GPTCHB Personnel Policies and Procedures
20132014-2015
Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board /Personnel Policies and Procedures /
2014-2015 /
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT – Attachment A
GPTCHB has designed this Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual to serve as a resource for you on organizational information, and policiesand practices related to your employment with Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board (GPTCHB).
To ensure you have read and understand this reference resource, we ask that you read and sign the Certification Form, found at the end of this Manual, and turn it in to theHuman Resources Manager Human Resources within the first five (5) days of your employment.
This Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual is intended to answer many of your questions and provide information on matters of importance to you as an employee. It is organized as follows:
- Definitions
- Goals and Objectives
- Organizational Chart
- Conditions of Employment
- Categories of Employment
- Employment
- Personnel Actions
- Exit Interview
- Employee Conduct
- Communications
11. Hours of Work
[KW1]
The order in which the topics are addressed is not reflective of any importance or priority.
Please understand that the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual is not an employment contract and is not intended to create contractual obligations of any kind. GPTCHB’s Executive Board reserves the right to revise, modify, delete, or add to any and all policies, procedures, work rules, or benefits stated in this guide or in any other document, at any time, except for the policy of at-will employment. Changes to this Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual will be distributed to you as soon as reasonably possible, to ensure you are aware of new or revised policies or procedures. No oral statements or representations can in any way change or alter the provisions of this Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual. Your continued employment with GPTCHB is considered acceptance of all policies and procedures. In certain instances, site specific information regarding your work will be provided by your Immediate Supervisor.
Additionally, the policies and procedures in this Manual are for general reference only and may not be applicable in all cases. All previously issued Personnel Policies and Procedures Manuals and any inconsistent policies or benefit statements are superseded by this Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual. You are encouraged to visit with your Immediate Supervisor or the Human Resources Manager whenever you need additional information.
History of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board
Established in 1986, Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board (GPTCHB) is a non–profit, tax-exempt incorporated tribal organization that was established in 1986organized exclusively for nonprofit purposes and will qualify as an exempt organization under Sec. 501(c)(3). GPTCHB represents the tribal governments in the states listed herein:
North Dakota / Sisseton Wahpeton OyateMandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation / Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa / Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe / Iowa
Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe / Sac & Fox of the Mississippi of Iowa
South Dakota / Nebraska
Rosebud Sioux Tribe / Winnebego Tribe of Nebraska
Oglala Sioux Tribe / Santee Sioux Nation
Yankton Sioux Tribe / Omaha Tribe
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe / Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
The entity herein is also a voting member of GPTCHB:
Trenton Indian Service Area, Trenton, ND
The Board of Directors of GPTCHB consists of the seventeen (17) tribal chairpersons and the chairperson from the Trenton Indian Service Area.
The purpose of GPTCHB is to provide the Indian people of the Great Plains with a formal representative board as a means of communicating and participating with the Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service, with national and state health agencies, and with other health organizations to improve the health and health care delivery system for those in the GPTCHB service area.mission of GPTCHB Is to provide quality public health support and health care advocacy to the tribal nations of the Great Plains by utilizing effective and culturally credible approaches.
1.DEFINITIONS
1-1-1: Appointing Authority: The individual, usually the Chief Executive Officer, who has the final authority to make appointments to GPTCHB positions, to set pay, and/or to assign final GPTCHB performance ratings.
1-1-2: Chief Executive Officer: The Director of GPTCHB who will act in the capacity of the Executive Committee concerning the daily operations of GPTCHB.
1-1-3: Compensatory Time: The hours absent from duty granted to compensate for authorized hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours in a work week.
1-1-4: Consultant: An individual or organization who provides services pursuant to a contract with GPTCHB.
1-1-5:Demotion: An employee is reassigned to a position with a salary range that is lower than the salary range of the former position.
1-1-6:Disciplinary Action: Averbal warning, written warning, probation, suspension, or termination.
1-1-7: Effective Date: The date upon which an action becomes effective.
1-1-8: Eligibility Date: The date of successful completion of the introductory period, and the time at which an employee becomes eligible for benefits and regular, full-time or part-timestatus.
1-1-9: Eligible: A person whose name is on an active original appointment list and may under these Policies be certified for appointment to a position.
1-1-10: Employee: A person occupying a position or a person who is on authorized leave of absence and whose position is being held pending a return to duty.
1-1-11: Employment Date: The date on which an employee commences performance of duties and is placed on the payroll.
1-1-12: Evaluation Date: The date the evaluation of an employee’s work performance is due to determine fitness for appointment to regular full-timeor part-time status, or worthiness for a salary increase.
1-1-13: Executive Committee: The elected members of the GPTCHB Board of Directors holding the positions of Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
1-1-14: Exempt Employee: An employee classified as executive, administrative, professional, or outside sales and who is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
1-1-15: Fellowship: A relationship established between GPTCHB and an individual governed by a Fellowship Agreement.
1-1-16: Full-Time Employee: An employee who has been appointed to a full-time position in accordance with this Manual and the concurrence of the appointing authority, after successful completion of an introductory period.
1-1-17: Grievance: A specific, formal notice of employee dissatisfaction expressed through an identified procedure related to working conditions and/or job-related relationships and duties, or to GPTCHB policies, rules, and regulations.
1-1-18: Immediate Supervisor: The individual who occupies the position responsible for the direction, organization, and planning of a specific department and the activities of the employees within that department.
1-1-19: Incumbent: The current occupant of a position.
1-1-20: Indian Preference: Positions within GPTCHB may be limited to Indians before the hiring, promotion, training, or advancement of non-Indian applicants and/or employees of GPTCHB.
1-1-21: Internship: A relationship established between GPTCHB and an intern, governed by the terms of an Internship Agreement.
1-1-22: Introductory Employee: An employee in a position who has been appointed to a position but who has not yet completed the required introductory period.
1-1-23: Leave: The authorized absence from regularly scheduled work hours that have been approved by the proper authority.
1-1-24: Non-Exempt Employees: Employees subject to the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), regardless of individual titles or duties. Any employee who does not meet the qualifications for exemption is included as “non-exempt.”
1-1-25: Overtime: The authorized and approved work by an employee in excess of 40 hours in a work week.
1-1-26: Part-Time Employee: An employee who is regularly scheduled to work less than 32 hours per week.
1-1-27: Position: A group of current duties and responsibilities assigned or delegated by an appointing authority to one person.
1-1-28: Professional Staff: Employees whose positions include the Chief Executive Officer, Human Resources Manager, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Assistant, Communication & Outreach Coordinator, Business Planning and Contract Development Manager, and all Program Directors.
1-1-29: Promotion: The movement of an employee from one position to a different position resulting in an increase in pay.
1-1-30: Reduction in Force: The termination of employment resulting from the elimination of a position held by an employee as a result of restructuring, insufficient funds to continue the position, or the end of a grant program.
1-1-31: Salary Increase: An increase in pay for an employee who meets the eligibility conditions specified in these Policies and as approved by the appointing authority.
1-1-32: Separation: The termination of employment for any reason including termination, reduction in force, resignation, job abandonment, retirement, or death.
1-1-33: Suspension: An involuntary absence with or without pay imposed upon an employee for disciplinary reasons or pending the final outcome of an investigation or appeal.
1-1-34: Temporary Employee: An employee appointed by the appointing authority who has received an appointment for a specified, limited period of time, on a full-time or part-time basis, and whose appointment may be terminated without notice.
1-1-35: Termination: Termination of employment for any reasons other than reduction in force.
1-1-36: Vacancy: A position duly created by the appointing authority that is not occupied by a current GPTCHB employee.
1-1-37: Volunteer: An individual who enters into a volunteer agreement with GPTCHB.
1-1-38: Work week: Sunday through Saturday
2.GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
2.1Administration
The administration of GPTCHB has exclusive responsibility to exercise all customary managerial functions, including but not limited to the following:
A.To manage and control the premises and equipment;
B.To select, hire, promote, train, educate, suspend, dismiss, supervise, discipline, and terminate employees;
C.To determine starting times, quitting times, and shifts;
D.To transfer employees within a department/program or into other departments/programs and/or classifications;
E.To determine and change the size, composition, and qualifications for the work force;
F.To establish, change, and/or abolish its policies, practices, rules, and regulations;
G.To determine and modify position descriptions, job evaluations, and job classifications; and;
H.To assign duties to employees in accordance with the needs and requirements of GPTCHB.
Administration also retains and reserves the right to make final interpretations about existing policies and procedures as found in this Manual in order to ensure proper integration into the overall organizational system for delivering quality service.
2.2Use of Manual
Orientation
The Human Resources Manager and an employee’s Immediate Supervisor will provide new employees with anAll new GPTCHB employees will be provided an orientation, including but not limited to review of their duties (position description), their work site, their supervisor, an overview of this ManualManual and its contents, and other orientation topics, prior to the employee commencing performance of duties. All applicable pPersonnel fForms , an Orientation Checklist, a W-4 form and an I-9 formwill be completed during orientation.
Employee copy
Each employee shall be provided with a copy of this Manual for their review and retention.
Day to Day
Employees should shall utilize this Manual in their day-to-day activities. If a question arises concerning these policies, the employee shall seek clarification from their Immediate Supervisor. If the employee still has a question regarding the interpretation of this Manual, the employee and Immediate Supervisor should contact the Human Resources Manager Human Resources for clarification.
2.3 Revisions
All revisions to this Manual will become effective once adopted by resolution by the Board of Directors.
Revisions to this manual may be initiated by any employee. All proposed revisions must be in writing and submitted to the Human Resources ManagerHuman Resources. The Human Resources Manager Human Resources will meet with the Chief Executive Officer to review the proposed revisions.
If an agreement is reached that the proposed revisions are appropriate, the Chief Executive Officer will forward the proposed revisions to the Board of Directors for their review and action. Once revisions have been approved, the Human Resources ManagerHuman Resources will educate employees about on the change.
The Board of Directors of GPTCHB shall have final authority over all revisions to this Manual.
3. ORGANIZATIONAL CHART – Attachment B
The purpose of the organizational chart is to illustrate the relationships between positions within GPTCHB. The organizational chart, attached to this Manual, will be reviewed and updated as necessary by the Chief Executive Officer and approved by the Board of Directors.
Chain of Command
The Board of Directors is responsible for setting policies for its staff members. The Board of Directors employs the Chief Executive Officer, to whom it delegates responsibility for the day-to-day administration of GPTCHB. The Chief Executive Officer manages the staff, using policies approved by the Board of Directors. All communication to the Board is channeled through the Chief Executive Officer. A staff member who does not follow the stated policy of channeling information through the chain of command is subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. The chain of command is as follows:
- Immediate Supervisor
- Department/Program Director
- Chief Executive Officer
- Executive Committee
4.CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
4.1 Indian Preference
The policy of GPTCHB is to provide absolute preference to qualified Indian applicants and employees who are suitable for employment in filling vacancies within GPTCHB.
- Indian preference requirements apply no matter how the vacancy arises, whether the position is newly created, or if the position was previously encumbered.
- Indian preference requirements apply to all actions involved in filling a vacancy, which include initial hiring, reassignment, transfer, competitive promotion, reappointment, or reinstatement.
4.2 Essential Job Functions of All GPTCHB Positions
- Exemplify excellent customer service with tribal stakeholders, health board colleagues, program partners, service recipients, visitors and guests.
- Foster a work environment of wellness, courtesy, friendliness, helpfulness and respect; relate well and work collaboratively with coworkers and all levels of staff in a professional manner.
- Familiarity and/or experience working with the American Indian pPopulations; respect for and knowledge of traditional, cultural and spiritual practices of diverse American Indian cCommunities, as well as an ability to work with other racially, culturally and ethnically diverse populations.
- Consistently demonstrate respect and acceptance toward differing capabilities, race, cultures, gender, age, sexual orientation and/or personalities.
- Maintain and ensure organizational privacy and confidentiality.
- M must be able to handle crisis and tolerate stress professionally.
- Must be self-directed; take proactive initiative to assist others and be capable of resolving problems with other departments/programs and coworkers without direct supervision.
- Able to exercise flexibility to alter plans/routines when a situation requires and continue to perform without projecting stress/frustration that would adversely affect the work environment.
- Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule, including evenings, weekends and overnight or extended travel as necessary (FLSA-Exempt Employees).
- Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to community members, clients and other employees of the organization.
- Proficiency with computer programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other Internet technologies.
- Valid SD Driver’s License must be kept current; certificates, credentials or licenses must be kept current and consistent with regulations required by applicable fFederal, sState and/or gGrant regulations.
- Ability to promote an alcohol-, tobacco- and drug-free lifestyle.
- Embrace modest appearance and attire which reflects a professional presence.
- Follow Adhere to the GPTCHB policies and procedures.
4.3 Veterans Preference
Veteran’s preference will apply in the selection, appointment, and promotion of employees after consideration of all other factors concerning hiring/promotion and will be given in the event that equally qualified candidates are applying for the position or are eligible for promotion. The interview panel will give preference in initial hiring and promotion to honorably discharged veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States. Preference will first be given to veterans who have service connected disabilities; second to veterans who have served in times of combat as determined by Congress; and third to veterans who served in non-combat periods. GPTCHB will not discriminate in the hiring and employment of handicapped veterans. Persons claiming preference under this section must provide documentation for each preference claimed.
4.4 Equal Employment Opportunity
GPTCHB provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. GPTCHB complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to hiring, placement, promotion, termination, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
4.5 ADA/ADAAA
It is the policy of GPTCHB to comply with all federal and state laws concerning the employment of persons with disabilities and act in accordance with regulations and guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).Furthermore, it is GPTCHB’s policy not to discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in regard to application procedures, hiring, advancement, compensation, training, conditions, and privileges of employment. When an individual with a disability is requesting accommodation and can be reasonably accommodated without creating an undue hardship or causing a direct threat to workplace safety, he or she will be given the same consideration for employment as any other applicant. Applicants who pose a direct threat to the health, safety, and well-being of themselves or others in the workplace when the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation will not be hired.
GPTCHB will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation and/or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to GPTCHB.
4.6 Nepotism