training, and must pay the employee to compensate for the time it takes to undergo that training.

On the other hand, if the training is something that provides knowledge, or a certificate or some other thing that the employee can take with him or her to another job, and be more valuable because of that training, then the employer does not have a duty to pay for that training. Welding training unspecific to company product, CPR training, and the like can be brought with you when you leave, and you are considered to be a more valuable commodity. The employer does not have to pay for that.

Good luck to you.

A: No. A California employer cannot require the employee to pay the employer for mandatory training.

A: In California, employers generally have the responsibility to pay for mandatory job training provided to their employees, including minors. According to the California Labor Code, employers must provide the necessary training without cost to the employee.

Section 2802 of the California Labor Code states that employers must reimburse employees for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred in the course of their employment. This includes expenses such as job-related training.