# Study Leave & Your Employer



## seriams (16 Jan 2008)

What is the normal study leave given by your employer?. I'm doing accountancy exams and the intention is to stay with the same company once qualified (if I qualify!!).


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## quinno (16 Jan 2008)

If they support the accountancy exams they should have this set down in your contract or staff hand book? Most employers would give a few days study leave, but if it's not set down you may need to take annual leave. Anyone else there in your company done the exams in similar circumstances?


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## seriams (16 Jan 2008)

No, it's a small company and they are very flexible. I was just wondering what I could expect. There is no contract drawn up and I'm not taking sponsorship until I see how I get on in my exams.


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## Shiram (16 Jan 2008)

My Company gives 2 days for each exam but it is capped at 6 days in total per year.


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## seriams (16 Jan 2008)

Thats great Shiram, thanks.


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## aircobra19 (16 Jan 2008)

3 per year which I used for exams which the daft college schedule last minute so you can't plan leave around them. Daft because its a distance learning course for people who work full time.


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## seriams (16 Jan 2008)

It amazes me because while its a night-time course, it's a full time course and requires more than a few hours at the weekend to prepare for. My course is 3 nights per week 6:30pm - 9:30pm and is fairly intense.
I would have had Saturday class also only for being exempt. 
3 days seems very few, 6 does too i guess, especially if you're being sponsored by the company.


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## beautfan (16 Jan 2008)

We get 6 study days and each exam day as well - you do have to get it apporved first as the course shoudl be related to work.


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## seriams (16 Jan 2008)

Beautfan, Are you working for a big company? It's a great deal that you are getting.


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## beautfan (16 Jan 2008)

Public service and on top of that you get 50 percent of the college fees back.


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## gipimann (16 Jan 2008)

When I was doing my degree (B. Sc. in IT, also by distance education) I didn't get any study leave from HSE for the first 3 years as the course wasn't considered relevant.

Then our service began the process of computerisation, the course suddenly became relevant, and I got 1 week's study leave for each of the 3 remaining years of the course, exam leave (needed exactly one half-day, as all but one of my exams were on Saturdays!) and got 40% refund of course fees when I passed the exams.

In my diploma and degree exam years, I took 3 months unpaid leave to study and get myself through the work!


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## Purple (16 Jan 2008)

beautfan said:


> Public service and on top of that you get 50 percent of the college fees back.



AAhhhh. That explains it.
I hope you thank all your private sector friends.


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## triplex (17 Jan 2008)

_AAhhhh. That explains it.
I hope you thank all your private sector friends._ 

in civil service, if you don't pass the exams first time, the cost is not covered at all. And you have to get a loan up front to cover the tuition/exam fees until you receive your exam results. 

all of my friends in the private sector have their tuition paid in full by their employer - even if they have to repeat the exams. And no loan is needed, as the employer pays up front. 

Purple, you really are under illusions about the civil service... but's that's another thread's work!


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## bamboozle (17 Jan 2008)

triplex said:


> _AAhhhh. That explains it._
> _I hope you thank all your private sector friends._
> 
> in civil service, if you don't pass the exams first time, the cost is not covered at all. And you have to get a loan up front to cover the tuition/exam fees until you receive your exam results.
> ...


 
Am afraid I’d have to agree with Purple here, folk in the private sector who receive study leave and have their fees & lectures paid by employers are paid far less as a result, having been thru the system  all accounting firms I’m aware of pay annual & exam fees upfront and will pay for the lectures for the 1st attempt at an exam, should u fail the exam you pay yourself next time, ask any trainee accountant working in practice and you will see their salaries are extremely low…..as for pension contributions by their employers…well that’s for another thread!

In reference to the OP’s thread I would check out the website for your accounting body, you should get info on study leave on that


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## Purple (17 Jan 2008)

triplex said:


> _AAhhhh. That explains it.
> I hope you thank all your private sector friends._
> 
> in civil service, if you don't pass the exams first time, the cost is not covered at all. And you have to get a loan up front to cover the tuition/exam fees until you receive your exam results.
> ...


We pay fees if exams are passed and the subject being studied has a direct and specific benefit to the company. If we don’t think the individual is committed to the company we will not agree to any financial support or time off. We don’t have a policy of giving study leave but if we have asked someone to do a course etc then we will provide study time (of a few days) and pay the fees if they pass or fail.


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## aircobra19 (17 Jan 2008)

bamboozle said:


> ...ask any trainee accountant working in practice and you will see their salaries are extremely low…..as for pension contributions by their employers…well that’s for another thread!...



No offense, but spare us the sob story. Since accountancy isn't a vocation, if the figures didn't work they wouldn't be doing it. Bottom rung of a lot of industries, Public Sector included, is poorly paid.


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## Purple (17 Jan 2008)

aircobra19 said:


> No offense, but spare us the sob story. Since accountancy isn't a vocation, if the figures didn't work they wouldn't be doing it. Bottom rung of a lot of industries, Public Sector included, is poorly paid.


So if it was a vocation they should be better paid, is that what you are saying?


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## aircobra19 (17 Jan 2008)

Groan. 

If the figures didn't work they wouldn't do it. Accountancy is not a vocation.

or even

Accountancy is not a vocation.

or

its not a vocation.

or

Get a grip.


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## bamboozle (17 Jan 2008)

Its not a sob story, far from it, point I was making was Trainee Accountants (in practice) get lots of study leave and fees paid for (assuming they pass) the flip side of this is that they get paid low salaries until they qualify.


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## Purple (17 Jan 2008)

bamboozle said:


> Its not a sob story, far from it, point I was making was Trainee Accountants (in practice) get lots of study leave and fees paid for (assuming they pass) the flip side of this is that they get paid low salaries until they qualify.


Yes, good point. It's a trade off as they invest in their future. They get the knowledge and experience and their employer gets people to do the donkeywork for low wages. Everybody wins.


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## boaber (17 Jan 2008)

bamboozle said:


> Its not a sob story, far from it, point I was making was Trainee Accountants (in practice) get lots of study leave and fees paid for (assuming they pass) the flip side of this is that they get paid low salaries until they qualify.



Exactly, Mrs Boaber is currently in her first year with one of the "big 4".  Her lectures, course material & exams are paid for by the firm, and she gets 2 months study leave before her Prof 3s.  

Downside - miserable salary, no pension contributions from employer etc...  so yours truely gets stuck with paying the bills etc.  Luckily I can see the bigger picture and it will be all worth it in the end  (assuming she passes!!)

As for my own employer, if the exams are related to the job, then they will pay the fees & give 1.5 days per exam.  If you leave within 12 months they reclaim the fees & days back off you.


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## beautfan (17 Jan 2008)

No I don't thank my private sector friends for my wages - I work harder than a lot of them and pay taxes too.  

In relation to paying for course my employer pays up fromt to the college and then deduct from my wages over a period of time.  If I pass I claim back my 50% if I don't pass I can't claim.


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## seriams (18 Jan 2008)

Thanks for all the input. It's obviously a sore point with a lot of people.
I don't know where I stand because when I first told my boss I was doing the exams, they were all for paying and cutting my hours to give me time to study. 

Then when it came to paying I was given the elbow and took out a personal loan. And now I've paid for them, the boss has again become interested in getting me to work for them when I qualify.

So I'm addled now regards study leave and because 3 of our revision days fall on a work day, I'll need a total of 13 days leave.


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## Purple (18 Jan 2008)

Have you sat down and had a conversation about this with your boss?
Why not ask for the time off with half of it paid and half unpaid? Just remember that in the context of the rest of your career 13 days unpaid leave or having bugger all holidays for one year is no big deal so don’t make it into one no matter how unfair you think you are being treated.


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## bamboozle (18 Jan 2008)

Having been thru it myself the surest way to pass the exams is to get as much study leave as possible (1 or 2 days leave per exam is not enough & u don’t want to fail exams & then become disinterested) even if it requires taking a paycut I’d try get at least 1 weeks leave per exam, in a very strange way the less money you have while you’re studying the better cause you wont be able to afford to go away with mates for weekends or out on the booze at the weekend thus freeing up time for study & lectures.
I know plenty of folk working in banks getting 1 or 2 days leave per exam and they’ve had to repeat an awful lot especially at the final stage.


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## seriams (18 Jan 2008)

Purple, It won't really bother me this year as I'm carrying days from last year but I have another 2 yrs in the course that will need the same leave. I think I'll just have to take unpaid leave if all comes to all.
Oh well......


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## Flax (18 Jan 2008)

I get 5 days. It's great.

I'm actually on study leave now, but I'm just surfing the web... exam on Tuesday, gotta get it together...!


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## seriams (18 Jan 2008)

You see flax if your not using your days off efficiently, it's not a good idea to say it here 'cos I'm trying to get these days 

Bamboozle you make a good point, I think I would consider that alright. I don't want to spend the rest of my life getting the exams.


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