Tuition Reimbursement

[rlrhodes77]

The tuition reimbursement offered by my current employer played an important role in my employment choice. My employer has since said that they will no longer accept applications, as they are over their budget. I considered this "money" as part my salary agreement. Can HR legally promote such a benefit and after hiring you, say they can't afford it anymore? Are there any legalities that bind them to this contract (not a signed agreement, of course)? Also, is it not illegal for an organization to pick and choose who they give this assistance to based on the course of study (i.e. hospital favoring education of nursing students as opposed to business students seeking a MBA)? OhioWhat is the name of your state?

 

[ecmst12]

Can HR legally promote such a benefit and after hiring you, say they can't afford it anymore?

Yes. Benefits like this are voluntary on the part of the company and they can rescind them at any time. The only possible exception would be if they had accepted your application so you took the course, they probably wouldn't THEN be allowed to claim poverty to not reimburse you as agreed.

Also, is it not illegal for an organization to pick and choose who they give this assistance to based on the course of study (i.e. hospital favoring education of nursing students as opposed to business students seeking a MBA)?

Of course it's not illegal. Why would a company be required to help you pay for a degree that you have small likelihood of using to benefit the company? They don't have to help you get a degree just so you can leave to get a better paying job somewhere else. They are absolutely allowed to say that the course has to be related to your job in order to qualify for reimbursement.

 

[rlrhodes77]

Reply to Quote 2 Response

With regard to your reply to Quote 2:

What if you work for the hospital within business operations, such as Finance? Furthering your education in business and obtaining a MBA would be job related...is it still legal to favor one course of study over another? In other words, as long as the course of study is job related, can they legally choose to allocate their tuition funds towards one type of applicant (i.e. nurse aid seeking RN) over the other (accounts payable clerk seeking BSBA in Accounting)?

 

[CheeseBlotto]

In other words, as long as the course of study is job related, can they legally choose to allocate their tuition funds towards one type of applicant (i.e. nurse aid seeking RN) over the other (accounts payable clerk seeking BSBA in Accounting)?

Certainly, they can.