Agency fees clawed back on exit

HIGH

What happens

A recruiter or school claims you owe a 'placement' or 'agency fee' when you leave, and threatens to deduct it from your final pay. These fees are typically the employer's cost, not yours.

✅ How to protect yourself

Any clause that makes you repay recruitment costs on exit. Ask, in writing, who pays the agency fee and whether it is repayable.

Real cases (1)

shanghair/shanghai · Shanghai · 2026

threatened to deduct a 20,000 RMB agency fee because I was leaving

¥20,000 clawback threat, recorded.

source: open the original post

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Built from public teacher discussions. Every figure shows its sample size.
Not legal advice · sourced from self-reported forum posts · contract check tool