A long course in another city: training or a change of workplace?

What the published case can show

Shanghai's human resources authority published an arbitration analysis in which a company sent a store manager to another city for three months of full-time training shortly after the manager rejected a transfer to that city. The arbitrator found the dismissal unlawful. The decision turned on the specific facts: the training was long, distant, full-time, and followed a rejected relocation, and the company did not prove the training was necessary for the employee's current job. This does not mean every outside-city course is illegal or that every employee may simply refuse training. Each case depends on the necessity, duration, duties, pay, and the surrounding circumstances.

Request the complete training arrangement

Ask the employer in writing for the training's purpose, course content, venue, duration, what duties you will perform during the training, your wage and benefits during that period, and who pays for travel and accommodation. Compare the stated need with the duties of your current position. Keep the training notice and any earlier transfer notice or proposal, so an adviser can see the sequence of events rather than only the latest email. If the employer does not provide details, note that in your records.

State your position and keep working accurately

Explain the specific unresolved points—such as missing pay details or unclear necessity—and ask for discussion of alternatives, like a shorter course or local training. If you intend to continue your current duties, record that intention and what you actually do each day. Refusing to attend or stopping work can have consequences, including claims of absenteeism. Get advice before choosing a tactic, and never describe yourself as working if you were not present or performing duties.

If discipline or dismissal follows

Keep together the dismissal notice, the stated reasons, attendance records, your written responses, and the original training notice. Separate the dispute over the training from any claim about the subsequent sanction. Ask an adviser to review the documents and the relevant deadlines for filing a claim. Do not assume that calling the arrangement 'unreasonable' proves it, or that paying compensation automatically cures every procedural defect. The employer's stated reason for dismissal must be examined against the actual facts.

Use the case to identify facts, not assume an outcome

The published analysis can help you ask about necessity, duration, location and treatment. Hypothetical illustration: an employee receives an out-of-city training notice after disputing a move, but the notice omits the course purpose and pay arrangements. Ask for the syllabus, role-related need, travel costs and alternatives, and preserve both notices. A sequence resembling the published case deserves examination; it does not by itself prove a disguised transfer.

How to frame a question for an adviser

When seeking advice, bring the training notice, any transfer proposal, your written responses, and a timeline of events. Ask: 'Given that my employer scheduled a three-month full-time course in another city right after I rejected a transfer there, and the notice did not state my pay or travel costs, is this training likely to be seen as a reasonable exercise of management power or as a unilateral change to my workplace?' Also ask what documents would strengthen your position and what risks you face if you refuse to attend.

Next steps if the issue is unresolved

If the employer insists and you believe the arrangement is unreasonable, do not simply stop attending work. Continue to perform your current duties if you can, and document everything. Seek advice from a labour law specialist or local legal aid, presenting the full sequence. If the employer disciplines or dismisses you, you may challenge the action through arbitration within the statutory time limit. The published case shows that a dismissal based on refusal of an unreasonable training arrangement can be found unlawful, but each case depends on its own facts.

Need to take the next step?

More from this country