Service period refers to the period stipulated by law during which the employee must serve the employer because the employer provides professional technical training for the employee. The premise is that the employer provides special training fees for the workers, and the workers can only conclude an agreement with the workers after receiving professional and technical training. Workers who violate the service period shall pay liquidated damages to the employer. If the employee whose service period is not full is dismissed by the employer under the statutory circumstances of fault cancellation stipulated in the Labor Contract Law, he shall pay liquidated damages to the employer. However, if the employer violates the law or breaches the contract, forcing the employee to resign before the expiration of the service period, it is not a violation of the service period. The employer may not require the employee to pay the liquidated damages, and the employee does not need to pay the liquidated damages to the employer.

Legal basis:

Article 22 of the Labor Contract Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) * * * Where an employer provides special training fees for its employees and provides them with professional and technical training, it may conclude an agreement with the employees 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.