University Of Phoenix, Apollo Group, Axia College, Western University Railroaded out and denied being able to continue school for employment related dispute. Phoenix Arizona

I worked for the University of Phoenix. As an employee and we are pressured to enroll in school if we want to advance in our career. Our raises are based, in part on professional developement which is a fancy way of saying school or classes. You can take other classes without enrolling in school but it is very difficult if not impossible to meet the professional development requirements without enrolling in school. But in every review and a lot of meetings they stress how you should enroll in school and say "hey it's free!"

Another way they pressure you indirectly to enroll is if you should need more money or have even a small financial problem, they will freely tell you that you can enroll in school and still get tuition assistance to help with your finanacial problems. Sooner of later everyone has a need for a few thousand and they temptation is always dangled in front of you. Is it ethical to push this tuition assistance when the education is free while employed with them?

My story starts with my going to work for UoP January of '06'. While working for UoP I received 2 big awards. The first was a "Top Performer 2H 2006" award given to me while at a top performer summit. While attending the top performer summit I was also presented an award, "Apollo Group Information Technology Impact Award", at a meeting I could not attend as I was at the top performer summit. So my manager accepted the award on my behalf and kept it secret until they could surprise me with it later in front of all my department. This award was a big deal within the company and highly regarded.

During the 2+ years I was employed at UoP I worked very hard and rarely took a lunch. Unfortunately January of '07' my new manager told me they could not afford to pay me an hour of OT for working through lunch anymore. The work load wasn't reduced so I just had to continue working that hour for free. I didn't like it but wanted to advance in my career and make more money to support my family with so I just bit the bullet and did it. I did however keep track on a spread sheet of all the lunchs, early starts, and work late hours though.

In September of '07' the stress finally got to me and I was forced to take all my vacation, a month, while on FMLA. I have chronic high blood pressure. The doctor said in the FMLA paper work that he thought it could be 6 months before it would be ok to come back to work safely. Unfortunately UoP sent me a letter saying they would expect me back in 1 month.

I did come back to work in October '07' and with the help of the HR dept. I was to come back to a less stressful position. That didn't happen, and in fact right away I was asked to do favors and go back to my old position and help out several times.

Then it happened in January of '08' and on the worst stressful day yet, my supervisor told me I could not take a lunch and that I should just claim an hour of overtime instead. I, unhappy and plainly stressed, said no I really needed the break this time or I'd like to leave an hour early. To which I was told by 2 supervisors that no I could not take a lunch or leave early. Very upset I went inside the building, qualifying center, and tried to just take it. At one point I punched at a wall in frustration and to my surprise my hand made a whole. I immediately owned up to it and was told I should leave. Later I was fired even though I had never been in any kind of trouble before. I had never been written up or even had any kind of attendance problem. Yet the 2 persons involved in getting me fired have both been written up numerous times.

The December of '07' before all this I had asked to defer the class that had just started so that I could take up again after the holidays. Due to the incident in January of '08' I could not come back on company property while they investigated the incident and as a result I was not allowed to renew my tuition waiver in January. That left me in an impossible situation, I was not finished with school. And regardless of the outcome to happen later, being fired, I was still eligible to go to school nearly free as my wife still works for UoP at this time. I immediately started getting harrassed about the tuition assistance I received. Instead of it just being added to my exsisting student loans they wanted the entire amount paid back now/then. So I was fired after being denied lunch, which is against the law, and with no income I should come up with some thousands on the spot.

UoP not only pulled the financial rug out from under me they ruined me and my credit now. My home is days away from foreclosesure, gas is ridiculus now, and the economy is going to pot. I am just one of thousands here in the Phoenix area. If someone were to pull their records they would find hundreds, probably thousands, of former employees that have been screwed by UoP. Good people just thrown away without a care as to who else was dependent on their income and potential better life by trying to improve their educational position in life. UoP is so disliked in the Phoenix area that people were very upset when they bought the right to name the new Cardinal's stadium the "University of Phoenix Stadium".

I wasn't done with school and should not have been denied the right to continue. I should not have been harrassed about paying the tuition assistance back until I finished my degree program and could actually get a better job to pay for it. UoP should be held accountable for all those who have been wronged by them and they should be investigated for the business practices. UoP should also makes thing right by me, I worked extra hard for them and was in any kind of trouble before!

Jeff
Queen Creek, Arizona
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on University Of Phoenix