Diocese of Davenport - Staff Handbook for Diocesan Entities
Staff Handbook
for
Diocesan Entities
in the
Diocese of Davenport
Template for modification by each Diocesan Entity
Information that is required is in bold text, other than headings.
The appendixis required.
September 9, 2009
Revised January 12,2011
July 30, 2015
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Diocese of Davenport - Staff Handbook for Diocesan Entities
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
Diocese of Davenport - Staff Handbook for Diocesan Entities
Introduction
Employment Philosophy...... 2
Preamble...... 2
Definitions...... 3
Compliance with State and
Federal Laws...... 3
Conditions of Employment
Employment Categories...... 4
Outside Employment...... 5
Timekeeping...... 5
Work Schedules / Overtime...... 5
Job Classifications...... 6
Employee Benefits...... 6
Holidays...... 7
Holy Days...... 7
Vacation...... 8
Sick Leave...... 8
Workers’ Compensation Insurance /
Incident Report...... 9
Family and Medical Leave...... 10
Leave of Absence...... 13
Bereavement Leave...... 13
Jury Duty...... 14
Time-off to Vote...... 14
Military Leave...... 14
Benefits Continuation (COBRA)...... 15
Employee Assistance Program...... 15
Performance Evaluation...... 15
Staff Personnel Files...... 16
Personal Data Changes...... 16
Employment Termination...... 16
Staff Guidelines
Due Process...... 17
Staff Conduct and Work Guidelines.....19
Drug and Alcohol Use...... 19
Attendance and Punctuality...... 20
Solicitation...... 20
Conflict of Interest...... 20
Whistleblower...... 21
Non-Disclosure of Confidential
Information...... 21
Information Systems...... 21
Use of Equipment and Vehicles...... 24
Return of Property...... 24
Dress Policy...... 24
Business Travel Expenses...... 25
Safety and Security...... 25
Sexual and Other Unlawful
Harassment...... 26
Emergency Closing...... 27
Staff Acknowledgement Form...... 28
Teacher or Others with Written
Contracts Acknowledgment Form...29
Appendix A - Incident Report Form....30
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Diocese of Davenport - Staff Handbook for Diocesan Entities
EMPLOYMENT PHILOSOPHY
"As the sun in shining looks on all things, so the work of the Lord is full of glory."
Ecclesiasticus 42:16
“For when people work, they not only alter things and society, they develop themselves as well. They learn much, they cultivate their resources, they go outside of themselves and beyond themselves. ” (#35)
Gaudium et Spes(The Church in the Modern World), Second Vatican Council, 1965.
“Work remains a good thing, not only because it is useful and enjoyable, but also because it expresses and increases the worker's dignity. Through work we not only transform the world, we are transformed ourselves, becoming ‘more a human being.’” (#9)
LaboremExercens (On Human Work), Pope John Paul II, 1981.
“Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. Work, to use an image, “anoints” us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God, who has worked and still works, who always acts…”
General Audience, Pope Francis, May 1, 2013.
“All work has a threefold moral significance. First, it is a principle way that people exercise the distinctive human capacity for self-expression and self-realization. Second, it is the ordinary way for human beings to fulfill their material needs. Finally, work enables people to contribute to the well-being of the larger community. Work is not only for one's self. It is for one's family, for the nation, and indeed for the benefit of the entire human family.” (#97)
Economic Justice for All, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1986.
PREAMBLE
The mission of the Diocese of Davenport:
As a Eucharistic community, we live out Jesus’ call to go and
make disciples of all nations and to love God and neighbor.
In the Diocese of Davenport, hereafter referred to as the Diocese, we are called to live the Good News in our own lives and the communities of faith in which we work. While the Diocese and Diocesan entities are independent corporations, we are unified by our call to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ by sharing our concern for the welfare of employees and volunteers, hereafter referred to as staff, as coworkers in the vineyard.
The following guidelines and policies attempt to respect that individual vocation to service and build up the community of workers who share in an intimate way in the work of the Church. This handbook is not intended to create a contractual relationship of any kind. The Diocese reserves the right to change or modify the guidelines and policies at any time with or without notice. The only recognized deviations from the stated policies are those authorized and signed by the Bishop of Davenport. Once a change is approved by the Bishop it will become effective immediately unless otherwise indicated. The benefits included in this handbook are strongly recommended. However, each Diocesan entity may adjust the benefits they may offer. All other parts and sections of this handbook apply to all Diocesan entities.
DEFINITIONS
Bishop………………………The Bishop of Davenport
CEO……………………….…The Chief Executive Officer of the diocesan entity. For parishes this is the pastor or parish life coordinator; for schools this is the principal. For the Chancery this is the Moderator of the Curia.
Diocese……………………..The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
Diocesan Entity…………..Includes all Catholic corporate entities within the Diocese of Davenport which are listed in the Official Catholic Directory or the Diocesan Directory that have the Bishop of Davenport as their President.
Diocesan CFO……………..The Chief Financial Officer of the Diocese of Davenport
Employee…………………..Paid staff member
Exempt Employee………..An employee who, due to his/her duties and federal law, is not entitled to overtime pay
Non Exempt Employee….An employee who is entitled to overtime pay after working 40 hours in a work week
Staff/Staff Member……...Employees and volunteers
Staff Handbook …………..Staff Handbook for Diocesan Entities
Compliance WithState and Federal Laws
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. We comply with laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.Subject to this, we may give preference to Catholics in teaching, school administration, and catechetical positions.
We expressly prohibit any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, marital or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated.
EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES
Employment status categories have two primary purposes. Categories that refer to the amount of time a person is scheduled to work (e.g., full-time, part-time) address eligibility for benefits. Categories that describe the type of job being filled (administrative, exempt, support staff, nonexempt) address legal requirements to pay overtime and maintain timekeeping records. Actual duties and wages, rather than title, are the determining factors in classifying exempt and non-exempt employees.
Exempt Employees
An exempt employee is any employee who is paid on a salaried basis and is engaged in a bona fide executive, administrative, professional, or skilled computer capacity. Such an employee is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Licensed teachers are exempt employees by law from the minimum pay requirement. The exempt status of an employee is determined by analyzing the employee’s pay rate and entire set of responsibilities against exemption tests set by the Department of Labor's Wage & Hour Division. Details can be found in the Employer Procedure Manual for Diocesan Entities in the Diocese of Davenport.
Nonexempt Employees
A nonexempt employee is any hourly employee, who, by virtue of his/her assigned job responsibilities and/or weekly pay rate, must be compensated in accordance with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act with respect to overtime payment.
The nonexempt status of an employee is determined by analyzing the employee's weekly pay rate and the entire set of responsibilities against exemption tests set by the Department of Labor's Wage & Hour Division. Positions normally classified as nonexempt include: bookkeeper, cook, cafeteria worker, day care worker, housekeeper, maintenance worker, office helper, receptionist, school bus driver, secretary, administrative assistant and similar positions.
Independent Contractors
When people are hired to perform services, they are either employees or independent contractors. As a general rule, the worker should be classified as an employee and a Form W-2 should be issued. The primary difference has to do with the "independence" of the workers. The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if the entity has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. The earnings of a person who is working as an independent contractor are subject to Self-Employment Tax.
An independent contractor is not an employee of the Diocesan entity and is not paid by salary or wages. The CEOwill make the determination if the person meets the legal definition of independent contractor as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor. Any questions concerning the correct determination of independent contractor status may be referred to the Diocesan Finance Office.
OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT
Staff, except staff with executive exemptions who need the CEO’s approval, may hold outside jobs as long as they meet the performance standards of their jobs with the Diocesan entity. All staff members will be judged by the same performance standards and will be subject to the Diocesan entity’s scheduling demands, regardless of any existing outside work requirements. The Diocesan entity does not preclude employees from working at another job as long as it does not conflict with the mission of the Diocesan entity or reflect inappropriately on the Diocese or the Roman Catholic Church.
If the Diocesan entity determines that a staff member’s outside work interferes with performance or the ability to meet the requirements of the Diocesan entity as they are modified from time to time, the staff member may be asked to terminate the outside employment if he or she wishes to remain with the Diocesan entity.
TIMEKEEPING
Nonexempt employees must accurately record the time they begin and end their work, as well as the beginning and ending time of each meal period. They must also record the beginning and ending time of any departure from work for personal reasons, and those periods utilized as paid benefit time or departure from work for personal reasons.
It is the employee’s responsibility to review his or her time record to certify the accuracy of all time recorded. The employee’s immediate supervisor will review the time record before payroll processing. In the event of an error in reporting time, employees must immediately report the problem to their immediate supervisor.
Tampering with, altering or falsifying time records, or recording time on another employee's time record may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
WORK SCHEDULES / OVERTIME
Employees are expected to begin work promptly as scheduled. Non-exempt employees should leave at the end of the workday. Office hours are determined by the CEO. Employees may be requested to work overtime hours. All overtime work requires the employee's immediate supervisor's prior approval. A normal work week begins on Sunday and ends the following Saturday.
Non-exempt employee attendance at lectures, meetings and training programs will be considered hours of work, and therefore will be compensated time, if management requires and authorizes attendance. Nonexempt employees will be entitled to overtime pay as required under the specific provisions of federal laws. Exempt employees are excluded from specific provisions of federal wage and hour laws and, therefore, will not be entitled to overtime pay.
Overtime compensation is paid to all nonexempt employees at a rate of one and one-half times the regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 per week. For the purposes of overtime compensation, only hours worked in excess of 40 during a workweek will be counted.
JOB CLASSIFICATIONS
Regular full-time employees are not in a temporary status and are regularly scheduled to work the company’s full-time schedule. The threshold of hours for full-time employees is determined by each Diocesan entity according to their benefit plan(s). Each Diocesan entity will determine the number of hours for a normal work week. Usually, a full-time employee’s normal work schedule is at least 30 hours per week. Generally, they are eligible for the full benefits package, subject to the terms, conditions and limitations of each benefit program.
Regular part-time-employees are not in a temporary status and are regularly scheduled to work less than the full-time schedule. Regular part-time employees are eligible for some of the benefits offered by the company, subject to the terms, conditions and limitations of each benefit program.
Temporary full-time employees are hired as interim replacements to temporarily supplement the workforce or to assist in the completion of a specific project and are temporarily scheduled to work the company’s full-time schedule for a limited duration. Employment beyond any initially stated period does not in any way imply a change in employment status.
Temporary part-time employees are hired as interim replacements to temporarily supplement the workforce or to assist in the completion of a specific project and are temporarily scheduled to work less than the company’s full-time schedule for a limited duration. Employment beyond any initially stated period does not in any way imply a change in employment status.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Full-time employees are eligible for the entity’s full benefits package. Regular part-time, temporary full-time, and temporary part-time are not eligible for benefits. An employee whose status changes from full-time to part-time will have his/her paid time-offprorated accordingly for the remainder of the year. Previously accrued time-off will not be lost. For purposes of eligibility for paid time-off and benefits, an employee whose status changes from temporary or part-time to full-time will be considered as hired on the date of the change of status. New employees do not qualify for some benefits until completing an eligibility period. Refer to the specific policy to determine the eligibility requirements and effective dates.
The State of Iowa does not allow for churches to offer unemployment insurance for employees.
The following benefit programs may be available to eligible employees as required by law:
- Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)
- Family and Medical Leave (all schools and Diocesan entities with 50 or more employees)
- Jury Duty Leave
- Military Leave (USERRA)
- Time-off to Vote (in some cases)
- Workers' Compensation
The following benefit programs may be available to eligible employees:
- Holidays
- Vacation
- Sick Leave
- Bereavement Leave
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employee Retirement Plan (detailed in separate benefits booklet)
- Health Insurance (detailed in separate benefits booklet)
- Dental Insurance (detailed in separate benefits booklet)
- Flex Spending Plan
- Life Insurance (detailed in separate benefits booklet)
- Long Term Disability (detailed in separate benefits booklet)
- Short Term Disability (detailed in separate benefits booklet)
- Cafeteria 125 Plan (detailed in separate benefits booklet)
Benefits which employees are eligible for and participate in represent a substantial addition to the total compensation employees receive from the Diocesan entity. The costs of particular benefits may be assumed by the Diocesan entity or may require employees to contribute through payroll deductions or direct payments.
HOLIDAYS
Each Diocesan entity will determine the schedule of paid holidays. Diocesan entitiesmay grant time-off to all regular fulltime employees for the following holidays.
- Good Friday
- Easter Sunday
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Veteran’s Day Leave – required for veterans as paid or unpaid leave as determined by the Diocesan entity.
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve Day through New Year’s Day (December 24 through January 1)
If a holiday falls on a non-work day for a non-exempt employee, he or she will not receive paid time-off. If Independence Day falls on a Saturday, it will be observed on the preceding Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on the following Monday; all other holidays will be the actual day of observance. If a recognized holiday falls during an eligible employee's paid vacation, holiday pay will be applied.
If an eligible, nonexempt employee is required to work on the actual day of the holiday, he or she will receive holiday pay in addition to his/her normal pay for that day, thus receiving double pay. Paid time-off for holidays will not be considered as time worked for the purpose of determining overtime.
HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION / MASS
With the supervisor’s approval, staff members who choose to attend a religious service or Mass during a work day are encouraged to do so.
VACATION
VACATION EARNING SCHEDULEYears of Eligible Service / Vacation Days Each Year
During first year / 5 days
After 1 year / 10 days
After 5 years / 15 days
After 10 years / 20 days
Each Diocesan entity will determine vacation benefits. Vacation time-off with pay is available to regular fulltime employees.
Once an employee is considered full-time, he/she begins to earn paid vacation time according to the schedule. On each subsequent anniversary date, the employee will accrue paid vacation time which will correspond with their years of eligible service.
Vacation time-off will be paid at the employee's base pay rate at the time of vacation. It does not include overtime or any special forms of compensation such as incentives, commissions, bonuses, or shift differentials. Vacation pay will be paid on the regular payroll date for the pay period in which the vacation is taken.