POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 7 A. INTRODUCTION AND PHILOSOPHY: Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (the Company ) recognizes the importance of continuing education for the professional growth of its employees, as well as to support the future needs of the Company. The Company s Educational Assistance Program is designed to give financial assistance to those employees who wish to further their education in areas that also provide a direct benefit to the Company. B. APPLICABILITY This policy is applicable to all active regular full-time and part-time employees of BIVI who have completed six months of employment. The employee s performance must at least meet expectations, with a history in their MAX Plans of meeting expectations, and they must not have had any written warnings or Performance Improvement Plans within the preceding 12 months at the time the request for reimbursement or advancement is made. Eligible Expenses Employees are eligible to have the following educational expenses (i.e., tuition, registration fees, books, lab and administrative fees) reimbursed by the Company: Undergraduate and Graduate Level degree programs (including Executive MBAs) through an accredited college or university; and Properly accredited on-line degree programs that meet all program requirements. The degree program must directly relate to an employee s job or career progression, as documented in the employee s Development Plan, and must support the business needs of the Company, at the Company s discretion. The Company will only pay for these expenses if the employee successfully completes the applicable course (as defined later in the policy). Full-time employees will be reimbursed for 100% of eligible tuition expenses and part-time employees (defined as employees working less than 40 hours per week) will be

2 Page 2 of 7 reimbursed for 50% of eligible tuition expenses. The amount of eligible tuition expenses will be reduced by any supplemental benefits the employee receives, such as grants, scholarships or reimbursements from educational institutions, government or community-based organizations. In such cases, the employee must inform the Company of these benefits. Ineligible Expenses The Company will not reimburse employees for the following expenses: Travel, parking, housing, meals, mileage, gas, identification cards, or any other type of incidental expense. Preadmission exams and courses, development through specialized educational programs/courses, coursework started prior to meeting eligibility requirements, avocation courses, lectures or non-credit courses, or law degrees and paralegal certificates unless related to employee s functional area of responsibility and/or otherwise beneficial to the Company s interest. Professional seminars, workshops, or conferences. Employees attending such programs must get management approval and assign the costs to the respective department cost center. C. RESPONSIBILITY The Employee The employee is responsible for the following steps before commencing continuing education: Discussing their continuing education wishes with their Manager and incorporating it into their Development Plan. Obtaining initial approval from their manager and the respective Executive Management Committee (EMC) member of the area to begin an undergraduate or graduate degree program prior to enrollment. Approval for subsequent undergraduate or graduate courses will require manager approval prior to enrollment. Completing the Educational Assistance Approval & Advancement/Reimbursement Form, submitting for appropriate approvals and providing proof of payment and proof of course completion to the Company.

3 Page 3 of 7 The Manager The manager, in consultation with the HR Business Partner, is responsible for approving the course of study based on the following criteria: The course is consistent with the employee s current or future employment requirements or career plan at BI as documented in the employee s Development Plan The course provides a direct benefit to the Company. The course costs are properly planned and budgeted in the relevant cost center. The employee s performance meets expectations and the employee has not had any written warnings or Performance Improvement Plans within the preceding 12 months. Consideration of the time and workload required relative to the employee s job. The Executive Management Committee member The EMC member is responsible for providing approval to begin both undergraduate and graduate level programs. Executive Director, Human Resources The Executive Director, Human Resources is responsible for the interpretation of this policy. The HR Business Partner The HR Business Partner is responsible for ensuring that this policy is applied correctly, and in the event of an employee s voluntary separation, notify employee of graduate course expenses that are due.

4 Page 4 of 7 D. PROCEDURES The Company provides two different methods of receiving educational assistance; Advancement, in which tuition assistance is paid before the employee completes the course; and Reimbursement, in which the employee receives assistance after having completed the course. The following procedures apply to both undergraduate and graduate courses and programs, and must be fulfilled in order to receive tuition reimbursement or advancement: Request for Financial Advancement: Advance payment for educational costs is available from the company. To receive advance payment the employee must do the following: Complete the Educational Assistance Approval and Advancement/ Reimbursement Form, which includes the Tax Treatment Checklist for each course taken. Employees may be subject to tax on all or a portion of the educational assistance received from the company. The Tax Treatment Checklist enables the company to determine if this is the case. All forms are posted within HRBI. Attach to the form an itemized list of all costs (tuition fees, registration fees, laboratory costs, and book expenses). Submit to his/her immediate manager the Educational Assistance Approval and Advancement/Reimbursement form for approval. Approved forms are then forwarded to the respective HR Business Partner for advancement. Within 30 days of the start of the semester in which the employee is enrolled he/she must submit to Human Resources formal receipts from the educational institution, copies of cancelled checks (made payable to the institution), cash register receipts which indicate the place of purchase and the itemized purchases and a copy of the Educational Assistance Approval and Advancement/ Reimbursement form. Upon completion of the course/program, the employee is required to complete the Application for Educational Assistance Approval and Advancement/ Reimbursement form indicating a Grade Submittal and submits it to his/her manager for approval. Once approved, the form and Grade Report are sent to

5 Page 5 of 7 Human Resources for each course/program taken. If a grade of a D, F, Unsatisfactory, Incomplete, is obtained, or if the employee does not submit a final grade within 90 days following completion of the course/program, the employee will be required to reimburse Boehringer Ingelheim for the full amount of the advancement. If an employee does not submit a final Grade Report for a course/program (along with the Educational Assistance Approval and Advancement/ Reimbursement form) the employee will no longer be eligible to receive an advancement or reimbursement under the Educational Assistance Policy. Grades for previous course work must be submitted to the Human Resources Department before additional advances are made for subsequent courses. If an employee enrolls in courses prior to grades being issued by the educational institution the employee may request an additional advance. However, prior grades must be submitted no later than 90 days from the issue date of the second advance. Failure to submit grades will require reimbursement to the Company of the advance. Request for Financial Reimbursement: Reimbursement for educational costs is made following successful completion of the course/program. To receive reimbursement the employee should do the following: Complete the Educational Assistance Approval and Advancement/ Reimbursement Form, which includes the Tax Treatment Checklist for each course taken. Employees may be subject to tax on all or a portion of the educational assistance received from the company. The Tax Treatment Checklist enables the company to determine if this is the case. All forms are posted within HRBI. Attach to the form itemized receipts for all costs (tuition fees, registration fees, laboratory costs, and book expenses). Receipts consist of formal receipts from the educational institution, copies of canceled checks (made payable to the institution), and cash register receipts which indicate the place of purchase and the itemized purchases. Attach official transcript showing grade(s) for course(s) taken Submit to his/her immediate manager the Educational Assistance Approval and Advancement/Reimbursement form for approval.

6 Page 6 of 7 Approved forms are then forwarded to the respective HR Business Partner for reimbursement. In the event of a grade of D, F, Unsatisfactory, Incomplete, or equivalent, reimbursement will not be made. If the employee does not submit for reimbursement within 90 days following completion of the course/program, the employee will not be eligible for reimbursement. Approvals Initial Program approval will be handled according to the following additional guidelines: Both graduate and undergraduate Level Programs require the employee s respective Executive Management Committee member s approval to begin a program prior to enrollment. The Employee will be required to discuss their plans with the respective EMC member to explain how the curriculum will advance their career and how it will directly benefit the Company, particularly for graduate programs. Separation of Employment Employees who voluntarily leave employment with the Company will reimburse the Company for graduate courses/expenses incurred within the last 3 years prior to leaving the Company, regardless if the degree program was completed, according to the following schedule: Within one year of completing graduate course(s) 100% of Company-paid expenses. Within two years of completing graduate course(s) 50% of Company-paid expenses. Within three years of completing graduate course(s) 25% of Company-paid expenses. Employees who leave the Company on an involuntary basis (e.g., lay off, job elimination, termination with or without cause) are not responsible for reimbursing the Company for educational assistance received. Employees are not required to reimburse the company for the cost of undergraduate programs they have taken should they voluntary leave the company.

7 Page 7 of 7 E. GENERAL All class work and study must be done outside of the Company and shall not conflict with the employee s work hours except with documented permission from the manager (in consultation with the HR Business Partner). The Company may amend or discontinue this program at any time or may, at its discretion, limit the number participating in the program in any given year. In cases of amendment or cancellation of the program, reimbursement for courses already approved will be honored subject to the above terms. Participation in this program does not constitute or imply a guarantee of advancement in salary or classification or continuance of employment.