This handbook is intended to provide information
on the church's general rules and policies for the purpose of fostering
healthy work and relationship practices among those who work together in
the church office on a daily basis.
A. GENERAL
STATEMENT OF POLICY
1. Every effort will be made to provide an atmosphere,
and the development of working conditions and relationships that are informed
by Christian principles as outlined in the Bible. Each employee will be
encouraged to be considerate and cooperative with other staff members,
sharing a common interest in the development of the church.
2. A concerted effort will be made to select and place
each employee so that he/she will be physically, mentally and temperamentally
fitted to the job he/she is expected to do.
3. The church will seek to supply adequate equipment
and material for the work at hand, as well as an environment which is as
pleasant and as comfortable as possible and practical.
4. Opportunity for personal and vocational growth,
incentives for improvement, and reasonable security for continued employment;
these are some of the values which will be encouraged in the relationships
with each employee. Fair compensation and an adequate benefit package will
be developed for each worker.
B. HOURS OF
WORK
The normal work week shall consist of 40 hours per
week: eight (8) hours per day, five (5) days per week.
The hours of work shall be from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM,
(or 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) Monday through Friday with one (1) hour for lunch.
Workers will be expected to take their lunch period away from their work
area, and be willing to have it coordinated with others' lunch periods.
- or -
The normal work week shall consist of 32 hours per
week: eight (8) hours per day, four (4) days per week.
The hours of work shall be from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM,
(or 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) Tuesday through Friday with one (1) hour for lunch.
Exceptions and adjustments may be made at the discretion
of the Pastor and/or Business Administrator. For example, a shorter lunch
break may be warranted, but no less than 1/2 hour will be acceptable. A
shortening of the lunch break will make it possible for the employee to
leave earlier, not arrive later. However, such exceptions and/or adjustments
will be considered a benefit to the employee and will apply to the person
- rather than to the position, and only for the specific days requested.
Employees will be expected to be punctual each morning
and following each lunch period.
Hours worked beyond the regular schedule (or above
exceptions and adjusted schedules) do not create license for tardiness
except with the express permission of the Pastor and/or the Business Administrator
and then only for a specific date or dates.
Frequent or unexplained absence from work or repeated
lateness in reporting for work will seriously impair the value of services
offered to the church. Every effort should be made to report for work every
day on time.
C. OVERTIME
COMPENSATION
Overtime will be paid to hourly employees after 40
hours of work only when the Pastor and/or Business Administrator deems
the need for such work is necessary and requests it. Overtime pay will
be compensated at the rate of time-and-a-half the hourly rate. If an hourly
employee is requested to work on a holiday, a floating personal day may
be given, or double time compensation at the discretion of the Business
Administrator.
D. EMPLOYEE
DEFINITIONS
A "full-time employee" is one who is filling a permanent
position in the church, with his/her normal work week consisting of more
than 32 hours. Full-time employees will be remunerated on an hourly basis.
A "part-time employee" is one who is filling a permanent
position in the church, with his/her normal work week consisting of less
than 32 hours. Part-time employees will be remunerated on an hourly basis.
Benefits as listed below apply only to full-time employees.
Benefits for permanent part-time employees may be provided as negotiated
by the Pastor or Business Administrator as incorporated into the employee's
written job description at the time they are hired.
E. HOLIDAYS
The following are the holidays for which secretarial
and office employees shall be paid:
1.- 1/2 Day on Good Friday
2.- Memorial Day
3.- Independence Day
4.- Labor Day
5.- Thanksgiving Day
6.- Friday after Thanksgiving
7.- Christmas Day
8.- Christmas Eve, 1/2 day
9.- New Year's Eve, 1/2 day
10.- Year's Day
(This Holiday Schedule will be subject to an annual review,
during the month of February, and may be altered depending on the calendar
for the current year.)
In the event that New Year's Day, Independence Day,
or Christmas falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a floating personal day (used
by the end of the employment year) will be given in lieu of these holidays.
The regular work schedule will resume on the following Monday.
All holidays officially celebrated on Mondays will
be considered paid holidays ONLY if the employee regularly works on Mondays.
Employees who are on a Tuesday through Friday schedule will resume work
on Tuesday as usual, and a floating personal day will be given in lieu
of these holidays. This benefit does not apply when New Year's Eve or Christmas
Eve occurs on a Monday.
F. VACATIONS
Vacation benefits are accrued during the employment
year. For all current (as of January 1, 199_ ) full-time secretarial and
office employees, January 1st is the anniversary date of employment for
vacation purposes.
Secretarial and office employees who have completed
more than 12 months service shall be entitled to paid vacation benefits
as follows:
1 week after one full employment year of service
2 weeks after two full employment years of service
3 weeks after seven (or more) full years of employment
4 weeks after fifteen full years of employment
Part-time employees will be granted time off without pay
for vacation based upon the approval of the Business Administrator. (Exceptions
negotiable in the case of permanent part-time employees as included in
the employees' written job description.)
Vacation dates must be requested at least one month
in advance, and must be approved by the Pastor and/or Business Administrator.
No more than two employees may take vacation during the same time and only
with approval, length of service being taken into consideration if a conflict
were to arise. In order to encourage adequate rest and refreshment, vacations
must be taken before the end of the employment year in which they occur;
they are not accumulative. Vacation pay is not to be taken in lieu of time
off.
When a holiday (for which the employee would ordinarily
receive paid holiday benefits) occurs within one's vacation time, the employee
may be given the choice of an extra day of pay or an extra day of vacation
to be taken at the time the holiday occurs.
When an employee terminates his/her services and is
later reemploy, vacation benefits are based upon the date of reemployment.
G. SICK LEAVE
When a secretarial or office employee is ill or otherwise
physically incapacitated, full pay at the employee's basic wage rate will
be available as sick leave. It is understood that employees shall request
sick leave benefits only when they are actually ill or physically incapacitated;
such benefit is not to be used as vacation time, but may be used as maternity
or paternity leave.
All full time secretarial and office employees shall
be entitled to the equivalent of two weeks' sick leave per calendar year
following one full year of employment.
Secretarial and office employees with less than a full
year's employment shall be entitled to two (2) days sick leave for each
quarter year (3 months) of employment after the completion of that three
month period.
Sick leave benefits are accrued during the employment
year; all current (as of 1/1/9_ ) employees shall consider January 1st
as their anniversary date for the purpose of determining sick leave days
available. Unused sick leave days do not accumulate from year to year.
No sick leave benefits will be paid for sickness, accident
or injury resulting from employment for wages outside the church.
All employees are covered by Workmen's Compensation
insurance which provides certain benefits for employees who suffer injury
directly or indirectly in the course of their employment. Medical costs
are covered, and compensation for loss of time is paid under certain circumstances.
If Workman's Compensation benefits are provided due to loss of time, the
salary benefits paid will be reduced according to the amount of the lost
time benefits.
H. ACCIDENT
OR INJURY
In case of accident, injury, or sudden illness, the
matter should be reported to the Pastor and/or Business Administrator immediately.
If an accident should occur while at work, regardless
of how trivial it might seem, it must be reported before the end of the
day. An accident report form should be completed if the possibility of
needing the services of a physician exists.
A policy for health insurance is provided for each
full time employee. Information concerning the coverage will be provided
at the time of hiring, with annual updates if requested.
I. BEREAVEMENT
With the approval of the Pastor or Business Administrator
all employees shall be entitled to up to four (4) days bereavement leave
with pay in the event of the death of one of the following relatives: spouse,
parent, or child (natural, adopted, step).
J. SNOW DAYS
The church office will not be closed due to snow unless
a traffic emergency is declared by the governor of the state. However,
individual workers may be allotted a late arrival time of up to 90 minutes,
after discussing road conditions by phone with the Business Administrator.
When permission is granted, remuneration will be provided.
K. LEAVE OF
ABSENCE
L. PERFORMANCE
REVIEW
Each employee's service record shall be reviewed by
their immediate supervisor twice each year. Factors to be considered in
reviewing an employee's performance include the following:
Quality of work - - - - - - Quantity of work
Attitude - - - - - - - - - Attendance
Knowledge of work - - - - - Reliability
Personal appearance - - - - Adaptability
Judgment - - - - - - - - - Initiative
Organizing ability - - - - - Effectiveness with people
Relationships with co-workers.
The purpose of this plan is to call attention to the employee's
progress and also to bring out work related problems, which may be corrected
by friendly cooperation between the administration and staff. It is important
for the employee to know how his/her performance is rated and to know in
what ways performance may be improved. Raises shall be considered based
on the economic condition of the employer, the current cost of living,
and the employee's performance reviews.
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