Worked 8 days, only paid for 3 – employer deducted the rest as ‘training costs’

Hi all,

I’m looking for some advice regarding a training cost deduction from my final payslip.

I recently left a job during my probation period after about 2 weeks. My contract included a clause stating that if I leave during probation (3 months), I agree to repay the “direct costs of induction training”, capped at one week’s gross pay (40 hours at my hourly rate).

In my case:

* I had around 1 week of what was called “training” and then worked 3 days doing actual tasks

* The training was internal (no external course, certification, or third-party provider)

* It mainly involved shadowing a colleague, taking notes, and some basic explanations

* The structured training plan provided wasn’t really followed, and I didn’t even have access to systems for part of that time

In my final payslip:

* I was paid for the 3 days I worked (~£295 - 24h)

* Around £490 (equivalent to 1 week’s pay - 40h) was deducted for “training”

I’ve spoken to ACAS and Citizens Advice, and they both mentioned that because I agreed & signed to the clause in the contract, it may be enforceable, and I might not have strong grounds for a tribunal claim. However, I’m still unsure whether this type of deduction is considered fair or lawful in practice.

My understanding was that training cost recovery usually relates to things like external courses or clear, identifiable costs, rather than internal onboarding or a colleague’s time.

So my questions are:

* Is this kind of deduction (based purely on internal training time) generally enforceable?

* Does the employer need to demonstrate an actual, tangible cost beyond wages?

* Is there any realistic basis to challenge this as an unlawful deduction of wages, or is it likely to be upheld due to the signed clause?

Also, I haven't received my P45 yet.

I’d really appreciate any insights or similar experiences. Thanks in advance.

PS: this is in Scotland