TO: ALL SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT de PAUL STAFF ASSOCIATES

Effective October 1, 2003, the attached document is the official Society of St. Vincent de Paul Staff Associates Handbook, superseding any other publications, handbooks, memorandums, etc.

In updating the current Handbook, we have covered some new subjects (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act, Use of Electronic Resources) and added an Index to make it easier for you to find your subject more quickly. Also, we have added more sample forms for you or your supervisor’s use.

We do expect you to carefully read and review the Handbook in its entirety. We hope you find the Handbook to be a valuable resource in that it answers many questions as to the history of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, our Mission, the services we offer, the terms and conditions of employment, your benefits, our expectations of you as a staff associate, the forms we use, and so on. Since work conditions and financial situations change periodically, the Chief Executive Officer shall have the authority to reflect these changes in this handbook.

Please refer any questions to your immediate supervisor. Should your supervisor be unable to answer your question, he/she will refer it to Human Resources or the Chief Executive Officer.

Dave Barringer

Chief Executive Officer

58 Progress ParkwayMaryland Heights, MO 63043-3706 Phone: 314-576-3993

e-mail: Web site: Fax: 314-576-6755Serving in Hope

SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT de PAUL

STAFF ASSOCIATES HANDBOOK

I welcome you to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

We believe our people are our greatest asset and the major reason for the success and growth of this organization. For you, we want the National Council Office of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to be known as a great place to work, where careful and constant attention to our work conditions and to our staff associates is a top priority.

Together, we must work to achieve our common vision and mission of serving the needs of the poor. This requires that we all work together to provide quality service to all those with whom we have contact. Together, we share the responsibility of maintaining and continually improving the quality of our service.

We are proud of the services we provide, and we also want you to be proud to work here and be a part of our mission. The pride we develop will be the direct result of effectively working together based on shared values. This will help us maintain an efficient and business-like atmosphere.

I extend to you our best wishes for a happy, rewarding and successful career while we continue to grow and become the very best organization we can be as we meet the needs of those who depend on us.

Dave Barringer

Chief Executive Officer

58 Progress ParkwayMaryland Heights, MO 63043-3706 Phone: 314-576-3993

e-mail: Web site: Fax: 314-576-6755Serving in Hope

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

STAFF ASSOCIATES HANDBOOK

STAFF ASSOCIATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

SECTION I

CORE VALUES

HISTORY

NATIONAL PROGRAMS

MISSION STATEMENT

VISION STATEMENT

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

DEFINITIONS

SECTION II

GUIDELINES FOR EMPLOYMENT

CUSTOMER SERVICE

HONESTY

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

A.Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

B.Americans with Disabilities Act

C.At-Will Employment Policy

D.Employer’s Rights

E.Conflict of Interest

F.Confidentiality and Official Representation of SVdP

G.Substance Abuse

HIRING AND EVALUATION

A.Hiring Process

B.Orientation Process

C.Orientation Period

D.Performance Appraisal

E.Evaluation Procedures

Work Performance Standards:

A.Adaptability Standards

B.Interpersonal and Communication Standards:

C.Opportunity for Advancement

D.References

E.Personnel Records

F.Professional Growth

WORK HOURS

COMPENSATION

A.Salaries and Wages

B.Time Reporting

C.Wage Assignments

D.Staff Associate Benefits

E.Time Off With Pay

F.Holidays

G.Jury Duty

H.Attendance at Funeral Absence:

I.Immediate Family Illness

J.Illness and Personal Excused Absence

K.Medical Leave of Absence

L.Military Leave of Absence

M.Severe Weather Conditions

N.Unpaid Time Off

LAYOFF

CORRECTIVE DISCIPLINE

A.Unacceptable Conduct or Misconduct:

B.Responsibility for Administering Discipline:

C.Disciplinary Process:

D.Grievance Procedure

SEPARATION

A.Resignation/Retirement

B.Exit Report/Interview

C.Termination

CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

ABUSE

SECTION III

PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONAL

PROCEDURES

ADMINISTRATIVE FORMS AND REQUIREMENTS

A.Management

B.Resolving Problems

C.Complaint Procedure

D.Safety Procedures and Accident Reporting

E.Accident & Traffic Violations

F.Theft

G.Property and Equipment Care

H.Personal Property

I.Security

J.Inspection of Packages

K.Phone Calls/Personal Business

L.SVdP Cell Phones

M.Electronic Resources

N.Reduction in Force and Recall

O.Dress Code/Personal Appearance

P.Leaves of Absence

Q.Maintaining Work/Time Records

R.Reception Area Sign In/Out

S.Parking Lot

T.Reimbursement for Work-Related Expenses

U.Ordering supplies

V.Securing Bids

STAFF ASSOCIATE RESPONSIBILITIES

A.Administrative Expectations

B.Maintaining Common and Personal Workspace:

C.No Smoking Policy

SECTION IV

POLICIES/PROCEDURES

INVESTIGATION OF A COMPLAINT OF DISCRIMINATION

FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

A.Guidelines

B.Request for a Family and Medical Leave:

C.Staff Associate Use Of Electronic Resources

D.Examples Of Unacceptable Conduct Or Misconduct

E.Attendance –

F.Whistleblower Policy

SECTION V

FORMS

A.ABSENCE REQUEST FORM (including Vacation)

B.STAFF ASSOCIATE DISCIPLINARY REPORT

C.NOTICE OF CHANGE IN STAFF ASSOCIATE STATUS FORM - To report changes in staff associate status

D.PAYROLL CORRECTION OR CHANGE FORM - To report payroll corrections and changes

E.EXIT INTERVIEW FORM

SECTION VI

HANDBOOK DISCLAIMER

INDEX

STAFF ASSOCIATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

I acknowledge that I have received, read and am bound by the guidelines and procedures contained in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) staff associate Handbook. I understand that this Handbook is a guide, and that the contents of the Handbook should not be construed to constitute a contract of employment or benefits between SVdP and myself.

I understand that my employment with SVdP is at-will and may be terminated by either party, with or without cause and with or without notice. I further understand and agree that no manager, supervisor or representative of SVdP other than the Chief Executive Officer has the authority to enter into any agreement for employment contrary to the guidelines and procedures contained in this Handbook. I understand that any such agreement must be in writing and signed by the Chief Executive Officer and the staff associate.

I further understand that SVdP reserves the right to change, amend, modify or eliminate at any time, any of the policies, procedures or benefits described in this Handbook. I agree that this Handbook supersedes any prior understandings or agreements of continued employment.

I understand that should the content of this Handbook be changed in any way, SVdP may require an additional signature from me to indicate that I am aware of and understand any new policies or procedures.

I understand that my signature below indicates that I understand the above statements and have received and read a copy of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Staff Associate Handbook.

Staff Associate’s Signature:

Staff Associate’s Printed Name:

Classification:

Dated:

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SECTION I

CORE VALUES

HISTORY

NATIONAL PROGRAMS

MISSION

VISION

STRUCTURE AND DEFINITIONS

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CORE VALUES

At the National Council Office of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, we value:

  • Honesty
  • Trust
  • Service to others that is professional and friendly
  • Meeting the needs of the poor and forgotten of all

ages, races, religions

  • Love of neighbor
  • The Gospel message to be Christ to others
  • Effective stewardship of all the resources entrusted

to us (spiritual, human, physical, environmental

and financial)

  • Doing the job right the first time

OUR CORE VALUES

HOLINESS OF LIFE

Growth in intimacy with Jesus is a life-long process

Prayer is Essential: personal and communal

SERVICE OF THE POOR

The dignity of the human poor

The preferential option of the poor

The identification of Jesus with the poor

HUMILITY

The virtue of humility: personal and corporate

Poverty in spirit is the primary Beatitude

SIMPLICITY

The virtue of Simplicity

Jesus is the Evangelizer and Servant of the Poor

Divine Providence

CHARITY

The Society is concerned with charity and justice

The virtue of charity within and outside of the Society

Solidarity

COMMUNITY OF FAITH

Friendship

Community

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HISTORY

Welcome to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul!! We are pleased that you have decided to be a part of what we believe is a very exciting organization. You and your work will be vital for the success of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s mission.

Anyone who begins a new job faces new challenges. One must learn new facts, new skills and new ways of doing things. We have developed this Handbook to help inform you of our policies and procedures, as well as your benefits package. We hope it will also help you understand how important you are to us.

We wish you success in your job at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and hope that you find it a rewarding experience. We encourage each staff person to also become active in the life of SVdP by becoming a member and getting involved at the Conference level of the organization as a volunteer.

The Society began in France in 1833 when students at the University of Paris decided to form a small group for their own spiritual development and to meet the needs of the poor. The leader of the student group was Frederic Ozanam. The idea spread quickly throughout Europe, and, in 1845 the first parish group (Conference) began in the United States.

The students named the Society for St. Vincent de Paul, a French priest who had lived two hundred years earlier and who was famous not only for his personal charity but for organizing groups of priests, sisters, and lay people to assist people in need.

Members of SVdP (Vincentians) assist people with food, clothing, furniture and appliances and, when possible, housing and utility emergencies, as well as other critical needs. As they assist, members are aware that their attitude of friendship and concern toward the people they serve is as important as material assistance. At regular meetings at their parishes, members pray and reflect before discussing current needs. “No work of charity is foreign to the Society.”

The Society is active in 132 nations around the world. Founder Frederic Ozanam was beatified (declared Blessed) in 1997 and will probably be proclaimed a saint at some time in the future.

SVdP volunteers help people in need regardless of their race, religion or ethnic origin. SVdP goes out of its way to preserve the dignity of poor individuals and families while serving their basic needs. This tenet of maintaining dignity is a defining characteristic of SVdP and its work. There is a high level of trust in SVdP by other community agencies and their clients referred to SVdP.

NATIONAL PROGRAMS

The Office of the Council of the United States provides leadership, technical assistance, management training and resource development to the Councils and Conferences in the United States. This enables Councils and Conferences to better devote their own resources in serving their communities, seeking ways to develop innovative strategies that address human needs and issues of social justice and enhancing and promoting the spiritual formation of their members.

Some of the specific services and programs rendered by the National Council Office staff and volunteers are:

  • Spiritual and education formation, and leadership development, e.g. Serving in Hope, Ozanam School, Invitation for Renewal
  • Authorship, composition and distribution of resources
  • Management of international twinning
  • Institution of Councils and Aggregation of Conferences
  • National fund development
  • General and specific mailings to Vincentian members and leadership
  • National Annual Meeting and Regional Meeting support
  • Direction and management of the Midyear and special meetings
  • Professional and staff support for National Committees
  • Publication of the Ozanam News
  • Maintaining and strengthening relationships with the Vincentian Family, dioceses and charitable agencies
  • Preparation and distribution of the Annual Report for the United States sent to Rome, all US bishops and US Senators and others
  • Editing, printing and distributing of the National Stores’ newsletter
  • Maintenance of the national database
  • Hosting the two national websites
  • Management and disbursement of disaster funds
  • Response to daily inquiries via email, fax, mail, and phone calls relative to the needs of Vincentians and others
  • Liaison to the Superior Councils of the world and to the Council General in Paris
  • Liaison with isolated Conferences
  • Translations from Spanish and French
  • Implementation of the strategic plan
  • Conflict resolution team for Councils and Conferences
  • Securing and maintenance of national archives

MISSION STATEMENT

SVdP’s Mission Statement:

Inspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization, leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent de Paul.

As a reflection of the whole family of God, Members, who are known as Vincentians, are drawn from every ethnic and cultural background, age group, and economic level. Vincentians are united in an international society of charity by their spirit of poverty, humility and sharing, which is nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings and adherence to a basic Rule.

Organized locally Vincentians witness God’s love by embracing all works of charity and justice. The Society collaborates with other people of good will in relieving need and addressing its causes, making no distinction in those served because, in them, Vincentians see the face of Christ.

SVdP’s National Council Office Mission Statement:

Imbued with the spirit and tradition of the Society’s patron, St. Vincent de Paul, and its founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, the Office of the National Council of the United States of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul conducts the business of the Society as directed by the National President. The office provides communication, services and support to the Society’s Officers, National Council Members, Regional Vice Presidents, National Committees, as well as to Councils, Conferences and individual members who offer hands-on-service to the poor and needy.

The National Council Office supports the active role of the Society’s membership in the promotion and collaboration of the Vincentian Family in its quest for economic and social justice and the elimination of poverty in the United States and the world.

VISION STATEMENT

As the Third Millennium dawns…we will be the paramount provider of services and aspire to become a proactive advocate who stands alongside of all those in need, in order to work together toward breaking down barriers that dehumanize.

Rooted in our tradition of direct service through home visitation and through our vibrant ministries of outreach, we will seek more creative and innovative ways to address the critical challenges that face this society today:

  • by better anticipating the spiritual and material needs of the people we serve;
  • by more effectively delivering services through new collaborative partnerships, especially in responding to emergencies and other disasters;
  • by increased promotion of our mission through the recruitment of new members in our parishes, including youth and young adults;
  • and, by more directly attracting the resources necessary to accomplish this vision and to create a better society.

STRATEGICPLANNING PROCESS

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul as an organization engages in a three to five year strategic planning process at three levels: Locally, Nationally and Internationally. The process of strategic planning helps key decision-makers think and act strategically. This is extremely important since strategic planning is a principal responsibility of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer, creating the future of the organization for which the current Board has stewardship.

There are seven reasons why strategic planning is of significant value to the organization. The process creates the opportunity for us to:

  • focus on our Mission.
  • focus on the variety of organizational/business uncertainties.
  • establish a comprehensive and understandable basis for day-to-day decision-making.
  • clarify why people should participate in fund raising and support of the organization.
  • provide effective stewardship of the human, material and financial resources entrusted to us.
  • determine what results the various units of the organization are achieving.
  • increase our organizational effectiveness in the areas of teamwork among the Board, the Chief Executive Officer and the entire staff.

This process allows us to set goals and targets for service and measure our impact in achieving our mission. To this end, and where appropriate, the process provides for the opportunity for all staff to participate in the process of creating and implementing the plan.

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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

SVdP is a non-profit corporation with tax-exempt status. The organization is governed by National Council Members. The National Council Members elects from its membership a President. The President then appoints his/her Officers.

The Board establishes the policy for the overall operation of the organization. The National Council Members employs a Chief Executive Officer to administer the day-to-day operations of the organization on their behalf and under the direction of the National President. The National Council Members specifically delegates the responsibility to the Chief Executive Officer for the administration of the organization allowing latitude for independent judgment and decision-making.

All matters pertaining to the interpretation of the material contained in this staff associate Handbook will be referred to Human Resources or the Chief Executive Officer.

DEFINITIONS

  1. Orientation - orientation is the first ninety (90) days of employment. It is an evaluative time to determine the suitability of the individual to the position.
  2. Staff Member - a staff member is one who has successfully completed the orientation period and whose annual performance appraisal indicates continued employment is merited. All Staff Members will be classified in one of five categories:
  1. Exempt staff associates: are those staff associates who, by the nature of the work they perform, are exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  2. Non-Exempt staff associates: are those who, by the nature of the work they perform, are covered by the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Non-exempt staff associates receive overtime pay for work in excess of forty (40) hours per week.
  3. Full-Time staff associates – staff associates who are normally scheduled to work thirty-seven and one half (37.5) hours per week. Full-time staff associates are eligible for the staff associate benefit programs, as described in this Handbook.
  4. Part-Time staff associates – staff associates who are normally scheduled to work a minimum of twenty (20) hours, but less than thirty-seven and one half (37.5) hours, per week. Part-time staff associates are eligible for certain staff associate benefit programs on a pro-rated basis.
  5. Temporary staff associates – staff associates who are employed for up to six (6) months. The period of temporary employment may be extended to a further period not to exceed three (3) months. Approval of the Chief Executive Officer, at the request of Human Resources, is required to retain a staff associate beyond nine (9) months. Temporary staff associates are not eligible for staff associate benefit programs.
  1. Contracted staff associate - any staff associate under contract for a specific purpose and for a specified period of time. The contracted staff associate is eligible only for those benefit programs that are stated in writing at the time of hire.
  2. Fiscal Year – SVdP’s fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30.
  3. Anniversary Date - the day, one year from the staff associate’s initial date of employment, and the same date each succeeding year thereafter.
  4. Chief Executive Officer - the Chief Executive Officer provides for the direction and management of SVdP in accordance with the policies established and approved by the National President.

At the direction of the President, the Chief Executive Officer shall be responsible for the employment of total staff. The basis for employment shall be qualifications and competence for the position. This basis shall stand without prejudice to race, sex, age or national origin.