[thelist] company sponsorship

[Joshua Olson]

Lez,

You wrote:
: I know this fairly OT, but I have been asked to put together a document
: justifying the benefits of letting me take a day off per week to finish
: part-time study (a Computer Studies degree). I have made the offer of
: trading this off against an impending pay award - I have no probs pointing
: out the benefits to myself, but what would the company gain? The only
things
: I can come up with sound like threats or insults (it'll save you money
: (implying they're not doing too well and probably need to), I might have
to
: find another job nearer to college that will give me the time I need
(sounds
: like "if you don't agree I'll leave")).

It sounds like they'll save an employee.  If the degree means more to you
than does the job, then they need to know that.  That could be the ace in
the hole, but you'll have to be very diplomatic about it.  :)  Most
employers do not want to waste the investment they put into finding, hiring,
and training you for the job, so unless they are hurting financially or they
are unhappy with your work, then they most likely want to retain you.

Keep in mind that there are lots of employers who *would* let a person take
limited classes on company time without any complaint just to keep employee
morale high.  So keep that in mind when you are talking to them.  Also,
check around to see if others are taking classes, and that you are not
requesting classes on the same day as somebody else in the
company/department.

HTH,
-joshua