Employee Handbook
Addendum to Handbook
on TriNet Portal
This handbook is not a contract, express or implied, guaranteeing
employment for any specific duration. Either you or the Company may
terminate this relationship at any time, for any reason, with or without
cause or notice. Please understand that no supervisor, manager, or
representative of the Company has the authority to enter into any
agreement with you for employment for any specified period of time or
to make any promises or commitments contrary to the foregoing.
Further, any employment agreement shall not be enforceable unless it
is in a formal written agreement and signed by you and the Company
CEO after being reviewed and approved by Human Resources and the
Company Legal Department.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................1
About This Handbook..................................................................................................... 1
Welcome to the Company ............................................................................................... 1
Company Portal .............................................................................................................. 3
Changes in Policy ........................................................................................................... 3
2. Employment Policies...................................................................................4
“At Will” Employment Relationship ............................................................................ TN
Equal Employment Opportunity................................................................................... TN
Affirmative Action....................................................................................................... TN
Accommodation of Individuals with Disabilities.......................................................... TN
Immigration Law Compliance......................................................................................... 3
Discrimination and Harassment ................................................................................... TN
Reporting Discrimination and Harassment ................................................................... TN
Confidentiality, Non-Solicitation, Proprietary Information and Inventions Policy ........... 4
Personal Identifiable Information (PII) Security, Notification and Confidentiality
Policy ............................................................................................................................10
Code of Conduct .......................................................................................................... TN
Conflict of Interest ....................................................................................................... TN
Secondary Employment .................................................................................................14
Employment of Relatives............................................................................................. TN
Romantic Relationships ............................................................................................... TN
Non-Solicitation/Non-Distribution ............................................................................... TN
Drug Free Workplace Act Statement ............................................................................ TN
Drug and Alcohol Policy.............................................................................................. TN
Disciplinary Action........................................................................................................15
Termination ...................................................................................................................15
Employment References ................................................................................................16
3. Employee Benefits.....................................................................................17
Company Holidays. .......................................................................................................17
Paid Time Off (PTO/SICK) ...........................................................................................17
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ...................................................................... TN
Medical Leaves of Absence ...........................................................................................18
Personal Leave...............................................................................................................18
Military Leave (USERRA).............................................................................................19
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Bereavement Leave........................................................................................................21
Jury Duty and Subpoenaed Witness Leave .....................................................................22
Election Day ..................................................................................................................22
Benefits Program ...........................................................................................................22
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).......................................23
Continuation of Benefits (COBRA) ...............................................................................TN
Employee Assistance Program.......................................................................................23
Workers’ Compensation Insurance .................................................................................TN
4. Wages, Time Reporting and Pay Practices..............................................24
Employment Classifications......................................................................................... TN
Job Descriptions ............................................................................................................24
Promotion and Transfer .................................................................................................24
Time Reporting..............................................................................................................24
Lactation Break .............................................................................................................25
Overtime Pay.................................................................................................................TN
Pay Periods....................................................................................................................TN
Paycheck Deductions .....................................................................................................TN
Attendance and Punctuality............................................................................................TN
5. Workplace Information Policies ..............................................................25
Personal Data.................................................................................................................25
Business Hours ..............................................................................................................25
Flexible/Alternative Work Schedules .............................................................................25
Inclement Weather.........................................................................................................26
Dress Code .................................................................................................................. TN
Conflict Resolution and Complaint Procedure................................................................26
Bulletin Boards..............................................................................................................TN
6. Company Property ...................................................................................28
Personnel File Access ................................................................................................. TN
Company Property Use ................................................................................................ TN
Corporate Credit Card Use.............................................................................................28
Personal Vehicle Use .....................................................................................................29
Company-Owned/Leased Vehicles ................................................................................29
Electronic Communication and Information Systems .....................................................TN
Social Media..................................................................................................................30
Software Usage..............................................................................................................31
Telephone Use ...............................................................................................................32
Security of Information Systems ....................................................................................33
7. Safety and Security ...................................................................................33
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Company-Owned and Leased Vehicles ..........................................................................33
Personal Vehicle ............................................................................................................33
Cell Phone/Two-Way Communication Devices .............................................................34
Personal Security ...........................................................................................................34
Information Security ......................................................................................................35
Workplace Safety......................................................................................................... TN
Threats and Violence ................................................................................................... TN
Reporting Work-Related Injuries and Illness................................................................ TN
Report Unsafe Conditions or Illnesses.......................................................................... TN
Security Incident Procedure ...........................................................................................35
Crisis Management Plan ................................................................................................36
8. State Law Addendum ...............................................................................36
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK ACKNOWLEDGMENT .....................................37
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1. Introduction
About This Handbook
We give you this handbook as a summary description of the policies, practices, and
employee benefits for employees at Go Energistics, LLC (the “Company’). We hope this
handbook will help foster open communication and serve as a useful reference.
This handbook summarizes some, but not all, of the principal human resource
policies in effect at the time it was issued. However, policies can and do change.
Where the handbook differs from new or revised policies and practices later
adopted by the Company, the new or revised policy shall control. We will try to
inform you of any changes as soon as possible.
Please read this handbook carefully and refer to it frequently. It is your
responsibility to be familiar with the contents, any amendments to the handbook,
and the policies and practices of the Company. You can obtain additional
information or clarification about the other benefits and policies of the Company
from your supervisor or Human Resources. This handbook is considered
Confidential Property of the Company and is not to be reproduced or given to
anyone outside the Company. Should you leave the Company’s employ, you
may not take a printed copy with you.
Please note that some policies found within the handbook are written
to comply with federal law guidelines. In the case where state laws
differ from federal laws, the more favorable law for employees will
take precedence.
Welcome to the Company
Starting a new job is exciting, but at times can be overwhelming. This handbook
has been developed to help you become acquainted with our company and
answer many of your initial questions.
As an employee of the Company, you are very important. Your contributions
cannot be overstated.
Our goal is to provide the finest-quality services to our customers and to do so
more efficiently and economically than our competitors. By satisfying our
customers' needs, we ensure they will continue to do business with us and will
recommend us to others.
You are an important part of this process because your work directly influences
the Company's reputation.
We are glad you have joined us, and we hope you will find your work to be both
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
challenging and rewarding.
Sincerely,
ABS
Adam B. Shepherd
CEO
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
The Company’s Portal
Throughout this handbook, you will see references to the online
HR/Payroll/Timekeeping system. This system, referred to as “the Portal,” is a
web-based, online business tool that helps us work smarter, be more productive
and save money. Using the latest technology to gather information and tools
from around the Company, the Portal makes information readily accessible, such
as electronic timecards and Pay & Annual statements. Human Resources will
give you access to the Portal during the Onboarding process.
Changes in Policy
The competitive environment and other conditions of this business are constantly
changing. The Company, therefore, expressly reserves the maximum
amount of discretion permitted by law to administer, interpret,
discontinue, review, modify, and change any of its respective benefits,
policies and plans, including those covered in this handbook, at any
time with or without prior notice. Employees will be notified about such
changes by notices posted on the Portal and/or by electronic email. Changes
shall become effective on the dates determined by the Company. You may not
rely on policies that have been amended and replaced. Only Human Resources
and the Company CEO have the authority to alter the foregoing.
If you are uncertain about any policy or procedure, please check with your
supervisor or Human Resources.
2. Employment Policies
Immigration Law Compliance
The Company is committed to employing only United States citizens and aliens
who are authorized to work in the United States and does not unlawfully
discriminate on the basis of citizenship or national origin. In compliance with the
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, as amended, each new employee,
as a condition of employment, must complete the Employment Eligibility
Verification Form I-9 and present documentation establishing identity and
employment eligibility. Former employees who are rehired must also complete
the form if they have not completed a Form I-9 with the Company within the
past three years, or if their previous Form I-9 is no longer retained or valid.
Each new employee, as a condition of employment, must be “E-Verified,” a
cross-check on names and social security numbers using Department of
Homeland Security and Social Security Administration databases.
Employees with questions or seeking more information on immigration law issues
should contact Human Resources. Employees may raise questions about
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
immigration law compliance without fear of reprisal.
Confidentiality, Non-Solicitation, Proprietary Information
and Inventions Policy
The successful operation of the Company’s business requires that trade secrets
and other confidential information, which are valuable and unique assets, be
maintained as secret and confidential. The Company has disclosed and will be
disclosing to the employee in the continued course of work or services, certain
trade secrets and other confidential business information of the Company for the
sole and exclusive benefit of the Company and with the express condition that
employee not disclose or misuse such information.
The employee may, in the course of work or services, develop or contribute to
inventions or other proprietary information, and the Company desires to
document that such inventions and proprietary information are and shall remain
the sole and exclusive property of the Company; and in connection with the
employee’s continued work or services, the employee agrees to continuing
obligations to the Company with respect to such confidential and trade secret
information.
Confidential Information and Trade Secrets Defined
The term “Confidential and Trade Secret Information” shall refer to all
information which has not been made available by the Company to the general
public and which employee generates, solely or jointly, or is exposed to
concerning the business of the Company and its parents, subsidiaries, and
affiliates and their respective predecessors and successors (collectively the
"Related Parties"), specifically including but not limited to the following:
The Company’s customers and prospective customers (including the nature and
amount of their respective purchases, outstanding bids or orders, requirements
for service, key contacts, ordering procedures, credit and relations information,
marketing proposals, and pricing practices);
The Company’s methods of doing business (including its finances, costs, profits,
sales, markets, strategic or business plans, projections, research projects,
sources and nature of financing, staffing and personnel information, and
company policies and procedures);
The Company’s suppliers (including its costs, distribution, and other
arrangements with such suppliers);
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
The Company’s products and services (including technologies, support
procedures, programming and formatting processes and techniques, product
formulations, specifications, and materials, except to the extent generally known
and made available to the public);
The Company's research activities (including activities in support of product
development; marketing programs; pricing, manufacturing methods; distribution
methods; management information technology; and other key business areas in
which the Company develops and uses research to help it innovate. This includes
both the Company's research methods, and the results of its research, whether
those results are positive (indicating a favorable business opportunity), or
negative (indicating potentially unfavorable results);
All other confidential or proprietary information that has not been made available
to the general public by management of the Company or the Related Parties.
“Confidential and Trade Secret Information” includes all such information defined
above, in any form, and includes without limitation both verbal and written
information, whether embodied in documents, computer files or programs,
processes, practices, equipment, or plans.
The term Confidential Information shall not apply to information which employee
demonstrates: (a) was in employee's possession without obligation of confidence
to the Company before employee's receipt thereof from the Company; (b) has
been independently developed by employee; (c) is or has become available to
the public without employee's fault of action or inaction; or (d) is disclosed to
employee without restriction, by a third party who is not under any legal
obligation (either by agreement with the Company or otherwise by law)
prohibiting or limiting such disclosure.
Employee Acknowledgement
Employee acknowledges that the Confidential Information and Trade Secrets
defined above: 1) are not known to the Company’s competitors or to the general
public; 2) derive independent actual or potential economic value from the fact
that they are confidential; and 3) are the subject of efforts that are reasonable
under the circumstances to maintain their secrecy. Employee agrees that it is
not necessary for the Company to label or stamp information as “Confidential” or
to enact express security systems (although the Company may do so in its
discretion) in order to maintain the confidential nature of such information, and
that no failure of the Company to do so shall be deemed to waive or otherwise
impair the confidential nature of such information.
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Agreement Not to Disclose or Otherwise Misappropriate Confidential
and Trade Secret Information
Both during employment or services, and at all times following employment or
services with the Company, employee shall not disclose or otherwise use,
whether directly or indirectly, any Confidential and Trade Secret Information
except as required in the course of performing duties for the Company without
the express consent of the Company. Following termination of
employment/contracting services, any express consent must be in writing, must
specifically refer to this Agreement, and must specify in particularity both the
exact information to be disclosed, the persons or entities to whom disclosure
shall be made, and the circumstances surrounding such disclosure.
Employee/Contractor agrees to notify the Company of any request for
information regarding the Company, whether or not confidential, by any actual
or potential competitor.
Agreement Not To Compete with Company During Employment
Employee acknowledges a duty of loyalty to the Company. During employment,
employee will not directly or indirectly engage in any other employment,
consulting, or other business activity directly related to the business in which the
Company is now involved or becomes involved during the term of employee’s
employment. During employment, employee agrees not to plan or otherwise
take any preliminary steps, either alone or in concert with others, to set up or
engage in any business enterprise that would be in competition with the
Company.
Agreement to Use Best Efforts to Prevent Disclosure or
Misappropriation by Others
Employee will use the best efforts to protect the secrecy and confidentiality of
any Confidential and Trade Secret Information which the employee prepares or
which comes into the employee’s possession, including: (i) maintaining such
materials under appropriate security; (ii) instructing employees, agents,
subcontractors or suppliers of their confidentiality obligations; and (iii) limiting
disclosure, access, and copying to the Company’s personnel who require such
information in the performance of their job duties. Employee shall immediately
notify the Company if the employee learns of any unauthorized use, copying or
disclosure of Confidential and Trade Secret Information or if at any time
employee believes that Confidential and Trade Secret Information risks being lost
or disclosed.
Ownership of Inventions and Proprietary Information
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Employee acknowledges and agrees that all ideas or other work product of
employee, including but not limited to “Inventions,” or “Works of Authorship” as
defined herein, created or obtained by employee in connection with employee’s
employment shall be considered Proprietary Information of the Company and
shall be and remain the sole property of the Company.
The following definitions shall apply:
“Inventions” shall mean all discoveries, developments, designs, improvements,
inventions, formulas, software programs, processes, techniques, know-how,
negative know-how and data, whether or not patentable or registrable under
patent, copyright or similar statutes.
“Work of Authorship or “Works” shall refer to writings, drawings, diagrams,
designs, specifications, manuals, instructional and other materials, and computer
code and programs. Employee acknowledges that all original works of
authorship which are made by the employee (solely or jointly with others) within
the scope of employee’s employment and which are protectable by copyright are
“works for hire” as that term is defined in the United States Copyright Act (17
USCA, Section 101).
Ideas or other work product shall be deemed created or obtained in connection
with employee’s employment if any of the following apply: i) the work, or any
portion of it, occurred during the employee’s working hours; ii) employee made
use, to any degree, of the Company’s property, equipment, supplies, facilities, or
trade secret information or other resources; iii) the idea or work product related,
at the time of conception or reduction to practice, to the Company’s business, or
actual or demonstrably anticipated research or development; or iv) the work or
idea otherwise resulted from work performed by employee for the Company.
Employee shall not be required to assign to the Company any Inventions that
employee developed entirely on his or her own time without using the
Company’s equipment, supplies, facilities, or trade secret information if the
Invention does not relate to the Company’s business, or actual or demonstrably
anticipated research or development of the Company and if the Invention does
not result from any work performed by the employee for the Company.
Employee bears the full burden of proving to the Company that an invention
qualifies fully under this subsection (c).
Assignment of Rights, Agreement to Cooperate
Employee assigns to the Company any rights employee may have or acquire in
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Proprietary Information or Inventions or rights pertaining to Proprietary
Information or Inventions. Employee agrees as to all Proprietary Information or
Inventions to assist the Company or any person designated by it in every proper
way to obtain and from time to time enforce Rights relating to said Proprietary
Information or Inventions in any and all countries. Employee shall execute all
documents for use in applying for, obtaining and enforcing such Rights on such
Proprietary Information or Inventions as the Company may desire, together with
any assignments thereof to the Company or persons designated by it.
Employee’s obligation to assist the Company or any person designated by it in
obtaining and enforcing rights relating to Proprietary Information or Inventions
shall continue beyond the date of the termination of employment (the
“Termination Date”), but the Company shall compensate employee at a
reasonable rate after the Termination Date for time actually spent by employee
upon the Company’s request for such assistance. In the event the Company is
unable, after reasonable effort, to secure employee’s signature on any
document(s) needed to apply for or to enforce any Right relating to Proprietary
Information or to an Invention, whether because of employee’s physical or
mental incapacity or for any other reason whatsoever, employee hereby
irrevocably designates and appoints the Company and its duly authorized officers
and agents as employee’s agents and attorneys-in-fact to act on employee’s
behalf and in employee’s stead in the execution and filing of any such application
and in furthering the application for and enforcement of Rights with the same
legal force and effect as if such acts were performed by employee.
Disclosure of Discoveries, Etc. to the Company
Employee will promptly and from time to time disclose in writing to the
Company, (the Company hereby agrees to receive such disclosures in
confidence) all discoveries, developments, designs, improvements, inventions,
formulas, software programs, processes, techniques, know-how, negative know-
how and data, whether or not patentable or registrable under patent, copyright
or similar statutes, or reduced to practice, made, conceived or learned by
employee, either alone or jointly with others during the term of
employment/services, for the purpose of permitting the Company to determine
whether they constitute Inventions. In order to facilitate the complete and
accurate disclosures described above, employee agrees to maintain complete
written records of all Inventions, and of all work, study and investigation done by
employee during the term of employment/services. These records shall become
the property of the Company.
Employee Acts
Employee shall not knowingly do anything to imperil the validity of any such
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
patent, design or protection or any application and shall, at the reasonable cost
of the Company, render all possible assistance to the Company both in obtaining
and maintaining such patent, design or other protection, and the employee shall
not, either during the term of employment or thereafter, exploit or make public
or disclose any such Invention or give any information in respect thereof except
to the Company or as it may direct.
Prior Inventions of the Employee
Employee must submit a list to Human Resources at the time of hire of
all inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of the
employee’s employment which have been made, conceived of or first
reduced to practice by the employee alone or jointly with others prior
to the terms of employment and which the employee desires to remove
from the Proprietary Information and Inventions Policy. The employee
represents and warrants that such list submitted at the time
employment begins is complete. If there is no such list submitted to
Human Resources, the Employee represents and warrants that
employee has made no such inventions or improvements prior to the
commencement of employment with the Company.
Services Provided as a Consultant; Delivery of the Termination
Certificate by the Employee
The terms and conditions of this Policy shall apply to any period, if any, during
which an employee performs services for the Company as a
consultant/contractor, as well as any time during which employee is employed
directly by the Company, including but not limited to any period in which
employee provided services prior to employment.
Non-Solicitation of Employees
Employee will not, either during the term of employment or for a period of two
(2) years immediately following any termination thereof (regardless of the reason
for such termination, whether voluntary or involuntary), interfere with the
Company’s continuing relationships with its other employees or attempt to induce
them to leave such employment.
Non-Interference and Non-Solicitation with Suppliers and Customers
Employee will not at any time during or following employment interfere in any
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
way with any relationship between the Company and the Company’s suppliers or
customers or take any action to discourage in any way any suppliers or
customers from doing business with the Company. Employee understands and
agrees that any solicitation by Employee of the Company's customers, resellers
or suppliers would necessarily involve the use or disclosure of the Company's
Trade Secrets and Confidential Information. During employment and for a
period of two (2) years after any termination of employment, employee will not
directly or indirectly, either alone or in concert with others, on employee's own
behalf or on behalf of any other person or entity, attempt to persuade or solicit
any customer or supplier of the Company to cease to do business, or to reduce
the amount of business which any customer or supplier of the Company has
customarily done or contemplates doing with the Company, or to do or expand
business with a competitor of the Company.
Personal Identifiable Information (PII) Security, Notification
and Confidentiality Policy
The Company recognizes its need to maintain the confidentiality of Personal
Identifiable Information (PII) and understands that such information is unique to
each individual. The PII covered by this policy may come from various types of
individuals performing tasks on behalf of the Company and includes employees,
applicants, independent contractors, vendors and any PII maintained on its
customer base. The scope of this policy is intended to be comprehensive and will
include Company requirements for the security and protection of such
information throughout the company and its approved vendors both on and off
work premises.
Departments named in this policy have delegated authority for developing and
implementing procedural guidance for ensuring that their departmental
responsibilities under this policy are communicated and enforced.
Key Elements of the Policy
Personal Identifiable Information (PII): Unique personal identification numbers or
data, including, but not limited to:
Social Security Numbers (or their equivalent issued by governmental entities
outside the United States).
Taxpayer Identification Numbers (or their equivalent issued by governmental
revenue entities outside the United States).
Employer Identification Numbers (or their equivalent issued by government
entities outside the United States).
State or foreign driver’s license numbers.
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Date(s) of birth.
Corporate or individually held credit or debit transaction card numbers (including
PIN or access numbers) maintained in organizational or approved vendor
records.
PII may reside in hard copy or electronic records; both forms of PII fall within
the scope of this policy.
Vendors: Individual(s) or companies that have been approved by the Contracts
Department as a recipient of organizational PII and from which the Contracts
Department has received certification of their data protection practices
conformance with the requirements of this policy. Vendors include all external
providers of services to the company and include proposed vendors. No PII
information can be transmitted to or from any vendor in any method unless the
vendor has been pre-certified for the receipt of such information.
PII Retention: GoE understands the importance of minimizing the amount of PII
data it maintains and retains such PII only as long as necessary. A joint task
force comprising members of the Legal, Finance, IT, Contracts and Human
Resources departments maintains organizational record retention procedures,
which dictate the length of data retention and data destruction methods for both
hard copy and electronic records.
PII Training: All new hires entering the Company who may have access to PII
are provided with introductory training regarding the provisions of this policy, a
copy of this policy and implementing procedures for the department to which
they are assigned. Employees in positions with regular ongoing access to PII or
those transferred into such positions are provided with training reinforcing this
policy and procedures for the maintenance of PII data and shall receive annual
training regarding the security and protection of PII data and Company
proprietary data.
PII Audit(s): The Company conducts audits of PII information maintained in
conjunction with fiscal year closing activities to ensure that this policy remains
strictly enforced and to ascertain the necessity for the continued retention of PII
information. Where the need no longer exists, PII information will be destroyed
in accordance with protocols for destruction of such records and logs maintained
for the dates of destruction. The audits are conducted by Finance, IT, Contracts
and Human Resources departments under the auspices of the Legal department.
Data Breaches/Notification: Databases or data sets that include PII may be
breached inadvertently or through wrongful intrusion. Upon becoming aware of a
data breach, the company will notify all affected individuals whose PII data may
have been compromised, and the notice will be accompanied by a description of
action being taken to reconcile any damage as a result of the data breach.
Notices will be provided as expeditiously as possible and in no event be later
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
than the commencement of the payroll period after which the breach was
discovered.
The Legal department will handle breach notifications(s) to all governmental
agencies to whom such notice must be provided in accordance with time frames
specified under these laws. Notices to affected individuals will be communicated
by Human Resources after consultation with the Legal department and within the
time frame specified under the appropriate law(s).
Data Access: GoE maintains IT systems where PII data may reside; thus, user
access to such IT systems is the responsibility of the IT department. The IT
department has created internal controls for such systems to establish legitimate
access for users of data, and access shall be limited to those approved by IT.
Any change in vendor status or the termination of an employee or independent
contractor with access will immediately result in the termination of the user’s
access to all systems where the PII may reside.
Data Transmission and Transportation
1. Company Premises Access to PII: The Finance, Human Resources and IT
departments have defined responsibilities for on-site access of data that may
include access to PII; IT has the oversight responsibility for all electronic records
and data access capabilities. Finance and Human Resources have the operational
responsibility for designating initial access and termination of access for
individual users within their organizations and providing timely notice to IT.
2. Vendors: The Company may share data with vendors who have a business
need to have PII data. Where such inter-company sharing of data is required,
the IT department is responsible for creating and maintaining data encryption
and protection standards to safeguard all PII data that resides in the databases
provided to vendors. Approved vendor lists will be maintained by the Contracts
department, and Contracts has responsibility to notify IT of any changes to
vendor status with the company.
3. Portable Storage Devices: The Company reserves the right to restrict PII data
it maintains in the workplace. In the course of doing business, PII data may also
be downloaded to laptops or other computing storage devices to facilitate
Company business. To protect such data, the Company will also require that any
such devices use IT department-approved encryption and security protection
software while such devices are in use on or off company premises. The IT
department has responsibility for maintaining data encryption and data
protection standards to safeguard PII data that resides on these portable storage
devices. The GoE approved encryption and security software is “Encryption
Wizard” - http://www.spi.dod.mil/ewizard.htm.
4. Off-Site Access to PII: The Company understands that employees may need to
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The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
access PII while off site or on business travel, and access to such data shall not
be prohibited, subject to the provision that the data to be accessed is minimized
to the degree possible to meet business needs and that such data shall reside
only on assigned laptops/approved storage devices that have been secured in
advance by the IT department.
Regulatory Requirements: It is the policy of the Company to comply with any
international, federal or state statute and reporting regulations. The Company
has delegated the responsibility for maintaining PII security provisions to the
departments noted in this policy. The Company’s Legal department shall be the
sole entity named to oversee all regulatory reporting compliance issues. If any
provision of this policy conflicts with a statutory requirement of international,
federal or state law governing PII, the policy provision(s) that conflict shall be
superseded.
Employee Hotline: If an employee has reason to believe that his or her PII data
has been breached or that Company representative(s) are not adhering to the
provisions of this policy, an employee should contact the company hotline at:
(xxx) xxx-xxxx and contact the Company CEO.
Confirmation of Confidentiality: All Company employees must maintain the
confidentiality of PII as well as company proprietary data to which they may
have access and understand that that such PII is to be restricted to only those
with a business need-to-know. Employees with ongoing access to such data will
sign acknowledgement reminders annually attesting to their understanding of
this Company requirement.
Violations of PII Policies and Procedures: The Company views the protection of
PII data to be of the utmost importance. Infractions of this policy or its
procedures will result in disciplinary actions under the Company’s discipline policy
and may include discharge in the case of severe or repeat violations. PII
violations and disciplinary actions are incorporated in the Company’s PII training
to reinforce the Company’s commitment to ensuring that this data is protected
by the highest standards.
The Company is dedicated to protecting the personal security and privacy of all
employees and customers. In the ordinary course of its business, and for a
variety of legitimate business reasons, the Company may collect and store
personal information about its employees and customers, including all or any
part of an employee’s or customer’s social security number (“SSN”), in hard copy
or digital storage. For purposes of this policy, “SSN” means more than four
sequential digits of an employee’s or member’s social security number.
The Company takes measures to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of an SSN,
including without limitation:
• Ensuring the confidentiality of SSNs;
Page 13
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
• Prohibiting unlawful or unauthorized disclosure of SSNs;
• Limiting the number of people with access to SSNs, and the
circumstances under which SSNs may be accessed;
• Ensuring the proper disposal of documents (hard copy or
digital) that contain SSNs; and
• Disciplining any employee who violates this policy.
The Company, and every one of its employees with access to SSNs, will maintain
the security and confidentiality of every document containing the SSN. This
means, at a minimum, that the Company will securely maintain documents
containing SSNs and that any access to digital files containing all or any part of
an SSN will be password protected.
Furthermore, no employee shall display or disclose an SSN without the express
written consent of the individual to whom the SSN is assigned. The Company will
not mail any document containing an SSN that is visible on, or from, the outside
of the mailed article. Nor will the Company use the SSN as an identifying number
for its employees, or visibly print it on identification tags, badges, passes, cards
or licenses. The Company will not require you to use or transmit your SSN over
the Internet, or any Company intranet, computer system, or network unless the
connection is secure or the transmission is encrypted.
The Company restricts access to any document displaying an SSN to those with a
legitimate business need to access those documents. Access to these documents
by anyone other than those individuals with a legitimate business need to access
those documents must be specifically authorized, in writing by Human Resources
or by the individual to whom the SSN is assigned.
Nothing in this policy is intended to modify an employee’s right to access their
own personnel file, as permitted by applicable law. Nor does this policy prohibit
the use of an SSN where the use is authorized by state or federal statute, rule,
regulation, court order, or pursuant to legal discovery or process.
Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including
termination. Violators may also be subject to civil and criminal penalties
authorized by applicable state or federal law.
Secondary Employment
The Company recognizes that an employee may accept secondary employment
or participate in other activities or organizations. Employees are expected to be
available for all scheduled work, including overtime, as needed. Any outside
interests, business, financial activity or employment which affect job
performance or result in a direct or indirect conflict of interest or competition will
not be permitted. Speak to Human Resources immediately if you encounter a
Page 14
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
situation which appears to be in conflict with this policy.
Non-Solicitation/Non-Distribution
Solicitation of employees for most reasons constitutes an unwanted intrusion into
an employee's time and/or money. We believe that employees should not be
harassed, disturbed, or disrupted in the performance of their job duties.
Solicitation by both employees and non-employees during working time and in
work areas is prohibited. “Solicitation” includes things like asking employees to
join organizations, or pools, to buy memberships or subscriptions or to make
pledges or gifts. “Working time” does not include meal and break periods, or
any other time when an employee is not expected to be engaged in work
activities.
The “No Distribution” part of the policy requires that employees and non-
employees do not distribute literature during working time, in work areas, or
through Company communication channels, including email.
Solicitation and Distribution is permitted by employees, or non-employees
engaged in protected concerted activity, in non-working areas when employees
are not actively at work. Nothing in this policy is intended to in any way
interfere with, coerce, or restrain any employee from exercising his or her rights
under any state or federal labor law, including the National Labor Relations Act.
The Company reserves the right to take action, up to and including termination,
with regard to those individuals who are unable to conduct their behavior within
acceptable standards as spelled out by this policy.
Disciplinary Action
The Company reserves the right to administer disciplinary rules and procedures
based upon its interpretation of the facts of the incident(s) and to adapt
disciplinary procedures or use immediate termination when such actions may be
in the best interest of the Company. In that regard, employees are forewarned
that certain types of conduct are likely to result in immediate termination. These
include (for example only and is not limited to) unauthorized removal of
company or other employee’s property, dishonesty, breach of confidentiality,
fighting, insubordination, deliberate violation of policies and practices adopted by
this office, and any other personal conduct that reflects negatively on the
business and reputation of the Company.
Termination
Because your employment at the Company is "at-will," either you or the
Company can terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason
or no reason at all, with or without notice.
The primary categories the Company uses for terminating employees are
Page 15
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
voluntary and involuntary, with all reasons for termination falling under one of
these primary categories.
Voluntary
A letter of resignation to your supervisor and Human Resources is appropriate for
voluntary termination. This letter must be signed, dated and state what the last
working day will be. This letter will be placed in the employee’s personnel file. It
would be helpful if as much advance notice as possible is given. It is customary
for management or supervisory personnel to give at least four (4) week’s notice
and non-management/non-supervisory personnel to give two (2) week’s notice.
Aside from resignation, the Company also considers extended absence without
proper notification, and failure to return to work after the conclusion of leave of
absence, paid time off, etc. as voluntary forms of termination.
Involuntary
Involuntary termination occurs if the Company initiates an employee's
termination. This can occur without advance notice, for any or no reason. Some
of the reasons for involuntary termination are: insubordination, falsification of
employment records, unsatisfactory job performance, unacceptable workplace
conduct, absenteeism, theft, dishonesty, mistreatment or disrespect toward
other employees, visitors, or other members of the public, and/or violation of any
Company policies or rules. Involuntary termination could also occur as a result
of reduction in staff. These examples are not exclusive.
Payout at Termination
Unused accrued paid time off (“PTO/SICK”) cannot be used to extend
employment nor is it paid out upon termination, unless required by state or local
law.
The Company reserves the right to withhold the final pay, to satisfy any
outstanding financial obligation incurred by the employee with the Company,
including but not limited to PTO/SICK days paid in advance, IT equipment, and
outstanding personal charges on the employee’s corporate credit, unless
prohibited by federal and state laws.
Exit Interview
Prior to an employee’s departure, an exit interview may be scheduled to discuss
the reasons for resignation and the effect of the resignation on benefits.
Departing employees should complete any forms necessary for the transfer or
termination of benefit programs. All employees are required to return Company
computers, cell phones, manuals, training manuals, customer and pricing lists, files,
keys, uniforms, sales office vehicles, supplies, or any other Company property.
Employment References
Page 16
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
It is Company policy to maintain strict confidentiality with respect to all matters
relating to the employment or termination of employment of any current or
former employee. This policy is for the benefit of both the Company and its
employees. The purpose of this policy is to avoid possible claims against the
Company based on defamation and to minimize any embarrassment or
difficulties if employment is terminated under adverse circumstances.
Any requests for employment references must be directed to Human Resources.
No other employee is authorized to provide any employment references or
information about any current or former employee.
Further, the verbal information provided in response to inquiries about current
and former employees will be limited to:
1. Date of hire
2. Date of termination
3. Current or last position held
4. The following statement:
It is the policy and practice of the Company not to disclose any other
information about any of its current and former employees. Our decision
not to provide any further information about current and former
employees should not be considered as a negative comment about the
character or performance of such employee.
Information relating to the attitude and job performance of current or former
employees, the reason(s) for their termination or discharge, and their eligibility
for rehire should not be disclosed under any circumstance.
Nothing in this policy is intended to in any way interfere with, coerce, or restrain
any employee from exercising his or her rights under any state or federal labor
law, including the National Labor Relations Act.
3. Employee Benefits
New employees may be required to work for the Company for a certain period of
time before they are eligible for benefits. Refer to the benefits guide for details.
Company Holidays
The Company observes the U.S Office of Personnel Management schedule of
holidays for federal employees, except where state or federal wage and hour law
dictate otherwise.
Holidays that fall on a Saturday, will usually be observed on the prior Friday.
Holidays that fall on a Sunday, will usually be observed on the following Monday.
Page 17
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
If a holiday falls during a scheduled PTO, it will not count as a PTO day used and
will be treated as a holiday.
To be eligible for holiday pay, employees must be regularly scheduled to work on
the day on which the holiday is observed and must work their regularly
scheduled working days immediately preceding and immediately following the
holiday, unless an absence on either day is approved in advance by his or her
manager. If a non-exempt employee is required to work on a paid scheduled
holiday, they will receive holiday pay plus straight pay.
Paid Time Off (PTO/SICK)
Full-time employees are eligible for paid time off. Refer to individual employment
offer letter for specific amount of PTO/SICK leave.
Submit time off requests at least two weeks in advance to the supervisor. When
possible, time off requests are granted, taking into account operating
requirements. Length of employment may determine priority in scheduling time
off.
When time off is requested and taken, unused accrued PTO/SICK hours must
always be used first before any time off without pay is granted.
A maximum of 40 hours of unused accrued PTO/SICK hours may be
carried over from one calendar year to the next. Pay will not be
granted in lieu of taking the actual time off. Any hours over 40
remaining December 31 will be deleted and unavailable for use starting
January 1 and the remaining calendar year.
Pre-approval from your supervisor and Human Resources is required to take an
advance on PTO/SICK hours that have yet to accrue. Any employee who receives
approval to use PTO/SICK hours before they have accrued must have these
hours earned back before additional use of PTO/SICK hours can be used.
Upon termination, all unused, accrued PTO hours will not be paid out on the final
payday. If an employee has a negative balance of PTO hours, those hours will be
deducted on the final pay date.
Medical Leaves of Absence
Employees who do not meet eligibility requirements (due to less than fifty
employees within 75 miles of employee’s worksite, years of service, job status,
number of hours worked in the preceding twelve months or who have exhausted
the twelve-week entitlement) to be eligible for leave under the FMLA may
request a medical leave of absence, subject to the following terms and
conditions:
A medical leave of absence may be granted with the approval and at the
Page 18
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
discretion of management and the Human Resources Department. Employees
must submit medical certification that supports the need for the medical leave.
In all cases, the Medical Certification form must be turned in no later than 15
calendar days from the date that the leave is requested to begin.
Management and Human Resources will review all requests on an individual
basis, in consideration of the job requirements, the availability of temporary
replacement and the department’s ability to reinstate the employee after the
leave. While the department/program will base its decisions on the above
factors, employees should understand that their jobs are not protected and may
be filled during their leave.
During this leave status, employees are expected to exhaust their available
accrued unused PTO/SICK balance and are responsible for payment of insurance
premiums. The Human Resources Department may be consulted for details on
the impact to employee benefits.
Leave requests must be made at least thirty (30) days in advance of the date the
employee would like the leave to begin or, in emergency situations, with as
much advance notice as is practicable. (Normally, this should be within two
business days of when the need for the leave becomes known to the employee.)
Unless applicable state or local law requires otherwise, reinstatement will not be
guaranteed to any employee requesting such a leave of absence. However, the
Company will endeavor to place employees returning from leave in their former
position or a position comparable in status and pay, subject to budgetary
restrictions and the Company’s need to fill vacancies and its ability to find
qualified temporary replacements.
Personal Leave
The Company may grant a personal leave of absence for unique or extraordinary
reasons. Granting of such leaves will depend upon the merits of each case;
including the effect the employee’s absence will have on the workload of other
employees, the employee’s job performance, absenteeism and the department’s
ability to meet customers’ needs. Personal leaves of absence carry no job
protection benefits or guarantees of reinstatement. A personal leave is defined as
an absence of five (5) or more consecutive calendar days or longer. Generally,
personal leaves of absence can be up to 30 calendar days in duration in a rolling
12-month period. This policy applies to all employees with at least one year of
continuous service. Only in exceptional situations and with approval from Human
Resources will a leave of absence be granted to an employee having less than
one (1) year of continuous service.
All requests for personal leave of absence are subject to Human Resources
approval after considering Company and customer needs and the nature and
Page 19
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
length of the employee’s request. A personal leave is approved with the
understanding that the employee intends to return to work on an agreed date at
the conclusion of the leave. Failure to return or request a leave extension by the
agreed return date will be considered a voluntary resignation.
Benefits are suspended during the period of absence except length of service credit
(this applies only to leaves not covered under FMLA). An employee’s regular wages
or salary is suspended during a personal leave of absence. Insurance coverage is
continued through the end of the month in which a personal leave of absence is
requested. Suspension of benefits may be considered a qualifying event for COBRA
continuation. Please check with Human Resources for further information.
The Company requires the employee to use accrued PTO/SICK time during this
period. If there is no available PTO/SICK time, such leave shall be without pay.
The Company reserves the right to terminate the employee if the employee
receives unapproved payment for employment outside normal Company
employment during an approved personal leave of absence. Reinstatement will
not be guaranteed to any employee taking a personal leave of absence. Every
effort is made to place the returning employee into the same or similar position, if
possible. However, during any period of leave the Company retains the right to fill,
alter, or eliminate a vacant position if required by business needs.
Military Leave (USERRA)
The Company is committed to protecting the job rights of employees in the
uniformed services. A military leave of absence will be granted to employees who
are absent from work because of service in the U.S. uniformed services in
accordance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights
Act (USERRA). Eligible employees may take up to five cumulative years of leave
under this policy.
Advance notice of military service and a copy of service orders are required.
Unless military necessity prevents such notice or it is otherwise impossible or
unreasonable, notice must be provided within 30 days of active service.
Military leave will be unpaid. However, employees may elect to use accrued
PTO/SICK time for the absence. PTO/SICK accruals and holiday benefits will be
suspended during the leave and will resume upon the employee's return to active
employment.
Company health insurance coverage will continue until the end of the month
following the month in which the employee last worked. The employee will be
required to pay his or her normal employee share of the premium during this
time. After this period, the employee has the right under COBRA to elect
continuing group health insurance, at the employee’s expense, for up to 24
months following separation from employment.
Page 20
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
An employee who takes leave under this policy will be eligible for reemployment,
provided that the employee was honorably discharged from military service and
provides discharge documentation.
A returning employee must seek timely reinstatement depending upon the length
of the military service, as follows, or defined by applicable state law:
Length of Service Time Limit for Seeking Reinstatement
Less than 31 days By the start of the first work day that begins at least eight hours
after the completion of service
31 to 179 days No later than 14 days following the completion of service
180 days or more No later than 90 days following the completion of service
An employee who is hospitalized for an injury or illness incurred or aggravated
during military service will have up to two years following the completion of
service to submit an application for reemployment to Human Resources.
Employees returning from military leave will be placed in the position they would
have attained had they remained continuously employed or a comparable one
depending on the length of military service in accordance with USERRA.
Length of Service Reemployment Position(s)
90 or fewer days Position that the employee would have held
if employment had not been interrupted by
military service; or
Employee’s previous position.
More than 90 days Position that the employee would have held
if employment had not been interrupted by
military service; or
A position of like seniority, status and pay for
which the employee is qualified, with or
without reasonable efforts by the Company
to help the employee become qualified.
Bereavement Leave
Full-time employees may receive up to three (3) days of paid bereavement leave
upon the death of the following persons: spouse, domestic partner, parent,
sibling, child/grandchild, grandparent, or parent-in-law, parent of domestic
partner. One (1) paid day of bereavement leave may be granted upon the death
of the following persons: aunt, uncle, niece, nephew.
Page 21
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Part-time employees are not eligible for paid bereavement leave but may take
unpaid time off.
The employee is responsible for notifying his or her supervisor as soon as
possible when death occurs in the family. In the event an employee requests
additional time off for bereavement, or attends the funeral of non-family
members, the supervisor may permit time off without pay or permit the
employee to use accrued PTO/SICK. In all cases the employee is responsible for
keeping the supervisor informed of the anticipated duration of absence.
The employee must provide proof of relationship and/or proof of attendance at
the funeral, such as an obituary clipping, funeral card, or other similar document.
Jury Duty and Subpoenaed Witness Leave
The Company recognizes the civic responsibility of jury service in the federal and
state court systems by permitting unpaid time off from work when an employee
is summoned to jury or subpoenaed as a witness. An employee may use accrued
PTO/SICK time if requested.
The Company does not require employees to reimburse the Company for the
stipend amount issued by the court for their service. All benefits continue
uninterrupted during the period of jury service or as a subpoenaed witness.
Employees appearing in court on their own behalf (such as a plaintiff, defendant
or for non-subpoenaed court appearances), unless requested by the Company,
are not included under this policy. Unused accrued PTO/SICK time should be
used first, then unpaid time off, for these instances.
Election Day
We encourage you to exercise your voting privileges in local, state, and national
elections. However, since the polls are open for long periods, you are
encouraged to vote before or after regular working hours. Employees may be
eligible to take a reasonable amount of time off from work to vote if his/her work
schedule interferes with open polling hours. An employee may use accrued
PTO/SICK time if requested. Otherwise, unpaid time off will be recorded. Please
remember that your absence from your job can cause disruptions and reduced
productivity.
Benefits Programs
Eligible employees are provided a wide range of benefits. A number of the
programs (such as Social Security, workers' compensation, state disability, and
unemployment insurance) cover all employees in the manner prescribed by law.
Benefits eligibility is dependent upon a variety of factors, including employee
classification and waiting periods. A summary of the wide range of benefits the
Page 22
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Company provides is set forth below. Many of these benefits are described in
insurance contracts or other plan documents. Employee contributions for the
benefit programs may differ. Please see your employment offer letter, Company
benefits guide and rate sheet for more details.
Following new hire benefit elections (including, but not limited to, health
benefits), changes to such benefit elections/coverage can only be made during
the annual open enrollment period or if the employee has a qualifying event,
e.g., marriage, divorce, birth of a child, etc.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
The Company is committed to maintaining a work environment that follows all
Federal and/or State guidelines in regards to the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA). The Company will protect Personal Health
Information (PHI).
The Company will comply with the standards and other requirements of the
regulations. The Company reserves the right to change the terms of this notice
and to make the new notice provisions effective for all PHI that it maintains.
Employee Assistance Program
The Company recognizes that a wide range of problems - such as marital or
family distress, alcoholism, and drug abuse - not directly associated with an
individual’s job function can nonetheless be detrimental to an employee’s
performance on the job. Consequently, we believe it is in the interest of
employees and the Company to provide an effective program to assist employees
and their families in resolving problems such as these as the need arises. To this
end, the Company provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for
employees and their eligible family members. The EAP is designed to provide
voluntary, private confidential, professional counseling outside the workplace for
any type of personal problem. The EAP provides consultation services for
referrals to local community treatment sources. All employees are free to use
this program and are encouraged to do so. Employee visits to the EAP are held
in confidence to the maximum possible extent.
Participation in the EAP does not excuse employees from otherwise complying
with Company policies or from meeting normal job requirements during or after
receiving assistance. Nor will participation in our employee assistance program
prevent the Company from taking disciplinary action against any employee for
performance problems that occur before or after the employee’s seeking
assistance through the program.
Information concerning the EAP can be accessed in the Portal or by contacting
Human Resources.
Page 23
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
4. Wages, Time Reporting and Pay Practices
Job Descriptions
The Company uses general job descriptions with primary responsibilities to aid in
staffing, wage and salary administration, and training. However, the Company
requires that employees be flexible to take on non-reoccurring responsibilities
from time to time. All job descriptions are subject to review and change.
Promotion and Transfer
It is the Company’s policy to promote from within when qualified employees are
available. The Company seeks to promote employees from within its organization
when vacancies occur which offer advancement opportunities.
Promotion decisions regarding eligible employees are based on the employee’s
qualifications and past performance as well as supervisory evaluations of
employee’s potential ability.
All promotions and transfers are made without regard to race, creed, color, sex,
age, political affiliation, marital status, national origin, disability or medical
condition as required by law.
Please realize, however, that the Company cannot guarantee promotions; there
will be occasions when the best-qualified candidate comes from outside the
organization.
Time Reporting
All timekeeping and attendance records are Company records and legal
documents, and care must be exercised in recording the hours worked, overtime
hours and absences. It is the Company’s policy to comply with applicable laws
that require records to be maintained of the hours worked by our employees.
To ensure that accurate records are kept of the hours you actually work
(including overtime hours where applicable) and of the accrued leave time you
have taken, and to ensure that you are paid in a timely manner, and to track
hours for customer invoicing purposes, all exempt and non-exempt employees
are required to record time worked and absences (paid or unpaid) on an official
electronic timecard record. The timecard should be used daily. Please ensure that
your actual hours worked and leave time taken are recorded accurately.
Employees are responsible for entering hours in a timely manner to ensure that
payroll may be processed according to schedule. Failure to do so causes delays
in processing, disrupts the flow of the payroll cycle, and may cause the Company
to incur additional charges.
Page 24
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
An employee’s failure to enter hours in a timely manner on his or her
timecard may result in disciplinary action, which may include
termination for repeated infractions.
Falsification of a timecard record is a breach of Company policy and is
grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Lactation Break
The Company will provide a reasonable amount of break time to accommodate
an employee desiring to express breast milk for the employee’s infant child up to
one year of age. If possible, this break time shall run concurrently with any break
time already provided by law to the employee. Any break time given for this
purpose that does not run concurrently with the break time provided by law shall
be unpaid.
The Company will make every reasonable effort to provide employees with the
use of a room or other location (other than a toilet stall) close to the employees’
work area for employees to express milk in private. The room or location may
include the place where the employee normally works if it otherwise meets the
requirements of this policy.
5. Workplace Information Policies
Personal Data
It is your responsibility to advise the Company of any change of address,
emergency contact data, marital status, dependents, or other pertinent
information that could affect your employment or benefit status. Changes should
be made by the employee via the Portal.
Business Hours
Attendance and punctuality are paramount to the efficiency, productivity, and
success of any organization including this Company. Your work habits and job
performance will not only have an impact upon all of the other employees, but
also will reflect your commitment, dedication, and dependability.
All employees are expected to be at work during normal business hours.
Normal business hours vary according to Customer needs and will be
communicated to you by your supervisor.
Flexible/Alternative Work Schedules
Employees may be considered for flexible work scheduling on a case-by-case
basis, where creative work schedules have been shown to accomplish both work
and personal goals, to provide coverage for Customer needs and to serve the
Page 25
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Company as a whole with increased productivity at no expense to quality output.
There are various alternative work schedule options available to employees. The
options include, but are not limited to:
• Flex-time, which is a block of time at the start and end of traditional eight-
hour shifts during which employees may report and complete their
required shift hours of work.
• Ten-hour day, four-day workweek, in which an employee works ten hours
per workday, reducing the workweek to four days a week. Employees
would still receive regular holiday pay as outlined in the Holiday Pay
Policy. If an employee accepts this option, he or she would forgo overtime
unless work is performed outside of the agreed schedule.
• Nine-hour day, one day off every other week, in which an employee works
nine-hour workdays and permitting the approved employee to reduce
every other workweek to a four-day workweek. Employees would still
receive regular holiday pay as outlined in the Holiday Pay Policy. If an
employee accepts this option, he or she would forgo overtime unless work
is performed outside of the agreed schedule.
Job-sharing is defined as two part-time employees assigned to the same job
equivalent as one full-time employee. The position is shared between the two
employees. Job-sharing, as an alternative work schedule, must ensure the
continuity of the work being done at the same workstation with two individuals
working as a team to accomplish one full-time position’s duties.
The supervisor is responsible for identifying options and to assess overall
feasibility and workability; trial operations may be necessary prior to
implementation. Human Resources will also advise on any implementation of a
flexible work schedule in accordance with payroll and legal requirements.
The Company may suspend or cancel a flextime arrangement at any time, with
or without notice to employee.
Inclement Weather
As always, the Company is concerned for your safety and well-being. Please use
your best judgment when traveling to and from your work location during
inclement weather. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your
supervisor or Human Resources.
Conflict Resolution and Complaint Procedure
Problems, misunderstandings and frustrations may arise in any organization. It
is the Company’s intent to be responsive to our employees and their concerns.
Therefore, the Company has established a complaint procedure to deal with
issues that are not covered by the Company’s Discrimination and Harassment
Page 26
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
policy which specifically covers workplace harassment issues.
To ensure effective working relations, it is important that such matters be
resolved before serious problems develop. Most incidents resolve themselves
naturally; however, if a situation persists that you believe is detrimental to you or
to the Company, you should follow the procedure described here for bringing
your complaint to management’s attention.
Step One
Discussing the problem with your supervisor is encouraged as a first step.
Employees are encouraged to bring concerns directly to their immediate
supervisor for discussion and resolution. If, however, you do not believe a
discussion with your supervisor is appropriate or you do not receive a timely
response from your supervisor, you may proceed directly to Step Two.
Step Two
If your problem is not resolved after discussion with your supervisor or if you feel
discussion with your supervisor is inappropriate, you are encouraged to request a
meeting with Human Resources. In an effort to resolve the problem, Human
Resources will consider the facts, conduct an investigation (if appropriate), and
may also review the matter with your supervisor or other individuals concerned.
Step Three
If you are not satisfied with Human Resources’ decision and wish to pursue the
problem or complaint further, you may prepare a written summary of your
concerns and request that the matter be reviewed by the Company CEO. After a
full examination of the facts (which may include a review of the written summary
of your statement, discussions with all individuals concerned, and a further
investigation if necessary), the CEO will advise you of his decision. This decision
shall be final.
It is the responsibility of employees who experience any job-related
issues to utilize the complaint procedure established for the purposes
of preventing and correcting unacceptable workplace behavior. If the
Company does not know about the issue, it cannot do anything to
resolve or minimize it.
It is expected that the time frames outlined in this procedure be adhered to.
However, any unforeseen delay should be promptly communicated to the
employee.
Page 27
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
The Company does not tolerate any form of retaliation against employees
availing themselves of this procedure. If you have filed a complaint, or have
participated in an investigation, and believe that you are being retaliated against,
you must immediately report this matter to your supervisor/manager or your
human resources representative.
The Company reserves the right to impose appropriate disciplinary action for any
conduct it considers to be disruptive or inappropriate. The circumstances of each
situation may differ and the level of disciplinary action may also vary, depending
upon factors such as the nature of the offense, whether it is repeated, the
employee's work record and the impact of the conduct on the organization. The
procedure should not be construed, however, as preventing, limiting, or delaying
the Company from taking disciplinary action against any individual, up to and
including termination, in circumstances (such as those involving problems of
overall performance, conduct, attitude, or demeanor) where the Company deems
disciplinary action appropriate. If the Company determines that an employee
knowingly provided false information in connection with a complaint or an
investigation, disciplinary action may be taken against the individual who filed
the complaint or who gave the false information up to and including termination.
Complaints involving alleged discriminatory practices shall be processed in
accordance with the Company Discrimination and Harassment Policy which
covers all forms of discriminatory harassment based on race, color, age, national
origin, religion, sex, gender identity, veteran status, disability, genetic
information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions or any other
status protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
Contact Human Resources for Portal access instructions.
6. Company Property
Corporate Credit Card Use
To ensure financial control and prudent employee usage of a Company-issued
corporate credit card, the following measures have been instituted should you be
issued a corporate credit card:
• Corporate credit cards are to be used for Company business only.
Expenses for someone other than the employee card holder are not
permitted.
• The Finance department will maintain master records of all employee
corporate credit cards
• The Finance department will distribute an individual monthly statement of
Page 28
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
all activity if any suspicious charges appear.
• The employee is responsible for obtaining the appropriate supervisor
authorization prior to business travel. Receipts and expense reports should
be submitted in a timely manner via the approved method of submission.
Employee will notify the Finance department if the method of submission
or expense documentation is an issue.
• All expenses not documented will be considered personal and deducted
from the employee’s earnings through payroll.
• The Finance department will notify the Company CEO of any employees
not following proper documentation procedures or of suspected or known
misuse, or unauthorized use, of the corporate credit card.
• The Finance department may cancel the corporate credit card at any time.
The corporate credit card will be canceled upon employee’s termination.
• The employee agrees to the Corporate Credit Card Policy, upon receipt of
such card and/or by the initial and ongoing use of the card, which at the
option of the Finance department, may change, delete or discontinue in
its entirety, at any time or without prior notice.
Personal Vehicle Use
If use of the employee's personal vehicle on Company business is necessary, the
employee will be reimbursed in accordance with the current travel
reimbursement rate, with prior approval by management. This does not include
travel to and from work.
Employees using their personal vehicles for Company business must have proof
of sufficient insurance and a current driver’s license on file with Human
Resources. The Company will not be responsible for any losses, accidents, fines,
or other liabilities that occur while an employee is driving his or her own personal
vehicle while on Company business.
Company-Owned/Leased Vehicles
Personal use of Company-owned or leased vehicles is strictly prohibited. Because
the Company’s insurance only covers employees driving or riding in Company
vehicles while on Company business, no one other than authorized employees
shall be allowed to operate or ride in Company vehicles at any time.
It is the employee driver’s responsibility to see that his or her Company vehicle is
properly maintained. This includes regular washing, cleaning, maintenance, and
repair of minor damage. A clean vehicle presents a positive image to our
customers. Employee drivers are responsible for insuring that the following items
are in the vehicle at all times:
• Current registration card
Page 29
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
• Current proof of insurance card
• Current local vehicle tag (if applicable)
• Accident reporting kit
• ABC 2-1/2-pound dry chemical fire extinguisher, tagged and mounted
• Basic first aid kit
• MSDS Manual
To insure that the Company’s insurance coverage is maintained, Motor Vehicle
Reports (MVR’s) will be generated on a regular basis for employees driving on
Company business and who drive a Company vehicle. If your driver’s license is
suspended or revoked, you are responsible for notifying the Company
immediately. If the MVR indicates that an employee who is required to operate a
motor vehicle as part of his or her job duties has operated a Company vehicle
with a suspended or revoked license, the employee will be subject to disciplinary
action, which may include termination.
If your license is suspended by your state department of motor
vehicles for any reason, you may not drive on Company business or
drive a Company vehicle.
Social Media
“Social Media” is defined as any social networking site or other virtual tool by
which individuals are able to actively engage in communication with one another
that can either automatically, or with discretion, be shared with other known and
unknown users. Email is a social networking tool which enables access to and use
of social media. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, chat rooms and web bulletin
boards are forms of social media.
The purpose of this policy is to assist you in making responsible decisions about
your professional and personal use of social media. It is in no way intended to
interfere with, restrain, or prevent employees from engaging in honest
communications regarding wages, hours, or other terms and conditions of
employment.
Remember, pursuant to the Company’s Communication and Information Systems
policy, Company provided electronic equipment (which may include desk top
computers, laptop computers, tablets and smart phones) remains at all times the
property of the Company and may without notice be monitored, and you do not
have any privacy right in content transmitted through or stored on the Company’s
systems. You must cooperate in such monitoring.
In accordance with this policy, the following would constitute irresponsible use of
social media, and may subject employees to disciplinary action:
Page 30
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
• The intentional or inadvertent disclosures of any Company trade secret
• Criticism or disparagement of competitors, customers, or suppliers of the
Company
• Disclosure of copyrighted materials or other intellectual property of
someone other than you
• Displaying false information about the Company, any affiliated business
entity, employee, supplier, or customer
• The expression of one’s own opinion or viewpoint as that of position,
viewpoint, statements, opinions or conclusions of the Company or any
affiliated business entity, employee, supplier or customer
• Electronic harassment, bullying, discrimination, or retaliation that would not be
permissible in the workplace
• The use of a Company email address to register on social networking sites,
blogs or other online tools utilized for personal use
You may not use the Company’s name to endorse or promote any product,
commercial enterprise, opinion, cause or political candidate. If your post or
entry identifies or mentions the Company, you must also identify yourself by
your real name. Links to other websites or locations are also subject to this
policy.
This policy applies to all blogs and networking sites, without regard to whether
they are accessible by the public or require a password.
Remember, you are personally responsible for any posting that you make. The
Company is not responsible for protecting you from the consequences of any
information that you post.
Please consider your message carefully prior to publishing on both external and
internal networking sites.
Software Usage
Software usage at the Company must be a legally licensed copy. Employees must
not duplicate copyrighted software for any reason without a written authorization
from the software company. Anyone who knowingly or unknowingly duplicates
copyrighted software material is subjecting the Company, and themselves, to
substantial penalties under the law.
The following paragraph pertains to computers that have been purchased or
leased by the Company (for example, file servers and gateways). The important
issue here is security. Everyone in the office must be concerned with the effect
of introducing a virus into the office business system environment. Please take
this real threat to your business seriously.
Page 31
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
The only software that is authorized for use on Company computers is that which
has been purchased or developed by the Company or the public domain software
which has been certified virus free by the Company IT Administrator. The
introduction or use of any other software on any Company computer is a
violation of this policy.
Telephone Use
Company Provided Cell Phones
Company-provided cell phones are intended to be used for business purposes.
However, incidental and occasional brief personal use of a company-provided cell
phone is permitted within reasonable limits. We recognize that “texting” is a
form of telephonic communication available to anyone with a mobile phone. In
this regard, employees are reminded that all communications via company
provided cell phones (including “texts”) may be monitored and there should be
no expectation of privacy with regard to those communications. Employees are
further reminded that, as with email communications, texts shall not be used to
promote religious or political causes or any illegal activity. Further, the
transmission of sexually explicit images, messages, cartoons, or other such items
or messages that may be construed as bullying, harassment, or the
disparagement of others based on race, color, age, national origin, religion, sex,
gender identity, veteran, disability, or any other status protected under
applicable federal, state or local laws, are prohibited on the Company provided
mobile devices.
Use of Cell Phones and other Electronic Devices While Driving
Employees must adhere to all federal, state or local rules and regulations
regarding the use of cell phones while driving. Accordingly, employees must not
use cell phones if such conduct is prohibited by law, regulation or other
ordinance. If you are not sure whether the use of a cell phone while driving is
prohibited in a particular area, please check with local and state driving laws.
If employees must use cell phones while in their cars, they should use a hands-
free phone, keep their eyes on the road at all times, and avoid complex or
stressful conversations. While hands-free phones are not required in many states
with cell phone laws, they are considered safer than hand-held cell phones.
Other electronic devices such as, laptop computers, personal data assistants,
tablets, etc. must not be used while driving.
Employees whose job responsibilities do not specifically include driving as an
essential function, but who are issued a cell phone for business purpose are also
expected to abide by the provisions above. Under no circumstances are
employees allowed to place themselves at risk to fulfill business needs.
Page 32
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Security of Information Systems
See also Personal Identifiable Information (PII) Policy
• Employees should use care when in possession of customer-confidential
information, such as credit card information. Printed copies of such
information should be destroyed (i.e., shredded) when it is no longer
needed.
• Employees should save critical data on a Company-approved, secure
location.
• Employees should only save confidential information when critical and only
by following Company-approved processes
• Access to all computer resources beyond what is considered “common”
resources must be approved by the IT Administrator
• Employees must not write down passwords
• Employees must not put passwords within any sort of electronic
communication
• Employees must not disable any security applications or features on their
communications devices – i.e., firewalls, anti-virus software, etc.
• Employees must not permit other employees, or non-employees, to access
Company equipment or resources, i.e. laptop/tablet
• If employees become aware of a security breach through either
unauthorized access to Company equipment or resources or loss or theft
of Company equipment or resources, employees must immediately inform
the IT Administrator
7. Safety and Security
Company-Owned and Leased Vehicles
Accidents are to be reported to your supervisor at once. Failure to do so may
result in disciplinary action.
Drive carefully! Keep vehicles locked when not in use.
Do not make any comment to the other driver involved in an accident
concerning fault, coverage, etc.
Personal Vehicle
If you drive your personal vehicle on Company business, you must furnish a
signed Authorization to obtain Motor Vehicle Records along with a copy of your
driver’s license and proof of insurance.
Page 33
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Advise your supervisor immediately if you should become involved in an accident
while on Company business. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.
Do not make any comment to the other driver involved in an accident concerning
fault, coverage, etc.
Cell Phone/Two-Way Communication Devices
The use of hand-held cellular telephones/two-way communication devices while
driving is prohibited by some state laws and Company policy. Drivers must use
hands-free devices for in-vehicle use of cellular telephones. If a conversation is
expected to last more than a brief moment, or if the hand-free device is
unavailable, the driver should end the call, stop at a safe location and resume
the conversation. Other electronic devices such as, laptop computers, personal
data assistants, fax machines, etc. must not be used while driving. Drivers are
required to pull off the road and park at a safe location before using these
devices. The use of cellular telephones and other electronic devices by
passengers in a vehicle should be minimized and conducted so that the vehicle
driver is not distracted.
Personal Security
Everyone needs to be aware of possible security problems. When going to and
from work, as in your personal life, be particularly careful:
• In parking areas, be alert when approaching or leaving your vehicle. If it’s
dark when leaving work, ask a co-worker to walk with you to your vehicle.
• Report any suspicious vehicles or individuals, as well as any vandalism or
theft, to your supervisor.
• When traveling, take responsibility for security and use common sense.
Stay only in secure hotels and motels, and double-lock your door in the
evening.
• Use hotel safes when available to secure valuables.
• Walk only in well-populated areas.
• When using an automatic teller or telephone calling card, particularly at
airports, shield yourself from view to keep others from stealing your
personal identification number.
• If your travel itinerary changes, make certain you immediately notify your
office and family.
Remember, the best way to stay safe and secure is to be aware of possible
security problems and take the necessary steps to avoid them. The best
resource for maintaining security is you.
Page 34
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Information Security
See also Personal Identifiable Information (PII) Policy
As an employee, you have been entrusted with one of our most valuable assets -
- information -- and you have the responsibility to protect it and to see that it is
used only for its intended business purpose. We use information on a daily basis
that could be useful to competitors and others who would misuse it.
Information appears in many forms, such as, but not limited to:
• Computer records; Word processing documents; Letters and memos;
Paper reports; Microfilm and microfiche; Conversation
The classified information you use every day must be protected from disclosure
to competitors and those who would misuse it. Whether you work with paper
records, at a computer terminal, or spend most of your day on the phone, you
are part of the Company’s information security systems.
Remember these rules when you handle confidential information:
• Do not disclose to anyone outside the Company any information relating
to the Company that has not been disclosed to the public, without
appropriate supervisor or Human Resources pre-approval or as required
by law, at any time during or after your employment. Don’t even share
this information with other employees unless they have a business need to
know about it.
• Routinely take precautions to keep confidential information from being
disclosed. This includes making sure such information is not displayed on
our desks or in your work area where it can be seen by anyone. You
should also avoid transmitting information via a computer or by fax in
ways that might make it available to unauthorized people.
• Require third-party recipients of restricted Company information to keep
such information confidential.
• Do not reveal Company trade secrets or the trade secrets of a previous
employer or accept improperly obtained proprietary information about
another company.
• Respect the confidentiality of private information concerning our
employees and proprietary information from customers, suppliers and
other third parties that comes to our attention under an understanding of
confidentiality. We must respect the proprietary nature of such
information and not use or disclose it without proper written authority.
Security Incident Procedure
Security incidents should be reported immediately to your supervisor and Human
Page 35
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
Resources. Human Resources will initiate the appropriate action; collect the
details of the incident, document, and inform the local Police Department
immediately, if action is urgent.
Crisis Management Plan
Crises are incidents that could seriously harm the Company’s employees,
customers, operations, property and/or reputation. They include, but aren’t
limited to, serious injuries or injuries involving multiple people, acts of nature,
major information systems failures, explosions, product failures or tampering,
employment-related issues such as strikes, workplace violence, sabotage or
chemical discharges in the communities where we do business.
In the event that a crisis situation develops, gather as much information as you
can without exposing yourself or others to harm or injury. You must then contact
Human Resources immediately or in their absence, contact your supervisor.
Any questions around the Crisis Management Plan should be directed to Human
Resources.
8. State Law Addendum
As stated at the beginning of this handbook, the Company adheres to all state
law requirements. Some policies found within the handbook are written to
comply with federal law guidelines. In the case where state laws differ from
federal laws, the more favorable law for employees will take precedence.
Page 36
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I hereby acknowledge that I have received the Go Energistics’ Employee Handbook
and understand that I am responsible for reviewing and becoming familiar with its
policies, procedures and contents. I understand it is my responsibility to follow the
Company policies and procedures and to get clarification on any items that I do not
understand. I agree to contact Human Resources with any questions that may
arise.
I understand the Company reserves the right to make changes at any time and
that this information is provided on an advisory basis. I understand that the
Company Employee Handbook is a confidential document and will be treated as
such.
I further understand that employment is “at will” for an indefinite period of time
unless terminated at any time by Company or myself.
Employee Signature Date
Page 37
The Company, at its option, may change, delete, or discontinue parts of the handbook in its entirety, at any time or without
prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to
future employees.
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