The Menucha Commission
Personnel Committee Minutes
FPC May 5, 2010 – 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Members Present: Bob Bloom, Chair (telephone), Cynthia Winter (Consultant) and Phyllis Whittington
Staff Representative: Becky Lindsay
Absent: Jenni Bergemann and Laura Merrill (FPC Personnel Committee Liaison)
Action Items and Assignments:
1. Incorporate Family Medical Leave Act wording into Menucha Employee Handbook – Phyllis and Becky (Phyllis will compile, Becky to review)
2. Define and incorporate SAIF return to work policies and procedures into Handbook – Phyllis and Menucha Section Managers (Phyllis to condense SAIF guidelines for Menucha handbook. Department Supervisors need to develop safety guidelines for their employees, relative to their responsibilities.) Spencer – Please instruct your supervisors to develop specific department safety guidelines and conduct quarterly meetings.
3. Develop Safety Orientation for all employees, to include basic safety as to how to avoid slipping, falling, injurious lifting, cuts, and fires, etc. – Bob (Phyllis to FAX sheets)
4. Revisit Discipline Policies (already incorporated into updated handbook)
5. Redefine Break policies (already incorporated into updated handbook)
6. Incorporate “Sign Off” line to bottom of Job Descriptions – Phyllis
7. Review/Redefine Exempt and Non-Exempt employees - Bob
2010 Menucha Personnel Committee Meeting Schedule – all to be held at FPC:
Wednesday July 7 5:30 pm
Wednesday September 8 5:30 pm
Wednesday November 3 5:30 pm
Wednesday January 5, 2011 5:30 pm
For the record, Bob Blum has agreed to continue as Committee Chair. The Agenda was followed as listed in the Action Items above (through number 6), and each item is either assigned, or completed as indicated.
Prior to the meeting, Phyllis had a discussion with Sally Bowder (FPC Business Administrator). She expressed some concern about Menucha’s definition of Exempt and Non-Exempt employees, as stated in the Menucha Handbook, Page 7. Bob will review and redefine if necessary. Sally’s main concern was defining office staff as Exempt. Becky Lindsay believes employees can be determined exempt if they are “self-directed,” and are not solely defined as supervisors. Bob, please clarify these issues and contact Sally on our behalf.
Item 3 – Becky has been working on making the kitchen a safer place, and has been talking with representatives of SAIF. She has made the kitchen “closed” to only authorized personnel, has posted safety statistics, and safety posters, and shown safety videos at all staff meetings. She pointed out that Menucha has a very low rating for safety issues, and therefore, our rates for SAIF insurance is extremely high. There’s a clear opportunity for improving safety and reducing insurance payments. Therefore, it is recommended that ALL section supervisors define safety issues in their departments (there will be all encompassing issues, i.e. stair safety, slick pavement, etc.) and publish them for distribution and posting. Further, it is recommended that ALL sections (departments) have quarterly meetings (paid time) to review these issues, and discuss any concerns, or recommend better practices.
Becky also reported there is a Safety Committee meeting regularly – Becky Lindsay (kitchen), Betty Jane Wright (housekeeping), Lynn Gibbons (maintenance), and Becky Leamy (administrative staff), Becky Lindsay, are there minutes of these meetings recorded? If so, would you please e-mail copies of the most current meeting and future meetings to our committee? (Becky provided a copy of the kitchen safety worksheet she used for recent training. Copy to be sent to Bob.)
Items 2 and 3 above may have some overlap, but Bob will work on the overall safety guidelines, while supervisors should work on individual department concerns. (Becky Lindsay could provide an example to get everyone started.)
Bob asked if the Salary Schedule revisions he concluded in November 2009 are being followed. Becky replied she had seen a copy and used it for new hires.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 pm. Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 7, 2010 – FPC Campus.
Respectfully Submitted,
Phyllis Whittington, Committee Secretary