This handbook contains general statements of our policies for your information. It provides answers to common questions about current employee benefits, finance, travel and general company administration. It applies to all employees. We hope you will find it useful. Please read it carefully, and keep it handy for future reference.
As we are sure you understand, we must be able to respond flexibly to changing circumstances as they arise. For this reason, this handbook does not promise specific treatment in specific situations. Our policies and practices, including the compensation and benefits we provide, are subject to changes and exceptions without prior notice, at our discretion. All decisions regarding the application or interpretation of our policies and practices are also in our discretion. This applies to all of our policies and practices, whether formal or informal, and whether or not contained in this handbook, except as described in the next paragraph.
We are committed to maintaining a workplace free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. You are entitled to rely on the policies in this handbook that protect individuals who submit complaints of discrimination or harassment. You will be given advance written notice of any change in those complaint policies.
We hope you will have a productive and rewarding relationship with us. Nonetheless, employment terminations can occur, and you should understand that your employment with us is at will. This means that just as you are free to resign at any time, we reserve the right to discharge you at any time, with or without cause or advance notice, and without compensation except for time actually worked, provided the termination is not done for a discriminatory reason in violation of law.
Only the President of Generic has authority to bind us to policies or agreements that conflict with or supplement this handbook. Any such policy or agreement must be in a written employment contract signed by Generic's President.
This handbook supersedes all previous policies, agreements and representations, oral or written, on the subjects covered.
These policies are intended to apply everywhere we have employees. If you work outside Arizona State, however, in some cases the law of your state or locale may impose requirements that are different from those described here. In those cases, we follow the applicable state or local law.
If you have suggestions for additions or improvements to this handbook, please contact Human Resources.
MISSION STATEMENT
We believe what makes Generic special is the initiative and high caliber of our staff, our dedication to professionalism and quality in creating and supporting outstanding products, and our team spirit. Generic is committed to providing you with high quality tools and a work environment conducive to creative productivity. Most importantly, Generic wants to provide you with the opportunity for growth in a flexible and rewarding environment. We hope that you will find working here to be challenging, interesting, and fun.
Generic's vision is to bring pioneering productivity to all levels of garage door users with affordable, easy-to-use hardware. You help achieve this vision.
CORPORATE STRUCTURE
Basically, Generic is made up of the following groups who are continuously interacting:
- Marketing: consisting of Product and Consumer Marketing.
- Sales & Services: consisting of International Sales & Marketing, North American Sales, Inside Sales, Customer Service, Consulting, Marketing Services, Creative Services, Direct Mail, Events, Public Relations and Demo Creation.
- Corporate Support/Operations Group: consisting of Finance & Accounting, MIS, Information Systems, Production & Purchasing, Human Resources, Business Development, Technical & Developer Support Services, Office Administration and User Education.
- Development: consisting of the various research and development teams.
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
COMPENSATION
Payroll & Paydates
Payroll is processed bi-weekly on Fridays and is by automatic deposit only. This means that your paycheck will be deposited directly to your elected bank account on payday. (The exceptions being your first paycheck and the first paycheck after you make a change in bank accounts - these checks are "live" checks accompanied by a non-negotiable draft for $0.00 showing your account information. It is your responsibility to verify the information and notify Payroll of any direct deposit corrections.) You may have your paycheck deposited directly into a combination of checking and savings. All changes made to the way your check is deposited (for example, a change of bank account number, changing distribution of paycheck to checking and savings, changing banks) must be submitted in writing to Payroll and providing the necessary transit and routing numbers for your bank along with the account number. Codes which you may find on your check stubs include:
CODE: MEANING:
A Miscellaneous Deductions.
B Flex Plan Medical Reimbursement Account.
F Fringe Benefit.
GTL Group Term Life Calculations.
H Flex Plan Dependent Care Reimbursement Account.
J Flex Plan Medical Insurance Premium Deduction.
I 401(k) Deferrals.
L Deduction for extra health club charges you incur.
Q Voluntary Long Term Disability Deductions.
R Retroactive Pay for Salary increases.
S Stock Purchase.
T Voluntary Life Insurance Deductions.
U United Way Deductions.
X Checking Deposit.
Y Savings Deposit.
Some benefits you may be entitled to receive and are paid on your behalf by Generic are considered taxable fringe benefits. Taxable fringe items include, but are not limited to, health club memberships, group life insurance and educational assistance with respect to a graduate level course of study that would normally lead to a law, business, medical or other advanced academic or professional degree. The result is that your taxable income that we report to the IRS on Form W-2 is increased by the amount of the benefit (fringe income) which Generic paid on your behalf.
Health club charges, including locker rentals, court fees, and restaurant charges will be automatically deducted from the second paycheck of the month. Employees who have memberships at the King City Athletic Club will be charged interest by Generic on the $1,000 deposit required to join the club. The interest charge is $5.00 per month. The interest payment is automatically deducted from your paycheck once a month.
Hours of Work
Generally, Generic practices a flexible work time schedule depending on individual department requirements as determined by particular managers. Requirements may change from time to time so you should speak with your manager to determine the schedule suited best for your duties within your department. Break and lunch periods are usually not formally scheduled. Lunch periods are generally one hour, however, certain business commitments may require this to be modified to meet department needs. Discuss the scheduling of your lunch and break periods with your manager.
State regulations do require that 10 minute breaks be given for every four hours worked (unless your job allows you to take equivalent intermittent rest periods) and a meal break must be at least 30 minutes if an employee is working more than five continuous hours in a day.
Timekeeping and Overtime
Every position in our company is categorized as either exempt or non-exempt under the wage and hour laws.
If you are an exempt employee you are paid for the general value of your services, not based on hours worked. You receive a salary for all hours worked, you do not receive overtime pay for working more than 40 hours in a workweek, and your pay is not reduced for working less than 40 hours in any workweek or for absences of less than a day. You are expected to devote the time and effort needed to do your job. Employees not performing their job functions are subject to corrective action, including discharge. Conversely, exempt employees who provide extraordinary effort may be authorized by their supervisor to take time off to compensate. This time off is not accrued or paid out under any circumstances.
If you are a non-exempt employee, you will be paid overtime at the rate of one and one-half times your regular hourly rate for all hours worked beyond 40 hours in any workweek. Non-exempt employees may not take compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay. Paid sick leave, holidays, vacations and other time not actually worked, even if paid, are not counted as overtime hours nor included in the calculation of overtime pay. You may not work overtime without express advance authorization from your supervisor.
If you are a non-exempt employee, you must record the number of regular and overtime hours that you work each day of the week, and certify you have accounted for all hours you worked during the week. Working overtime without recording your time (working "off the clock") is strictly prohibited and will result in corrective action, not reward. This applies to work at home as well as overtime at work.
Whether your position is exempt or non-exempt depends on your job duties. Any questions about whether you are exempt or non-exempt should be directed to the Human Resources Manager.
For overtime calculation purposes, a new work week begins at 12:01 a.m. each Monday.
Inclement Weather
If you are not able to report to work as scheduled because of bad weather, you should advise your supervisor as soon as possible.
It is our policy to compensate employees for time lost resulting from a management decision to close the office temporarily during inclement weather. (This decision is usually directly related to local school district closures surrounding the office.) When our offices are open, however, non-exempt employees who do not report to work will not be compensated for time missed, but may use a day of vacation to compensate for time lost. Salaried employees, who are not paid for overtime work, will have their salaries continued.
Performance Evaluations
Generic's performance evaluation process is designed to provide a dialogue between the supervisor and employee on how job requirements and goals are being met.
Performance evaluations generally are conducted once a year, during July. Salary adjustments generally are effective August 1, except for those positions identified in the Sales & Service area as having their reviews and compensation connected to the annual corporate planning cycle effective July 1. Additional evaluations, which may be formal or informal, may be requested by the employee or required by the supervisor, for instance if a performance problem exists. In general, regular annual evaluations are considered for pay increases.
An unsatisfactory review indicates employment may not continue unless performance improves. Depending upon the circumstances, an unsatisfactory review may result in immediate discharge, in our discretion.
Supervisors are responsible for evaluating each employee they supervise. Evaluations should be completed using Generic's performance evaluation form. Participation by the employee being reviewed is essential. The appraisal should be discussed with and signed by the individual being evaluated. The employee's signature acknowledges having discussed and received the evaluation, not agreement with it. The written performance evaluation becomes a part of the employee's personnel file.
EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATIONS
Regular Full-Time Employees
A regular full-time employee is an employee who is regularly scheduled to work at least 40 hours per week. Except as otherwise specified, all regular full-time employees are eligible for all of the benefits outlined in this handbook.
Regular Part-Time Employees
A regular part-time employee is an employee who is regularly scheduled to work at least 20 but less than 40 hours per week. Regular part-time employees are entitled to some pro-rated company benefits.
Temporary Employees
We sometimes hire employees to work intermittently, for a special project or on a schedule of less than 20 hours per week. These employees are not entitled to company benefits.
Commissioned Employees
A commissioned employee is a salesperson who is compensated on a commission basis. (Commissioned employees do not receive salary or hourly pay.) Commissioned employees may be eligible for some of the benefits outlined in this handbook.
Exempt and Non-Exempt Employees
All employees are classified as either exempt or non-exempt for overtime purposes. Exempt employees are not paid overtime. This is further described in the policy on timekeeping and overtime.
Student Interns/Volunteers
Students on internships associated with course credit may not be considered employees and may not be provided with any pay or benefits. Instead, student interns and volunteers may be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses if approved by the President.
Changes in Classification
Your initial classification will be determined at the time of hire. Changes in classification, including salary, benefits, promotions and so forth, must be confirmed in writing. If you have any questions about your classification or entitlement to benefits, please contact Human Resources.
EMPLOYEE ELIGIBILITY
Within three business days of hire or rehire, all new employees are required to present us with documentation sufficient to establish their identity and eligibility to work in the United States, and to sign INS Form I-9. A Social Security card and driver's license will be adequate documentation in most cases.
Employees generally must be 18 years of age or older. Persons under 18 years of age may be hired only with the approval of their mothers and with presentation of all work permits required by law.
We have no maximum age limitation for employment.
TRAVEL
Business travel arrangements may be coordinated with an agency authorized by Generic on an individual basis or through the appropriate coordinator within specific departments (see your manager for individual names). Generally, airline tickets will be charged to the Generic corporate credit card. Hotel and car reservations may be guaranteed with the corporate card but paid for by the employee. You may then submit for reimbursement of these charges when you submit an approved expense report to Accounts Payable. Since hotel accomodations are guaranteed, if your plans change you must notify the hotel of your cancellation. Employees will be responsible for any "no-show" expenses which may be incurred if the hotel reservations are not canceled properly.
Employees are required to give their itinerary information to their managers and e-mail the Out-of-Office alias of their travel plans prior to their departure so they can be contacted in the event of an emergency.
Airline tickets should be treated as if they were cash. All unused tickets must be returned directly to the travel agency for a refund or credit.
For complete details on the Generic Travel Policy, contact the Finance Department or Human Resources.
EXPENSE REPORTS
Expense reports for seminars and business travel should be completed, approved by your manager and turned in to Accounts Payable as soon as possible upon return. All expenses, with the exception of mileage, must be accompanied by original receipts stapled to the report. Contact Finance for information about the acceptable format for an expense report.
Mileage
Mileage for approved company-related business will be reimbursed at the current applicable rate (1/94 rate is $0.20/mile). A description of the activity, the date, and how many miles traveled must be submitted on a completed and approved Business Expense Form to Accounts Payable for reimbursement.
Insurance on Rental Cars
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BOUNTY
Generic encourages employee referrals of qualified candidates for possible employment. The Employee Referral Bonus Plan (Bounty Program) allows for the payment of a special bonus when an employee you have referred is hired and no other fees must be paid in connection with the hiring of that employee. Generally, a referral is valid for 6 months and the first submission is honored by Human Resources in connection with that referred employee. The current "Bounty" payable is $500 for general staff positions and $1000 for Door Designer and Manager type positions. The bounty is paid 1/2 at the time of hiring the new employee and 1/2 a year later, provider both you and the referred employee are still actively employed. Bounty payments are subject to normal taxation.
EMPLOYEE PURCHASE OF COMPANY PRODUCTS
Employees may purchase company products at cost. An employee purchase form may be obtained from the Customer Service area.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Employees may be eligible to participate in certain company-sponsored benefit programs. Programs may vary according to an employee's status and are explained when you are hired or transferred to a new status.
Summary descriptions of our employee benefit plans are available from the Human Resources Manager. Also, the Human Resources Manager will attempt to assist you with any questions you may have. The exact terms and conditions of our benefit plans are governed by the plan documents themselves, however. The plan documents control over any inconsistent statements or descriptions.
We reserve the right to modify or discontinue the benefits we provide at any time, with or without advance notice, but any changes in benefits will not affect rights that have vested under the terms of any written benefit plan(s).
TIME OFF
VACATION AND HOLIDAYS
Vacation
All eligible employees will be eligible for paid vacation time off based on the length of service with Generic:
1 - 5 Years 2 Weeks Per Year
After 5 Years 3 Weeks Per Year
Vacation time begins accruing on the first of the month following your date of hire or transfer to an eligible status and is credited to you at the end of each month. Accrued vacation time is carried over from year to year. If separation of employment occurs the balance of unused accrued vacation will be paid, unless you resign without giving us two weeks notice. One week of vacation time equals five working days. You may take vacation as it is accrued with your manager's approval. To apply for vacation time, obtain vacation leave request form from Human Resources and have it signed by your manager. This form is submitted to Human Resources and recorded for payroll purposes.
Contact Human Resources to find out how much vacation you have accrued.
Holidays
Generic provides the following paid holidays to eligible employees:
New Year's Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Break (Thursday and Friday)
Holiday Break (the week beginning Christmas Day through New Year's Day)
If the holiday Generic observes falls on a Saturday, the company will be closed the preceding Friday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the company will be closed the following Monday.
Sick Leave
All eligible employees are eligible for 10 paid sick leave days per year. When you are ill, please call the office as soon as possible to let your manager know that you will not be in. Sick leave may also be used for the care of a minor child of an employee if the child has a health condition requiring treatment or supervision.
Sick time begins accruing on the first of the month following your date of hire or transfer to an eligible status and is credited to you at the end of each month. Accrued sick time is carried over from year to year. If separation of employment occurs the balance of unused accrued sick time will not be paid.
Contact Human Resources to find out how much sick leave you have accrued. (See also Requesting Leave.)
Bereavement Leave
Generic allows reasonable time off for you to attend the funeral of a family member or friend. Your manager will approve whatever period of time is necessary and appropriate under individual circumstances.
Jury Duty
Time off for mandatory jury duty or court appearances required as a result of a valid subpoena or court order may be excused and paid at full salary, provided that proof of duty is verified by your manager. There will be no adjustment in your salary for receipt of jury duty pay, witness fees, or expenses. You are expected to report for work when it does not conflict with court obligations. Please keep your manager informed about the amount of time required for jury duty or court appearances.
Military Leave
If you are a member of the armed services of the United States, including the reserves or national guard, you may request a military leave of absence as required by your specific duties within that service. Generally, a military leave is without pay unless you have accrued vacation time you wish to use.
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
We comply with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (the FMLA) and all applicable state laws related to family and medical leave. This means that, in cases where the law grants you greater leave than our leave policies provide, we will give you the leave required by law.
The FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave every 12 months to eligible employees, both men and women, for certain family and medical reasons. To be eligible you must have worked for us for at least one year, and for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months. There also must be at least 50 employees working for us within 75 miles of the place where you work. (If you aren't eligible for FMLA leave, we may choose to grant you unpaid, non-FMLA leave instead. If we do this, our normal unpaid leave policies, not the rules under the FMLA, will apply.)
REASONS FOR TAKING LEAVE
Unpaid FMLA leave is granted for any of the following reasons:
╖ To care for your child after birth or placement for adoption or foster care.
╖ To care for your spouse, son, daughter or parent who has a serious health condition.
╖ For a serious health condition that makes you unable to perform the essential functions of your job.
A "serious health condition" means a health condition that (a) requires inpatient treatment (i.e., an overnight stay), (b) requires more than three calendar days' absence from work or other regular daily activities and involves continuing treatment, or (c) requires continuing treatment for an incurable or serious chronic or long-term health condition or for prenatal care.
Leave for birth or placement for adoption or foster care must be concluded within 12 months of the birth or placement.
Under some circumstances, FMLA leave may be taken intermittently -- which means taking leave in blocks of time, or by reducing your normal weekly or daily work schedule. FMLA leave may be taken intermittently if medically necessary because of a serious health condition. If FMLA leave is for birth or placement for adoption or foster care, use of intermittent leave is subject to our approval.
SUBSTITUTION OF PAID LEAVE
At your request or ours, certain kinds of paid leave may be substituted for unpaid FMLA leave.
Accrued vacation may be substituted for any type of FMLA leave. Accrued medical/sick leave may be substituted only in the circumstances where our policies allow you to use that paid leave. If you are employed in Arizona, you may use accrued sick leave to care for your child under 18 years of age who has a health condition that requires treatment or supervision, as allowed by Arizona law.
If you have any accrued paid leave that may be used for the kind of FMLA leave you are taking, it is our policy that you must use that paid leave as part of your FMLA leave. For example, if you wish to take 12 weeks of FMLA leave due to your own serious illness and you have accrued two weeks of vacation and two weeks of sick leave, you would first take two weeks of sick leave, then two weeks of vacation, and then have eight weeks of unpaid FMLA leave available.
If you use paid leave for a purpose for which FMLA leave would be available, it is our policy to designate your paid leave as counting against your FMLA leave allowance. You are required to notify us if you use paid leave for a reason covered by the FMLA so that we may properly account for the leave.
ADVANCE NOTICE AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATIONS
We require that you provide us with advance leave notice, with medical certification of the need for a leave related to a health condition, and with medical certification of your fitness to return to duty after medical leave. Taking leave, or reinstatement after leave, may be denied if these requirements are not met.
╖ You must give us at least 30 days' advance notice of your request for leave if the reason for the leave is foreseeable based on an expected birth, placement for adoption or foster care, or planned medical treatment. If 30 days' notice is not practicable, you must give us notice as soon as practicable, usually within one or two business days of when the need for leave becomes known to you. If you do not give us 30 days' advance notice, and if the need for the leave and the approximate date of the leave were clearly foreseeable by you, we may deny your request for leave until at least 30 days after the date you give us notice.
╖ We require that you provide a medical certification to support a request for leave because of a serious health condition (your own or your child's, spouse's or parent's) whenever the leave is expected to extend beyond five consecutive working days or will involve intermittent or part-time leave. We may require second or third opinions, at our option, at our expense.
╖ We require that you provide a medical certification of your fitness for duty to return to work after a medical leave that extends beyond 10 consecutive working days, that involves a mental disability or substance abuse, or where the medical condition and your job are such that we believe you may present a serious risk of injury to yourself or others if you are not fit to return to work.
PERIODIC REPORTING
If you take leave for more than two weeks, we require that you report to us at least every two weeks on your status and intent to return to work.
HEALTH INSURANCE
If you are covered by our group health plan (medical, dental or vision), we will continue to provide paid health insurance during FMLA leave on the same basis as during regular employment. But if you don't return to work after the leave, you will be required to pay us back for our portion of the insurance premiums unless your failure to return was beyond your control.
Other Insurance
If you are covered by other insurance plans through us, such as life or disability insurance, those coverages will continue during paid leave on the same basis as during regular employment. If you take unpaid FMLA leave, you will be responsible during the leave for the premiums you normally pay plus the premiums we normally pay for you. If you don't pay these premiums, we may choose to pay them for you, to keep your coverage from lapsing, but you will be responsible for repaying us whether or not you return to work.
COUPLES EMPLOYED BY US
If both you and your spouse work for us and you request leave for the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child, to care for a new child, or to care for a sick parent, the total annual FMLA leave available to you as a couple for those purposes is 12 weeks.
DETERMINING LEAVE AVAILABILITY
FMLA leave is available for up to 12 weeks during a 12-month period. For purposes of calculating leave availability, the "12-month period" is the calendar year. (Or: our leave year beginning on July 1st of each year. Or: the 12-month period measured forward from the date your first FMLA leave begins. Or: a rolling 12-month period measured backwards from the date you use any FMLA leave.)
LEAVE RELATED TO PREGNANCY
If you take leave for pregnancy, the leave you take while you are physically unable to work is counted against your annual 12-week FMLA leave allowance. For example, if you take eight weeks FMLA leave for childbirth and to recover from childbirth, you are entitled to only four weeks of FMLA leave after that to care for your new child.
RULES FOR ARIZONA EMPLOYEES
Pregnancy Leave. If you work in Arizona and take leave for pregnancy, you are entitled under Arizona law to unpaid leave for the full period of your physical disability resulting from pregnancy and childbirth, even if you are disabled for more than 12 weeks, and even if you don't qualify for leave under the federal law. Also, the Arizona Family Leave law (described in the next paragraph) may allow you to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for child care after you are physically able to return to work.
Parental Leave. The Arizona Family Leave law applies to both men and women and allows up to 12 weeks' unpaid leave in any 24-month period to care for a newly born or adopted child or a child with a terminal health condition. Except for child care leave following a pregnancy leave, however, in most cases the FMLA is more favorable to employees than the Arizona law. The Arizona Family Leave law applies to you if at least 100 employees work for us within a 20-mile radius of your job site and, in addition, you have worked for us for the previous 52 weeks for at least 35 hours per week. We reserve the right to limit or not grant leave under the Arizona Family Leave law to employees who are in the highest paid 15% of our workforce.
STATES OTHER THAN ARIZONA
If you work in a state other than Arizona, your state may have laws related to family and medical leave that are not described in this policy. We comply with all applicable state laws.
