The Board of Trustees of the Garnet A. Wilson Public Library of Pike County wishes to encourage their employees to continue their education and further their development as library employees.
In order to do so, the Board of Trustees has agreed that it will pay for and/or reimburse regular employees for the cost of the class)es) they attend.
Educational assistance will be provided only for courses of study which the Library Director determines are directly related to the employee’s present job or which will enhance the employee’s potential for advancement to a position within the library which the individual has a reasonable expectation of achieving. In addition, the courses or programs must be offered by accredited institutions of learning.
In order to guarantee reimbursement of education costs, requests for educational assistance must be approved by the Library Director prior to enrollment.
The amount of assistance paid by the library shall be 75% of costs as outlined below. There will be no reimbursement for a grade lower than a “C”.
Upon completion of the course, the employee is to submit to the Library Director a certified transcript of grades received and receipts for expenses incurred. The library will then reimburse to the employee the applicable percentage of the cost of tuition, textbooks, registration, and of any laboratory fees required to enroll in the course, subject to the approval of the Director.
No reimbursement will be given for mileage, meals, etc.
An employee who is discharged during enrollment because of a reduction in force or elimination of the job, or who is unable to complete the course because of transfer within the library, will be reimbursed for the full amount of the costs incurred up to the date of termination or transfer. An employee who voluntarily leaves the library or is discharged for reasons other than those listed above prior to completing a course will not be reimbursed for the expenses associated with the course.
If the employee leaves the library voluntarily or is discharged for cause within one month after completion of the course, the employee must repay the full amount reimbursed by the library for educational assistance. An employee who leaves the library voluntarily or is discharged for cause between one month and three months after completion of the course must repay one half of the amount reimbursed.
Class attendance and completion of study assignments are to be accomplished outside the employee’s regular working hours. It is expected that educational activities will not interfere with the employee’s work, and unsatisfactory job performance during enrollment may result in forfeiture of educational assistance and discharge from employment.
After consulting with the chair of the Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees President, the Director may suspend reimbursements through this policy due to the financial condition of the library.