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Training/tuition reimbursement form

While training for all employees is advantageousboth to increase the value of the employees and to strengthen the organizationit is crucial for IT workers. A significant portion of an IT workers skills must be updated and expanded regularly to ensure that the workers skills stay current and valuable. When an organization does not have the resources to provide training internally, IT workers often get training from an outside sourcea training center, a college or university, or an online programat the companys expense. Our sample training/tuition reimbursement policy outlines expectations and guidelines for the program to ensure that both the organization and employees understand their roles and obligations. Included are: Training guidelines Employee obligations Organizational responsibilities Reimbursement guidelines A sample reimbursement request form This policy and reimbursement form can be used as a framework to define your organizations approach to employee training using outside sources. Edit it to fit your needs, but please credit TechRepublic as the source for the policy and the form. Sections of the policy that need specific information from your company or editing to fit your requirements are marked in italics.

Training reimbursement policy

Investing in the future
In the fast-paced IT marketplace, the ability to adapt and meet the challenges of change is a key success factor. We encourage our employees to continue their education and to hone their knowledge and skills to meet the demands of our dynamic industry. For individuals, we believe that continuing education offers a satisfying growth experience and positions them to compete in the talented and growing IT labor pool. On a company-wide level, we believe that enriched employees add value to the organization and will, in turn, sharpen our competitive edge in the marketplace.

The employees pre-coursework obligation

Before an employee can take advantage of the organizations training-reimbursement program, he or she must provide his or her department head with: The name of the organization providing the training. The total cost of the program. A written description of how training will support or enhance the employees qualifications and performance. An employee should provide his or her department supervisor with the above information 30 days before training begins. The employee also must work out a schedule with his or her supervisor to ensure outside training does not interfere with the daily work schedule.

Reimbursement eligibility guidelines

Continuing education eligible for reimbursement may consist of training seminars, certification courses, or a degree from a university. The eligibility of various types of coursework for reimbursement depends on both the employees job description and the needs of the department. For example, if the organizations network administrator wanted to learn more about the companys e-mail system, then classes on Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes administration would be appropriate.

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However, if the network administrator wanted to learn more about Web site design, then classes on Dreamweavera common HTML editor programwould not be relevant for her job and would not be eligible for reimbursement. Often, because of promotions and shifts in business strategy, employees assume new roles and must acquire new skills. In such instances, training to acclimate the employee to the new position would be considered eligible for reimbursement. The employees department head makes the final decision in determining whether coursework is eligible for reimbursement.

Certification
An employee must meet with both his or her supervisor and department head to discuss certification before determining whether certification costs will be reimbursed by the organization. Like all other training, the certification must support the employees job or be applicable to the employees department to be eligible for reimbursement. Because many certification programs require students to complete a specific number of classes during a set time period, employees may be permitted to take more than six credits per academic termat a universityor may be permitted to take more than two classes at a time at an approved training center. A list of approved certifications is included below: (Tailor this list to fit your departments needs or delete this sentence and handle requests on a case-by-case basis.)

Short-term training at training centers or seminars

The company will pay for the total cost of short-term technical training for employees whose training is approved by their department head.

College and university credits

To ensure that employees have adequate time to attend classes and meet their responsibilities, employees cannot be reimbursed for more than six credits per semester or quarter, depending on the academic term of local colleges and universities. Classes with labs that count as additional semester hours are exempt from this rule, as are tracks toward major, vendor-related certification.

Reimbursement guidelines
The organization agrees to pay for all training-related costs by the start of certification programs. Employees enrolled in degree-track courses at a university will be reimbursed upon completion based on their performance in the classes: If the employee receives an A, the organization will cover 100 percent of all training costs. If the employee receives a B, the employee will pay 10 percent of the training costs. If the employee receives a C, the employee will pay 20 percent of the training costs. If the employee receives a D, the employee will cover 30 percent of the training costs. If the employee receives a failing grade, the employee will be expected to reimburse the company for the cost of training by the close of the closest fiscal quarter. The organization also maintains a relationship with (name of school, name of training center, name of online course provider) and provides a 15 percent discount to employees who take courses from this provider.

Completion of training and coursework

The organization strongly encourages employees to complete all training, once reimbursement has been approved. The organization also encourages employees to attend all training sessions. If an employee has an emergency that prohibits him or her from attending, the employee will notify both his or her supervisor and the department head.

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If an employee enrolls in training and decides to withdraw, he or she will immediately reimburse the organization for all fees. If the employee withdraws because of hardshipinjury, or family or personal illnessthe organization will review the matter and decide whether to cover the cost of the training.

Auditing
Employees who frequently travel or have other work-related obligations that make their schedules irregular can discuss auditing classes at a university or college. Requests for auditing will be handled individually.

Bonuses for employees completing coursework

Employees who have completed associates or bachelors degrees in a technical field, as well as those who have completed certification programs, will receive bonuses from the company at the end of the closest financial quarter. The bonus structure is as follows: Associates degree: $500 Vendor-based certification: $800 Bachelors degree: $1,000 Masters degree: $2,000 Employees who receive technical certifications will not be eligible for bonuses. (You may also wish to edit this section to fit your departments situation.)

Employee obligations for degrees or certification

Employees sponsored by the organization to earn a college or university degree or vendor-related certification (e.g., MCSE, CCNE, CNE) will be obligated to remain at the organization for one year after completing their final certification exam or after being awarded their bachelors degree (six months for an associates degree). Employees who complete a masters degree will be obligated to remain for two years. Employees who voluntarily leave the organization before the end of the first year will have to pay a percentage of the costs expended by the organization to cover certification and university training. Employees laid off from the organization because of downsizing or reorganization will not be obligated to reimburse the organization. Employees who are terminated for violating company policy will make arrangements with human resources and accounting to repay the organization for training costs.

Compliance agreement
An employee who participates in the training-reimbursement program will sign and date the compliance agreement below that states that the employee has read the reimbursement policy and agrees to follow the guidelines in the policy. Copies of this agreement should be kept on file in the IT and human resources departments. An employee will sign a new copy of this compliance agreement each time he or she enrolls in a new training program. __________________________________ Signature __________________________________ Employee title __________________________________ Department/Location
Disclaimer: This policy is not a substitute for legal advice. If you have legal questions related to this policy, see your lawyer.

_____________________________________ Employee name _____________________________________ Date

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www.techrepublic.com Training/Tuition Reimbursement

APPLICATION FOR TRAINING/TUITION REIMBURSEMENT

TO BE COMPLETED BY EMPLOYEE

Employee name Division Employee title

Social Security number Department

Daytime telephone # Location Hire date

Name of school: Is this school an: Accredited institution Name of degree/Certificate program (if applicable): Course title: # of course credits (if applicable): Date of course: From: Approximate cost of course Tuition $ Registration $

Nonaccredited institution

To: Supplies $

TO BE COMPLETED BY MANAGER OR DEPARTMENT HEAD Is the above course Job related Nonjob related If the course is job related, please explain how it maintains or improves the employees skills in his/her current job:

SIGNATURE Mgr./Dept. head (Please print.)

Mgr. signature

Date

Employee signature

Date

For HR department use only Application review date: By: Eligible for tuition assistance program Reimbursement is nontaxable income Ineligible for tuition assistance program Reimbursement is taxable income Please note: If you fail to submit a training/tuition reimbursement form for approval 30 days prior to your class/course, you will not receive reimbursement.

2001 TechRepublic, Inc. www.techrepublic.com. All rights reserved.