Former employee challenges company’s demand to repay home-buying perk

An engineering firm with an office in Guelph is asking a former employee to return $20,000. CTV’s Spencer Turcotte explains why.

A former employee says a company is demanding he repay thousands of dollars offered through a home-buying assistance program after the office he reported to moved.

Jayesh Boily purchased a home in Acton in 2024 with help from engineering firm Crozier’s First-Time Home Buyers’ Assistance Program, which offers eligible employees up to $20,000 toward a down payment.

Employees who stay with the company for three years do not have to repay the money.

“They’ll give you up to $20,000 to purchase a house, on the commitment that you stay there for three years,” Boily said. “Without it, I don’t think we would have been able to have done that.”

Boily said he chose to buy in Acton because it was close to the company’s Milton office, where he worked at the time.

However, he said the company announced in 2025 that it would be relocating, a move he said significantly increased his commute.

“The company made an announcement that they were relocating the Milton office to Burlington,” Boily said.

He said the longer commute more than doubled his travel time and increased his transportation costs, leading him to resign before completing the three-year commitment required under the program.

Boily argued the relocation went against the spirit of the retention incentive.

“If I had known, or if they would’ve informed me, I would have changed my decision to move to Acton,” he said.

After leaving the company, Boily said he was informed that Crozier was seeking repayment of the nearly $20,000 he received through the program, along with interest.

In a statement to CTV News, Crozier said participants agree to the terms of the program before receiving the benefit.

“All participants agree to the program’s terms before receiving any benefit, including a repayment provision if they choose to resign before those terms are met. These terms exist to ensure the program remains sustainable and continues to support employees for years to come,” a company spokesperson said, in part.

Boily acknowledged he left before fulfilling the three-year requirement but believes the office relocation should be considered.

“The move contradicts the program that they have established,” he said. “I signed this agreement under the idea that they’ll be staying in Milton. Never in anybody’s head, or at least my head, that they’ll be moving this far away.”

The dispute could ultimately be settled through legal channels.

Crozier launched the home-buying assistance program in 2021. According to the company, more than 40 employees have benefited from the initiative since its introduction.

Boily said he hopes sharing his experience will encourage workers to carefully review the terms of similar employer-sponsored housing programs and consider how changes, such as office relocations, could affect their obligations.