[_delirium]

Hmm, if there's a strong political/ideological component to how they operate (I have no personal knowledge of that), that would explain the otherwise puzzling part of the policy where it restricts which subjects you can study. I've been trying to figure out the business angle on that, and it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. On the one hand, it is normal for employers to restrict tuition reimbursement to things plausibly relevant to an employee's job. But Amazon explicitly says here they aren't doing that. So if it's not to benefit the employer, then it's more of a perk. But if it's a perk, it's not clear how adding restrictions improves the perk. Why not let the employee decide what they want to study? It may lower the perceived value of the perk to some employees, if, say, they already have a trade and would consider some other subject more valuable to take a few classes in (improve their writing, increase their command of history, etc.).

But, it does make more sense if you view it not as a business decision, but as an ideological decision stemming from Bezos's personal views. If you view it as a sort of paternalist attempt to encourage his employees to do with their lives what he thinks more people should do with their lives, it fits better than if you try to figure out how it makes sense as part of a compensation package or business strategy.

[retroafroman]

No, it's a business decision. To get to study whatever they want, they have to stick around for 3 years. They're holding a bonus perk over their head for the first 3 years someone is working. Based on what I've read in this thread and also from the Mother Jones journalist [1], they have a terrible time keeping people in the organization, from programmers to warehouse associates, and everything between I assume.

[1] http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/02/mac-mcclelland-f...

[_delirium]

I can see how that explains the 3-year service minimum, but I'm not sure how that explains the field-of-study restrictions. Once you're there for 3 years, why do they care which courses you enroll in?

[jabwork]

Ostensibly because high demand fields are more likely to get hired and lead successful careers outside of Amazon.

Logistically it also simplifies things because you can respond to "Why can't I pursue education X?" questions with "because the BLS doesn't list them"

[_delirium]

I guess I'm still confused why that matters to Amazon, unless it's part of some world-bettering mission. Wouldn't it be logistically simpler to say employees can enroll in any course offered by the state community college system, and wash their hands of it past that? I mean, they're just offering a perk as part of a compensation package, it's not like they're supposed to be their employees' parents or career counselors.