Zizhong County 20 12 newly recruited public teachers, the maximum penalty is 20,000 yuan (about ten times the monthly salary). Is it illegal?

Article 25 of the Labor Contract Law stipulates that:

Except under the circumstances stipulated in Articles 22 and 23 of this Law, the employing unit shall not agree with the laborer that the laborer shall bear the liquidated damages.

Article 22 Where an employing unit provides special training fees and professional technical training for laborers, it may conclude an agreement with the laborers to stipulate the service period.

If the laborer violates the service period agreement, he shall pay liquidated damages to the employer in accordance with the agreement. The amount of liquidated damages shall not exceed the training expenses provided by the employer. The liquidated damages that the employer requires the laborer to pay shall not exceed the training expenses that should be shared for the unfinished part of the service period.

If the employer and the employee agree on the service period, it will not affect the employee's improvement of labor remuneration in accordance with the normal wage adjustment mechanism during the service period.

Article 23 The employer and the employee may agree in the labor contract to keep the employer's business secrets and confidential matters related to intellectual property rights.

For the workers who have the obligation of confidentiality, the employer may stipulate the non-competition clause with the workers in the labor contract or confidentiality agreement, and stipulate that after the labor contract is dissolved or terminated, the economic compensation will be paid to the workers on a monthly basis during the non-competition period. If the laborer violates the non-competition agreement, he shall pay liquidated damages to the employer in accordance with the agreement.

It is unreasonable to collect liquidated damages without training fees.