Sending staff on courses.
Discussion
By mutual request my small company is sending one of our staff on a course. This involves the company paying the course fees and releasing the staff member one day a week during term time for two years.
What is the appropriate agreement I should draft up to ensure neither the company or the employee lose out in this situation? We've discussed a tie-in period so if they leave within X period the course fees would need to be repaid, but what arrangement should we have regarding the day release? Should the company accept the loss of one person for a day, or should the employee sacrifice pay for that day or something inbetween?
If it makes any difference we employ four people, so the loss of a person for one day a week is quite significant.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
What is the appropriate agreement I should draft up to ensure neither the company or the employee lose out in this situation? We've discussed a tie-in period so if they leave within X period the course fees would need to be repaid, but what arrangement should we have regarding the day release? Should the company accept the loss of one person for a day, or should the employee sacrifice pay for that day or something inbetween?
If it makes any difference we employ four people, so the loss of a person for one day a week is quite significant.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
If you're a small company may be worth asking your local enterprise body if grants are available. 10years ago when I was a junior I was on a day release course for a year and the company got about £3k (drawn monthly)
Edit to add cost of course and books etc was about £750
Edit to add cost of course and books etc was about £750
Edited by AndyAudi on Tuesday 9th September 11:31
OK - I just wanted to ensure that it was an investment for you.
You can be quite clinical with the calculations initially.
E.g. say 39 days per year x 2 years = 78 days lost work
Course fee divided by daily rate = x days 'worth' of work
Add the two together and that'll give you the core investment value in working days.
Then you need to think about the impact on your business. How much less work does everyone else do in order to carry the work not done by this employee on the 78 absent days? Try and come up with an answer in 'man-days' for the absence. It may be zero if the employee can squeeze five days activity into four!
Once you have the final total number of days, I'd double it (and then round it to nearest year) to create the hand-cuff period.
There is another approach however, but it could be quite difficult in a small business. That is, rather than 'penalise' the person with the hand-cuff period, to promise them a pay-rise upon successfully completing Year One studies at a certain grade (the 'B' level or equivalent) and then promise a further rise, coupled with a promotion upon successfully completing the full course at a certain grade.
This can be problematic in such a small firm though, where everyone is 'kind of equal' and mucks in to ensure overall business success.
You can be quite clinical with the calculations initially.
E.g. say 39 days per year x 2 years = 78 days lost work
Course fee divided by daily rate = x days 'worth' of work
Add the two together and that'll give you the core investment value in working days.
Then you need to think about the impact on your business. How much less work does everyone else do in order to carry the work not done by this employee on the 78 absent days? Try and come up with an answer in 'man-days' for the absence. It may be zero if the employee can squeeze five days activity into four!
Once you have the final total number of days, I'd double it (and then round it to nearest year) to create the hand-cuff period.
There is another approach however, but it could be quite difficult in a small business. That is, rather than 'penalise' the person with the hand-cuff period, to promise them a pay-rise upon successfully completing Year One studies at a certain grade (the 'B' level or equivalent) and then promise a further rise, coupled with a promotion upon successfully completing the full course at a certain grade.
This can be problematic in such a small firm though, where everyone is 'kind of equal' and mucks in to ensure overall business success.
Edited by V8mate on Tuesday 9th September 11:38
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