Policy Manual Mission Longitude connects visionary leaders with the resources they need to affect change in their communities. Working in resource poor countries, Longitude provides volunteers, funding and programmatic support to move each of its partner organizations closer to self-sufficiency.
Vision By supporting the leaders of grassroots organizations, Longitude will continue to build organizations’ capacity to generate revenue, manage staff, and grow their own programming; to increase their efficiency and ability to raise funds independently of Longitude. Longitude is looking to complete its current missions by 2014, with its partner organizations reaching self-sufficiency. Longitude is currently developing its logic model and strategic plan for its supporting role with grassroots international NGOs. Upon completion, these documents will be including as appendices.
Purpose of the HR Policy Manual The Human Resources Policy Manual is a central reference to all Longitude employee relations’ policies. Each policy is a guideline to be used with discretion, understanding, and management in the spirit in which the policy is written. It is intended for use by individuals who have supervisory responsibility for Longitude employees (compensated and non-compensated). The contents are available to any member of the Longitude community. It is important that supervisory staff understand and support each policy. Therefore, every effort is made to include sources for certain policy guidelines. Information regarding policy implementation will be found in accompanying procedures for supervisors. The specific policies that follow, promote Longitude’s mission and vision with regard to standards of excellence; terms of employment; employee development; and employee services. These policies and procedures will be reviewed on a regular basis and may be revised as necessary and appropriate to reflect the dynamics of Longitude. Changes will be communicated to all employees, and new or revised policies will be distributed to individuals with supervisory responsibility.
Under no circumstances are the statements contained in these policies to be considered a contract of employment, an obligation, or guarantee on the part of Longitude. These policies are subject to change, at the discretion of the Board. Unpaid Volunteers, Interns, and Employees must all comply with these policies alike, unless otherwise stated.
I.
Standards of Excellence
For Longitude to achieve its mission, every employee must share responsibility for specific standards that promote excellence. These standards, as defined by Longitude’s founding officers, identify the basic requirements for a productive work environment. The standards include such relevant issues as ethics, leadership, non-discrimination, and safety, as well as other topics that provide the foundation for a professional community in which positive employee relations can flourish. Management and employees share the responsibility for complying and promoting these standards throughout the organization.
Standards of Excellence Contents 1.
Equal Employment Opportunity
2.
Communications and Expectations
3.
Conflict of Interest Conflict of Interest Procedure
4.
Ethics
5.
Excellence in Leadership
6.
Safety and Security
7.
Work Environment
8.
Productivity
9.
Confidentiality
1. Equal Employment Opportunity Longitude does not discriminate in recruitment, employment, or policy administration on the basis of race, religion, age, sex, color, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, or status as a disabled veteran or other protected veteran under U.S. federal law. In addition, the organization expects all employees, volunteers, interns, and associates to comply with the policy of non-discrimination. Longitude intends to maintain an environment free of sexual harassment and will not tolerate any form of harassment of its employees, volunteers, or interns. In the event that any employee believes that the Equal Employment Opportunity policy is not being fully implemented, then the employee has the right to discuss any concerns with the Board. For detailed Complaint Procedures, reference: http://www.case.edu/finadmin/humres/policies/standards/aa_eeo.html
2. Communications and Expectations
Longitude believes that the employment relationship is a shared responsibility of the employer and employee and it promotes good employee relations through on-going communications which include periodic notices, voice mail, electronic mail, handbooks, brochures, and policy and procedures. A hallmark of Longitude’s commitment to fair and equitable treatment is the policy of dealing directly with employees without the presence of external representatives. At the same time, the organization expects that employees understand that their primary role is to perform their job to the best of their ability and to provide service to the mission of excellence. The mutual commitment and responsibility as outlined below will serve the best interests of both the Longitude and its employees. To demonstrate its sense of community, Longitude will:
Foster and preserve open communications Offer opportunities to develop new ideas and projects Promote standards of excellence of which all employees can be proud Treat all members of the community fairly, equitably, and courteously Provide employees with the resources and training to maximize productivity Set aggressive but achievable goals Serve employees through a talented team of leaders Provide employees with means to discuss practices Solicit employee input as necessary on a variety of issues Develop appreciative leadership Promote an inclusive environment
As members of the Longitude community, employees will:
Treat all members of the community fairly, equitably, and courteously Value the different perspectives of team members, departments, and support groups Practice individual leadership to foster positive relationships among diverse cultures Emphasize a service orientation throughout the community Utilize the resources and training provided to maximize productivity Promote high standards of performance in themselves and among their peers Conduct themselves in a professional and productive manner Comply with all approved policies and procedures Recognize proprietary interest in all work, research, materials, projects and information, where appropriate
Raise issues of ethics, conflict, and concern with the proper personnel, as necessary
3. Conflict of Interest It is Longitude’spolicy to:
Expect all employees, while acting for or engaging in an activity affecting the organization to do so with loyalty and to maintain the highest standards of ethics;
Respect the rights of all employees to engage in activities outside the normal scope of employment, provided such activities do not conflict with or reflect adversely on Longitude’s interest or deprive the organization of an appropriate measure of time and effort;
Require all employees to avoid situations involving conflicts including, but not limited to, financial dealings that are contrary to Longitude's best interests, membership equity or employment relationships that may be in conflict, acceptance of favors, money or other considerations which might obligate the recipient to take action adverse to the organization's interest;
Circulate this policy on conflicts periodically and to provide a means for employees to disclose actual or potential conflicts;
Provide suitable mechanisms for resolving conflicts of interest so that Longitude’s best interests will be protected while observing its standards of ethics.
For detailed Procedures for Conflict of Interest, reference: http://www.case.edu/finadmin/humres/policies/standards/cip.html
4. Ethics Longitude believes that a shared code of ethics among all employees strengthens the overall quality of the organization’s community. Therefore the Board has adopted the following ethic statements as legitimate and appropriate to Longitude’s identity, reputation, and culture.
Conduct and Intellectual Honesty A norm of expected conduct shared by all within the Longitude community will be governed by truthfulness, openness to new ideas, and consideration for the individual rights of others, including the right to hold and express opinions different from one's own. To safeguard the standards on which everyone depends, each employee must accept individual responsibility for behavior and work, and refrain from taking credit for the work of others. Longitude also requires that the rights of all be protected, particularly by those entrusted with authority for judgment of the work of others. Being a human community, Longitude is subject to human failings, ambiguities, and errors. It is therefore the responsibility of the Board to maintain processes for judging and resolving instances where these principles may have been violated.
Computing Ethics Computing and Information Technology (IT) resources are to be used for processing of legitimate organization business and communications. Access to and usage of computing and IT places a responsibility on each authorized employee to conduct computing business in the same ethical manner that is required of all other conduct. Please Reference Case Western Reserve University’s Acceptable Use Policy.
Professional Relationships
Employees are to avoid or remove themselves from situations that may compromise their authority by making decisions favoring one's own gain or gain for personal friends or family members. The specific areas of concern include contract awards, accurate record keeping, hiring, or performance review and compensation decisions. Employees are to avoid circumstances that favor an individual rather than Longitude's interests. As an employee of Longitude, each staff member has a responsibitlity to Longitude’s partners’ diversity as well.
5. Excellence in Leadership Longitude expects all employees in a supervisory capacity to exemplify appreciative leadership in their associations with other staff members. Further, the university expects all supervisors to be mutually supportive and to integrate their areas of responsibility, policies and procedures with others throughout the community. Key elements of leadership are communications, teamwork, role modeling and accomplishments. Leadership responsibilities include Communications
Communicating focus, goals, and services that will achieve Longitude’s mission Interacting with other members of the community in a highly creditable manner Providing timely and constructive feedback on performance Communicating appreciation for acceptable performance Committing to addressing performance that fails to serve the success of the individual or team Recommending changes to policy through consultation with appropriate personnel Holding regularly scheduled (e.g. monthly) meetings with their staff to disseminate information
Teamwork
Promoting cooperation among employees Mentoring newer members to the community Respecting and cooperating with policies of closely related entities that work with Longitude
Role Modeling
Understanding, sponsoring, and implementing the evolving changes necessary to continued success
Supporting and implementing all policies in a proactive and constructive manner Seeking professional development in both technical and managerial skills Focusing on Longitude issues rather than on personal interests Learning and practicing appreciative leadership as a management development process.
Accomplishments
Recognizing effort as well as results Overcoming barriers by challenging oneself and others with new ideas
Assessing results critically and periodically Linking goals and objectives of each individual to overall goals and objectives.
6. Safety and Security Longitude expects that all employees will share the responsibility for safety and security of themselves and fellow employees and maintain reasonable care when using Longitude property. All employees are expected to participate in formulation of and to comply with safety practices relating to their work and Longitude guidelines. Safety practices may include, but are not limited to, the following: wearing proper safety and work apparel, using personal protective equipment, using well-maintained tools and equipment, maintaining familiarity and compliance with safety standards. Longitude seeks to minimize the risks to employees and partners and expects each employee to act responsibly by:
Complying with Federal, State and Local regulations Encouraging safety and security practices among peers Adhering to laboratory and departmental safety procedures Reporting crimes and suspicious situations to the Board Providing testimony, as necessary, in the event that Longitude or public officials require participation during an investigation or a situation involving legal action
Being aware of potentially violent situations and treating them conscientiously.
On-site procedures to be determined.
7. Work Environment Longitude seeks to ensure the health and safety of the organization and provide employees and partners with the most productive environment possible. Every employee can contribute to the quality of the work environment through good work habits, personal responsibility, respect for others, professional decorum, and cooperation with published policies and procedures and programs. In addition, Longitude expects all employees to cooperate in maintaining a quality work environment. Longitude is understanding, welcoming and supportive to all members. Therefore, valuing diversity is a key part of Longitude’s employment standards. The key principles in fostering inclusion are:
The ability to achieve common goals while valuing differences The opportunity for employees to develop their skills to their full potential On-going communications among staff Celebration and social activities that build awareness and appreciation
8. Productivity
All employees are expected to meet high productivity standards. The standards contributing to high productivity include, but are not limited to, the following:
Consistently reporting to work and leaving work according to work schedule Fully engaging in the work while on paid time Meeting deadlines Asking for assistance when necessary Assisting others with information, knowledge, time and resources Being prepared to give extra time when necessary Responding positively to unanticipated overtime needs Limiting unscheduled absences Learning and using technology and databases for maximum efficiency Starting meetings on time; ending on time Being prepared for meetings Avoiding unnecessary interruptions of others at work Following-up on activities that have been delegated Following systems and procedures Minimizing the need to conduct personal business during work hours
9. Confidentiality All confidential information should be maintained by all employees in a manner which ensures its privacy and safety. During the course of employment, employees may have access to confidential information. Information should be solely used for the purposes of performing his/her various services for Longitude and for no other purpose. Employees should not use confidential information in any manner that is to the competitive advantage of, or otherwise adverse or detrimental. Employees shall not disclose any confidential information to any person who does not have a legitimate need to know. Employees who disclose confidential information to those without a legitimate need to know or who disclose confidential information observed or heard without proper authorization may be subject to corrective action up to and including termination at the discretion of the Board.
II.
Terms of Employment
Employment guidelines are an important part of the employer/employee relationship. Both employees and candidates for employment should have a good understanding of the employment opportunities available and the employment requirements expected at Longitude. Longitude ensures that the workforce is comprised of qualified, talented, and diverse employees who are willing to work in a mutually supportive manner. Longitude expects all employees with hiring and supervisory authority to be uncompromising in their search for and management of employees by following these policies. These policies hold apply to Longitude staff volunteers as well.
Employment Contents
1.
Employee Flow Chart
2.
Position Requirements
3.
Temporary Employment
4.
Employment Orientation Period
5.
Re-employment of Former Employees
6.
Termination of Employment
7.
Work Week and Pay System
8.
Emergency Preparedness and Workforce Coverage
1. Employee Flow Chart See Appendix 1.
2. Position Requirements Due to Longitude’s commitments to excellence, safety, and the welfare of its employees, some employees will be required to comply with employment requirements specific to the position which they will fill. Employees must satisfy these requirements throughout their employment to maintain their eligibility to retain their position. The following information outlines requirements that a successful employee or employment candidate must satisfy for specific positions, as designated. The Hiring Authority or Supervisor is responsible for verifying the candidate's degree information as referenced on the resume or application. Because Longitude employees often travel for work, vaccinations may be required in the event that the selected candidate may travel during employment to areas in which vaccination is recommended by the federal government. Reference Appendix 2 for a list of Longitude’s Positions and Descriptions.
3. Temporary Employment Longitude expects that temporary employees will perform to the same standards of excellence as full- and part-time employees and in turn will receive the same level of respect for their contribution. To insure that the temporary relationship is as successful as possible the supervisor and Board will work together to define the nature of the job, the temporary employee's responsibilities, the duration of the job, and the appropriate compensation and recognition for the job. Longitude will also expect temporary employees to satisfy the same requirements as full- and part-time employees.
4. Employee Orientation Period Employees new to a position (e.g., newly hired or acquired through internal transfer or promotion) may be required to work through an Orientation period by the Board. The length of the Orientation will be determined in accordance with the position.
5. Re-Employment of Former Employees Former employees are eligible to be re-employed if they left employment as employees in good standing. Former employees who are on inactive status due to lay-off will have first consideration over other candidates. All former employees will be given the same opportunities and will need to comply with the same requirements as other applicants. If hired, former employees will be treated as new employees for purposes of orientation and training. Benefits based on length of service will be calculated using the rehire start date as their first date of employment unless a benefit plan provides other methods of calculation.
6. Termination of Employment To be determined by the Board. Longitude recognizes two types of termination - voluntary and involuntary - as follows: Voluntary Termination
Involuntary Termination
1) Resignation
1) Lay off
2) Retirement
2) Termination for cause
3) Failure to report to work for three
3) Death
consecutive days without notice 4) Failure to return from leave within the time allowed by the
4) End of the inactive status period
policy for Absence and Leaves for Personal Medical, Family Medical, and Parenting Reasons Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (IV8) or policy for Other Leaves (IV-11). 5) Declining an offer of employment while on inactive status. 6) Completion of written notification of term of employment. To separate in good standing, an employee must give a minimum of two weeks’ notice of resignation to their supervisors. The employee’s notice of resignation must be confirmed in writing, either by the employee or the supervisor. Staff members who give insufficient notice are not eligible for reemployment. The final pay for a terminated employee will be determined by the Board of Directors. Employees who are terminating their employment will be notified in writing of their benefit enrollment and conversion options. All eligible employees will have the option under COBRA to elect to continue their health care coverage to be paid at the employee's expense but handled administratively through the university's group plan.
7. Work Week and Pay System
The Board and individual Employee will discuss and negotiate their own hours. Pay system will be determined.
8. Emergency Preparedness and Workforce Coverage Longitude is committed to the safety and security of its staff, partners, and property during emergency situations. Recognizing that emergencies, disasters, and catastrophic situations can occur, Longitude has established emergency procedures and response protocols; reference Appendix 1 for Chain of Command.
III.
Employee Development
Longitude achieves its mission through the performance of its employees and volunteers. These volunteers also act as Longitude’s employees. Therefore, every effort is made to communicate with employees about their performance on a regular basis. These policies are provided to set the stage for regular and appreciative communications, as well as to identify opportunities for employees to pursue their own development. The policies are based on the sound premise that employees will develop and grow from positive and specific feedback with regard to their performance. Performance that is not productive cannot be corrected without constructive comments and counseling for improvement. Further, employees whose behaviors are unacceptable, although rare and unexpected, deserve communication regarding the behaviors which Longitude will not accept.
Employee Development Contents 1.
Performance Management
2.
Positive Corrective Action
3.
Employee Recognition
1. Performance Management Longitude acknowledges that all employees benefit from on-going communication with their supervisors on goals, expectations, skills and performance. The intent of this policy is to ensure that a formal process occurs in addition to informal feedback during the year. The more formal process, entitled Performance Management, is designed to achieve the following goals:
To link the work of the employee to the work of the group and the department To set objectives so that expectations are clear To review the objectives mid-year for updates, assistance, and recognition To reinforce positive work habits and ethics To offer the employee information regarding professional development
In addition to these outcomes, the supervisor will benefit from more frequent conversations by:
Obtaining suggestions from the employee on operational and functional enhancements Having the opportunity to guide employees through development that improves and enriches the productivity of the group
Improving the likelihood of success for employees who participate in their own development and work objectives
2. Positive Correction Action Longitude intends to give employees reasonable opportunity to improve their performance whenever productivity, quality, efficiency, or behavior is below an acceptable level. When performance falls below an acceptable level, corrective action may be imposed, and determined by the Board.
3. Employee Recognition To be determined.
IV.
Employee Services
It is important to remember that every employee’s and volunteer’s duty towards Longitude is linked to serving partner organizations, their communities and serving each other. Longitude believes that employees who receive good service will be even more willing to provide good service. Consequently, the services included in this section are communicated to employees so that they know how to use the services, when and if needed.
Employee Services Contents 1.
Employment and Wage Verification
2.
Grievances
3.
Benefits and Compensation
1. Employment and Wage Verification To be determined.
2. Grievances Longitude strives to maintain fair and consistent policies towards its employees. If an employee believes that Human Resources policies and procedures are not being properly applied to the employee's workplace situation, the employee may utilize Longitude’s grievance procedure. The grievance procedure is intended to be utilized for specific violations of Human Resources policies and procedures as opposed to concerns related to general complaints, i.e. performance evaluations, job analysis, or compensation, etc. The Board is available to provide consultative/resolution services to determine whether or not a grievance is within the grievance policy, and to attempt to resolve general workplace issues, concerns and specific complaints regarding Human Resources policies and procedures. Employees are encouraged to seek resolution to their issues, concerns and/or their complaints through their departmental supervisors before filing a grievance.
Since the grievance procedure is an internal process provided for internal resolution of alleged violations of the Human Resources policies and procedures and is not a legal forum, staff members may not be accompanied at the grievance hearing by any other person, including an attorney; the hearing may not be electronically recorded.
3.Benefits and Compensation Benefits and Compensation will be determined by the Board based on experience and position.
Policies adopted from Case Western Reserve University’s 2010 Human Resources Policies.
Appendix 1. Employee Flow Chart
Partnership Expansion
Board
Management Executive Director Director
Programs Community School Cultural Exchange Highlander Charter School Portsmouth High School
ARV
Volunteer Coordinator
Web
PROFESA
Development
Volunteer Coordinator
JET
Management
Administrators
Accountant
Marketing
Fundraising
Tax
Public Relations
Grants
budgets, expenses
Social Media
Web Fundraising
Events
Merchandisi ng
2. Longitude Positions and Descriptions CHAIRPERSON OF BOARD Name (India) Name (Ghana) Highest ranking member of the Board; Must attend every Board meeting; Presides over meetings in an organized fashion;
Works with ED to make agenda; Contact members of Board with updates; Promote diversity on Board. Type of Work: Coordinate the planning of the Board's activities for the year ahead and plans for the association's future. In this capacity, the Board Chair is responsible for ensuring that an ongoing planning process exists for the association or branch. Prepares, in consultation with the Board Secretary, the agendas for Board and Executive Committee meetings. Presides at Board and Executive Committee meetings, making sure that they run smoothly. Ensures that Board members have the information they need to make informed decisions. Ensures that all new Board members get a proper orientation to the Board and to the branch association. Takes charge of the delegation of responsibilities, making sure that they are spread out equitably among the Board members. Organizes the committees of the Board. Maintains contact with committee Chairs, helping them to stay on track and monitoring whether they need any additional support. Ensures that all Board committees are properly served by Board members, other community members, and staff. Takes an active role in fund raising. Represents the association branch at public functions and before public bodies, including funders. Keeps appraised of the concerns of people living with the effects of brain injury, their caregivers and the community. In doing so, the Chair acts as the association branch's "ear to the community". Skills & Experience: Preferred Schooling/Degree: PRESIDENT Shawn Rubin Hours: 25 hrs/week Type of Work: Website editing and content analysis; handling finances; donor communication; social media work; programmatic support of partner organizations; planning upcoming fundraisers; planning upcoming trips; general development; handling receipts, thank you notes and money wires. Skills & Experience: Ability to motivate people, and to match enthusiasm and skills with needs for the organization and a great love for travel. Preferred Schooling/Degree: Education; Psycology Work With: Brittany, Emily, Kasy, Rishi, John Morgan, Kristin Modes of Communication: Email/phone/Skype/meetings DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH Annie Falch (Japan) Hours: 12 hrs/week during season of work camp
Type of Work: on site work/living; grant writing; research; recruitment; orientation leading Skills & Experience: International Representative of Longitude Preferred Schooling/Degree: Education; Bi-lingual; Communications Work with: Emily, Shawn, Emma Modes of Communication: Email/Skype FUNDRAISING & VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT STRATEGIST John Morgan Hours: 0-5 hrs/week; this position’s work loud is heavier during fundraising and volunteer recruitment times. Type of Work: Brainstorming on conference calls, creating strategy documents (social media, branding, volunteer recruitment, fundraising, etc), advising on content creation, reviewing and editing of content for newsletters or other persuasive copy Skills & Experience: persuasion, marketing, fundraising, travel, business, productivity, organization Preferred Schooling/Degree: Marketing; Public Relations Work with: Brittany, Shawn, Kasey, Emma and Rishi as needed. Modes of Communication: Phone calls/email. DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Rishi Sidhu/Emily Haydock Hours: 8 hrs/week; this position’s work load is heavier when deadlines come out. Type of work: Writing newsletters and posting blogs (personal and those from other people), gathering information from visionary leader, recruitment Skills & Experience: Deadline writing and understanding the website, in terms of formatting, so that it looks right. Preferred Schooling/Degree: Journalism; Communications Work with: Brittany, John, Shawn, Emma, Rishi, Kasey, Annie Modes of Communication: Email/phone calls DIRECTOR OF VOLUNTEER COORDINATION Emma Parfey Hours: Type of work: Skills & Experience: Preferred Schooling/Degree: Work with: Modes of Communication: WEBMASTER Kasey Haas Hours: 4-9 hrs/week; this position’s work loud is heavier when given projects. Type of Work: updating Facebook page and website. Skills & Experience: Website and social media development and management.
Preferred Schooling/Degree: Communications; Computer Science Work with: Shawn, Brittany, Emily Haydock, John Morgan Modes of Communication: Email VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR FOR PROFESA Shirley Kinsey Hours: 15-30 hrs/week during preparation period. Type of Work: purchasing plane tickets, setting up home stays for travelers, arranging for VISAs, meeting with trip volunteers and fundraisers. Skills & Experience: Various travel experience, organization, personable and flexible schedule. Preferred Schooling/Degree: Tourism/Hospitality Management; Leadership Work With: Shawn, Meshach Bondzie Modes of Communication: Email/texting/phone calls/skype DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Kristin Namimoto Hours: 10-12 hrs/week; this position’s work loud is heavier when Longitude is launching new initiatives and projects. Type of Work: researching (specifically media contacts and potential press opportunities), writing press materials, pitching ideas to media, advising on website content. Skills & Experience: Public relations experience, attention to detail, persuasive writing, and communication skills. Preferred Schooling/Degree: Communications; Public Relations Work With: Shawn, Brittany, Kacey Modes of Communication: Email/Skype