Employee Policy Manual (2002)

Grace Church

Mar 30

Written By

WELCOME!

Welcome to Grace Church! We consider you to be a gift from God and look forward to working with you as a member of our ministry team. We appreciate you and the gifts and talents you bring to this ministry and are committed to helping you achieve your highest level of service for the Lord in this ministry.

As an employee of the church, you represent this ministry in both your work life and private life. Your work for the church is more than just a job, it is a ministry. As a result, you are expected to always be sensitive to how others may see you biblically, spiritually, and ethically. It is an honor and privilege to serve. We encourage you to strive toward living a life that is an example to others of your relationship with God and your belief in the church's Mission Statement and Statement of Faith.

Your involvement in church should be above and beyond your paid duties. You are expected to regularly attend all services and fully support Grace through your tithes and offerings.

PURPOSE STATEMENT

“Grace Church exists to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe we can best do so by growing in grace and becoming true disciples of Jesus Christ. Our desire is to equip each one to reach and then to teach others how to grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 4:11-13; Matthew 28:19-20; Colossians 1:9-10)

STATEMENT OF FAITH

We believe:

A. the Bible as the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

B. the Genesis account of creation. (Genesis 1:1)

C. one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

D. Jesus Christ, His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, burial and bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His personal future return in power and glory. (John 1:1; Matthew 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:9,11)

E. the sinfulness of man and salvation by grace through faith in Christ who shed His blood. (Romans 3:23-25)

F. the Holy Spirit that indwells and enables the Christian to live a godly life. (John 14:26)

G. salvation is eternally secure in Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:38-39)

H. the resurrection of the dead; the believer to life everlasting and the unbeliever to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:28-29)

I. the church as the body of Christ, which is composed of all believers who have accepted Christ as Savior. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

SECTION I: Benefits

VACATION

Full-time pastoral staff employees will earn vacation at the start of a new calendar year, based on their length of continuous service with the church, as follows:

Length of Continuous Service Vacation

0 to 4 years 12 days

(no more than 2 Sundays & 2 Wednesdays)

5 to 9 years 18 days

(no more than 2 Sundays & 3 Wednesdays)

10 to 14 years 24 days

(no more than 3 Sundays & 4 Wednesdays)

15 years and beyond 30 days

(no more than 4 Sundays & 5 Wednesdays)

Full-time support staff employees will earn vacation at the start of a new calendar year, based on their length of continuous service with the church, as follows:

Length of Continuous Service Vacation

0 to 4 years 10 days

5 to 9 years 15 days

10 to 14 years 20 days

Fifteen years and beyond 20 days + 1 day for every year beyond 14 years, up to a maximum of 28 days.

Part-time employees will earn one week of vacation equal to the average number of hours worked each week at the start of a new calendar year.

An employee's anniversary date corresponds to the month and day the employee was hired. The employee’s length of continuous service is subject to adjustment for the portion of any leave of absence that exceeds 30 days.

Vacation requests will be approved by the Business Manager on a first come, first served basis, and only if the time off will not interfere with the normal business operations of the church.

Employees are encouraged to use all vacation during the 12 month period after it has been earned. A maximum of 5 days of vacation may be carried over into a new calendar year. Any unused vacation days in excess of 5 days for a given calendar year cannot be carried over to a subsequent calendar year and will be lost.

Full-time employees will be paid for any unused vacation days remaining for the calendar year upon termination.

HOLIDAY PAY

All full-time employees will be allowed the following holidays:

New Year’s Day
The Monday following Easter
Memorial Day
July 4th
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day and the day after

If an employee is required to work on a holiday, an alternate day will be allowed.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE

The church makes leaves of absence available to employees as follows:

Personal Leave–a leave of absence for a compelling personal reason that is not medically related.

Employees who have completed at least five years of continuous service may submit a written request to the Business Manager for a personal leave of absence, without pay, for any length of time up to a maximum of six months. Written requests must state the reason for the leave, as well as the beginning and ending dates.

Requests for personal leaves will be granted at the sole discretion of the Business Manager, based on the facts and circumstances surrounding each individual request.

Employees who return to work at the end of a personal leave will normally be returned to their former job classification if an opening exists or, if there is no such opening, they will be considered for a comparable position if one is available.

Pregnancy Leave–a leave of absence for a disability related to an employee's pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition.

Employees may submit a written request to the Business Manager for a pregnancy leave of absence, without pay, for the length of any pregnancy related disability, up to a maximum of 8 weeks or the length of time the doctor says the employee is disabled, whichever is less.

Requests for pregnancy leaves will be granted to employees who present a physician's written statement that certifies the need for the leave and estimates the length of time the employee will be unable to work due to the disability.

Although the church is not able to guarantee reinstatement in all cases, employees on pregnancy leave who return to work immediately following the end of an approved leave with a physician's written release verifying that they are able to safely perform their duties will normally be returned to the same job they held immediately prior to their leave or, if that position is unavailable, a comparable position if one is available.

Medical Leave–a leave of absence for an employee's non-occupational illness or disability, other than pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition.

Employees who have completed at least one year of continuous service may submit a written request to the Business Manager for a medical leave of absence, without pay, for the length of any disability up to a maximum of six months.

Requests for medical leaves will normally be granted to eligible employees who present a physician's written statement that certifies the need for the leave and estimates the length of time the employee will be unable to work due to the disability. At any time during a medical leave of absence, an employee may be asked to provide medical evidence of disability.

Although the church is not able to guarantee reinstatement in all cases, employees on medical leave who return to work immediately following the end of an approved leave with a physician's written release verifying that they are able to safely perform their duties will normally be returned to their former job classification if an opening exists or, if there is no such opening, they will be considered for a comparable position if one is available.

Family Leave–a leave of absence for the birth or adoption of an employee's child, or the care of an employee's seriously ill child, parent, or spouse.

Employees who have completed at least one year of continuous service may submit a written request to the Business Manager for a family leave of absence, without pay, for any length of time up to a maximum of four months in any 24 month period. However, family leaves taken in conjunction with an approved pregnancy leave of absence will be limited to a maximum of four months in any 24 month period which includes the period of time approved for a pregnancy-related disability described on page 5.

Requests for family leaves will normally be granted by the church, based on the facts and circumstances surrounding each individual request. Requests for family leaves to care for a seriously ill child, parent, or spouse must be accompanied by a physician's written statement that certifies the need for the employee's care and estimates the length of time the employee will be unable to work due to the disability of the child, parent, or spouse.

Although the church is not able to guarantee reinstatement in all cases, employees on family leave who return to work immediately following the end of an approved leave with a physician's written release verifying that they are able to safely perform their duties will normally be returned to the same job they held immediately prior to their leave or, if that position is unavailable, a comparable position if one is available.

Jury Duty–a leave of absence to serve on jury duty.

Employees will be granted a leave of absence, without pay, to serve on jury duty, as required by law.

Upon completion of jury duty, a Verification of Attendance Form must be presented to the church. Employees who are excused from jury duty for the day, or are excused early, should report to work when it is practical to do so.

If an employee is called to serve on jury duty at a time that would unreasonably interfere with normal business operations, the church may request that the required service be rescheduled for a later date that would be more convenient for the church.

Study Leave–a leave of absence for personal growth and professional advancement. Written request for study leave must be submitted to the Elders who, at their sole discretion, will determine whether to approve or disapprove such requests..

Military Leave–a leave of absence for required military service.

The church complies with applicable state and federal law concerning leaves for military service.

The following general provisions apply to all leaves of absence:

1. A request for an extension of a leave of absence must be made in writing to the Business Manager prior to the expiration date of the original leave, and when appropriate, must be accompanied by a physician's written statement that certifies the need for the extension.

2. Failure to return to work on the first work day following the expiration of an approved leave of absence will be considered a voluntary termination of employment with the church.

3. Coverage under the church's group health insurance plans described on page 8 will be continued on the following basis:

for the first six months of an approved leave of absence, the church will continue to contribute to premiums as if the employee were actively at work;
employees will be required to pay the entire premium for continued coverage during the portion of an approved leave of absence in excess of six months.

Employees must make arrangements with the church to pre-pay their share of group health insurance premiums before going on leave of absence.

4. Employees will not accrue length of continuous service for the portion of a leave of absence that exceeds 30 days.

5. Employees on leave of absence will be subject to reduction in staff procedures on the same basis as employees who are actively at work.

6. Employees on leave of absence must communicate with the church on a regular basis, at least once each month, regarding their status and anticipated return to work date.

7. Employees on leave of absence who seek or accept other employment without the church's prior written approval will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including possible termination.

8. Employees who falsify the reason for their leave of absence will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including possible termination.

SICK PAY

All full-time employees will begin to accrue sick leave after they complete one month of continuous service. Days of sick pay accrue at the rate of 1 day after each 5 weeks of continuous service during an employee's anniversary year up to a maximum of 10 days of sick pay during each anniversary year. A Maximum of 3 days of sick pay may be carried over to a new anniversary year. Any unused days of sick pay in excess of 3 days for a given anniversary year cannot be carried over to a subsequent anniversary year and will be lost. Sick pay benefits may only be used in the case of personal illness or injury that is not work-related.

An employee's anniversary date corresponds to the month and day the employee was hired. The length of the employee's continuous service is subject to adjustment for the portion of any leave of absence that exceeds of 30 days.

Unused sick pay benefits may not be used for personal time off or as additional vacation, and employees will not be paid for unused sick pay benefits upon termination of employment. In addition, sick pay will not be considered as hours worked for the calculation of overtime.

Employees who receive sick pay benefits may be asked to provide medical verification, and absences of more than 5 working days will be applied toward any accrued and unused days of sick pay and vacation days and once those days are exhausted, the absence will be subject to the church's leave of absence policy as described on page 6.

Employees who complete six months of continuous service without using sick leave will receive one day of personal vacation to be used at the employee’s discretion. Employees may accumulate a maximum of two such personal days per year. Personal days must be used within 6 months of the time they are earned.

BEREAVEMENT PAY

All full-time employees who have completed at least one month of continuous service will be eligible for up to seven days away from work, with pay, to arrange and/or attend the funeral of an immediate family member. An immediate family member is defined as a husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, father, brother or sister.

Employees who require more than seven days away from work may request earned vacation time, or a personal leave of absence, subject to the provisions of the church's leave of absence policy.

GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN

All full-time employees will become eligible for enrollment in the church's group health insurance plan on the first day of the calendar month following the first day of full-time employment.

The church contributes 100% of the premiums for the employee and dependent coverage.

Detailed information about the plans will be made available at the time you become eligible for enrollment.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION INSURANCE

All employees are automatically covered by Workers' Compensation Insurance at the time they are hired. The church pays 100% of the premiums for this important coverage. The following benefits are provided to employees who sustain a work-related injury or illness:

partial wage replacement for periods of disability;
medical care, including medicine, hospital, doctor, X-rays, crutches, etc.;
rehabilitation services, if necessary.

It is important that you report any work-related injury or illness to your supervisor, as soon as it happens, regardless of how minor it may be. It is also important to get proper first aid and/or medical attention immediately.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

All full-time pastoral staff employees will receive a professional allowance as part of their annual compensation package.

For non-pastoral staff employees, when it is demonstrated that the church will benefit from an employee's participation in an educational program or professional organization, the related expenses may be paid by the church. Requests for payment of expenses related to educational programs and professional organizations must be approved in advance by the Business Manager and the Elders.

SECTION II: Personnel Status

EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATIONS

Grace Church classifies employees in a number of different ways, as follows:

Full Time Pastoral Staff Employee–you are considered to be a full time pastoral staff employee if your primary job duties include ministry-related, pastoral functions and your average hours of work each workweek are at least 40 and such additional hours per week as required by the Senior Pastor.

Full Time Support Staff Employee–you are considered to be a full time support staff employee if your primary job duties are non-ministry-related, support functions and your average hours of work each workweek are at least 36 or more.

Part Time Employee–you are considered to be a part time employee if your average hours of work each workweek are less than 35 hours .

Nonexempt Employee–nonexempt employees include full time Support Staff employees and part time employees and are eligible to receive overtime pay, if applicable, in accordance with the provisions of state and federal law.

Exempt Employee–exempt employees include full time Pastoral Staff Employees and are not covered by the overtime provisions of state and federal law and are therefore not eligible for overtime pay.

TARDINESS AND ABSENCE

It is important that employees work their assigned schedules as consistently as possible. However, the church understands that because of illness or emergency you may be unable to come to work.

If you are unable to report to work for any reason, you must contact the church office no later than 8:30 a.m. It is your responsibility to keep the church informed on a daily basis during a short-term absence and to provide medical verification when asked to do so.

Support staff employees are expected to be at their work station ready to begin work at the beginning of their scheduled shift, and at the end of their scheduled breaks and meal period. Except in an emergency, nonexempt employees must have their supervisor's permission to leave work before they are regularly scheduled to do so.

A tardy or absence is considered "excused" only when you call ahead of time and the tardy or absence is for a compelling reason. The church reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to determine what constitutes a compelling reason. A tardy or absence for a non-compelling reason, or failing to call in according to church policy, will be considered "unexcused."

The church considers "unexcused" tardiness and absence to be a serious problem. However, employees who are tardy or absent excessively or show a consistent pattern of absence, whether "excused" or "unexcused," will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including possible termination.

If you do not call in or report to work for two consecutive workdays, you will be considered to have voluntarily terminated your employment with the church.

TERMINATION

Voluntary Termination–a voluntary termination is a termination that is initiated by the employee. We would like you to give at least two week’s written notice before you leave your job. Written notice should include your reason for leaving, as well as the name and address of your new employer, if applicable. If you do not call in or report to work for two consecutive workdays, you may be considered to have voluntarily quit.

Involuntary Termination–an involuntary termination is a termination that is initiated by the church for reasons other than changing business conditions.

Reduction in Staff–A reduction in staff will occur when the church through its Elders determines in their sole discretion that a job or jobs should be eliminated due to changing business conditions. In the event there are multiple candidates for the remaining positions following such a reduction in staff, the following factors will be among those considered in determining staff for the remaining positions: versatility, qualifications, skill, ability, performance, efficiency, loyalty, attitude, and dependability.

BREAK AND MEAL PERIODS

Nonexempt employees who work at least 3 1/2 hours in a workday will receive a 10 minute paid break period for each four hours of work, or major fraction thereof. Break periods will be scheduled as close to the middle of each four hour work period as possible.

Nonexempt employees who work more than 5 hours in a workday will receive an unpaid meal period of at least 30 minutes. However, employees may voluntarily agree to waive their right to a meal period so long as it does not cause them to work more than 8 hours per day if they do so.

PERSONNEL RECORDS

It is important that the church always have current information about you. Please let us know immediately if you change your name, address, phone number, or marital status, etc. If for some reason you need to change your name and/or Social Security number, you will be asked to provide original documentation authorizing the change.

PROMOTION AND TRANSFER

It is the church's intent to give qualified employees preference over others when filling job openings within the church. However, because of the experience, skills, and educational requirements of many jobs, promotions from within the church are not always possible.

An employee's past performance, experience, attitude, qualifications, and potential are all important factors which will be considered in making promotion and transfer decisions.

SECTION III: Compensation

PAYDAY

A pay period is a seven day period of time that begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Employees are generally paid on the Friday following the end of each pay period.

The church is not able to cash paychecks for employees.

PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS

You are probably familiar with the various payroll deductions that are required by law, such as federal income tax, state income tax, state disability insurance, Medicare taxes, and social security taxes. Any other deductions from your paycheck must be authorized by you, in writing.

Each one of your paycheck stubs will itemize amounts that have been withheld. It is important that you keep this information for tax purposes. If you have any questions about your deductions, please talk to your supervisor. The church complies with applicable state and federal laws regarding the garnishment and assignment of wages.

SECTION IV: General Information

WORK RULES AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Employment is with the mutual consent of you and the church. Consequently, both you and the church have the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or advance notice.

It is not possible to provide a complete list of every work rule or performance standard. As a result, the following are presented only as examples. You are responsible for understanding and following these standards and work rules. Employees who do not comply may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including possible termination.

Job Performance–employees may be disciplined, up to and including possible termination, for poor job performance, as determined by the church. Some examples of poor job performance are as follows:

below average work quality or quantity;
poor attitude, including rudeness, or lack of cooperation;
excessive absenteeism, tardiness, or abuse of break and meal privileges;
failure to follow instructions or church policies and procedures.

Misconduct–employees may also be disciplined, up to and including possible termination, for misconduct. Some examples of misconduct are as follows:

insubordination;
abuse, misuse, theft, or the unauthorized possession or removal of church property or the personal property of others;
falsifying or making a material omission on church records, reports, or other documents, including payroll, personnel, and employment records;
divulging confidential church information to unauthorized persons;
disorderly conduct on church property, including fighting or attempted bodily injury, or the use of profane, abusive, or threatening language toward others, or possession of a weapon;
violation of any law adversely affecting the church, or conviction in court of any crime which may cause the employee to be regarded as unsuitable for continued employment;
violation of the church's alcohol, drugs, and controlled substances policy;
marking or signing the time record of another employee or knowingly allowing another employee to mark or sign your time record.

HARASSMENT

The church is committed to providing a work environment that is free of discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, the church maintains a strict policy prohibiting unlawful harassment, including sexual harassment. It is important for you to understand that jokes, stories, cartoons, nicknames, and comments about appearance may be offensive to others.

Sexual harassment of employees by supervisors, co-workers, or vendors is prohibited. Unlawful sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

submission to the conduct is made a condition of employment;
submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as the basis for an employment decision affecting the harassed employee; or
the harassment has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Examples of sexual harassment include unwelcome sexual flirtations, advances, or propositions; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; subtle pressure or requests for sexual activities; unnecessary touching of an individual; graphic comments about an individual's body; a display in the workplace of sexually suggestive objects or pictures; sexually explicit or offensive jokes; or physical assault.

If you believe that you are being, or have been, harassed in any way, please report the facts of the incident or incidents to your supervisor or the Elders immediately, without fear of reprisal. In determining whether the alleged conduct constitutes unlawful harassment, the totality of the circumstances, such as the nature of the conduct and the context in which the alleged incident occurred, will be investigated.

Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including possible termination.

ALCOHOL, DRUGS, AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES

The use, sale, transfer, possession, or being “under the influence” of alcohol, drugs, or controlled substances when on duty, on church property, or in church vehicles is prohibited. In addition, off duty conduct which may adversely affect the reputation or interests of the church is prohibited. “Under the influence” for the purpose of this policy, is defined as being unable to perform work in a safe or productive manner, and/or being in a physical or mental condition which creates a risk to the safety and well being of the affected employee, co-workers, the public, or church property.

Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including possible termination.

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES

All employees are prohibited from engaging in outside employment, private business, or other activity, which might have an adverse effect on, or create a conflict of interest with, the church.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE

Your appearance reflects not only on you as an individual, but on the church as well. We expect you to take pride in your appearance and strive to achieve a positive business-like image when representing the church.

LOST AND FOUND

Employees should not bring large sums of money, jewelry, or other valuables to work. The church will not be responsible for personal property that is lost, damaged, stolen, or destroyed.

If you happen to find personal belongings that have been lost by another person, please turn them in to your supervisor.

ACCESS TO CHURCH PROPERTY

It is important that the church have access at all times to church property, as well as other records, documents, and files. As a result, the church reserves the right to access employee offices, work stations, filing cabinets, desks, and any other church property at its discretion, with or without advance notice or consent.

BUSINESS EXPENSE REPORTING

Employees will be reimbursed for all approved business-related expenses, upon submission of accurate and receipted expense reports to the church. Employees are requested to submit these reports in a timely manner to ensure proper accounting and prompt reimbursement.

USE OF CHURCH TELEPHONES

From time to time it may be necessary for employees to make and receive personal calls on church phones. However, these calls should be limited to no more than 5 minutes in length, and should be made, whenever possible, during scheduled break and meal periods. Employees are expected to use good judgment and common sense when it comes to personal phone calls.

Personal long distance calls should be avoided. Any charges for personal long distance calls must be reimbursed to the church.

Employees who violate this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including possible termination.

EMPLOYEE PARKING

Employees park at their own risk and the church will not be responsible for theft or damage to any vehicles parked on or near church property. Also, the church will not be responsible for personal property left in vehicles that is either lost, damaged, stolen, or destroyed.