Employee Handbook - ABC Academy

EmployeeHandbookRevised November 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTSPageWELCOME TO ABC ACADEMY . 1PERSONNEL POLICY HANDBOOK . 2PREFACE . 2MISSION STATEMENT OF ABC ACADEMY . 3VISION STATEMENT OF ABC ACADEMY . 3PHILOSOPHY . 3HISTORY . 4ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE . 5ALL POSITIONS . 7EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES . 8A. SELECTION OF EMPLOYEES . 8B. AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT . 8C. STATEMENT OF POLICY . 8D. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY . 8E. NAEYC GUIDELINES . 8F. STATE LICENSING RULES AND REGULATIONS . 9G. CURRICULUM. 9H. CONFIDENTIALITY . 9CUSTOMER AND COMMUNITLY RELATIONS . 10EXTRACURICULAR BABYSITTING . 11VISITORS . 12i

STAFF GUESTS . 12CO-WORKER RELATIONS . 13ORIENTATION. 13STAFF DEVELOPMENT . 14INTRODUCTORY PERIOD. 15TRAINING REIMBURSEMENT . 15MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT . 16PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES . 16A. PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES . 16B. HOME VISITS . 16IMMIGRATION LAW COMPLIANCE . 16EMPLOYEE RECORDS. 17OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT . 17SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND OTHER UNLAWFUL HARRASSMENT POLICY . 18CHILD ABUSE MANDATED REPORTER . 18ABC ACADEMY CHILD ABUSE POLICY . 18SMOKING POLICY . 20ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE . 20HOURS OF WORK & COMPENSATION ISSUES . 21A. EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION. . 21B. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT. . 22C. COMPENSATION . 22RATE OF PAY INCREASE . 22ii

ACTING PAY . 22REGULAR ASSIGNMENT TO LOWER CLASSIFICATION REDUCTIONS IN PAY . 23RELEASE FOR LACK OF WORK – RECALL WITHIN 30 DAYS . 23WORK SCHEDULE . 23BREAK PERIODS . 24TIME OFF & ABSENCES . 24TIMEKEEPING PROCEDURES . 27OVERTIME PAY . 27ANNIVERSARY DATE . 28COACHING AND/OR PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINARY . 28PROFESSIONAL DEMEANOR. 28PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS . 29PAYROLL . 30BENEFITS . 32A. HOLIDAYS . 32B. PAID TIME OFF (PTO) . 32C. CHILD CARE BENEFITS . 35MEDICAL & EMERGENCY LEAVES OF ABSENCE . 35JOB STATUS UPON RETURN FROM LEAVE . 36FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE (FMLA) . 36A. DISABILITY LEAVE OF ABSENCE . 37B. INSURANCE PREMIUM PAYMENT DURING LEAVE OF ABSENCE . 38BEREAVEMENT LEAVE . 38iii

JURY DUTY . 38LEAVE OF ABSENCE REQUEST FORM. 40FRINGE BENEFIT REQUEST FORM . 41PAYROLL DEDUCTION FORM . 42YOUR BENEFIT PACKAGE . 43A. MEDICAL INSURANCE . 43B. DENTAL INSURANCE . 43C. RETIREMENT PROGRAM . 43GOVERNMENT REQUIRED COVERAGE . 44COBRA NOTIFICATION . 45A. Qualified Person. . 45B. Continuation Period . 45C. Termination of Continued Coverage. . 46D. Monthly Cost . 46E. Election Requirement . 47F. Grace Period . 47G. Plan Changes . 47H. Disabled Continued Extension . 47I. Acquired Dependents . 47J. Other Group Health Coverage or Medicare . 48K. Other Purchase (Conversion) . 48L. Employee, Spouse and Dependent Notifications . 48RULES & REGULATIONS . 49iv

A. TEAMWORK AND SERVICE TO THE CUSTOMER . 49B. ETHICAL STANDARDS . 49C. GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCT . 49GRIEVANCES . 52EMERGENCY CLOSING AND INCLEMENT WEATHER . 53SOLICITATION OR DISTRIBUTION OF LITERATURE . 53SECURITY/SAFETY CHECKS . 53DRESS CODE . 54IDENTIFICATION BADGES . 55PARKING . 55USE OF PHONE AND MAIL SYSTEMS . 55SOCIAL MEDIA . 56TELEPHONE USAGE POLICY . 57PURCHASING . 57EMPLOYEE MAILBOXES AND EMAILS . 58EMPLOYEE BULLETIN BOARDS . 58USE OF ABC ACADEMY EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES. 58EMERGENCY & SAFETY PROCEDURES. 59A. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES . 59B. DISASTER PROCEDURES (FIRE DRILL/TORNADO WARNING) . 59SAFETY. 60A. GENERAL EMPLOYEE SAFETY . 60B. REPORTING SAFETY ISSUES . 60v

ABC ACADEMY, INC. SAFETY PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITES . 61A. The Program Director. 61B. Program Director – Assistant Director – Teachers . 61C. Employees . 61D. General Safety Rules. . 61E. Material Handling. . 62F. Equipment and Playground Safety Check. . 62G. Housekeeping. . 62H. Chemicals. . 63I. Fire Prevention. . 63J. Medical Emergency. . 63K. First Aid Boxes . 64L. ABC Academy Safety Hazards . 64ORIENTATION & ON-GOING SAFETY TRAINING . 64BLOODBORNE PATHEGON TRAINING . 65SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME . 66SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME . 66WORKERS COMPENSATIONS – UNEMPLOYMENT POLICY . 67SEPARATION OF EMPLOYMENT . 68ABC ACADEMY’S CORE VALUES FOR A WINNING TEAM. 70CLOSING STATEMENT . 71ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF HANDBOOKvi

WELCOME TO ABC ACADEMYOn behalf of myself and your new colleagues, welcome to ABC Academy. We arehappy to have you as a new member of our team!ABC Academy, Inc. and ABC Academy Center, Inc. have earned a reputation as a localleader in the industry. We are successful because of the individual contributions madeby each of our employees. You were selected to join ABC Academy's team becausewe feel you have the skills, ability and commitment needed to help us deliver the finestservice available to our customers. Since founding ABC Academy we have held to avery simple philosophy: exceptional service to our customers is essential, to keep ourcustomers. We want to ensure that these relationships continue well into the future.We hope you will find your job challenging and rewarding and will enjoy with us thespecial feelings of satisfaction that come with doing a job well. While serving theparents and children of ABC Academy, Inc, or ABC Academy Center, Inc. you will havea great deal of freedom to express your unique skills, creativity, talents, and thinking.These policies and procedures are meant to support individuality by providing you withour teaching philosophies and serving as a guide for you to express them in your ownindividual creative manner.This handbook will explain many of the benefits that you will enjoy as an ABC Academyemployee and some of the rules and regulations that enable our Company to runsmoothly. This is our 7th revision and update since 1984. We have made every effort tomake our company comply with the many changes in various acts that have been put inplace in order to improve the quality of the work place for employees. If you have anyquestions, or if there is something we can do to help you succeed and grow with us,please contact Management.We would like to welcome you to our center. We are glad to have you as part of ourteam. We hope to have the opportunity to enjoy many years of working together,helping the children in the area to grow and develop. I extend to you my personal bestwishes for your success and career development as a member of ABC Academy.Sincerely,Kathy HoszkiwOwner/PresidentABC Academy, Inc. &ABC Academy Center, Inc.1

PERSONNEL POLICY HANDBOOKThis handbook is designed to be a summary of personnel policies and practices as theyapply to all ABC Academy, Inc. and ABC Academy Center, Inc. personnel; unlessotherwise provided in a valid and enforceable collective bargaining agreement.Although this handbook is not a contract or legal document, it does provide a workingguide for use in understanding and applying all policies and practices. It is meant to behelpful to all employees and their supervisors.Please understand that circumstances may surface that require changes in the policies,practices and benefits described in this manual. As a result, ABC Academy, Inc. andABC Academy Center, Inc. reserve the right to amend the contents as deemedappropriate.Should any provision in this Employee Handbook be found to be unenforceable orinvalid, such finding does not invalidate the entire Employee Handbook, but only thatparticular provision.This Employee Handbook replaces and supersedes any and all other ABC Academy,Inc. and ABC Academy Center, Inc. Employee Handbooks, or other ABC Academy, Inc.or ABC Academy Center, Inc. policies, whether written or verbal, except valid andenforceable collective bargaining agreements.PREFACEUnless otherwise noted, policies referenced in this manual for ABC Academy or ABCAcademy, Inc. will refer to both ABC Academy, Inc. and ABC Academy Center, Inc.We have prepared this handbook to provide you with information about our policies,rules and present benefits. After your initial orientation, please set aside time to reviewthese policies more thoroughly. It will be very helpful in answering many questions thatarise. We recognize, however, that no Handbook can answer every question. If you donot find an answer to your particular question in this Handbook, or if you would like aparticular policy or procedure clarified, please feel free to ask the Director or AssistantDirector. They will be glad to help you answer any questions that arise.2

MISSION STATEMENT OF ABC ACADEMYThe mission of ABC Academy is to cultivate a community of families and teachersworking together to provide a high quality, safe, stimulating and positive environmentthat enhances and fosters the physical, emotional, cognitive, creative and socialdevelopment of individual children, through play-based learning and discovery. Themission will be implemented by practicing an emergent and constructivist curriculum;that inspires children to learn through active engagement.VISION STATEMENT OF ABC ACADEMYAt ABC Academy, we envision that our children are able to become future leaders bybeing active participants in, and shapers of, their world; to grow cognitively, socially,emotionally and globally though child-based and teacher facilitated learning.PHILOSOPHYABC Academy strives to provide a quality Early Childhood Education Program filled withcarefully chosen staff members, filled with love and compassion for children. Webelieve that children are our most important resource and that their early childhoodexperiences are crucial in the development of their future. Each staff member strives tooffer an environment that is high in quality and stimulates the child’s senses and wherewarmth and friendship are abundant, to meet the needs of the total development of thechild. The program we pursue is geared toward helping the child develop habits ofobservation, questioning and listening while building a positive self-esteem. Our staffmembers are partners with our parents working together to meet both the needs of thechildren and their families.ABC Academy, Inc. succeeds by delivering outstanding performance and customerservice.Our centers are model centers of quality in childcare and education. As an employee ofthe ABC Academy organization you will be expected to exemplify excellence and qualityof service and care. By following the employee policy and procedures outlined in thishandbook, combined with NAEYC Code of Ethics you will be well on your way tomeeting the goal of excellence and quality. This handbook will be used to guide yourconduct. You will be oriented on more specific policies and procedures through ongoing professional development. Be sure to always keep the NAEYC Code of Conductat the forefront of all decision making concerning children.ABC Academy, Inc. and ABC Academy Center, Inc. always strive to exceed the best.3

HISTORYABC Academy, Inc. was established on April 4

Unless otherwise noted, policies referenced in this manual for ABC Academy or ABC Academy, Inc. will refer to both ABC Academy, Inc. and ABC Academy Center, Inc. We have prepared this handbook to provide you with information about our policies, rules and present benefits. After your initial orientation, please set aside time to review