Compass AmeriCorps

Member Agreement

AmeriCorps Member Name: ______

Service Site: ______

Site Supervisor’s Name: ______

Purpose

The purpose of this agreement is to explain the terms, conditions, and policies of the participation of ______(hereinafter referred to as the “member”) in the Compass AmeriCorps program (hereinafter referred to as the “Program”).

Critical Policies

Nonduplication and Nondisplacement Policies

(e) Nonduplication. Corporation assistance may not be used to duplicate an activity that is already available in the locality of a program. And, unless the requirements of paragraph (f) of this section are met, Corporation assistance will not be provided to a private nonprofit entity to conduct activities that are the same or substantially equivalent to activities provided by a State or local government agency in which such entity resides.

(f) Nondisplacement.

(1) An employer may not displace an employee or position, including partial displacement such as reduction in hours, wages, or employment benefits, as a result of the use by such employer of a participant in a program receiving Corporation assistance.

(2) An organization may not displace a volunteer by using a participant in a program receiving Corporation assistance.

(3) A service opportunity will not be created under this chapter that will infringe in any manner on the promotional opportunity of an employed individual.

(4) A participant in a program receiving Corporation assistance may not perform any services or duties or engage in activities that would otherwise be performed by an employee as part of the assigned duties of such employee.

(5) A participant in any program receiving assistance under this chapter may not perform any services or duties, or engage in activities, that—

(i) Will supplant the hiring of employed workers; or

(ii) Are services, duties, or activities with respect to which an individual has recall rights pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or applicable personnel procedures.

(6) A participant in any program receiving assistance under this chapter may not perform services or duties that have been performed by or were assigned to any—

(i) Presently employed worker;

(ii) Employee who recently resigned or was discharged;

(iii) Employee who is subject to a reduction in force or who has recall rights pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or applicable personnel procedures;

(iv) Employee who is on leave (terminal, temporary, vacation, emergency, or sick); or

(v) Employee who is on strike or who is being locked out.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Compass AmeriCorps programs and activities must be accessible to persons with disabilities, and should provide reasonable accommodation for known mental, physical, or emotional disabilities of otherwise qualified members, service recipients, applicants, and program staff. All selections and project assignments must be made without regard to the need to provide reasonable accommodation.

Members may request accommodation using the Reasonable Accommodation Request form (available from program staff) or informally via email or verbal request.

Nondiscrimination Policy

This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, political affiliation, or, in most instances, religion. It is also unlawful to retaliate against any person who, or organization that, files a complaint about such discrimination. In addition to filing a complaint with local and state agencies that are responsible for resolving discrimination complaints, you may bring a complaint to the attention of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

If you believe that you or others have been discriminated against, or if you want more information, contact:

PennSERVE

Department of Labor & Industry

651 Boas Street, Room 1306

Harrisburg, PA 17121-0750

(866)6-SERVE-U

(717) 705-4215 (FAX); (email)

Equal Opportunity Employer

Compass AmeriCorps provides equal consideration in recruiting, hiring, placing, training, and benefits to all qualified applicants without regard to age, sex, race, religion, national origin, color, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or the presence of mental, physical, or sensory disability. Compass AmeriCorps is committed to providing an environment that encourages a diverse workforce.

Minimum Qualifications

A member must:

  • Be a United States citizen, a United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States
  • Be at least 18 years of age or 17 years of age (with parental permission)
  • Have at least a high school diploma or equivalency certificate.
  • If the member does not have a high school degree or equivalent, he or she agrees to obtain one before using the education award. Members may not drop out of elementary or secondary school to enroll in the program.

The member will not receive any of the benefits described in this agreement until one of the documents listed below is presented to the program.

  • A birth certificate showing that the member was born in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or Northern Mariana Islands;
  • A US passport;
  • A report of birth abroad of a US citizen (FS-240) issued by the State Department;
  • A certificate of birth-foreign service (FS-545) issued by the State Department;
  • A certificate of naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570) issued by INS;
  • A certificate of citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561) issued by INS;
  • Permanent resident alien card, INS form I-551;
  • A passport indicating that the INS has approved it as temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence; or
  • A departure record (INS form I-94) indicating that the INS has approved it as temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence.

Terms of Service

The member’s term of service begins on September 6th, 2016. The member will serve fulltime throughJuly 31st, 2017. The program and the member may agree, in writing, to extend this term of service if the member has been suspended due to compelling personal circumstances or the member’s service has been terminated, but a grievance procedure has resulted in reinstatement.

  • The member will complete a minimum of 1700 hours of service during this period and satisfactorily complete pre-service training and other training required by the program.
  • The member understands that in order to be considered ‘active’ and eligible for benefits they must adhere to the ‘Active Status’ policy included in the Compass AmeriCorps Handbook.
  • In order to reach 1700 hours, members must serve a minimum of 36.17 hours per week. This does not take into account vacation, holidays, sick time, or site closures. Members are expected to serve approximately 40 hours a week to allow for days when hours cannot be accrued.
  • If a member serves less than 60 hours in a period for 2 periods in a row in a situation different than those described in the handbook, the program manager will initiate an ‘hours improvement plan’ with the member. The hours improvement plan will outline how the member will increase his/her level of service. If after another two periods the member has not increased his/her hours to an average of60 hours per period, the member may be released from the program.
  • Unless due to compelling personal circumstances, a member who reaches 100 hours behind may be released from the program for cause.
  • The member understands that to be eligible to serve an additional term he/she must receive satisfactory performance reviews for any previous term of service. The member’s eligibility for an additional term of service with this program will be based on at least mid-term and end-of-term evaluations of his/her performance focusing on factors such as whether he/she has completed the required number of hours, satisfactorily completed assignments, tasks, or projects, and met any other criteria that were clearly communicated both orally and in writing at the beginning of the term of service.
  • The member understands, however, that the mere eligibility for an additional term of service does not guarantee selection or placement.
  • Active members may be deployed in times of emergency to provide disaster response.

Position Description

The member agrees to adhere to the duties and expectationsoutlined in the service site’s position description,attached as a part of this agreement. The member service site position description includes a general summary of the position, service functions, and member’s duties and responsibilities.

Benefits

The member will be eligible for the following benefits from the program:

  • A living allowance in the total maximumamount of $12,530 for 11 months of fulltime service. The living allowance is only distributed to a member who is actively serving; if a member leaves the program prior to the end of service date in this member agreement they will not receive the full living allowance amount. The living allowance is taxable, and taxes will be deducted directly from the living allowance. The living allowance will be distributed in increments of approximately $569.55 (pretax) on the 15th and last day of the month (or the most recent prior business day, should that date land on a weekend) by direct depositstarting on September 15, 2016.
  • Health benefits for full-time members. The health insurance policy and forms can be found on the Member Hub.
  • The AmeriCorps Child Care Benefit Program is available for qualified, active, full-time AmeriCorps State and National, VISTA, NCCC, and FEMA Corps Members who need the benefit to serve. Child care benefits are paid directly to qualified child care providers for all or of part of the member’s child care costs during their active time of service with AmeriCorps; child care benefit payments cannot be paid directly to AmeriCorps members. Child care benefits may not exceed applicable payment rates as established in the state in which the child care is provided under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858c(4)(A)).
  • Upon successful completion of a full-time term (a minimum of 1700 hours and 11 months of service), the member will be eligible for an education award in the amount of $5,775 from the National Service Trust.
  • A member may earn up to the value of two full-time education awards in his or her lifetime.
  • If the member has not yet received a high school diploma or its equivalent (including an alternative diploma or certificate for individuals with learning disabilities), the member agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent before using the education award. This requirement can be waived if the member is enrolled in an institution of higher education on an ability to benefit basis or the program has waived this requirement due to the results of the member’s education assessment.
  • The member understands that his/her failure to disclose to the program any history of having been released for cause from another AmeriCorps program will render him/her ineligible to receive the educational award.
  • The member has up to seven years after his or her successful completion of service to use the education award.
  • Members are eligible for loan forbearance for qualifying student loans. It is the responsibility of the member to request for loans to be placed in forbearance, and this request can be made through the MyAmeriCorps site. If the member has received forbearance on a qualified student loan during the term of service, the National Service Trust will repay a portion or all of the interest that accrued on the loan during the term of service. The member is eligible for this benefit when the member successfully completes all requirements of the program.
  • These benefits will end upon the member exiting service, or may end if the member changes his or her term of service.

Rules of Conduct

Prohibited Activities

At no time during the performance of program activities at the regular service site or anywhere else, may the member engage in any activity that is illegal under local, state, or federal law, poses a significant safety risk to others, or is considered an AmeriCorps prohibited activity. AmeriCorps prohibited activities include any activity involving:

  • Attempting to influence legislation;
  • Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes;
  • Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing;
  • Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements;
  • Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office;
  • Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials;
  • Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization;
  • Providing a direct benefit to—
  • A business organized for profit;
  • A labor union;
  • A partisan political organization;
  • A nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 related to engaging in political activities or substantial amount of lobbying except that nothing in these provisions shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and
  • An organization engaged in the religious activities described in this section, unless Corporation assistance is not used to support those religious activities;
  • Conducting a voter registration drive or using CNCS funds to conduct a voter registration drive;
  • Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services; and
  • Such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit.

AmeriCorps members may not engage in the above activities directly or indirectly by recruiting, training, or managing others for the primary purpose of engaging in one of the activities listed above. Individuals may exercise their rights as private citizens and may participate in the activities listed above on their initiative, on non-AmeriCorps time, and using non-CNCS funds. Individuals may not wear the AmeriCorps logo while doing so.

Drug-Free Workplace Policy

The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited during the performance of program activities at regular service sites or anywhere else. A member must notify the program in writing of any criminal drug convictions or a violation occurring in the workplace or during the performance of project activities no later than 5 days after such conviction. The program must notify GPLC within 10 days of receiving this notice. The member’s participation is conditioned upon compliance with these requirements and certain actions will be taken for violations of such prohibitions.

Drug Testing

While Compass AmeriCorps actively seeks to comply with the Drug-Free Workplace Act and supports efforts to eliminate drug use, we do not endorse drug testing. Consequently, none of our AmeriCorps members will be required to submit to drug testing as a condition of his or her membership. It is understood that some service sites may require drug testing of those who work or serve there. In such cases, the Compass AmeriCorps member(s) assigned to serve at that location may elect to undergo drug testing. Any members who do not choose to submit to drug tests will be placed elsewhere.

Fundraising Restrictions

§2520.40Under what circumstances may AmeriCorps members in my program raise resources?

(a) AmeriCorps members may raise resources directly in support of your program's service activities.

(b) Examples of fundraising activities AmeriCorps members may perform include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Seeking donations of books from companies and individuals for a program in which volunteers teach children to read;

(2) Writing a grant proposal to a foundation to secure resources to support the training of volunteers;

(3) Securing supplies and equipment from the community to enable volunteers to help build houses for low-income individuals;

(4) Securing financial resources from the community to assist in launching or expanding a program that provides social services to the members of the community and is delivered, in whole or in part, through the members of a community-based organization;

(5) Seeking donations from alumni of the program for specific service projects being performed by current members.

(c) AmeriCorps members may not:

(1) Raise funds for living allowances or for an organization's general (as opposed to project) operating expenses or endowment;

(2) Write a grant application to the Corporation or to any other Federal agency.

§2520.45How much time may an AmeriCorps member spend fundraising?

An AmeriCorps member may spend no more than ten percent of his or her originally agreed-upon term of service, as reflected in the member enrollment in the National Service Trust, performing fundraising activities, as described in §2520.40.

Other Rules of Conduct

The member is expected to demonstrate mutual respect towards others, follow directions, and direct concerns, problems, and suggestions to the Program Coordinator.

Sites are required to allow time for members to go and vote, and members are encouraged to do so.

The member understands that the following acts also constitute a violation of the program’s rules of conduct:

  • unauthorized tardiness or absences (this includes Friday meetings and service projects), orfailure to submit service logs within three days of completion of the time period;
  • repeated use of inappropriate language (i.e. profanity, racial slurs) during service activities;
  • failure to wear appropriate clothing during service (i.e. AmeriCorps logo); and
  • stealing or lying.

In general, for violating the Code of Conduct described in this agreement the program will do the following (except in cases where the member has been charged with or convicted of a violent felony, sale, manufacture, distribution, possession, or use of a controlled substance or if the actions of a member can be considered detrimental to the program):

  1. For the member’s first offense, the Program Coordinator will issue an emailed warning to the member.
  2. For the member’s second offense, the Program Coordinatorwill meet with the member to discuss the issue and deliver a written warning and corrective action plan. The warning will be signed and dated by the Program Coordinator and the member and maintained in the member’s file.
  3. For the member’s third offense, the program may suspend or release the member for cause.

Release from Service

  • The member may be released by the program in the following two ways, suspension or termination.
  • The member may be released by the program for the following two reasons, for cause or for compelling personal circumstances.
  • The program will release the member for cause for the following reasons:
  • the member has dropped out of the program without obtaining a release for compelling personal circumstances from the Program Coordinator;
  • the member has been convicted of a violent felony or the unlawful sale, manufacture, distribution, possession or use of any controlled substance or illegal drugs;
  • consuming alcoholic beverages during the performance of service activities;
  • being under the influence of alcohol or any illegal drugs during the performance of service activities;
  • failing to notify the program of any criminal arrest or conviction that occurs during the term of service;
  • engaging in activity that may physically or emotionally damage other members of the program or members of the community;
  • committing a third offense as stated in the Rules of Conduct section of this agreement; and/or
  • any other serious breech that in the judgement of the Program Coordinator would undermine the effectiveness of the program.
  • The program may release the member for compelling personal circumstances if the member demonstrates that:
  • he/she has a disability or serious illness that makes completing the term impossible;
  • he/she has a serious injury, illness, or death of a family member which makes completing the term unreasonably difficult or impossible for the member;
  • he/she has military service obligations;
  • he/she has accepted the opportunity to transition from welfare to work (member had been receiving welfare benefits prior to enrolling as an AmeriCorps member; merely receiving food stamps as a member does not qualify as welfare in this context); or
  • some other unforeseeable circumstance beyond the member’s control makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for the member to complete the term of service, such as pregnancy, a natural disaster, a strike, relocation of a spouse, or the nonrenewal or premature closing of a project or the program.
  • Compelling personal circumstances do not include leaving the program to enroll in school, obtain employment, other than in moving from welfare to work, or because of dissatisfaction with the program.
  • The program may suspend the member from service for the following reasons:
  • The member requests a suspension based on compelling personal circumstances. During the suspension from service, the member will not receive credit for service hours or the benefits described in this agreement. The member may resume his/her service once the circumstances supporting the suspension have been resolved. However, a suspension may last no more than two years. If the member does not resume his/her term within the two-year period, he/she may request that the program exit him/her. At this time the member will be eligible for a partial education award based on the number of hours served during the term.
  • The member has been charged with a violent felony or the sale, possession, or distribution of a controlled substance. If the member is found not guilty or the charge is dismissed, the member may resume his/her term of service. The member, however, will not receive back living allowance or credit for any service hours missed.
  • The member receives a third offense by violating the rules of conduct set forth in this agreement. A disciplinary suspension will not result in temporary loss of benefits, as opposed to a suspension for compelling personal circumstances.
  • Under most circumstances, members serving in programs under PennSERVE’s jurisdiction must return to and complete service following a suspension by the program year’s end date. If a member is unable to return and successfully complete service before the end of the program year, then he or she must be reinstated and exited with or without an education award. In the event of Compelling Circumstance with appropriate supporting documentation, the member can be eligible for a pro-rated partial education award.
  • If the program releases the member for cause, the member will not receive the benefits described in this agreement.
  • If the program releases the member for compelling personal circumstances, the member will not receive the benefits described in this agreement, with the exception of the education award. If the member has completed at least 15 percent of the hours needed to complete the term of service; he/she will receive a prorated education award.
  • A member that serves more than 15 percent of his/her term has served one of the eligible terms s/he can serve in AmeriCorps, whether or not s/he has received an education award. If a member does not receive any portion of an education award, the time served does not count toward the total of two full-time education awards that a member may receive. Only education awards actually received count toward the education award limit.

Grievance Procedure Policy