I am about to negotiate with my employer for a better study leave package (after the CFA guys got a better deal) and found this.
I do have some questions though on study leave packages, to no-one in particular.
If you leave soon after writing an exam, do you only have to pay back the cost of the exam (and notes), or the cost of the study leave as well? How do they calculate it?
How long do you have to work back for? We have a one for one+one deal, so for three years study aid - you have to work back 4 years. This can easily become very long for a actuarial qualification, especially if you can only do one subject at a time.
Does anybody know of any official research done on this, I want something I can use as evidence for what the market is doing. If it has a South Africa base it would be better, but UK would hopefully do. The only document I a aware of is titled "Show me the study!" by Tristan Walker-Buckton on the student page of The Actuary of October 2006.
Hi Katharina,
I started my exams in my old job. I was the first actuarial student that they had and there were no systems in place. On top of that there was no-one to "fill-in" for me when I was on study leave.
I am in more or less the same situation. Luckily a precedent was set by allowing the CFA students more time.
Hi Katharina,
So I armed myself with the section of advice to employers from the Student Handbook and went in to see my manager. She was an accountant so she knew the horrors of work/study balance, though not the ins and outs of actuarial study. After much negotiation we finally settled of 5 1/2 hours a week. I took three hours on Weds and 2 1/2 hours of Fris. This wasn't quite a half day per subject (I used to have to take half hour lunches on those days too!), but after a year I was able to renegotiate - good study performance helps (!) as does the line that the exams get harder as they go on.
I want to try something like this, but unfortunately staff policy dictates that my line manager cannot approve it, it needs to go to a very senior committee. Hence my need for something as official as possible.
My employers are ex-SNL actuaries
Saturday Night Live has actuaries? Where do I apply?