Can Caring Senior Service designate continuing or refresher training as mandatory?
Caring_Senior_Service Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We may provide continuing or refresher training for you and/or your employees, and we may designate that this training is mandatory for you, your Agency Director, Homecare Consultant(s), Care Manager(s) and/or your other employees. For any such additional mandatory or optional training, we reserve the right to charge our then-current training fee, and if such training involves travel for our personnel, you agree to reimburse us for all reasonable travel, lodging, and meal costs. Also for any mandatory or optional training, you must pay for all expenses incurred by your trainees, such as travel, lodging, meals and applicable wages.
In addition to the other training as described in this Section 7.2, there are certain training courses that result in certification and which are required in order for you to efficiently and effectively operate your Franchised Business. Some or all of these courses may be mandatory and will require you to pay our thencurrent training fee, which is determined based on the length of the training course and the number of people you are sending to the course. You acknowledge and agree that such certification courses are necessary for the continuing operation of your Franchised Business, and you agree to comply with all of our requirements in this regard.
7.3 Franchisee Conferences
We reserve the right to hold periodic meetings or conferences of our franchisees to discuss new products and services, to provide additional training and/or for other issues. If we hold a franchisee meeting, attendance may be mandatory for you and/or your Agency Director, Homecare Consultant(s), Care Manager(s) or other employees we designate. We may charge and you agree to pay a fee for training materials and conference registration. If such training or conference is required, this fee is due and payable regardless of whether or not you and your approved designees actually attend. You also agree to bear the cost for expenses you and your personnel incur in connection with conference attendance, including the cost of travel, lodging, meals, and wages.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 53–204)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Caring Senior Service's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Caring Senior Service may provide continuing or refresher training for franchisees and/or their employees. The document states that Caring Senior Service may designate this training as mandatory for the franchisee, their Agency Director, Homecare Consultant(s), Care Manager(s), and/or other employees.
For any mandatory or optional training, Caring Senior Service reserves the right to charge its then-current training fee. If such training involves travel for Caring Senior Service personnel, the franchisee agrees to reimburse Caring Senior Service for all reasonable travel, lodging, and meal costs. The franchisee must also pay for all expenses incurred by their trainees, such as travel, lodging, meals, and applicable wages.
In addition to the initial and continuing training programs, there are certain certification courses that are required for the franchisee to efficiently and effectively operate their Caring Senior Service franchise. Some or all of these courses may be mandatory and will require the franchisee to pay Caring Senior Service's then-current training fee, which is determined based on the length of the training course and the number of people the franchisee is sending to the course. The franchisee acknowledges and agrees that such certification courses are necessary for the continuing operation of their franchised business and agrees to comply with all of Caring Senior Service's requirements in this regard.
Caring Senior Service also reserves the right to hold periodic meetings or conferences of its franchisees to discuss new products and services, to provide additional training, and/or for other issues. If Caring Senior Service holds a franchisee meeting, attendance may be mandatory for the franchisee and/or their Agency Director, Homecare Consultant(s), Care Manager(s) or other employees Caring Senior Service designates. Caring Senior Service may charge a fee for training materials and conference registration, which is due and payable regardless of whether or not the franchisee and their approved designees actually attend. The franchisee also agrees to bear the cost for expenses they and their personnel incur in connection with conference attendance, including the cost of travel, lodging, meals, and wages.