How to reimburse Sidebar?
There’s a common misconception that employees shoulder the financial burden of their own development, but many employers actually offer reimbursement options for coaching and skill-building initiatives.
See it in action
If you know your company has a learning and development budget
After you join Sidebar, you will receive a receipt for your purchase. You can forward this receipt directly to your team for reimbursement.
If you’re unsure, we can help you make the case
Learning and development is usually an investment the company makes in their employees that helps the company build a better business in the long run. That's why you must frame Sidebar in terms of how it benefits your manager, team, and organization.
Companies that invest in learning and development see:
- 34% higher retention rates at organizations that offer employee development opportunities
- Companies that spend at least $1500 a year on employee development enjoy a 24% increase in profits
- 87% of millennials say that professional development is a major priority and raises their job satisfaction
- Provides visibility for your organization for focused networking, recruiting and brand building
Copy me
At Sidebar, we’ve made it easy. Copy this email template below you can use to chat with your manager:
Subject Line:
Request for reimbursement for professional development program
Email:
Hi {manager},
There's a professional development program named Sidebar that I'd love to enroll in. I am confident this will help me excel in my role, and take our team to the next level. This program has helped directors, VPs, CXOs from {pick from the company list with * below that would resonate with your manager}.
Sidebar is a professional growth platform that offers 90-minute Sidebar Circles twice a month with a set of curated, non-competitive peers in tech with similar scope. The sessions are structured and facilitated by executive coaches.
In addition to the Sidebar Circles, members solve challenges and discuss topics on-demand through 1-on-1 chats, affinity groups, and drop-in working sessions. They also participate in events and workshops with industry experts.
Sidebar will elevate my impact at {your company}, where I will:
- Make progress on the development goals that you and I have discussed, while a peer group and facilitator hold me accountable. {Feel free to add specific examples of your manager’s asks}
- Accelerate decision-making through diverse advice on strategic and tactical topics e.g. driving profitable growth, innovating with AI, leading organizational change, supercharging team performance
- Unlock insights and innovation, while forging new connections that will be valuable for sales and partnerships
The program is an annual investment of $3600, which equates to less than $10/day. Here’s a link with more details about the program.
I’m really excited about this program. Would you mind approving this reimbursement? I can pay for it and submit an expense for reimbursement. Let me know if there is a more-preferred path. {Feel free to replace this with your company’s reimbursement/sponsorship process.}
Thank you,
{Your name}
p.s.: If you or other colleagues are interested, Sidebar also provides team discounts.
*Companies: Adobe, Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Atlassian, Blackstone, Bolt, CreditKarma, Databricks, Docusign, eBay, GE Healthcare, Google, IBM, Intuit, JP Morgan, LiveRamp, Mercury, Meta, Microsoft, Nike, PayPal, PwC, Roku, SAP, ServiceNow, Shopify, Snowflake, Verizon, Walmart, Zendesk
Still Unsure?
Most companies have professional development funding
Because professional development has so many benefits to companies, most organizations have a budget for this! You can learn more about what’s covered for you by:
- Reviewing company policies on professional development funds
- Chatting with HR, your colleagues to see what is covered
- Exploring alternative funding sources that are potentially aligned
Even if your company doesn’t have a specific budget for professional development, you could see if there are other budgets, like travel, that can be redirected.
Getting to the Yes
If your company doesn’t already cover professional development, you can create a strategy for how to talk to your manager about covering Sidebar.
You should be able to answer questions such as:
- How much will this cost?
- What is the program’s duration?
- When will it take place?
- What will you learn? How will your new knowledge benefit the company?
You can get more information on FAQs here.
Your growth through Sidebar isn't just your win; it's a victory for your team and your company.