¶ … DIETETIC Management PRACTICES:" Employee Growth
Jon Jacobs, thirty four, works as a clinical dietician providing nutritional services for patients at Aspen Grove nursing care facility. Among his job functions include consulting with physicians and health care professionals to coordinate medical and nutritional needs of at risk patients.
Jon is interested in specializing his education so that he can focus on working with patients who are overweight and obsess, as he has noticed a trend lately that more and more patients are becoming obese as they age.
In order to specialize in this area however, Jon will need additional training. He is aware that the job outlook for nutritionists is very good and is considering moving to another care facility across town once he completes his education. The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Statistics report that the outlook for dieticians and nutritionists, whose functions include prevention and treatment of illness by promoting healthy eating habits, is strong, growing at a faster than average rate (BLS, 2004).
Jon wanted to take advantage of a tuition reimbursement program at the facility he worked at in order to pay for his training. The tuition reimbursement program was designed as part of an overall employee growth policy aimed at encouraging employee's to advance their careers.
However, upon applying for additional financial assistance, Jon's application was turned down. His manager did not...
Though his supervisor acknowledged the importance of employee growth, he was hesitant to sign away what he considered to be a contract that guaranteed that Jon would not stay on with the clinic after pursuing his educational endeavors.
Values and Principles
At this time there is nothing in the nursing care facilities policies that obligate employees to stay on with the facility for a certain length of time after competing their education, whether or not they received tuition assistance. Because of this Jon argues that it is discriminatory for his supervisor not to sign his tuition assistance papers. His supervisor however is arguing that the company is currently looking at adding a two-year requirement that all employees who receive tuition assistance must stay on with the clinic for at least two years post education. However, since Jon requested assistance before this policy was formally instituted, he should be granted assistance regardless.
Options
The supervisor should grant Jon his tuition assistance request; because the classes that Jon will be taking can benefit the current patients he is working with. In addition there is nothing in the corporate policy that would prevent Jon from moving on if he chose to after completing the classes. This is not Jon's fault, but rather an oversight of the administration…
