About Your Job

A Handbook for Persons

Participating in Group Placements

Offered by SDS Employment

1761 Broadway, Ste 250

Vallejo, Ca 94589

(707) 552-9443

March 1996

Revised February 1998

Revised March 2001

Revised March 2008

What’s In This Handbook? Page #

Welcome to SDS Employment3

Your Rights As A Participant in SDS Programs4

1.0No Matter who you are5

2.0Your Individual Plan5

3.0Everyone who works here gets this handbook5

4.0What to do if you don't like something: A Grievance Procedure for SDS Employment Participants 5-6

5.0Work for Pay:7

How Much?
Who Pays You?
When?

6.0Time off from work7

When you are sick
When there is a holiday
When you go on vacation8

7.0 Getting to and from work8

8.0 Showing up for work and showing up on time 8

Going to the doctor8

9.0 Looking Clean and Neat8

10.0What happens if your get hurt on the job9

11.0Job Transfer9

12.0What does your staff do? 9

13.0What is in your file? 9

14.0It’s nobody’s business 9

15.0Work Rules 10

16.0More About Your Job 11

Welcome to SDS Employment

SDS Employment Services, a division of Solano Diversified Services, Inc. helps people with disabilities become more independent through employment and community integration training. We provide employment and training you will need to:

Earn a paycheck

Live more independently, and

Use community resources

We provide job opportunities through workcrews and enclaves. We can also provide you with the following work-related issues

The things that you need to do while we work together are:

Come to work each day

Be at work on time

Call us if you cannot come to work

Wear the right clothes for the job

Complete the work that you are asked to do

Help us write up your plan for learning things that will help you be a better work.

If you get hurt, please tell us;

Eat and smoke only during breaks and in places where it’s okay to eat and smoke; and

Follow the rules about working in a safe way.

If you have any questions about this handbook or our services, please ask any staff.

WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS?

When you participate in the programs offered by SDS Employment Services, you have certain rights:

You have the right to work at a job of your choice

You have the right to be treated well by the staff

You have the right to a safe place to work

You have the right to eat your lunch during lunchbreak

You have the right to keep your own money unless you agree in writing that you need help with it.

You have the right to know the rules about working

You have the right to state your preferences about what you want to learn

You have the right to speak up for yourself and to know what to do when you don’t like something

You have the right to have another person speak for you.

You have the right to a meeting to talk about what you are learning here.

You have the right to have your questions or concerns answered as soon as possible

You have the right to get the training you need to live and work more independently.

1.0NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE

You can work with us no matter your ethnic group identification, national origin, race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, ancestry, or political affiliation with authorization from the Department of Rehabilitation or the RegionalCenter.

2.0YOUR INDIVIDUAL PLAN

After we learn about what you do well and what you need help with, we will work with you to write your individual plan. This plan will include your work goals. It is called the individual Habilitation Service Plan (IHSP). This plan is usually developed after the first 90 days.

3.0EVERYONE WHO WORKS ON A CREW, GETS THIS HANDBOOK

4.0WHAT TO DO IF I DON’T LIKE SOMETHING, “A GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE FOR PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS OFFERED BY SDS EMPLOYMENT

If something happens to you here and you think it takes away one of your rights, then you can start a grievance.

What are your rights? Rights are things that the law says you have, like the right to training that you need to live and work.

What is a grievance? It’s what you can do it you think that the program is taking away one of your rights. A grievance gives you the chance to tell your side of the story and to try to get things changed.

What do you do?

Tell someone who works with you about the problem. They will help you write it down on a piece of paper. Do this within 7 days of when the problem happens.
This staff person will try to help you with your problem and tell you an answer to it in words and writing within 7 days.
If you don’t like the answer, then you can take the problem to the Program Manager within 7 days. The Program Manager will then try to help you with your problem and tell you an answer to it in words and writing within 7 days.
If you don’t like the answer, then you can take the problem to the President/CEO within 7 days. The President/CEO will then try to help you with your problem and tell you an answer to it in words and writing within 7 days.
If you don’t like the answer, then you can take the problem to the SDS Board of Directors within 7 days. The SDS Board of Directors will then try to help you with your problem and tell you an answer to it in words and writing within 7 days.
If you don’t like that answer, you can take your problem to one of the following: a Regional Center CPC; a Department of Rehabilitation Counselor, the Area IV Board, or State Licensing.

In order for you to use the grievance procedure when you need it, it would be helpful to fill our the information below:

Who is the staff person who works with you most of the time? ______

Who is the Program Manager?: ______

Who is the Supported Employment Manager? ______

Who is the President/CEO?: ______

Who is your Regional Center CPC?: ______

5.0WORK FOR PAY

At SDS Employment you get paid for your work.

How Much? This depends on your job and how well you work. SDS Employment will guarantee at least minimum wage.

Who pay you? You are paid by Solano Diversified Services.

When? You get paid two times each month. This pay is for work done between 1st through the 15th and the 16th through the end of the month. Actual paydates are listed on the paydate schedule.

6.0TIME OFF FROM WORK-VACATION/SICK LEAVE

After one year of employment of working 20 hours or more each week, you will receive 5 days of sick and 5 days of vacation (sick/vacation leave are accrued on a monthly basis based on the number of hours you work each day).

HOLIDAYS

After one year of employment of working 20 hours or more each week, you will be paid for the following 10 holidays:

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New Years Day

Martin Luther Kings Day

President’s Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Thanks giving Day

Day after Thanksgiving

Christmas Day

Day before or after Christmas Day

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When you go on vacation. You must tell the staff person who works with you to get prior approval for vacation time. If you have earned vacation time, you may elect to use this time to be paid while you are on vacation.

When you are sick. You must call the staff person that works with you at ______. If the staff person that works with you is not available, please leave a message at : ______. If you have accrued sick time, the sick time will be used to pay you for your day off.

7.0GETTING TO AND FROM WORK

The following are options for getting to and from work:

On Your Own: only if you work at the same site each day and you have your own transportation.

SDS Transportation: For persons who work on our group placements who are unable to provide their own transportation.

8.0SHOWING UP FOR WORK AND SHOWING UP ON TIME

If you are sick or are going to be late, be sure to you’re your supervisor as early as possible before your work shift starts. It is important to come to work and to show up one time. If you are gone a lot, you may need to find another place to work.

Going to the doctor. If you need to go to the doctor, plan to go after work. If you can’t do this, then make sure you tell the staff person who works with you several days before you need to go.

9.0LOOKING CLEAN AND NEAT

Wear the right clothes for your job. Make sure your clothes are neat and clean. You also need to make sure that your hands and face are clean, your hair is clean and neatly combed or brushed and your teeth are brushed. You are issued a uniform shift and must wear this uniform each time you come to work. If you do not, you will not be able to work that day.

10.0WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GET HURT WHILE DOING PAID WORK?

If you get hurt while doing paid work, well your staff person right away. If you have to stay home from work because you are hurt, you may receive special benefits.

11.0WHAT IF YOU WANT TO TRANSFER TO A NEW JOB?

Contact the Program Manager ______at Phone #: (707) 552-9443. Let the Program Manager know you want a new job. He will set up a time to speak to you and discuss other employment possibilities that may be open at that time for a job transfer within SDS.

12.0WHAT DOES THE STAFF DO?

Helps you when you have problems

Teaches you things you need to learn for your job

Writes down how hard you work

Makes sure that you work is good

Listens to your problems and helps fix them

Looks at your work and writes how you are doing

13.0WHAT IS YOUR FILE?

Your file has written information in it about you, like how well you work and how you get along with others. You can look at it by making an appointment with the Program Manager.

14.0IT’S NOBODYS BUSINESS!

Staff at SDS Employment Services can look at your file, but no one else can look at it unless you say so.

15.0WORK RULES

1)Is it okay to smoke?Yes No

2)When do you get paid?______

3)Do you get Holidays?Yes No

If yes, how many days per year:______

4)Do you get paid vacation days?Yes No

If yes, how many days per year:______

5)Do you get paid sick leave?Yes No

If yes, how many days per year:______

Is there medical insurance?Yes No

Is there dental insurance?Yes No

Other things you should know

What do you do if you get hurt?

______

What do you do it there is a fire?

______

Who do you go to if you have a problem?

______

What does it take to get a raise?

______

What does it take to get fired?

______

Other issues?

______

MORE ABOUT YOUR JOB

These are things you should know about your program at SDS Employment. Keep the list below and it will help you remember those things.

About the job

Name of the program or business where your work:

Solano Landscaping & Maintenance

SDS Janitorial

Day Crew

Night Crew

Production Crew

Clorox Manufacturing

Meyer Fairfield

Meyer Vallejo

Litter Abatement Crew

Sonoma/Marin

Solano/Napa

What time do you start work?______

What time are your breaks?______

When is lunch time?______

What time is work over?______

How many hours a day do you work?______

How man y days a week do you work?______

SDS Employment Address is:

1761 Broadway, Suite 250

Vallejo, Ca 94589

Phone # is: 707-552-9443

Fax # is:707-552-9467

Email is:

Website:

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