4.1 Employee Handbook
Policy and Procedure 4.1 - Earth Science Information Partners
Employee Handbook
Updated May 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
ITEM PAGE
WELCOME 1
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 1
HANDBOOK USE AND PURPOSE 3
WORK ELIGIBILITY 3
INTRODUCTORY PERIOD 3
EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATIONS 4
POSITION DESCRIPTIONS 4
JOB POSTINGS 5
TRANSFERS AND PROMOTIONS 5
PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS 5
EMPLOYMENT OF BOARD MEMBERS 5
MEDICAL/DENTAL BENEFITS 5
VACATIONS 5
HOLIDAYS 7
SICK TIME 7
MATERNITY/PATERNITY LEAVE 8
DISABILITY LEAVE 8
LONG-TERM ILLNESS OR PERMANENT INJURY 9
JURY AND WITNESS DUTY 10
MILITARY LEAVE 10
PERSONAL LEAVE 10
PAY PERIODS 11
TIMEKEEPING REQUIREMENTS 11
WAGE GARNISHMENTS 11
PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS 11
SALARY PHILOSOPHY 11
SALARY REVIEWS 12
SALARY BONUS 12
RETIREMENT PLAN BENEFIT 12
PERSONAL AUTOMOBILE USE 12
EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT 12
OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT POLICY 12
CONFIDENTIALITY OF VOICE MAIL AND ELECTRONIC MAIL 13
EMPLOYEE INFORMATION 13
FOUNDATION CONFIDENTIALITY 14
SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA 14
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS 14
HARASSMENT 14
WORKPLACE CONDUCT 15
OPEN-DOOR POLICY 15
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES 15
COMPLAINT PROCEDURES 16
CONFLICT OF INTEREST 16
AT-WILL STATUS 17
VOLUNTARY TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT 17
INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION 17
JOB ELIMINATION AND LAYOFFS 18
EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT 18
LEAVE REQUEST FORM 20
WELCOME
Welcome to ESIP ! We believe that outstanding people are the key to our success. Through the efforts of our staff members, ESIP has established itself as a leading organization in our community. To ensure our continued success, we feel it is important that all staff members understand our policies and procedures. This handbook is intended to help familiarize you with them. We encourage you to use this handbook as a valuable resource for understanding our organization.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask either your manager or any member of our management team.
My best wishes to you, and thank you for taking this first step in getting to know ESIP .
Erin Robinson, Executive Director
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
ESIP is an equal opportunity employer and complies will all applicable federal, state and local fair employment practice laws. ESIP strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation (including a person’s orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bi-sexuality or transgender status, or ESIP ’s perception thereof), religion, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, past, current or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law. All employees, other workers and other representatives of ESIP are prohibited from engaging in unlawful discrimination. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited, hiring, training, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits and termination of employment.
ESIP complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act and the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. Consistent with those requirements, ESIP will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability if such an accommodation will allow the individual to perform the essential functions of the job, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If you believe you need an accommodation, refer any such requests to our Executive Director or the Board Chair. Please expressly identify your disability accommodations request by expressing it a request under ESIP ’s Disability Accommodations Policy. ESIP will also, where appropriate, provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s religious beliefs or practices.
If you are subjected to any conduct that you believe violates this policy, you must promptly speak to, write or otherwise contact your direct supervisor, the Executive Director, or the Board Chair as soon as possible following the offending conduct. If you have not received a satisfactory response within five (5) business days after reporting any incident that you perceive to be discriminatory conduct, please immediately contact the Executive Director or the Board Chair . These individuals will ensure that a prompt investigation is conducted. The complaint should be as detailed as possible, including the names of all individuals involved and any witnesses. ESIP will directly and thoroughly investigate the facts and circumstances of all claims of perceived discrimination and will take prompt corrective action, if appropriate.
Additionally, any manager or supervisor who observes discriminatory conduct must report the conduct to the Executive Director or the Board Chair so that an investigation can be made and corrective action taken, if appropriate.
No one will be subject to, and ESIP prohibits, any form of discipline, reprisal, intimation or retaliation for good faith reports or complaints of incidents of discrimination of any kind, pursuing any discrimination claim or cooperating in related investigations.
ESIP is committed to enforcing this policy against all forms of discrimination. However, the effectiveness of our efforts depends largely on employees telling us about inappropriate workplace conduct. If employees feel that they or someone else may have been subjected to conduct that violates this policy, they should report it immediately. If employees do not report discriminatory conduct, ESIP may not become aware of a possible violation of this policy and may not be able to take appropriate corrective action.
Any employee, regardless of position or title, who ESIP determines has subjected an individual to discrimination or retaliation in violation of this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination of employment.
The Executive Director and Board Chair are responsible for the administration of this policy. If you have any question regarding this policy or questions about discrimination, accommodations or retaliation that are not addressed in this policy, please contact the Executive Director or the Board Chair.
HANDBOOK USE AND PURPOSE
The purpose of this Staff Member Handbook is to outline certain information about your employment with ESIP . The policies described here are in effect and supersede all other versions of these policies previously given to you either orally or in writing.
The provisions of these policies may, at the discretion of our Board of Directors, be modified, revoked or changed from time to time. It also should be noted that our policies do not cover every situation that can and will arise in the workplace. Above all, we ask that you exercise common courtesy and common sense while on the job.
If you have questions regarding your employment or anything contained in these policies, please speak with your manager or our executive director.
WORK ELIGIBILITY
Typically, on the first day at work all new staff members will be asked to fill out appropriate forms for payroll purposes and for personnel records. In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), all new staff members at ESIP are also required as a condition of employment to provide documentation that establishes their identity and legal right to work in the United States.
INTRODUCTORY PERIOD
Your first 90 calendar days of employment are an introductory period. Certain benefits will not be available to you until the completion of this period.
During your introductory period, your manager will observe and talk with you about your job performance. This period also provides you with the opportunity to judge how well your new position suits you.
Your employment is a mutual relationship between you and ESIP , which either party may end during or after your introductory period. Completion of your introductory period is not a guarantee of continued employment.
EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATIONS
We place staff members into classifications based on job description, consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act and applicable state law.
Exempt Employee
An executive, administrative or professional employee who is exempt from the provisions of the FLSA, usually paid an annual salary.
Nonexempt Employee
An employee (generally paid by the hour) who is eligible for overtime pay according to the provisions of the FLSA.
Regular Full-Time Employee
A salaried or hourly employee who is normally scheduled to work 30 hours or more per workweek and whose employment has no specified end date.
Regular Part-Time Employee
A salaried or hourly employee who is normally scheduled to work between 15 and 29 hours per workweek and whose employment has no specified end date.
Temporary Employee
An employee who is hired on a full- or part-time basis for a specified period of time, usually not to exceed six months.
On-Call Employee
A nonexempt employee who is not required to work a specified number of hours in any given workweek, but who is scheduled to work on an as-needed basis.
Inactive Employee
An employee who is on a leave of absence and is not receiving pay from ESIP.
POSITION DESCRIPTIONS
You will receive a position description outlining the primary functions and responsibilities of your job. Your position description is not designed to spell out all the duties and tasks associated with your employment; all our staff members are expected to fulfill both essential and secondary job duties and requirements. Position descriptions are not set in stone and will change, in whole or in part, over time. You are expected to discuss any significant changes in your functions with and responsibilities your manager, who has the authority to formalize changes in position descriptions at his or her discretion.
JOB POSTINGS
We post all full-time and part-time job openings internally via staff memo or daily announcements. The job may be posted and/or advertised externally at the same time, as appropriate. Jobs are internally posted for a minimum of five business days, and no job will be filled until the minimum posting period has ended.
TRANSFERS AND PROMOTIONS
To be eligible to apply for a transfer or promotion, an employee must have been in his/her current position for at least six months and must be meeting the requirements of the current position. Employees on a written warning dealing with job performance or unacceptable behavior are ineligible for transfers or promotions. Any exceptions to these policies must be approved by the executive director.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
In addition to your 90-day performance review at the completion of your introductory period, you also will participate with your manager in an annual performance review process. As part of this annual process, you and your manager will assess your accomplishments during the previous year, and set new performance goals for the coming year.
EMPLOYMENT OF BOARD MEMBERS
In order to preserve the objectivity and integrity of the foundation’s Board of Directors, any member who wishes to apply for employment with the foundation must first resign from the board.
MEDICAL/DENTAL BENEFITS
ESIP will provide each full-time employee with a “cafeteria plan” benefit of $350 per month which can be allocated by the employee to pay medical/dental, life insurance and long-term care insurance premiums.
VACATIONS
We offer paid vacation time to eligible staff members for their rest and recreation away from work. ESIP recognizes the value of time away from work responsibilities and encourages staff members to use all accrued vacation benefits on a timely basis. Since vacation time is primarily intended to increase an individual’s productivity by providing an opportunity to get away from normal stresses of the work environment, it is strongly encouraged that all ESIP staff take at least one vacation a year of five or more consecutive work days.
After the first year of employment, the employee shall earn vacation days for the following year on the anniversary of the date of hire. No more than five days of unused paid vacation may be carried from one year to employment to the next year of employment. Vacation may not be taken in units of less than one day.
All computations in this manual refer to the term “year of employment” shall commence on the date full-time employment with ESIP began.
Eligibility
All regular staff members who work an average of 30 hours per week or more begin to accrue vacation time on the first day of employment; however, staff members may not take time off for vacation until they complete six months of continuous service.
Allocation of Days
Regular full-time staff members will be awarded paid vacation at based on the following schedule. During the first 12 months of employment, the vacation time will be accrued based on the months worked. Following 12 months of employment, the following days are awarded per year, based on the length of employment.
Length of Service Days per Month Days per Year
0 - 12 months 1 10
13 - 60 months 15
61 or more months 20
Scheduling
Accrued vacation may be taken after completion of the first six months of employment. Vacation requests must be made at least 30 days in advance and require the approval of the executive director. Conflicting requests will be decided by length of service. All vacation requests should be cleared with the appropriate supervisor by email. Occasionally vacation plans change after the leave has been approved. Should this occur, the employee’s supervisor must approve the change and make a timely notification to the Human Resources Manager so that accurate records can be maintained.
Every effort will be made to grant vacation requests for the time desired. However, vacations should not unduly interfere with the department’s operations. If any conflict arises in requests for vacation time or if the requested vacation time is not conducive to ESIP’s schedule and operations, ESIP reserves the right to deny any vacation leave request.
HOLIDAYS
All regular staff members receive paid time off for the following holidays:
New Year’s Day
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans’ Day
Thanksgiving Day
The Friday After Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve
SICK TIME
We provide paid sick time to regular full- time staff members to provide you with protection against loss of income if you are ill or injured, or if you need time off from work for necessary or routine health care.
Sick leave may be taken when:
An employee is incapacitated by sickness, injury or confinement.
An employee is receiving medical, dental or optical examination or treatment.
An employee would jeopardize the health of others by his or her presence in the office.
An employee is authorized maternity or paternity leave.
An employee must care for an infirm spouse or child.
Up to ten days of sick leave are authorized during each year of employment. Sick leave may not be carried over to the next year of employment. ESIP staff that must be absent from work because of illness or injury will contact their supervisor or other ESIP staff as soon as possible. Notification of ESIP Human Resources Manager should be accomplished in a timely manner using the ESIP Leave Request Form.
Payment
We do not offer pay in lieu of use of accrued sick time, and staff members do not receive payment for accrued sick time when they leave our employ.
MATERNITY/PATERNITY LEAVE
Female employees are authorized to utilize up to four weeks of maternity leave if they are unable to work due to medical reasons. Maternity leave, like other medical disabilities, will first consist of unused sick leave and then any unused vacation leave. After the unused sick leave and vacation leave, which are paid leave, have been used, ESIP will pay for two weeks of maternity leave. Any leave taken in excess of unused sick leave/vacation leave, and the two weeks of paid maternity leave is considered leave without pay.
ESIP is also concerned for mothers and fathers of newborn children and the need to bond with the newborn child during the first weeks at home. Both female and male employees will be allowed up to four weeks of paternity leave. Paternity leave will first consist of unused sick leave and then unused vacation leave. ESIP will pay for no more than two weeks of combined maternity/paternity leave. Any leave taken in excess of unused sick leave/vacation leave, and the two weeks of maternity/paternity leave is considered to be leave without pay.
DISABILITY LEAVE
Eligibility
Full and part-time staff members of ESIP are eligible for unpaid medical leave after they complete the introductory period (exceptions for pregnancy disability leave may apply). Medical leaves are granted when a staff member is temporarily unable to perform his or her job due to illness, injury, pregnancy and/or childbirth. Medical leaves are granted for the duration of the disability, up to a maximum of six months.
Requesting a Leave
If you become disabled, you should promptly notify your manager. Written certification from your physician or other licensed health practitioner stating the nature of your disability, the date your disability began and the expected date of your return to work should be provided to your manager. We may request that you provide us with additional medical verification of your continuing disability from time to time during the course of your leave as well.
Pay During Leave
Staff members must use any accrued sick leave at the beginning of a medical leave. After accrued sick leave is used up, a staff member may use accrued vacation time. Staff members are considered inactive when they are no longer being paid and are on a medical leave.
Return to Work
Staff members returning from leaves resulting from pregnancy, childbirth or other related medical conditions will be guaranteed re-employment in the same position except when, due to organizational necessity, a position has ceased to exist during the leave. In that event, we will seek to provide the returning staff member with a substantially similar position.
Staff members returning from other types of medical leave will be returned to the same or a similar position whenever possible; however, ESIP cannot guarantee re-employment.
You may be asked to provide a physician’s certification of your fitness to return to work. Your manager should be told of any change in the date of your return to work in advance.
End of Employment
A staff member away from work on a medical leave will be considered to have voluntarily resigned from ESIP if:
• The staff member fails to notify the agency of her availability for work after the disability ceases
• The staff member fails to return to work after the disability has ceased and a position is available
A staff member who resigns because she has exceeded the maximum leave time allowed will be given special rehire consideration when she is able to return to work.
LONG-TERM ILLNESS OR PERMANENT INJURY
An employee whose leave is necessitated by a disabling, non- work-related physical or mental impairment, which substantially limits one of the employee’s major life activities and is expected to be ongoing for a substantial period of time or is of permanent duration, may be accommodated with longer and more frequent leaves as long as such leaves will not result in an undue hardship on the foundation.
Such employees will be returned to their same job, unless, for organizational reasons, the agency was unable to hold the job open or to fill it temporarily because to do so would have resulted in an undue hardship on the agency. Under these circumstances, the agency will offer the employee a substantially similar job if one exists that the employee is qualified to perform.
JURY AND WITNESS DUTY
Both exempt and nonexempt staff members are eligible for up to one week’s paid leave when called upon to serve as a juror or witness at a trial. You will be asked to provide documentation showing your required days of attendance. If you are released by the court after serving a partial day, you are expected to report to work and complete your normal workday unless you make other arrangements with your manager.
Exempt staff members who are required to serve longer than a week, and who do some work for ESIP during each of the remaining weeks served, will continue to receive full pay while on jury duty.
MILITARY LEAVE
We seek to comply with all state and federal laws regarding leaves of absence for military duty. Please speak with your office manager or the executive director in the event that you need to schedule such a leave.
PERSONAL LEAVE
Person leave is considered time when an employee will be permitted to be absent from the office, with pay, because of the following circumstances:
Death in the immediate family, or
Serious illness in the immediate family
Immediate family is considered to be spouse, children, parents, brothers or sisters, and grandparents.
Up to two days of personal leave will be granted to each employee per year of employment. If an employee exhausts his or her personal leave allotment and is in need of additional time away from the office for the reasons outlined in this section, ESIP will examine whether annual vacation, additional personal leave or a leave-without-pay status should be used to supplement existing personal leave time.
Personal leave time should not be considered an automatic addition to annual vacation. It is to be used only on an “as needed” basis and my not be carried forward to the next year of employment.
PAY PERIODS
We pay staff members on the last day of the month. If the payday falls on a holiday, staff members will be paid on the last working day before the holiday.
TIMEKEEPING REQUIREMENTS
All staff members must complete a time sheet for each pay period. Nonexempt staff members should record actual hours worked plus all use of paid time off. Exempt staff members need only track use of paid days off.
WAGE GARNISHMENTS
From time to time we may be required to withhold monies from an employee’s pay. If this foundation receives a court-authorized garnishment or levy, the impacted staff member will be notified immediately.
PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS
Your payroll and earnings deductions are detailed with your check. Mandated and voluntary deductions usually include:
Mandated by federal and state law Voluntary
Federal income tax Retirement account
State income tax
Social Security tax/Medicare tax
Garnishments/Wage attachments
Any questions about your paycheck should be directed to the director of finance.
SALARY PHILOSOPHY
At ESIP we strive for fairness and equity in all our policies and practices, including those that affect compensation. We offer a compensation package (your annual salary plus benefits) that reflects competitiveness in the marketplace and concern for our staff members’ ability to balance their work and personal lives.
SALARY REVIEWS
Except in extraordinary circumstances, a salary increase will be provided annually to all employees based on a combination of merit factors and cost-of-living adjustments.
SALARY BONUS
ESIP does not provide a general salary bonus system, but instead will consider periodic recommendations for salary increases made by the Executive Director aimed at recognizing exceptional performance and/or salary inequities.
RETIREMENT PLAN BENEFIT
ESIP will provide matching contribution of up to 5% of salary for employee contributions to a qualified retirement account arrangement.
PERSONAL AUTOMOBILE USE
Employees who use their own automobiles for travel on authorized agency business will be reimbursed for mileage at the rate established by the IRS. Employees must have prior supervisory approval for the use of personal vehicles and must carry, at their own expense, the minimum insurance coverage for property damage and public liability.
EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT
Staff members are reimbursed for approved travel and entertainment expenses. Staff members are asked to complete a record of all expenses for which they seek reimbursement and to submit receipts along with the expense record for reimbursement. Reimbursement is made via check within two weeks of receipt of the reimbursement request.
OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT POLICY
ESIP recognizes that some employees may seek additional outside employment, including second jobs, consulting engagements, self-employment and volunteer activities. To protect ESIP ’s business interests while employees are engaged in outside employment, ESIP has adopted the following rules and guidelines relating to outside employment by employees:
Before beginning outside employment, employees must obtain advanced written approval for the outside employment from the Executive Director.
Outside employment must not interfere with the employee’s work performance or work schedule.
Employees may not use ESIP ’s property, facilities, equipment, supplies, IT systems (such as computers, networks, e-mail, telephones or voice mail), time, trademark, brand, or reputation in connection with any outside employment.
Employees engaging in outside employment must comply with ESIP ’s policies and procedures identified in this handbook.
If you are considering outside employment, but are not sure if it complies with the rules and guidelines set out in this policy, you should speak with the Executive Director, who will help you determine whether the outside employment complies with this policy. Any employee, regardless of position or title, who is determined to have violated this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination of employment.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF VOICE MAIL AND ELECTRONIC MAIL
Employees use voice mail and electronic mail to communicate with others in the agency and to receive messages when they are unavailable. Employees should be aware that voice mail and electronic mail messages are not private and are subject to review by the agency in the case of an investigation of unlawful activity or violations of agency policy.
EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
It is important that personnel files contain up-to-date information regarding each employee. Employees should inform their supervisor immediately whenever there are changes in their personal data, such as address, telephone number, marital status, domestic partnership, number of dependents and person to notify in case of emergency.
Employees have the right to inspect their personnel file during regular office hours, given reasonable notice to the foundation. An appointment to inspect the file may be made with the director of operations, who will accompany the employee while he/she inspects his/her file. Employees may obtain copies of any document in their personnel file to the extent required by law. Personnel records are the property of ESIP and are not allowed to leave the office of the director of operations without authorization.
No reference information other than a verification of dates of employment, wage and title(s) will be given out to a third party without prior written authorization by the employee.
FOUNDATION CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidential information obtained during or through employment with ESIP may not be used by any staff member for the purpose of furthering current or future outside employment or activities, or for obtaining personal gain or profit.
At no time should a staff member disclose nonpublic or sensitive information to individuals other than on a need-to-know basis.
SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA
ESIP has designated the Executive Director as the person responsible for speaking with the press and making written and oral statements for publication. Any request for information or interviews by the media should be referred to the executive director.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
We use mail and office E-mail to communicate important information to staff members on a regular basis. Each of our staff members is responsible for reading posted or distributed information on a timely basis.
HARASSMENT
It is illegal to harass others on the basis of their sex, sexual orientation, age, race, color, national origin, religion, marital or veteran status, citizenship, disability or other personal characteristics. Harassment includes making derogatory remarks about such characteristics, making jokes about ethnic or other groups and other verbal, physical and visual behavior.
Sexual harassment is also prohibited. Propositions, repeated requests for dates, dirty jokes, sexually provocative pictures or cartoons and other verbal, physical and visual harassment of a sexual nature are prohibited. The harassment of any staff member will lead to immediate disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Any staff member who feels harassed has the right to file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and with a state agency. Before doing so, we ask that you first speak with your manager. If your manager is not appropriate, then speak with our executive director or the Board Chair, so that appropriate internal action may be taken. It is the responsibility of all managers to listen to such complaints and to refer them to the appropriate authority. We will not retaliate against any staff member who makes a claim of harassment.
WORKPLACE CONDUCT
We have developed certain guidelines to reflect what we believe are good business practices. We strive to develop and maintain a pleasant, efficient and fair work environment that fosters cooperation and understanding.
All staff members are expected to be:
• On time for all appointments, meetings, and teleconferences
• Careful and conscientious in the performance of their work
• Respectful and considerate of others
• Courteous and helpful, both when dealing with other staff members and with volunteers, supporters and the general public
OPEN-DOOR POLICY
All staff members are encouraged to provide input and suggestions concerning the overall operations and programs of ESIP , following appropriate communication channels. Staff members should initially bring their comments to their own manager. When that may be inappropriate, staff members may speak directly with the executive director.
We operate in an open-door manner. All input from staff will be considered and can be presented without fear of personal recrimination.
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
Disciplinary Action
The primary objective of any disciplinary action is to improve job performance. Actions by a staff member that are inappropriate for the work environment, are a hindrance to effective job performance or violate agency policy constitute improper conduct and may be cause for disciplinary action.
ESIP maintains a progressive and participatory disciplinary system, which may include all or some of the following steps:
1. Documented oral warning
2. Written warning
3. Final written warning
4. Suspension
5. Dismissal
Based on circumstances, a manager may choose to enter into disciplinary action at any step in the process, including immediate dismissal. All disciplinary action beyond oral warning requires the approval of the executive director.
COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
Employee Appeal Process
As a matter of general policy, managers at all levels will provide an open door for discussion and a receptive ear, and will review all staff member suggestions or complaints concerning our work practices and procedures.
If a staff member wishes to make a formal complaint, it should be done within a reasonable time after the incident or issue has occurred. We consider an open discussion between employee and manager as the first step of the complaint procedure. The manager must respond to the complaint in a timely manner. If the complaint is not resolved by the manager within a reasonable time frame, or if the staff member disagrees with the manager’s solution, the staff member may appeal directly to the executive director.
At this point the complaint must be written down, with the nature of the grievance clearly outlined. The executive director will investigate the complaint and notify the staff member, in writing, of her/his decision within a reasonable amount of time.
As a last resort, a staff member may take her/his complaint to the Board of Directors. The Board’s decision constitutes the agency’s final word on the matter.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
We are proud of our reputation for conducting our activities with fairness and integrity. We require all our staff members to uphold this reputation in every work-related activity. If you are ever in doubt about whether an activity meets our high ethical standards or compromises our reputation, please discuss your concerns with your manager or our executive director.
We require employees to abide by ESIP’s Conflict of Interest Policy and to annually disclose any conflicts.
AT-WILL STATUS
We hope to retain good employees. However, employment at ESIP is for no specified time, regardless of length of service. Just as you are free to leave at any time, for any reason, we reserve the same right to end our employment relationship with you at any time, with or without notice, for any reason not prohibited by law.
No policy contained in this handbook should be interpreted as in any way changing your at-will status.
VOLUNTARY TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
Any staff member may voluntarily resign her/his position at any time and for any reason. We will also consider that you have resigned if you:
• Fail to return from an approved leave of absence on the specified return date
• Fail to report to work without notice for three consecutive days
All staff members are asked to give a minimum of two weeks’ written notice of resignation. If a staff member is required to leave our employ before the duration of her/his notice (if, for example, a replacement is hired) the staff member will be paid for the two-week notice period.
Staff members are required to turn over all keys and other foundation property to the office manager before leaving on their last day of work.
INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION
This agency reserves the right to terminate any employee at any time, with or without cause or notice. Generally, when an employee is believed, in the opinion of his/her supervisor, to have a job performance problem or to be engaging in behavior that is unacceptable or counterproductive, the employee will be given an opportunity to improve his/her performance or behavior to an acceptable level by means of a formal disciplinary action process. However, the following list, while not complete, gives examples of behavior that can result in immediate termination of employment:
• Breaching confidentiality
• Violating the drug- and alcohol-free workplace policy
• Theft—including, but not limited to, the removal of foundation property or the property of another employee from agency premises without prior authorization
• Walking off the job without supervisory approval
• Fighting, roughhousing, abusive language or conduct that is hostile or disrespectful toward a co-worker, supervisor, board member, volunteer, or any person(s) associated with or served by this foundation
•Knowingly creating an unsafe work situation for self or co-worker
• Falsifying or altering records or time sheets
• Refusing to perform a work-related duty when directly instructed to do so by a supervisor or member of management
• Possessing weapons or firearms on this foundation's property
• Unauthorized use or dissemination of proprietary information
• Violating this foundation’s equal opportunity or harassment policies
• Unauthorized use of foundation property
All involuntary terminations require review by the executive director.
JOB ELIMINATION AND LAYOFFS
From time to time, we may need to lay-off an employee as a result of reorganization, job elimination, funding changes or lack of work. Should such a termination be necessary, all affected staff members will be given as much advance notice as is possible and practical.
If you lose your job due to a layoff or reorganization, you will receive all accrued, unused vacation pay, plus one week of severance pay for each year of employment up to a maximum of eight weeks’ pay.
EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Please read the following information and return this acknowledgment form to your direct supervisor for inclusion in your personnel file.
This handbook is provided to you for information and immediate reference. Because we are a dynamic and changing organization, policies included in this handbook are subject to unilateral change, revision, deletion or addition by this organization from time to time with or without prior notice.
You are an employee at-will. No policy in this handbook should be interpreted as in any way changing, altering or nullifying our policy of voluntary, at-will employment. Your employment with this organization has no specified duration, and either you or the organization may terminate the employment relationship whenever either of us believes it is desirable to do so, without consideration of cause or notice. The at-will nature of our relationship may not be changed except by a separate written agreement specifically entered into for such purpose and signed by the board chair.
No statement or representation by a supervisor or manager or any other employee, whether verbal or written, can supplement or modify this handbook. Any delay or failure by ESIP to enforce any rule, regulation or procedure contained in this handbook will not constitute a waiver of ESIP’s right to do so in the future.
This is to acknowledge that you have received and read your copy of the handbook, are familiar with and understand its contents and agree to comply with its terms during your employment.
(Please print)
Name: _______________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________________
Title: _________________________________________________
Signature: ______________________________________________
LEAVE REQUEST FORM
Earth Science Information Partners
Date: _____________________________
Employee name: __________________________________________________________
Employee location: _______________________________________________________
Supervisor name: ________________________________________________________
Dates Requested: _________________________________________________________
Reason for request: _______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Employee signature
Supervisor signature authorizing leave