Workplace Values Manual. Workplace Values

Transcription

1 Workplace Values Manual Workplace Values 1 Respect 2 Clear Expectations and Feedback 3 Friendly and Caring 4 Professionalism 5 Teamwork 6 Staff Development and Professional Growth 7 Fun and Relaxed 8 Flexibility and Understanding 9 Accountability 10 Clear and Consistent Communication Maintaining a Values Based Workplace Education Matters is a unique place to work because it is a truly values driven organization. We thrive because we are dedicated to our mission and the values that support our work. In order to ensure we remain values based, we ask each employee to use this manual as a guide in her/his work. Please do not consider this manual to be an expressed or implied contract for either employment or employment benefits. This manual is not intended to be a legally enforceable contract, rather it is intended to be informational on employee guidelines derived from our values. Employment is at-will, which means that the employee may resign at any time and that Education Matters may end employment at any time for any reason. Working as a team is the only way that we can fulfill our mission. Our goal is to create an exciting, fulfilling, and engaging workplace for all employees. Please direct any questions about this document to the Administration. 1 P a g e

2 Mission Statement and Core Values Mission and Vision Mission To inspire learning and strengthen our community by removing barriers to education. Vision A city where all people have the opportunity to access the power of education. Our Core Values The Whole Person We believe in the value and potential of every person. Opportunity We believe that individuals can realize their potential if they have access to opportunity. Education We believe that education empowers and enriches individuals. Community We believe that empowerment creates a thriving and more just community. Our Core Programs College Bridge Program Education Forward (GED) Lower Price Hill and East Price Hill English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Administrative Team President/CEO Jen Walters Vice President/CCO Mary Knauff Chief Financial Officer Emily Eskridge 2 P a g e

3 1 Respect The top value of our workplace is respect. Respect for our mission, each other, our community, our students, our workplace, and each person s role at Education Matters. 2 Clear Expectations and Feedback It is the responsibility of the Administration to give each employee a clear job description that outlines the responsibilities and expectations of the role. Each employee is welcome to ask for clarification on expectations at any time. The Administration will conduct employee reviews at least twice per year to offer clear feedback on work performance. Each employee will also be asked to evaluate their own work and to offer feedback to the Administration. This manual is the first step in providing clear expectations for all staff members. 3 Friendly and Caring It is important that all staff members work together to maintain a friendly and caring workplace. Our workplace is very much like a family and we want to maintain this environment by being open and supportive to all staff members. All staff members are welcome to come to the Administration for support in the workplace. 4 Professionalism Maintaining a professional workplace will ensure that we hold ourselves to the same high standards to which we hold our students. Every staff member is expected to maintain a professional work environment by adhering to our workplace principles and guidelines. 5 Teamwork The only way we can make an impact is when we all work together toward our mission. All staff members should work to support each other and maintain a positive focus on our work and our students. 6 Staff Development and Professional Growth Education Matters wants all staff members to have the opportunity to grow and develop in their work. We will make every effort to provide opportunities for staff training, retreats, and learning opportunities. 7 Fun and Relaxed Maintaining a fun and relaxed workplace is vital to our overall work happiness. Our work can be stressful and taxing, so we will make every effort to create a fun and engaging workplace. In order to maintain a fun environment, we will try to host parties, celebrations, retreats, and breaks throughout the year. 3 P a g e

4 8 Flexibility and Understanding Since our workplace is people focused, the Administration will work to maintain a flexible and understanding atmosphere. In order to maintain a flexible workplace, all employees and Administration have to abide by the workplace values and guidelines. 9 Accountability All staff members are accountable for meeting work expectations and following work guidelines. We are accountable to each other as team members, to our students, and to our community. 10 Clear and Consistent Communication The Administration will work to provide clear and consistent information to all employees. Communication will be disseminated by , memos, staff meetings, face to face meetings, text messages, and any other means of communication available. 4 P a g e

5 Workplace Guidelines Employment Policy We select and reward employees on the basis of their individual qualifications, skills, abilities, and work ethic. We seek to only hire people who have the desire to assist us in accomplishing our mission. Education Matters is an equal opportunity employer and personnel decisions are not and shall not be made on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, age, race, color, religious creed, ancestry, physical handicap and or socio-economic status. All staff must recognize and accept flexible working assignments as authorized by their supervisor as a condition of employment. Selection and Hiring All applicants for employment must apply in writing. AmeriCorps applicants must also be apply and be accepted with their selected host program. All employees, after being hired, shall be required to complete certain post-employment personnel forms. These forms shall include, but are not limited to; Form W-4 and I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification. Additional requirements may include criminal background checks, motor vehicle record checks, health certificates, or other forms of documentation as required by law and/or funding mandates. In order to be hired, all employees must sign off on work hours policy and job responsibilities policy. Employee Classifications Full-time (salary) employees are scheduled to work 40 hours per week. Schedule includes up to 30 minutes paid lunch break each work day. Full-time employees may be eligible for paid company benefits. Hourly employees are hired to work less than 40 hours per week. Schedule includes up to 30 minutes paid lunch break each work shift over four hours. Hourly employees are not eligible for paid company benefits. Work hours are not guaranteed and are determined at the discretion of the Administration. Temporary employees are hired to work for a specific period of time and are not entitled to any paid company benefits other than those required by law. Temporary employee hours are not guaranteed and are determined at the discretion of the Administration. AmeriCorps members are full-time and part-time volunteers who serve 1700 or 900 hours in a month contract. AmeriCorps members are not eligible for paid company benefits, but may qualify for benefits with the host program. Full-time AmeriCorps members are scheduled for 40 hours per week. 5 P a g e

6 Work Hours Policy Employee work hours differ depending on the employee classification and the work schedule. Full-time employees must follow the following guidelines: Must work 40 hours per week with a minimum of 37.5 hours per week in the office. In office time includes all hours worked in the office and appropriate work meetings on-site and off-site. Since our work is engagement based, only 2.5 hours per week are available as eligible work from home. Daily work hours must encompass the hours of 9:00am 3:30pm. Full-time employees must be available for meetings at any time during the work week (Monday Friday 9am 5pm). Full-time employees will be expected to work some evening/weekend times, at the discretion of the Administration. Employees may not schedule regularly occurring, non-work events during the work day. All employees must use our in-house time clock system to record hours. Failure to Meet Required Hours If full-time employees fail to meet the 37.5 required in office work hours for the pay periods within each month, then the following actions will be taken by the Administration: 1) Verbal Warning 2) Written Warning 3) Employee classification will be changed to hourly employee and will be ineligible for paid company benefits and salary pay. Hourly employees must follow the following guidelines: Must work the required work hours as outlined in job description. Work days for all hourly employees follow the organization work calendar. Work hours are only available during organization work days, unless approved by the Administration. Work hours lost due to an unexpected closure of the organization (by the Administration) may be made up within the same pay period. Only the hours lost due to the closure may be made up. All make up days must be approved by the Administration. Sick days may only be made up with approval by the Administration. All part-time employees must use our in-house time clock system to record hours. Only hours recorded in the time clock will be counted for pay. Any corrections to time clock recording must be submitted to Administration within the same pay period. Failure to Meet Required Hours If hourly employees fail to meet the required in office work hours for the pay periods within each month, then the following actions will be taken by the Administration: 1) Verbal Warning 6 P a g e

7 2) Written Warning 3) Grounds for Termination AmeriCorps members must follow the following guidelines: Must work 40 hours per week minimum and complete 1700 volunteer hours per contract year. Since our work is engagement based, AmeriCorps members may only earn hours at home with written approval by the Administration. Daily work hours must encompass the hours of 9:00am 3:30pm and encompass the operating hours of the assigned program within the organization. Additional work hours will be available on evening/weekend times, at the discretion of the Administration. Members may not schedule regularly occurring, non-work events during the work day. All members must use our in-house time clock system to record hours. Only hours recorded in the time clock will be counted as qualified hours. Any corrections to time clock recording must be submitted to Administration within the same pay period. Must attend all required AmeriCorps trainings by host program. Missed hours must be made up during work hours and with approval from the Administration. During organization breaks AmeriCorps members are not required to work (unless required by host program), but have the option to earn extra hours during this time period. A plan for extra hours must be submitted to the site supervisor for approval prior to break. Failure to Meet Required Hours If AmeriCorps members fail to meet the required in work hours for the pay periods within each month, then the following actions will be taken by the Administration: 1) Verbal Warning 2) Meeting with AmeriCorps host program to discuss work plan Lunch Breaks All employees are entitled to a 30 minute paid lunch break during any shift longer than four hours. Lunch breaks must be taken in the middle of the shift and my not be taken in the first or last hour of work. Employees who leave the premises for lunch must clock out on the time clock system. All employees will receive up to 30 minutes back on their time clock for any lunch in which they clock out. Lunch breaks are not added time to a shift, but allow for 30 minutes during the shift for a break. If an employee chooses not to take a lunch break, then their work hours are simply those captured by the time clock system. 7 P a g e

8 Pay Period and Schedule All staff members are paid on a 26 yearly pay schedule through direct deposit. Employees are paid according to the employee classification of each position (salary, hourly, or stipend). All work days and hours follow the organization schedule. All employees must abide by the work days on the schedule. AmeriCorps member pay is subject to the payroll policies of the host organization. Attendance Policy Since our work is engagement based, consistent attendance is key to successful employment. All employees must work the agreed upon hours and must sign a work hours agreement. Education Matters expects all employees to be honest in reporting work hours and holds all employees to high standards to ensure quality work. Poor attendance is detrimental to our team environment. Consistent attendance issues will not be tolerated. If an employee has difficulty completing work hours or has issues with assigned work hours, then it is the responsibility of the employee to make a plan of action with the Administration. Absentee and Lateness If any employee is going to be more than 7 minutes late for their assigned shift, they must contact the CFO immediately. You may contact her via text message, phone, or . If any employee is late (past the 7 minute grace period time of the employee s shift) more than four times in one month, it will result in a meeting and a possible write up. If an employee is written up for tardiness issues more than three times in a calendar year, it is grounds for termination of employment. If an employee has to leave early, special permission must be obtained from the CFO. Each employee will be expected to make up the hours missed within the same pay period. A plan for making up the missed time must be approved by the CFO. If you leave early from a shift without permission at any time, it is grounds for termination of employment. Unexpected Absence If any employee is not able to be at work unexpectedly, they must notify the CFO prior to the start of work. Any employee who does not notify prior to an unexpected absence will be counted as a no call/no show. 1 st offense of no call/no show = written warning 2 nd offense = ground for termination of employment Steps to Notify of Tardiness or Absence Contact Emily Eskridge at one of the following: Cell: (call or text) 8 P a g e

9 Desk: ext Time Clock All employees must use the in-house time clock system to record work hours. Only the hours recorded in the time clock system will be counted as work hours, with the exception of approved off-site work meetings. Any corrections to a time clock entry must be submitted to the CFO within the same pay period. It is the sole responsibility of the employee to submit any corrections to time clock entries to the CFO. If an employee fails to use the time clock properly, the Administration will request a review meeting with the employee to discuss the process. All employees must use the time clock to record only their own work time. At no time may another employee clock in or out for another employee. If any employee is found to have clocked in our out for a fellow employee then both employees will have their employment terminated immediately. Emergency Closure In the event that conditions prevent the office from opening at the regularly scheduled time, the Administration will attempt to contact all employees. The decision to close is made by the Administration in all cases. In instances of a weather emergency Education Matters closes when Cincinnati Public Schools is closed. Unless the Administration officially closes the organization, all staff must contact the Administration if they are unable to come into work due to weather or any other reason. Travel Expenses Employees traveling on approved business may be reimbursed for mileage expenses. Employees must receive prior approval and must submit a mileage report to the Administration. Reimbursement is will be given at the current IRS mileage rate. Solicitation and Distribution of Materials Without the express permission of the Director, persons not employed by Education Matters may not solicit employees or distribute literature at any time. Employees should not distribute any literature that may be offensive or inappropriate in the workplace via or any form. Education Matters employees may be required to participate in several outside fundraising campaigns and may be asked to offer full participation and solicit funds from donors. 9 P a g e

10 Time Off Time off may be requested by any employee for personal reasons and health related reasons. Salary employees are eligible for one week of planned vacation time and one week of sick/personal days of paid time off (PTO). AmeriCorps and hourly employees may request time off, but are not eligible for paid time off. All planned time off requests must be submitted to the CFO by at least 48 hours prior to the request. Emergency time off request must also be submitted via as soon as the employee knows of the need. Time off requests will be approved or denied through a response . Bereavement Leave Up to three days of paid leave may be used upon the death of any of the following relatives: mother, father, sister, brother, child, grandparent, grandchild, spouse or spousal equivalent, or an in-law or relative with whom the employee is residing at the time of death. If additional leave time is needed, personal or vacation time may be used for salary employees and unpaid leave for hourly employees. If no personal or vacation time is available, any remaining time missed will be counted as leave without pay. Maternity/Paternity Leave Full-time salary employees are eligible for up to 10 weeks of paid maternity leave and 2 weeks of paid paternity leave. Smoke Free and Drug Free Work Place Education Matters is a smoke free workplace. No type of smoking is allowed in any offices owned or controlled by Education Matters. Should you smoke outside of Education Matters property, you are responsible for cleaning up after yourself. Any manufacturing, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance on EM premises is strictly prohibited. Discrimination and Harassment There is a no tolerance policy for any form of harassment at Education Matters. Education Matters prohibits discrimination and harassment of students or employees whether or not the incidents occur on Education Matters premises and whether or not the incidents occur during business hours. Education Matters follows federal, state, and local law to ensure equal recruitment, employment, compensation, development and advancement opportunity for all qualified individuals, and prohibits deliberate harassment based on federally protected categories of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age, or disability. 10 P a g e

11 Education Matters will not tolerate any verbal or physical conduct by any employee that harasses, disrupts, or interferes with another employee s work performance or that creates an intimidating, offensive or hostile work environment. Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment Education Matters prohibits sexual misconduct and sexual harassment with any student, volunteer, or employee. All acts of harassment are strictly prohibited and can be grounds for dismissal. If you believe that the actions or words of a supervisor, fellow employee or non-employee constitute sexual harassment or other prohibited harassment, you have a responsibility to report or complain about such conduct promptly to your supervisor or a board officer at Education Matters. All complaints of prohibited harassment will be investigated promptly, impartially and in as confidential a manner as possible. Any employee who is found after appropriate investigation to have engaged in prohibited harassment of another employee shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. Conflict of Interest No employee of Education Matters shall engage in private employment, or render services for private interests which are in direct competition or create a conflict of interest to Education Matters. All activity of this nature must be disclosed to the Administration so a determination can be made by Education Matters as to whether a conflict exists. The Administration shall review such matter with the Board at the next regularly scheduled board meeting and inform employee of any decisions. Grievance Procedure In order to create a supportive and clearly understood office environment, Education Matters wants to ensure that all grievances are heard and resolved in a timely manner. For these purposes grievance is defined as any instance that an employee would like to have formally documented and action taken on their behalf. The following procedure is to be used for this purpose: 1) Any employee may raise a grievance with the Administration in writing, within ten days of that incident in question. The Administration will respond in a reasonable period of time, generally less than five working days. 2) If the employee is not satisfied with the Administration response, the employee may request a meeting to review the decision, within ten working days. 3) The Administration will file any grievances in the employee file as well as in the files of any related party when applicable. 11 P a g e

12 4) The Administration s decision may be appealed in writing to the Board President within ten days of the Administration s decision. The Board will have a reasonable period of time to respond in writing, generally ten working days. 12 P a g e