XYZ Cleaners, Inc.
Employee Handbook
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1 – Welcome
1-100 President’s Message - About Us, Our Philosophy, Goals and Mission Statement
SECTION 2 – Our Company
2-100 Employee Handbook
2-101 Equal Employment Opportunity
2-102 At-Will Employment
2-103 Discrimination and Harassment Policy
2-104 Americans With Disabilities Act
2-105 Employee Relations Philosophy
2-106 Employment Classifications
2-107 Orientation Program/Period
2-108 Licenses, certifications and Training
2-109 Wage Theft Prevention Act (WTPA) – New York Employees
2-110 Employee Records
2-111 Standards of Conduct
2-112 Talk To Us
2-113 Fraud/Theft Policy
2-114 Customer and Public Relations
SECTION 3 – Employee Pay Policies
3-100 Payroll Period
3-101 Payroll Deductions
3-102 Hours of Operation – Work Week
3-103 Final Pay
3-104 Pay Advances
3-105 Time Records
3-106 Meal Breaks
3-107 Rest Breaks
3-108 Pay Raises, Performance Reviews and Transfers
3-109 Overtime Compensation
3-110 Garnishment of Employee Wages
SECTION 4 – Attendance
4-100 Attendance
SECTION 5 – Paid Time Off Benefits
5-100 Holidays
5-101 Vacation Pay and NYC Sick Time Benefit
5-102 Bereavement
SECTION 6 – Benefits and Employment Services
6-100 Medical and AFLAC Insurance
6-101 Disability Benefits (New York Employees)
6-102 Workers’ Compensation Insurance (New York Employees)
6-103 Section 125 Plan (Cafeteria Plan)
6-104 COBRA
6-105 Rehire Eligibility
SECTION 7 – Leaves of Absence
7-100 Military Leave
7-101 Jury Duty
7-102 Voting Leave
7-103 Additional Miscellaneous Leave Provisions
SECTION 8 – Workplace Safety
8-100 Fire Prevention
8-101 Safety
8-102 Drug and Alcohol Prohibition
8-103 Smoke Free Workplace
8-104 Employee Safety Responsibilities
SECTION 9 – Problem Resolution
9-100 Grievance Procedure
SECTION 10 – Other Important Information/Policies
10-100 Appearance
10-101 Bulletin Boards
10-102 Computer and Internet Use
10-103 Social Networking Media
10-104 Personal Telephone Calls and Cell Phone Use
10-105 Confidentiality
10-106 Solicitation and Distribution
10-107 Care of Equipment
10-108 Severe Weather Procedures
10-109 Fraternization and Nepotism
10-110 Company Vehicle Use
10-111 Violence in the Workplace
SECTION 11 – If You Need Us
11-100 Resignation
SECTION 12 – Receipt for Employee Handbook
12-100 Receipt for Employee Handbook
WELCOME
1-100 President’s Message
Welcome to XYZ Cleaners, Inc.!
Starting a new job is exciting, but at times can be overwhelming. This employee handbook has been developed to help you get acquainted and answer many of your initial questions. This handbook should prove to be a useful reference.
Above all, I hope it will promote consistency, fairness and understanding throughout XYZ Cleaners, Inc. As an employee of XYZ Cleaners, Inc., the importance of your contribution cannot be overstated. Our goal is to provide the finest quality products and services to customers and to do this more efficiently and economically than our competitors. By satisfying our customer’ needs, they will continue with us and will recommend us to others.
You are an important part of this process as your work directly influences our company’s reputation.
I am glad that you have joined our team, and I hope that you will find your work with us to both challenging and rewarding.
Sincerely,
Owner Name and Signature
President
About Us – Our Philosophy
(Use this space to put in your company history: e.g. date you started the business, your goals, your philosophy, your mission statement, etc.)
OUR COMPANY
2-100 - Employee Handbook
This handbook is intended to be an employee’s guide to the actual policies and procedures of XYZ Cleaners, Inc. (sometimes referred to herein as the “Company”). The contents of this handbook is presented as information only. This employee handbook is not all-inclusive. Therefore, this employee handbook should not be interpreted as forming an expresses or implies contract of employment.
XYZ Cleaners, Inc. reserves the right to modify, suspend, terminate or change any or all such policies and procedures in whole or in part, with or without notice. However, it is XYZ Cleaners, Inc.’s intent to notify all employees of changes that are made. This handbook supersedes and replaces any previous employee handbook. If any Federal, State or Local regulation conflicts with any provision stated in this handbook the regulation shall prevail and the handbook provision will be considered amended to the extent necessary to duly comply with said regulation.
This Employee handbook is not an employment agreement nor does it create any vested or enforceable employee right. All jobs remain terminable at the will of the employer. This means that any employee may b terminated for any reason and at any time.
2-101 - Equal Employment Opportunity
XYZ Cleaners, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of XYZ Cleaners, Inc. to provide equal opportunity in employment to all applicants and employees including but not limited to race, religion, color, age, sex, veteran or military status, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic, violence victim status and physical or mental disability or any other characteristic protected by law.
2-102 - At-Will Employment
XYZ Cleaners, Inc. is an at-will employer. This means that regardless of any provision in this employee handbook, either you or the Company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, with or without cause or notice. Nothing in this employment handbook or in any document or statement, written or oral, shall limit the Company’s right to terminate employment at-will.
2-103- Discrimination and Harassment Policy
POLICY STATEMENT
XYZ Cleaners, Inc. has established the following policy concerning workplace
2-103- Discrimination and Harassment Policy (continued)
discrimination and harassment. The Company is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and strives to create and maintain a work environment in which people are treated with dignity, decency and respect. The environment of the Company should be characterized by mutual trust and the absence of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, oppression and exploitation. Employees should be able to work and learn in a safe, yet stimulating atmosphere. The accomplishment of this goal is essential to the Company’s mission and, for that reason, the Company will not tolerate unlawful discrimination and/or harassment of any kind. Through enforcement of this policy and by education of employees, the Company will seek to prevent, correct and discipline behavior that violates this policy.
This policy applies to all employees (regardless of their positions), applicants, volunteers, and other individuals who may have a direct connection to the Company, and encompasses all conduct and actions during normal working hours, on Company property, and at any work-related setting outside the workplace. Off-duty conduct that violates this policy and affects the work environment is also prohibited.
Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against any employee who violates this policy. Based upon the seriousness of the offense, disciplinary action may include verbal or written reprimand, suspension or termination of employment.
PROHIBITED CONDUCT UNDER THIS POLICY
Discrimination
It is a violation of this policy to discriminate in the provision of employment opportunities, benefits or privileges to create discriminatory work conditions, or to use discriminatory evaluative standards in employment, if the basis of that discriminatory treatment is, in whole or in part, the person’s race, color, creed, national origin, age, religion disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, predisposing genetic information, ancestry, military status or status as a victim of domestic violence, marital status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.
Harassment
The Company is committed to maintaining a work environment free from all forms of harassment, whether sexual, physical, verbal or written in nature and will take appropriate action swiftly to address any violations of this policy. The Company prohibits harassment for any reason, including but not limited to, race, color, creed, national origin, age, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, predisposing genetic information, ancestry, military status or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, marital status or any other status or characteristic protected by law.
2-103- Discrimination and Harassment Policy (continued)
Definitions
Harassment: refers to actions, whether physical, verbal, or written in nature that create an intimidating, offensive or hostile working environment, and other acts which have the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance. Although the Company prohibits all forms of harassment, the law prohibits harassment when harassing acts are bases on race, color, creed, national origin, age, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, predisposing genetic information, ancestry, military status or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, marital status or any other status or characteristic protected by Law.
Sexual Harassment: refers to sexually oriented behavior that is not welcome, that is personally offensive and that interferes with work effectiveness. Sexual harassment includes but is not limited to: unwelcome sexual advances; requests sexual favors and/or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature where submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; situations where submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; and situations where such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating and/or hostile environment.
Sexual harassment does not refer to behavior or occasional compliments of a socially acceptable nature. It refers to behavior that is unwelcome, that is personally offensive, that lowers morale and, therefore, interferes with work effectiveness. Sexual harassment may take different forms.
Normal, courteous, mutually respectful, pleasant, non-coercive interactions between employees that are acceptable to, and welcomed by both parties, are not considered to be harassment.
THE COMPAINT PROCESS
Individuals who believe that they are a victim of prohibited discrimination and/or harassment in violation of this policy or that they have witnessed discrimination and/or harassment that violates this policy should promptly report this behavior, preferably in writing, to his/her supervisor/manager. If a supervisor or manager becomes aware that harassment or discrimination is occurring, either from personal observation or as a result of an employee coming forward, the supervisor or manager should immediately report it to the President/Owner.
2-103- Discrimination and Harassment Policy (continued)
All allegations or reports of harassment and/or discrimination received by the Company will be reported to the appropriate designated management member immediately for purpose of an investigation.
Although some individuals may choose to confront an individual who they believe is committing prohibited discrimination or harassment in order to voice their disagreement with his or her actions, reports of such conduct for purposes of an investigation and possible corrective action should not be made to the person who is allegedly committing the prohibited discrimination or harassment. If the person allegedly committing the prohibited behavior is a supervisor, manager or a member of management, then reports of such behavior should be made to a different supervisor, manager or to the President/Owner.
The individual submitting or making a complaint under this policy should provide, or be prepared specific incidents and supporting details of the misconduct at issue to ensure that the Company will be able to conduct a thorough investigation. If possible, witnesses who may be able to assist in the investigation should be named.
All complaints will be investigated and handled in a timely and, to the extent practicable, confidential matter. Care will be taken to protect the identity of the person making the complaint and of the accused party or parties, except as may be reasonably necessary to successfully complete the investigation.
If an allegation of discrimination or harassment is found to have merit, the Company will take appropriate corrective action. The Company will inform the complaining employee and the accused person of the results of the investigation and actions will be taken to ensure the discrimination and/or harassment will cease and that no retaliation will occur. Any employee who has been found by the Company to have discriminated against or harassed another employee (or other person covered by this policy) in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up and including discharge.
False and malicious complaints of discrimination, harassment or retaliation, as opposed to complaints which, even if erroneous, are made in good faith, may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.
2-103- Discrimination and Harassment Policy (continued)
RETALIATION
Retaliation against an individual for reporting discrimination and/or harassment or for participating in an investigation of a discrimination or harassment itself, will result in disciplinary action. Acts of retaliation should be reported immediately and will be promptly investigated and addressed under the same Complaint Process outlined above.
Any employee who, in good faith, reports an alleged incident of harassment and/or discrimination will not be subject to reprisal or retaliation of any kind. Any employee who feels that he or she has been subjected to adverse retaliatory actions should notify the appropriate member of management immediately.
EXAMPLES OF PROHIBITED CONDUCT
The Company considers the following conduct to represent some of the types of acts which violate this Policy. This is not an exhaustive list. Prohibited behaviors include, but are not limited to the following examples.
Sexual harassment may include a range of subtle and not so subtle behaviors and may involve individuals of the same or different gender. Depending on the circumstances, these behaviors may include, but are not limited to:
· unwanted sexual advances or requests for sexual favors, sexual jokes and innuendo; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; commentary about an individual’s body, sexual prowess or sexual deficiencies; leering. whistling or touching; insulting or obscene comments or gestures;
· displaying pictures, posters, calendars, graffiti, objects or promotional materials, reading materials or other materials that are sexually suggestive or demeaning;
· inappropriate touching or any physical contact or attempts at such contact (such as touching, pinching, patting, grabbing, brushing against another person or poking another person’s body;
· preferential treatment or promise of preferential treatment in exchange for sexual activity;
· a tangible employment decision made because of an individual’s compliance with or failure to comply with sexual demands.