Service period refers to the shortest period for employees to serve the employer through negotiation because they receive special treatment from the employer, such as special training.

In the process of legislation, one opinion is that the agreed service period restricts the free flow of workers and has an impact on market allocation. It should be coordinated by public policies and means, and it is not allowed for both parties to agree on restrictions. For example, the law should stipulate that the maximum service period should not exceed several years.

Another point of view is that the service period refers to the shortest period that the laborer promises to serve the employer because he accepts the special treatment given by the employer. As long as the employer invests in training workers, the trained workers have the obligation to serve the employer for at least a certain number of years, otherwise they have the obligation to compensate the training expenses, but only in proportion.

Therefore, after the employee receives paid on-the-job training from the employer, the employer can agree with the employee on the service period after receiving professional and technical training.

Legal basis: According to Article 22 of the Labor Contract Law of People's Republic of China (PRC), when signing the service period agreement with the employer, the employee should pay attention to the following aspects:

1, the signing of the service period agreement must be based on the premise that the employer provides special training fees and professional technical training for the workers, otherwise the signed service period agreement is not legally binding on the workers.

2. In the service period agreement, both parties may agree that if the laborer terminates the labor relationship in advance in violation of the service period agreement, he shall pay liquidated damages to the employer. However, the agreed amount of liquidated damages shall not exceed the training expenses provided by the employer. 3. If the employee terminates the labor relationship in advance in violation of the service period, the employer shall require the employee to pay the liquidated damages not exceeding the training expenses that should be shared for the unfulfilled part of the service period.

4. If the service period is agreed between the employer and the employee, it will not affect the employee to improve his remuneration according to the normal wage adjustment mechanism during the service period.