Employee Manual (MASTER-6_'24).pdf

Access Point of Georgia, Inc. Employee Manual Last Updated: April 2024 0 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY 3 2. TIMEKEEPING 3 3. MILEAGE...

Access Point of Georgia, Inc. Employee Manual Last Updated: April 2024 0 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY 3 2. TIMEKEEPING 3 3. MILEAGE 4 5. PAID TIME OFF BENEFITS 6 6. HOLIDAYS 7 7. TRACKING TIME OFF 7 8. BEREAVEMENT LEAVE 8 9. STAFF REVIEW / PERFORMANCE EVALUATION 8 10. STAFF DISCIPLINARY POLICY 8 11. PROBATIONARY PERIOD 9 12. EMPLOYMENT TERMINATION 10 13. RETURN OF PROPERTY 10 14. STAFF EVALUATION FORM 11 15. DISCIPLINARY PROTOCOL 15 16. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST 17 EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM 20 2 1. ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY a. Access Point of Georgia employees are expected to be reliable and punctual in reporting for scheduled work on time. This is to maintain a safe and productive work environment that respects everyone's time and our own. Absenteeism and tardiness place an undue burden on others and Access Point of Georgia. In the rare instances employees cannot avoid being late for work or are unable to work as scheduled, they should notify their supervisor as soon as possible in advance of the anticipated tardiness or absence. b. Poor attendance and excessive tardiness are disruptive. Either behavior may lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. 2. TIMEKEEPING a. Timekeeping for Hourly Employees Accurately recording time worked is the responsibility of every hourly employee. Time worked is all the time spent on the job performing assigned duties. Employees should accurately record the time they begin and end their work. They should also record the beginning and ending times of any split shift or breaks from work during the day. Overtime work is not an option for hourly employees. It is the responsibility of every hourly employee to not go over 40 hours per week, or 80 hours over two weeks. Altering, falsifying, tampering with time records, or recording time incorrectly may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Submitting timesheets that are not accurate, or logging work that needs to be verified may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. Employees will record time on a timekeeping software, as instructed by their immediate supervisor. If you are in need of assistance regarding your timekeeping and feel you are needing further assistance, please contact admin and/or another manager/director via email for more education regarding timekeeping. b. Timesheet Submission For Quickbooks - Supervisor will run payroll that includes time submitted and verified, to be paid on 1st and 16th every month. 3  Employees using Quickbooks Time should enter their time the day the work is completed. This can be done easily using the Quickbooks Time App by clocking in at the beginning of the shift, and clocking out at the end. Submitting time on Quickbooks is the employee’s sign off of work completed and is considered to be an accurate and true reflection of time completed, also detailed in the notes “notes” section.. For Google Sheets - Selected Employees/Contractors must submit their Timesheet 3 business days prior to payday; paydays fall on the 1st and 16th. Sending a copy of the timesheet to their immediate supervisor and to the “admin” email denotes a signature that the time is accurate and true. c. Timekeeping for Salary Employees This will vary for most Access Point of Georgia staff, as different grants often pay for different salaried positions and length of time therein. Salary Employees are expected to track their time as instructed by their supervisor to monitor time worked on specific projects, hours over time, and track appropriate FTE. 3. MILEAGE a. Employees will submit their well-tracked miles on the “Mileage” line in the Reimbursement section in Quickbooks Time. b. Mileage must be submitted to supervisors 3 days before the payroll date on which employees request reimbursement. c. A copy of your mileage log and map must be submitted also. If you are not using Quickbooks Time Mileage must be submitted within 30 days of the miles being driven. 4. TRAVEL AND OTHER EXPENSES REIMBURSEMENT GUIDELINES This policy is designed to assist employees in reporting expenses incurred while conducting Access Point of Georgia business activities. a. Access Point of Georgia expects employees to act responsibly and professionally when incurring and submitting costs. The organization will reimburse employees for reasonable expenses on pre-approved business. This includes, for example, travel fares, accommodations, meals, tips, telephone and purchases made on only on behalf of the organization. b. Access Point of Georgia does not pay for local travel to and from the office. If employees use their vehicles for business travel during their workday, mileage 4  will be reimbursed at the federally established mileage reimbursement standards and for appropriate parking fees only. Access Point of Georgia not be responsible for fuel, maintenance, traffic or parking violations for employee use of personal vehicles in addition to federal reimbursement costs. Item not eligible for reimbursement: c. Personal travel insurance d. Personal reading materials e. Childcare f. Toiletries, cosmetics, or grooming products g. Expenses incurred by spouses, children, or relatives h. In-room movies, video games, Netflix, Pay Per View, etc i. Sporting activities, shows, etc. Approved items for reimbursement and amounts depend upon each grants pre-approved budget and federal regulations. See supervisor for details and be mindful that each travel trip will likely vary and each employee is responsible for their own reimbursements if/when reimbursements are offered. GENERAL GUIDELINES Original receipts are required for all reimbursements of all expenses except for per diems. These expenses include: i. Original boarding passes for airplane / train travel ii. All debit and/or credit card receipts iii. Detailed merchant receipts Receipts must be accompanied by a summary which outlines: iv. The nature of the expense v. The name and titles of the individuals involved vi. The purpose for the expense Expense summaries must be submitted with receipts and approved by the Supervisor and Executive Director. All expenses and summaries must be submitted within 2 weeks to receive payment, and the Employee Expense Reimbursement Form must be used. PER DIEM GUIDELINES Per Diem rates for meals and incidentals will only SOMETIMES be provided, and no receipts will be required. The per diem amount paid for each day of travel is set at the federal rate for the location in which the Access Point of Georgia staff member is conducting business. However, Per Diem rates will not be paid where other meal arrangements are provided. For example, a luncheon included with an event. Also, Pier Diem rates seldom apply during Harm Reduction conferences and conventions, and you will need to save your receipts in order to be reimbursed. 5  ***Always communicate with your supervisor prior to traveling on behalf of Access Point of Georgia to learn details for that particular trip. Details vary based on grant/funding source and requirements.*** TRAVEL GUIDELINES j. Employees are encouraged to fly coach class with the lowest available airfare for non-stop travel. k. If a car rental is required, employees are requested to rent economy or compact vehicles. Employees will be reimbursed for the fuel costs associated with renting a vehicle. l. Employees will be reimbursed for reasonable hotel accommodations. Discounted room rates should be requested at the time of room booking. 5. PAID TIME OFF BENEFITS a. Paid Time Off (PTO) is available to eligible employees to provide opportunities for rest, relaxation, and personal pursuits. b. Employees in the following employment classification/s are eligible to earn and use PTO as described in this policy: Full-Time Employees: The amount of PTO employees receive each year increases with the length of their employment as shown in the following schedule: PAID TIME OFF EARNING SCHEDULE YEARS OF ELIGIBLE PTO DAYS EACH YEAR SERVICE After an initial 90 days 14 days After 1 year 14 days After 2 years 21 days After 3 years 21 days After 4 years 28 days 6  Part-Time Employees: The amount of PTO for part-time or hourly employees is 7 days every calendar year. The length of eligible service is calculated based on a “benefit year.” This is the 12-month period that begins when the employee starts to earn PTO. An employee’s benefit year may be extended for any significant leave of absence except military leave. Military leave has no effect on this calculation. (See individual leave of absence policies for more information.) c. Once employees enter an eligible employment classification, they begin to earn PTO according to the schedule. Employees cannot use PTO within the first 90 days of employment. 6. HOLIDAYS a. Due to the level of outreach services Access Point of Georgia provides, no formal holidays will be granted. In lieu of regular holidays, 14 floating holidays will be granted. Sufficient notice of at least 2 weeks must be given to a supervisor. The employee’s supervisor must approve all floating holidays. b. According to applicable restrictions, Access Point of Georgia will grant paid holiday time off to all eligible employees who have completed 90 calendar days of service in an eligible employment classification. Holiday pay will be calculated based on the employee’s straight-time pay rate (as of the date of the holiday) times the number of hours the employee would otherwise have worked on that day. Eligible employee classification/s: Full-Time employees Part-Time employees 7. TRACKING TIME OFF a. Employees can request the use of earned PTO and holidays. b. All employee's PTO and holidays will be tracked in Quickbooks Time: The time tracker is submitted to the supervisor and the admin email by the 5th of every month. Time off requests should be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the requested time off. Employees are responsible for asking for their time off, ensuring it is approved, and are responsible to make sure their work is covered for the time they are away. PTO and Holidays must be used within a calendar year. PTO (including Holidays) does not roll over to the following year. 7 8. BEREAVEMENT LEAVE a. If an employee wishes to take time off due to the death of an immediate family member, the employee should notify his/her supervisor immediately. Paid time off of no less than 16 hours will be approved to allow the employee to attend the funeral and make any necessary arrangements associated with the death. (Exceptions may be made to add additional hours/days depending on details/travel, family arrangements, etc.) b. Approval of bereavement leave will occur in the absence of unusual operating requirements. All employees who get it approved by their supervisors may use any paid leave for additional time off as necessary. c. Access Point of Georgia defines “immediate family” as the employee’s spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling; the employee’s spouse’s parent, child, sibling; the employee’s child’s spouse; grandparents or grandchildren. Special consideration will also be given to any other person whose association with the employee was similar to any of the above relationships. 9. STAFF REVIEW / PERFORMANCE EVALUATION a. Supervisors and employees are strongly encouraged to discuss job performance and goals on an informal, day-to-day basis. Formal performance evaluations may be conducted at 30-day intervals and again at the end of an employee’s initial period of 90 days in any new position. This period allows all parties to discuss the job responsibilities, standards, and performance requirements of the newly hired position. Additional formal performance reviews are conducted to provide supervisors and employees an opportunity to discuss, identify, and correct any behaviors that may be a detriment to the position, to recognize and encourage strengths, and to discuss positive, purposeful approaches for meeting goals. b. The performance of all employees is generally evaluated according to an ongoing 12-month cycle, beginning at the calendar year. However, any possible changes made to salary (due to available funding, and significant changes in job description/duties) are contingent upon evaluated performance. 10. STAFF DISCIPLINARY POLICY a. Access Point of Georgia reserves the right to combine or skip steps depending on each situation and the nature of the offense. The level of disciplinary intervention may also vary. Some factors that will be considered are whether the behavior is repeated despite coaching, counseling, or training, the staff’s work record, and the impact the conduct and performance issues have on the organization and its program participants. b. Procedure: Verbal warning Written warning with a performance improvement plan developed in a participatory process with staff and management. Suspension or final written warning 8  Recommendation for termination of employment c. Management’s recommendation to terminate employment must be approved by the Executive Director and the project director (when applicable). d. Appeal Process: Staff will have an opportunity to present information that may challenge management. This purpose is to provide insight into extenuating circumstances that may have contributed to the staff’s performance or conduct issues while allowing for an equitable solution. e. Documentation: The staff will be provided copies of all progressive discipline documentation, including all performance improvement plans. The staff will be asked to sign copies of this documentation attesting to his or her receipt and understanding of the corrective action outlined in these documents. Copies of these documents will be placed in the staff’s official personnel file. 11. PROBATIONARY PERIOD a. The intention of the probationary period is to give employees the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to achieve a satisfactory level of performance and to determine whether the new position meets their expectations. Access Point of Georgia uses this period to evaluate employee capabilities, work habits, and overall performance. Either the employee or Access Point of Georgia may end the employment relationship at will at any time during or after the probationary period, with or without cause or advance notice. b. All new and rehired employees work on a *probationary* basis for the first 90 calendar days after their date of hire. Employees promoted or transferred within Access Point of Georgia must complete a secondary probationary period if transferring to a new position. Any significant absence will automatically extend a probationary period by length of absence, and the amount of change that has happened in the organization while the employee was absent. When it’s determined the designated probationary period did not allow sufficient time to evaluate performance, the probationary period may be extended for a specified period. c. In the case of promotions or transfers within Access Point of Georgia, an employee who – in the sole judgment of management – is not successful in the new position may be removed from that position during the secondary probationary period. If this occurs, the employee may be allowed to return to his/her former job or a comparable job for which the employee is qualified, depending on the availability of such positions and Access Point of Georgia’s needs. d. Upon satisfactory completion of the initial probationary period, employees enter the “regular” employment classification. 9  e. Employment status is not changed during the secondary probationary period (if needed) that results from a promotion or transfer within Access Point of Georgia. 12. EMPLOYMENT TERMINATION a. Termination of employment is an inevitable part of personnel activity within any organization, and many reasons for termination are routine. Below are some of the most common circumstances under which employment is terminated. RESIGNATION – employment termination initiated by an employee who left the organization voluntarily. DISCHARGE – employment termination initiated by the organization. LAYOFF – involuntary employment termination initiated by the organization for non-disciplinary reasons. MEDICAL TERMINATION -- employment termination initiated by an employee or the organization when an employee is unable to continue work for health reasons. RETIREMENT – voluntary retirement from active employment status initiated by the employee. b. Access Point of Georgia will sometimes schedule exit interviews at employment termination. The exit interview allows discussion on issues such as employee benefits, conversion privileges, repayment of outstanding debts to Access Point of Georgia, or to return Access Point of Georgia-owned property. Suggestions, complaints, and questions can also be voiced. c. Since employment with Access Point of Georgia is based on mutual consent, both the employee and Access Point of Georgia have the right to terminate employment at will, with or without cause, at any time. Employees will receive their final pay by applicable state law. d. The employee will be notified in writing of the benefits that may be continued and the terms therein, conditions, and limitations of such continuance. 13. RETURN OF PROPERTY a. Employees are responsible for all property, materials or written information issued to them or in their possession or control. Employees must return all Access Point of Georgia property (i.e. computers, phones, etc.) immediately upon request or termination of employment. Where permitted by applicable laws, Access Point of Georgia may withhold from the employee’s check or final paycheck the cost of any items not returned when required. Access Point of Georgia may also take all action deemed appropriate to recover or protect its property. The following are the Documents used by Access Point of Georgia for Staff Evaluations, Disciplinary and Conflicts of Interest Policy and Procedure. 10  Access Point of Georgia,inc Staff Evaluation Form / Short-Term Employee: Supervisor: For Evaluation Period: _____ to _____ Date: Instructions: 1. Make a copy of this template 2. Each employee and supervisor can complete their sections of the form below separately and come together to review during the evaluation meeting 3. Supervisor will schedule 1-2 hours with the staff person for the review. This is a time for conversation, reflection and feedback to support growth. 4. After the review, will compile the supervisor and staff review information into one document 5. This document will be saved in the employees confidential personnel file and shared with the staff member. I. Most important message: What is your biggest take away from this last evaluation period? How would you sum up performance during this time (completed by both employer and supervisor)? II. Performance Goals/position specific accountabilities: These are the goals agreed upon by the employee and supervisor at the start of this review period and based on the employee job description. Goals can be listed below and comments on success or areas of challenge. Add additional rows if needed. (completed by both employee and supervisor 11 Goal 1: Goal 2: Goal 3: Comments Goal 4: Comments III. Core Competencies reflections (to be completed by employee and supervisor) Competency Reflect on each competency. What is going well and what are areas for improvement? Participant Focus: Compassion, Commitment, Perspective Comments: Entrepreneurial Spirit: Creativity, Flexibility, Analytical Rigor Comments: Teamwork: Communication, Consideration, Collaboration Comments: Reliability/Accountability: Follows through on assignments, Takes ownership of work, Is reliable and responsible. Adheres to policies and procedures Comments: 12 IV. Topics for conversation (completed by employee): What are you most proud of during this review period? What is working well about this position? What could be working better? How would you improve this position? What if anything would improve your job satisfaction? Is there a way I could be providing you better supervision? How would you improve our supervision? V. Topics of conversation (to be completed by the supervisor): What priorities and goals should the employee focus on following this review period as we move into the next? 13  Suggestions for professional development? Overall summary of performance and any additional comments? VI. Signatures: Employee: I participated in this discussion of this review with my supervisor on the date below: ___________________________________ _________________________________ Printed Name Title at Access Point of Georgia ___________________________________ _________________________________ Signature Date Signed 14  Disciplinary Policy and Protocol Reprimand Definition A written reprimand is part of the progressive discipline process. It serves as a warning to employees to improve performance and workplace behavior. A written reprimand, or final written reprimand, is generally issued before an employee is considered for suspension or termination barring any egregious matters. It typically includes the following information: a. The date, time, and place of the inappropriate behavior or performance: b. Future expectations of the employee: c. The consequences should the inappropriate behavior or poor performances are to continue: Written confirmation of an oral reprimand is a document that contains information similar to a written reprimand and has been issued to the employee. An informal notation of oral counseling that is only maintained in a supervisory file is not considered a written confirmation of an oral reprimand. Disciplinary Step Process Document coaching efforts with the employee. The manager or supervisor of the employee will document all coaching methods to rectify the issues identified. These coaching efforts will be printed and placed in the employee’s file. The employee will be e-mailed and given a hard copy of the document 1. Oral Reprimand 2. Written Reprimand 3. Implement a detailed work plan of day-to-day duties with daily follow-up from the manager 4. Once an employee receives 2-3 written reprimands, does not follow the implemented work plan, or a situation rises to an unmanageable level, the employee may be dismissed from the agency 15 Coaching Efforts Supervisor’s attempt to redirect the employee are as follows: Oral Reprimand occurred on: The notation hard copy is attached to this document in the employee’s file and is as follows (copied content of email or signed document clarifying content between supervisor and employee states the following:) Written Reprimand The notation hard copy is attached to this document in the employee’s file and is as follows (copied content of email or signed document clarifying content between supervisor and employee states the following:) Follow-up Detailed work plan of day-to-day duties with daily follow-up from the manager. 16  CONFLICTS OF INTEREST POLICY Policy: Access Point of Georgia, Inc. recognizes that conflicts of interest may arise in its operations. Employees should conduct business within guidelines that prohibit actual or potential conflicts of interest. This policy outlines the standards of conduct for identifying and managing conflicts of interest to ensure that the organization's decisions and actions are objective, independent, and in the best interests of the organization. Procedure: A conflict of interest exists when an individual has a direct or indirect financial, personal, or other interest in a matter that may affect the organization's decision-making or operations. All Conflicts of Interest must be communicated in writing to the immediate supervisor and Board of Directors. a. Conflicts of Interest may arise when any staff, officer, director, volunteer or agent of Access Point of Georgia has a financial, family or any other beneficial interest in the vendor firm selected or considered for an award. Conflicts of interest may present themselves when patients, participants, clients, employees, etc. experience dual relationships between agencies. i. An actual or potential conflict of interest occurs when an employee is in a position to influence a decision that may result in personal gain for that employee or for a relative because of Access Point of Georgia’s business dealings. 1. For this policy, a relative is any person who is related by blood or marriage, or whose relationship with the employee is similar to that of persons who are related by blood or marriage. ii. No “presumption of guilt” is created by the mere existence of a relationship with outside firms. However, if an employee has any influence on transactions involving purchases, contracts, or leases, they must disclose as soon as possible the existence of any actual or potential conflicts of interest so that safeguards can be established to protect all parties. iii. Personal gain may result in cases where: 1. an employee or relative has significant ownership in a firm with which Access Point of Georgia does business. 2. an employee or relative receives any kickback, bribe, substantial gift, or special consideration as a result of any transaction or business dealings involving Access Point of Georgia. iv. Any staff, officer, board member, director, manager, volunteer, or consultant of Access Point of Georgia may be asked to step back in instances of dual 17  relationships and the role and responsibilities may be completed by another working member of the agency. b. All Conflicts of Interest must be communicated in writing to the immediate supervisor and/or Board of Directors. i. All directors, officers, employees, and volunteers of the organization must disclose any potential conflicts of interest to the immediate supervisor and/or Board of Directors as soon as they become aware of the conflict. ii. Upon disclosure of a potential conflict of interest, the Board of Directors, CEO, or designated staff member shall evaluate the conflict to determine whether a conflict of interest exists. iii. If a conflict of interest exists, the Board of Directors, CEO, or designated staff member shall determine the appropriate course of action, which may include: 1. Asking the individual with the potential conflict to recuse themselves from the decision-making process and any discussion of the matter. 2. Appointing an independent committee to review and make decisions on the matter, if a conflict of Interest has already occurred. 3. Prohibiting the organization from entering into the contract, completing the transaction, or entering into a relationship that would create a conflict of interest. c. The materials, products, designs, plans, ideas, and data of Access Point of Georgia are the property of Access Point of Georgia and should never be given to an outside firm or individual, except through normal channels and with appropriate authorization. i. Any improper transfer of material or disclosure of information, although it is not apparent that an employee has gained by such action, constitutes unacceptable conduct. ii. Any employee who participates in such a practice will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. d. The organization shall maintain written records of all conflicts of interest disclosures, evaluations, and decisions. i. Access Point of Georgia will communicate its conflict of interest policy and procedure to all directors, officers, employees, and volunteers through employee and volunteer manuals. ii. All employees, volunteers, board members, officers, and consultants of Access Point of Georgia must sign and date the conflict of interest policy 18 I acknowledge that I have received and read the Access Point of Georgia Conflicts of Interest policy outlined above. I acknowledge it is my responsibility to notify management of any Conflict of Interest as soon as I become aware of it. Signed, ___________________________________ _________________________________ Printed Name Title at Access Point of Georgia ___________________________________ _________________________________ Signature Date Signed 19  EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM The employee handbook describes important information about Access Point of Georgia. I understand I should consult the Executive Director, designee, or my immediate supervisor regarding any questions I may have that are unanswered after reviewing the employee handbook. Since the information, policies, and benefits described here are subject to change, I acknowledge that revisions to the handbook may occur. All such changes will be communicated through official notices, and I understand that revised information may supersede, modify, or eliminate existing policies. Only the Board of Directors and the Executive Director of Access Point of Georgia may adopt any revisions to the policies and procedures in this handbook. Furthermore, I acknowledge this handbook is neither a contract of employment nor a legal document. I have received the handbook, and I understand it is my responsibility to read and comply with the policies contained in this handbook and any revisions made to it. ________________________________________________ EMPLOYEE NAME (PRINTED) ________________________________________________ _________________ EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE (SIGNED) DATE 20