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Ouch...
I've just been insulted in a way that's intended to make me feel grovelingly grateful to my company. And it's working. Which in its turn invokes the opposite reaction.
We get a $1500/yr benefit for continuing education. I had asked the HR head about the Carnegie course potentially crossing fiscal year boundaries if it's indeed been rescheduled. In the process I mentioned that it was in fact a Carnegie course. She said she'd look into it but it would probably be all right. 1/2 hr later she comes in my office and says um, about that course... we don't think it falls under the continuing educational benefit and so we don't want to reimburse you--that is really meant for degree completion programs and so on--so we just want to pay for it. She made a point of saying this wasn't something I was owed, it's just something extra they'd like to do for me.
I was baffled and told her that while that was great, I did, personally, consider it to be continuing education, and however they want to do the money is fine, but I wouldn't expect to also take a $1500 software class or anything in this same fiscal year. I mean, giving me $1595 here as kind of a random extra... that's huge...
She said not to worry about it if I do see a software class. I made a half-joke about people being that eager to see me attain political savviness... and she smiled but said sure, I think people would see that as being positive, and I know the CEO has recommended this course to you. I laughed and agreed (and certainly as far as surviving in this shark tank, I do agree)! Then she went away.
So... they play this game very, very well indeed. I don't like large random extras and non-cash perks, at all--they are invariably meant as guilt trips. My company does a lot of that, and yes I have had talks with my boss about trying to become more politically with-it. But goddamn it, I've been good lately, I swear I have. Why are they purposely guilt-tripping me now? (And I do think it's meant as a guilt trip, because if it were just an accounting issue they could have simply not told me, reimbursed me $1500, and let me think I was getting my educational benefit as planned). I don't want something I'm not owed. I just want to satisfy my end of a well-defined employment agreement and have them satisfy theirs. Worse yet, is this going to be a subject in the very course I'm trying to take..... "how to buy people's loyalty and simultaneously make them feel like they barely deserve to be at your company"...?
Incidental note: just to add spice to the whole thing, today's the day we finally got the paperwork through for HLM's medical insurance to be paid by the company under their domestic partnership clause.
We get a $1500/yr benefit for continuing education. I had asked the HR head about the Carnegie course potentially crossing fiscal year boundaries if it's indeed been rescheduled. In the process I mentioned that it was in fact a Carnegie course. She said she'd look into it but it would probably be all right. 1/2 hr later she comes in my office and says um, about that course... we don't think it falls under the continuing educational benefit and so we don't want to reimburse you--that is really meant for degree completion programs and so on--so we just want to pay for it. She made a point of saying this wasn't something I was owed, it's just something extra they'd like to do for me.
I was baffled and told her that while that was great, I did, personally, consider it to be continuing education, and however they want to do the money is fine, but I wouldn't expect to also take a $1500 software class or anything in this same fiscal year. I mean, giving me $1595 here as kind of a random extra... that's huge...
She said not to worry about it if I do see a software class. I made a half-joke about people being that eager to see me attain political savviness... and she smiled but said sure, I think people would see that as being positive, and I know the CEO has recommended this course to you. I laughed and agreed (and certainly as far as surviving in this shark tank, I do agree)! Then she went away.
So... they play this game very, very well indeed. I don't like large random extras and non-cash perks, at all--they are invariably meant as guilt trips. My company does a lot of that, and yes I have had talks with my boss about trying to become more politically with-it. But goddamn it, I've been good lately, I swear I have. Why are they purposely guilt-tripping me now? (And I do think it's meant as a guilt trip, because if it were just an accounting issue they could have simply not told me, reimbursed me $1500, and let me think I was getting my educational benefit as planned). I don't want something I'm not owed. I just want to satisfy my end of a well-defined employment agreement and have them satisfy theirs. Worse yet, is this going to be a subject in the very course I'm trying to take..... "how to buy people's loyalty and simultaneously make them feel like they barely deserve to be at your company"...?
Incidental note: just to add spice to the whole thing, today's the day we finally got the paperwork through for HLM's medical insurance to be paid by the company under their domestic partnership clause.