When companies start making side deals, it is not long before many employees feel they received a bad deal. Your manager's response is inadequate. If the company pays for employee education in "special situations," he needs to define that term.
Inequitable treatment of employees is a major source of dissatisfaction, distress, and turnover, especially when such treatment is shrouded in generalizations and vague language. If there are compelling reasons behind this differential treatment, the employees should know about them.
Educational benefits have become increasingly important for today's employees, and they can be an excellent way to build motivation and loyalty, as well as build a company's knowledge base. By indicating that the company offers no such benefits, and then providing them to a select few in a covert style, your company has added a lack of credibility to the mix.
You and your co-workers should meet with your manager, your human resources representative if the company has one, or with senior management to review the special situation issue, as well as take a broader look at the larger issue of educational benefits. The approach that management is following right now is literally and figuratively classless.
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