Kids, co-eds, and moms and dads are not the only ones feeling the effects of back-to-school season. Many managers and co-workers feel the effects as well when colleagues return to classes. While most employers support the higher education of their employees in theory, it is not always as easy to do in practice. However, there are a wide range of practical ways employers can support employees who elect to further their education. G&A Partners, a Houston-based human resource services firm, offers employers the following tutorial.
Tuition Reimbursement
Corporate America spends approximately $10 billion annually for tuition reimbursement. While paying for employees' tuition is a benefit many small companies feel unable to extend, the federal government does help by allowing employers to provide their workers with up to $5,250 a year in tax-free educational benefits, including assistance for graduate studies.
Depending on the number of workers attending a particular institution, companies may also be able to negotiate discounted tuition for its employees in exchange for providing the institution access to employees through e-mail blasts, recruiting sessions in the company cafeteria, and on-site presentations. It may also be an added incentive to universities if an employer hires students as interns at the company.
Flexible Schedules
Even if a company cannot cover tuition for its employees, it can still support their academic endeavors. Creating flexible work schedules that provide employees the necessary time to attend classes and manage their course work is a valued benefit.
Employers need to consider, however, how such work schedules may impact a student's co-workers. Some workers feel over-burdened, and even resentful, when their colleagues take off to attend classes. Job-sharing, where two part-time employees do the job of one, may be an alternative to over-taxing team members.
Provide Long Term Incentives
Individuals seek higher learning for all sorts of reasons, including of course deeper knowledge and personal fulfillment, but employers should not fool themselves. Most people pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree for better career opportunities and greater earning potential.
Employers who value educated employees should not only encourage their academic endeavors but also entice them to stay with the company once they achieve their goals. Managers need to be willing to discuss potential post-degree career paths and earning increases (without making promises they cannot keep). If retaining an employee after they graduate is important, the company should be prepared to recognize and reward their accomplishment.
Cheer On Higher Learning
Employers need to remember that their employees' academic interests may not be aligned with their own business interests. While employers might like to see an employee pursue a management or business degree, employees need to fulfill their own personal educational goals. So whether they're taking logistics or literature, cheer them on. While some of the liberal arts may not provide the practical skills a company needs, an employee's exposure to open exchange of ideas and higher learning that academia provides can infuse a business with new energy and agility.
To learn more about how companies can support employees who wish to further their education, contact G&A Partners' Orietta Murdock at 713.784.1811, or via email at omurdock@gnapartners.com.
