Hourly Part-Time Handbook

This revised handbook has been designed and written for the part-time hourly staff of Hope College. It is your responsibility to take the time to review the items in this handbook so that you are familiar with current policies and practices.

This handbook is a guide to our personnel policies and employee benefits, and is not a contract. Nor does it modify the terms and conditions of insurance policies, the flexible benefits plan/HSA plan or the retirement plan.

If you have any questions concerning your employment or this handbook, please contact the Human Resources Office.

General Policy Statement
Conditions of Employment
1. College Policies
2. Staff Policies
Compensation & Benefits

General Policy Statement

Hope College adheres to all federal and state civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in private institutions of higher education. Hope College is committed to the concept of equal rights, equal opportunities and equal protection under the law. It administers all programs-- admissions, financial aid, employment, instruction and services—without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, height, weight, national origin, marital status, or handicap, except in the event of a bona fide non-disqualifying occupational qualification.

The conduct of College administration, management and operation of its properties and facilities, and the supervision and direction of its work force are vested exclusively in the College. The foregoing functions are recognized to include by way of illustration (but are not limited to): the right to hire, schedule, promote, demote, transfer, release, and layoff employees; to suspend, discipline, and discharge employees; to establish and maintain rules and regulations covering the operation of the College and its employees and to determine and impose penalties for violations thereof; to make judgments as to whether an employee's work performance and/or behavior is necessary, acceptable and/or satisfactory; to determine workloads; to create, eliminate or change job positions, job assignments and operations as the College deems to be in its best interest; to introduce new or improved methods or means of operations and facilities; to maintain order and efficiency, and to the full and exclusive control of the management of the College, the supervision of all operations, the methods, processes and means of performing any and all work, the control of the property and the composition, assignment, direction, and determination of the size of its work forces; and in all respects to carry out the ordinary and customary functions of management.

The College reserves the right to unilaterally modify its personnel policies at any time. Michigan is an “at will” employment state, therefore, all employees covered by this Handbook are free to terminate their employment at any time and likewise are subject to discharge by the College at any time, but will serve the College without contract as long as their performance and behavior are necessary, acceptable and satisfactory, as the College shall, in its sole discretion, determine. No oral representation to the contrary is binding on the College in regard to an employee's terms or conditions of employment, and no supervisor or administrator has the authority to make binding commitments to employees, except the President or Provost of the College, and they can only do so by a written signed commitment. References in this Handbook to words which identify either sex are used only for convenience and apply equally to all sexes.

Conditions of employment

College Policies

Rules of Conduct

Certain standards of performance and conduct must be maintained in any work group. Generally, these standards are recognized and observed by individual members of the work group without any need for action by the supervisor. Offenses, which may result in discipline or discharge, include, by way of example, but are not limited to:

Fraud in securing your job
Unexcused absences
Failure to respect confidentiality
Intoxication on the job or abuse of other drugs or chemical substances
Willful disobedience
Failure to wear attire deemed suitable by the College or meet the College’s hygiene and grooming standard
Discourteous treatment of students, other College employees and/or the public including bullying
Dishonesty
Incompetence
Unsatisfactory work performance
Unsafe acts
Harassment
Misuse of College resources (including technology)

These rules are to be used only as a guideline and are not intended to cover all of the offenses for which disciplinary action could result. The range of disciplinary action may include (but is not limited to) oral or written reprimand, probation, suspension without pay and/or benefits, demotion and discharge. The appropriateness of the penalty in each case shall be determined by the College.

Hope COLLEGE DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY

Hope College is committed to the elimination of drug and/or alcohol misuse and abuse and forbids the use, possession or transfer of illegal drugs and alcohol in the workplace and in all learning environments. In compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act (41 U.S.C. 701) and the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (20 U.S.C. 1145g), the policy lays out appropriate standards of conduct, counseling and treatment options, and appropriate standards of discipline in the event of non-compliance. Read the full policy.

No Smoking Policy

The Ottawa County Smoke-Free Indoor Air Regulation became effective on January 1, 2008. This regulation requires all public and private employers to prohibit smoking in all enclosed areas and within twenty-five feet of any entrance, operable window, and ventilation system. Hope College became a smoke free campus on January 1, 2008.

Smoking (including e-cigarettes) will not be permitted in any campus owned or leased building; in any residence hall, apartment, or cottage; on any campus walkway or green space; or outside in college parking lots.

Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is permitted in private vehicles (including those parked in college lots) and on public right-of- ways away from building entrances. Please adhere to the twenty-five foot distance and dispose of your smoking materials appropriately before reentering the campus area.

The college is supportive of smoking cessation programs and will work with faculty and staff seeking help with their smoking habit. For more information contact the Human Resources Office.

Safety

One of the most important aspects of everyone's job is the practice of safety. All members of the Hope College Community are required to notify Campus Safety (ext 7770) of any situation or incident on campus that involves a significant emergency or dangerous situation that may involve an immediate or ongoing threat to the health and safety of students and/or employees on campus. We also welcome suggestions for improving safety of the campus. These suggestions should be directed to your immediate supervisor or the Health and Fire Safety Office (ext 7999). All injuries incurred during the course of performing ones duties are to be reported immediately to the Health and Safety Office (ext 7999) or to Human Resources Office (ext 7811).

Harassment and Non-Discrimination

Hope College seeks to be a community that affirms the dignity of all persons as bearers of God’s image. It is Hope College policy not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, family status, genetic information, height, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or weight, except in the event of a bona fide occupational qualification.

The Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Non-discrimination Policy covers non-discrimination in employment and in access to educational opportunities. Therefore, any member of the campus community who acts to deny, deprive or limit the educational, employment, residential and/or social access, benefits and/or opportunities of any member of the campus community, guest, or visitor on the basis of their actual or perceived membership in the protected classes listed above is in violation of the Hope College policy on non-discrimination. Details about your rights and responsibilities under this policy can be found at: hope.edu/titleix

The following person has been designated to respond to inquiries regarding the non- discrimination policy, including inquiries regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504, and Title IX:

Sara Dorer, Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer
141 East 12th Street (220 DeWitt)
PO Box 9000
Holland, MI 49422-9000
616-395-6816
dorer@hope.edu

Or for further information, you can contact the local Office of Civil Rights at:
Office for Civil Rights (Cleveland Office), US Department of Education
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 325
Cleveland, OH 44115-1812
216-522-4970

Immigration Rules for Employment

Hope College is required to comply with rules issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1987. All employees are required to file an I-9 form with the Human Resources Office. Accurate documentation as noted by the Immigration and Naturalization Service must be provided.

Campus Technology

Certain standards of performance and conduct are expected from Hope College employees when using College owned computers, telephones, and other electronic equipment. The College has no tolerance for use of College resources, including technology, for pornography and violators of this will be subject to discipline action, up to and including immediate termination.

Personal Communication: The usage of cell phones, social media, email, and texting for personal communications should be kept to a minimum and in some circumstances, will not be allowed. Employees should engage in personal communications during approved break periods if at all possible. Excessive usage of electronic equipment will be cause for discipline.
Network Use: Employees are encouraged to use the College network resources for College business only. In the event that network use is deemed inappropriate, employees may be subject to disciplinary action. The appropriateness of the penalty in each case shall be determined by the College. Network use by non-employees, including family members is prohibited.
E-mail Names: While C.I.T. strives to honor the wishes of employees in selecting e-mail name and addresses, it is the sole discretion of C.I.T. to determine these names and addresses.

Additional information regarding technology usage can be found at the following link: https://hope.edu/resources/cit/policies/rescomp.html.

Whistleblower Policy

Hope College requires all employees to observe very high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. Internal controls and operating procedures are intended to detect, prevent or deter violations of law, governmental rules and regulations, and/or College policies. The College also provides various mechanisms to assist and encourage employees to come forward in good faith with reports of violations or suspected violations. Normally, these instances should be reported to an immediate supervisor. However, there may be times when it is necessary for an employee to report a violation outside of the normal chain of command. Therefore the College has adopted a Whistleblower Policy. Specific details of this policy can be found at hope.edu/offices/human-resources/resources/whistleblower-policy.pdf.

Animal/Pet Policy

In creating a healthy, safe, and respectful environment, animals/pets should not be a part of the campus community unless part of a service animal program or identified in the exclusions clause of the policy. Pets can pose various health and safety concerns to the campus community including allergic reactions to animal dander, excessive noise, animal bites, and disease transmission (i.e., fleas, ticks, parasites, viruses, bacteria, etc.). Specific information on this policy can be found at hope.edu/offices/human-resources/employee/handbooks-policies/policies/animal-pet-policy.html.

Distracted Driver Policy

In order to increase employee safety and eliminate unnecessary risks while driving, the College has enacted a Distracted Driving Policy for those driving while performing College business. Disregarding the guidelines of this policy could jeopardize your ability to use College owned vehicles, or disciplinary action. We are committed to avoiding the perils of distracted driving and have created the following policy which applies to any employee operating a Hope College vehicle:

Hope College employees may not manually dial a hand-held cell phone while operating a college vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. The college also encourages employees to avoid cell phone conversations while the vehicle is in motion as this can distract a driver from his/her full attention to the road and the surrounding elements.

If Hope College employees need to use their phones, they should pull over safely to the side of the road or another safe location.

Michigan state law prohibits texting while driving.

Additionally, Hope College employees should:

Consider hands free dialing, walkie talkie, or radio to radio communications to avoid the need to divert one’s eyes from the road.
Inform clients, associates and business partners of this policy as an explanation of why calls may not be answered or returned immediately.

Failure to abide by this policy could jeopardize your ability to use a college owned vehicle. Due to the potential of personal injury to yourself and others, the college could consider disciplinary action as well.

Key Policy

In order to maintain the security of college buildings and the safety of students, faculty, and staff; requests for keys shall be directed to the Department of Campus Safety. The department will determine the need and justification for the request and respond accordingly. Any individual who, without authorization, reproduces keys to any college building, office, room or equipment, or who has such keys in their possession shall be subject to disciplinary action by the college.

Upon leaving the employment of the college (either voluntary or involuntary), an employee is required to turn in all keys issued to them. If the employee does not have in their possession the key(s) listed, the employee's department may be charged a fee of $10 dollars per office key and $100 dollars per master key to help offset the cost of reissuing and rekeying college property and/or facilities. Keys are required to be turned in to the Human Resources Department.

Staff Policies

Staff Hiring Policy and Procedures

Hope College Hiring Philosophy

Within the context and framework of the published mission of Hope College, we continue to seek to employ the best-qualified personnel in all areas of our operation. This philosophy is currently adhered to and will continue to serve as the basic guideline for all hiring practices. Initial employment, employee compensation, training/development and subsequent promotion opportunities are extended to all persons regardless of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, age, or handicap. The College will diligently seek qualified minority persons to fill job openings and thus expand the multicultural presence of our campus.

General Recruitment and Hiring Procedures

The College will engage in an open recruitment process for filling new positions and locating replacement personnel. Our recruitment and hiring practices utilize the online applicant system Neogov. Departments hiring should contact the Human Resources Office for information on accessing and completing the steps below in the Neogov system.

To facilitate the efficient recruitment of candidates, the following guidelines should be followed:

A "Personnel Requisition Form" will be created in Neogov and the necessary authorizations will be secured prior to the search.
An electronic posting of the position will be posted on the Human Resources web site.
Appropriate outside advertising will be coordinated by the Human Resources Office, including postings with the veterans organizations, and state unemployment agencies.
The hiring department will conduct campus interviews and special effort should be made to consider candidates from under-represented groups.
Reference and background checks will be conducted on final candidates whom are being considered for a position with the College.
The oral offer of employment by the hiring department should be followed up by a written confirmation.
Rejected candidates will be promptly contacted and the communication process should be coordinated with the Human Resources Office.
The hiring supervisor will complete an electronic hiring form to authorize placing the new employee on the payroll system.

Developing a Multicultural Community

College departments should demonstrate their support of the College hiring philosophy and follow the published recruitment/hiring procedures. To facilitate the College goal of increasing the multicultural presence, departments should make efforts to locate minority applicants for openings. The College makes special efforts to invite members of the local minority community to become more familiar with our campus and encourage their consideration of Hope College as a potential employer when openings become available.

Confidential Background Check

It is the policy of Hope College to conduct a background check before making an offer of employment. This will be limited to checking criminal convictions, state and national sex offender lists, and terrorist watch lists. In the event a particular position involves access to large sums of money, a credit check will also be required. The background check information will be ordered and reviewed by a person designated at the College. The designee will share this information with the hiring supervisor only when it is relevant to the job performance. All candidates will be informed of their right to review the check for accuracy. If the background check uncovers information that is potentially disqualifying, the candidate will be informed and given the opportunity to respond. Results of this check will remain confidential unless essential for the College’s legal defense in a lawsuit involving the candidate.

All volunteers who will be interacting with students in a private setting or spending time individually with a single student are required to receive a background check. Please contact the Human Resources Office for more information.

Changes in Employment

Job openings will be announced, when necessary in the College's judgment, by postings and/or advertisements. You may be required to complete an application for a job opening you are interested in, and the College may consider your previous performance, performance evaluations and job counseling statements in addition to other factors in reviewing your application. The College reserves the right to transfer, lay off and recall employees at its discretion.

Good Employee / Vendor Practices

The College expects all employees to refrain from the acceptance of personal gifts, services, and discounts offered by vendors to the College which may be interpreted as creating a “conflict of interest” in the conduct of College business. Favored treatment of a vendor in exchange for personal employee reward is strongly discouraged. The selection of a vendor must be based upon the best interests of the College. Normal lunch/dinner business meetings paid by vendors are considered to be acceptable business practice. Questions for policy interpretations should be addressed to the Human Resource Office.

Employee Identification Card Policy

The College recognizes that an I.D. card provides employees and their families with many valued benefits. These benefits include: use of the Dow Physical Education Center, free general admission to College athletic events, discount fees for numerous cultural activities, use of other College facilities including parking and a discount on bookstore purchases. It has therefore become necessary to establish policies governing the issue and use of cards.

Photo I.D. cards are issued at no cost to all regular non-student employees who are paid through the College payroll. The Human Resources Office is responsible for authorizing the distribution and annual validation of cards. The following I.D. card categories and guidelines are followed:

Staff Card: ID’s are validated with a sticker for a twelve (12) month period for all regular employees. The card provides full benefits to the employee and his or her dependents. Dependents desiring a Dow Card need to contact the Dow Center. Single employees are given a guest privilege that allows them to attend College activities and use College facilities with a guest at no charge. New validation stickers for cards are issued each fall semester.
Retired Employee Card: Employees who retire from active service at the College on or after the age of 65 (or age 60 with 10 years of Hope College service) or through a College Early Retirement Plan are eligible to receive an honorary lifetime I.D. that will provide the same benefits described above for regular, active employees. Spouses of deceased retirees shall become eligible for an honorary activity card providing a continuation of benefits. Should the spouse remarry, the card shall expire on the date of the remarriage.

Absenteeism and Tardiness

All employees are normally expected to work the full amount of their scheduled assigned daily work shift. Employees are not required to punch in at a time clock, but are expected to observe normal working hours as indicated.

If for any reason you will be late or absent from work, it is your responsibility to notify your immediate supervisor before the workday begins. It is also your responsibility to accurately report any absences or tardiness on your weekly time card. Failure to report such instances in a manner deemed accurate by the College, or absences and/or tardiness which, in the College’s opinion, is excessive, may result in discipline or discharge. Should the absence be for more than one day, the employee is expected to continue to apprise his/her supervisor of the situation.

Breaks/Chapel/Exercise

It is good for all employees to leave their work area during the day and take a break from their positions’ tasks. Hope College recognizes this and allows employees several opportunities throughout the week. Employees may elect:

Chapel - Employees are welcome to attend the student Chapel services on MWF
Breaks - Employees may take a 20 minute break during any 4 hour work period. If work shifts are less than 4 hours, breaks are not allowed. The 20 minutes allowed includes the time going to and from the break area.
Wellness Classes/Exercise - Employees may take an extended lunch break when engaged in an approved exercise program. The extension may not exceed an additional one-half- hour.

Employees may not utilize more than one of these in any given work shift. Example: If an employee attends Chapel, they will not take a break during their morning shift. If they utilize the one-half- hour for exercise, they will not receive a break during that 4 hour shift. If an employee takes a morning break, they will not attend Chapel or get the extra paid time for exercise.

All options must be approved by the department supervisor and during peak workloads, it is possible employees will not be granted permission to participate in the above programs.

Failure to take a break period may not be used to modify the normal work schedule (arrive late or leave early).

Change of Status

It is very important that the Human Resources Office and your immediate supervisor be kept informed of your correct address and telephone number. This can be changed on your plus.hope.edu account. It is also essential that the Human Resources Office be immediately notified when there is a change in your marital and dependency allowance status. This information is very important as it has a direct bearing on the health and life insurance program as well as withholding for income tax purposes.

Performance Evaluations

Good practice is for supervisors and employees to be in dialogue throughout the year regarding performance expectations. Frequent dialogue will allow for recognition and problem resolution to occur. Annually, your supervisor will submit an evaluation to the Human Resources Office for your personnel file. If you disagree with this evaluation, you have the option to submit, in writing, a statement that is placed in your personnel file.

Resignation

Employees are to give, in writing, a minimum of 2 week notice of their intent to terminate. Such notice will allow the immediate supervisor adequate time to seek a replacement or determine how the activities of the position will be handled. When a supervisor receives notice of an impending resignation, he/she must immediately contact the Human Resources Office. This will ensure that all employee matters regarding payroll and benefits are properly handled.

Layoff

In the event of layoff, all benefits will be terminated at midnight on the day of layoff . Benefit eligible employees with College provided health insurance will be eligible for COBRA benefits.

Dispute Resolution Procedures

Problems should be discussed first with the immediate supervisor. The second step to be taken, if no resolution has occurred, is to refer the matter to the next higher level of supervision. If dissatisfied with these results, the employee should present his/her problem in writing to the Human Resources Office and ask for a meeting with the Director of Human Resources. If there is still no employee satisfaction at this level, the Human Resources Office will take the employee's problem to the appropriate Vice President or the President for a final decision.

Involuntary Termination

In addition to the situations previously described, an employee will be subject to discharge if his/her work or behavior is, in the College's sole judgment, unnecessary, unacceptable or unsatisfactory. Any severance pay is at the discretion of the College. Pay for wages earned to date of termination will be granted and added to the final paycheck.

There may be times when conditions at the College no longer require the continuation of a particular position. If this happens, an attempt will be made to find another suitable position for the employee. If no other suitable position is available, two weeks’ notice will be given. Pay for two weeks may be given in lieu of notice if the College prefers.

In case of termination or involuntary separation (discharge), or if there is a permanent reduction in our work force, insurance will be affected as follows:

Medical and dental insurance will continue until the last day of your employment. Extension is possible under group rates according to terms of the federally mandated COBRA rules. See the Human Resources Office for full details.
Life Insurance and Long term disability insurance will cease on the final day of active employment.

Exit Interview

All employees leaving the employ of Hope College for any reason should schedule an exit interview with the Human Resources Office. The exit interview is normally held during the last week of employment. Insurance, retirement, and other arrangements for the final paycheck are made during this interview. All College property, including College ID, keys, and equipment must be returned by the last day of employment. If this is not possible, two options will be available. First, you may sign a consent form which allows the College to deduct the value (which shall be determined by the College) of the property from your paycheck to the extent the law allows. Or, you may sign a promissory note for this amount (or the balance of the amount which remains after your payroll deduction outlined in Option 1 has been made). The College reserves the right to take other lawful means (including filing a lawsuit) to recover the value of the property or the property itself, should neither option be taken, or should a balance remain after either option (or both) is/are taken.

If you wish to also speak privately with someone regarding your decision to leave the College please contact either the Director of Human Resources or the Employee Development Manager to schedule an appointment.

Breaks in Service

When an employee leaves his/her employment at the College but later is re-hired, prior years of service will be added to the employee's total years of service if the break in service is less than one (1) calendar year. Total years of service are important elements in the determination of rates for sick pay/vacation pay accumulation, service award qualification, and any other benefits with a longevity factor. Retirement program requirements for breaks in service will supersede any policy stated here.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation

Payroll Period

The hourly, non-exempt staff will be paid bi-weekly on Friday every other week for the previous two weeks work. For those not electing automatic deposit, paychecks will be mailed to your home address.

Payroll Information

Automatic Deposit

Hope College's flexible payroll system allows an employee a variety of automatic checking and savings deposit options. It is possible to have your check split between several kinds of accounts or have it all deposited into one. Find Direct Deposit forms online or access them at your plus.hope.edu account.

FICA/MQFE

Under Federal law, the College deducts Social Security taxes from your paycheck. This deduction is made according to the prevailing percentage rate up to a specified yearly amount as set by the Federal government. The amount is matched by College funds and deposited at regular intervals with the government.

Federal and State Income Taxes

Federal and State taxes are also withheld from your earnings and deposited with Federal and State governments at regular intervals. Deductions for these taxes are based on your gross salary in relationship to your marital status and the number of deductions you claim.

Unemployment Compensation

The College is also required to participate in the Unemployment Compensation Insurance program. This cost is entirely that of Hope College.

Recording Time

Each hourly employee is required to maintain and submit a bi-weekly time record to the payroll office. For most employees this will be an electronic timecard that can be found on your plus.hope.edu account. All worked time, sick time, shutdown, jury duty and unpaid leave must be clearly indicated. Failure to report daily activities in a manner deemed accurate by the College may result in discipline or discharge. All records must be approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor or department chairperson and submitted by announced deadlines.

Payroll Calculation / Overtime

Your pay, per payroll cycle, will be calculated taking the number of hours worked times your hourly rate of pay.

Overtime hours (hours worked over 40) are compensated for at one and one-half times your normal rate for those hours above 40 hours per week.

Employees must be paid for all hours worked and will not be given time off in lieu of overtime. Some voluntary shift adjustments can take place within the same week of work with supervisor approval. Overtime will not be “pyramided” or “duplicated”. This means you cannot combine overtime premium pay with other types of “premium pay” to get a premium that is greater than the individual premiums themselves.

Sick Leave

Hope College complies with the Paid Medical Leave Act (PMLA) of 2018. For those employees who work 25 hours or greater, 1 hour of sick leave will accrue for every 35 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours per year. For those working 30 hours or greater, this accrual will take place with each pay cycle. For those working 25–30 hours, an annual lookback will occur each January, and you will be notified of your banked hours. The sick leave benefit provides for payment at your normal pay rate for absences due to the following:

Physical or mental illness, injury or health condition of the employee or his or her family member
Medical diagnosis, care or treatment of the employee or family member
Preventive care of the employee or family member
Closure of the employee’s primary workplace by order of public official due to a public health emergency
Care for your child whose school or place of care is closed by a public health emergency
You or your family members’ exposure to a communicable disease that would jeopardize the health of others as determined by health authorities or a health care provider
For domestic violence and sexual assault situations, including counseling, receiving services, obtaining legal services and attending civil or criminal proceedings

Your hours do not have to be expended during the fiscal year since the plan provides for a “carry over” of benefits from one year to another. A maximum of 40 hours may be allowed to accumulate in your account at the end of any fiscal year.

In all cases when you must be absent, it is your responsibility to contact your supervisor with an explanation for your absences and approval of the absence. This must be done as soon as possible, prior to the start of the work day, so that arrangements can be made for a substitute when needed.

In the event of a work-related accident, the employee’s sick pay benefits will be superseded by benefits available under the Worker’s Compensation Act (see Worker’s Compensation section in handbook).

Worker's Compensation

reporting an Accident

Hope College carries Worker's Compensation Insurance for all College personnel. If an employee is injured while performing duties on his/her job, they must promptly report the injury prior to securing treatment (unless the injury is serious). The College uses the services of Holland MediCenter, 335 N. 120 th Ave, Holland, for treatment and assessment of most workplace injuries. Severe injuries would require treatment at a Hospital Emergency Room. Injuries should be reported promptly to Director of Occupational Health and Safety. If the Director is unavailable, then the Physical Plant Operations Manager should be contacted for Physical Plant staff or Human Resources Office Assistant for other staff. Treatment at the MediCenter requires pre-authorization by one of the three staff members indicated. The MediCenter also conducts return to work evaluations for the College. Use of an employee's personal physician is allowed for continued treatment or follow-up after 10 days of filing an injury claim.

It is very important to promptly notify your supervisor, the Department of Health and Fire Safety and secure the necessary claim form from the Office Assistant in the Human Resources Office. All bills resulting from the injury must be submitted to the Human Resources Office. Hope College uses the services of an outside company to coordinate the claims. Payments are made directly by them to the doctor and/or the hospital involved.

The Health and Safety Department will investigate all incidents for possible health or safety hazards, make a written report and take corrective action when necessary. Payments for lost wages are paid from the Worker's Compensation fund and are sent directly to the employee.

Holiday Policy

Hope College officially observes five (5) national holidays each year:

New Year’s Day

Memorial Day

Fourth of July

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

As an additional benefit to you, the College will also grant the following three (3) paid days off:

Day after Thanksgiving

Day before Christmas

Good Friday

Ordinarily, employees will not be expected to work on a holiday that falls on Monday through Friday. Holidays should be indicated on your timesheet based on the number of hours normally worked that day. If work time varies, then this is defined as the average daily hours worked in the four work weeks prior to the work week in which the holiday occurs. Should a holiday fall on Sunday, it will usually be celebrated on the following Monday. For the purpose of computing holiday compensation, these Mondays will be treated as holidays. When a holiday falls on Saturday, the College will normally designate the Friday before the holiday as a non-work day with pay. To view the annual college holiday calendar, please visit the Human Resources website.

Compensation for holidays will be based on your regular hourly rate times the numbers of hours normally worked. Employees required to work on any of the five College paid national holidays will be compensated at twice the regular hourly rate. Compensation for the other holidays will be paid at the normal rate. Hours paid at double time will offset additional hours worked during the week being paid as overtime, if applicable.

This policy is also in effect for those people who are employed on an academic-year basis only. People employed during the academic year only would not be entitled to holiday pay for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. When a holiday falls on a day the employee normally doesn't work, the employee will not receive holiday pay for this day.

Employees on an unpaid leave of absence, worker's compensation or disability leave will not be entitled to holiday pay for a holiday that occurs during their leave.

Campus Safety Staff and Physical Plant 2nd & 3rd Shift Holidays

Those working unique work shifts will observe a different holiday schedule; yet will receive at a minimum an equal number of hours observed as listed above. Please see your department supervisor to review applicable holiday schedules.

College Shut-Down

The College closes the facilities from Christmas Eve through New Years Day. For those days that are not already paid holidays, the following will occur:

For full-time staff who should have worked each day, the time will be considered paid leave.
For those employees who are on academic break, or would not have normally worked these days, the time off is without pay.
Part-time regularly scheduled employees will receive pay for only those days they would have normally been scheduled to work according to a pro-rated amount.
For those employees who may be required to work, normal pay at your regular rate will be given for hours worked, with an equal number of hours, up to a maximum of 8 hours per day, 24 hours per week, to be taken at a later date.

Military Leave

The rights of workers to take leaves-of- absence to serve in the military are governed by federal laws. Reservist on active duty will be eligible for College pay equal to the difference between their military salary and their current College salary.

Jury Duty

Employees who are called to serve on jury duty during their normal work schedule will be compensated for the difference between pay for the jury duty and their regular College pay. Normally the College will issue regular pay for the time absent and employees will be responsible for assigning payment received for jury duty to the College (via Payroll Office) as a reimbursement for time already paid. An employee is expected to report for regular College work when temporarily excused from attendance at court. The employee's supervisor must be advised of any absences due to jury duty and the employee’s timecard must accurately report the time taken for jury duty.

Miscellaneous Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Ulliance Life Advisor EAP provides Hope College employees with an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This benefit is designed to offer CONFIDENTIAL assistance to you, your immediate family members, and significant others whose personal problems are affecting your quality of life and/or job performance. The program provides visits with a counselor at no cost to the employee. Details can be found on the employee benefits page.

Dow Center / DeWitt Tennis Center / DeVos Fieldhouse Use

Faculty, staff and their dependent (IRS definition) family members can use the Dow Center and DeWitt Tennis Center, provided that the area desired is not scheduled with a Kinesiology class or a sport activity. DeVos Fieldhouse is for employees only and limited to the weight room. There is no charge to the employee for Dow Center or DeVos Fieldhouse usage. DeWitt Tennis Center does require some costs. Each family member must show his/her faculty/staff ID card or Dow card to gain admittance. Employees must follow the guidelines and policies of each facility. Information can be found on the Dow Center website at https://hope.edu/resources/dow. The DeWitt Tennis Center club hours and general information (including rates) can be found on their website, http://hopecollege.gotennissource.com/. Information on DeVos Fieldhouse hours can be found at http://hope.edu/resources/devos/.

Service Award Program

Regular hourly staff are eligible to participate in the Service Award Program. Years of service are calculated annually with gifts given to benefit eligible staff at five-year intervals and upon retirement. We use the services of a nationally recognized supplier of service awards and employees have a variety of gifts to select in recognition of their milestone.

Travel / Corporate Credit Card Policy

A Travel Policy and Procedure for using Corporate Credit Cards have been designed to enable staff members to provide accountability of travel expenses. Guidelines are general and are not expected to cover every situation. Some College divisions/departments also have internal policies which may include per diems, travel maximums, etc. For exact information please contact your department supervisor. More general information and guidelines, can be found at https://hope.edu/admin/business/policies/travel_policy.pdf

Institutional Services

The Library

Hope College employees have full access to the collections of the Van Wylen Library, including the Digital Media Lab, DVDs and streaming video content, children's books, new arrivals, browsing materials, and access to electronic materials from off-campus. Employees also have access to the Cook Library at Western Theological Seminary. Circulating materials at Cook may be borrowed by Hope students, staff, and faculty. Information regarding Van Wylen Library, including services provided can be found at https://hope.edu/library/.

The Bookstore

Any regular staff member with a current staff ID card may maintain a charge account at the Bookstore subject to store policies regarding such accounts. This service is a convenience to be used only for the personal purchases of staff members and their immediate families. The Bookstore also grants a 15% discount to staff members on cash as well as charge sales. (Some sale and low-margin items are not discounted.) Please be ready to present your staff card to ensure getting this discount.

Mail Service

Employees are welcome to utilize the full mail services of the Hope College Print & Mail Services, located on the main floor of the DeWitt Center. Specifics can be found at: http://hope.edu/print-mail.

College Vehicles

A number of College-owned vehicles are available for use by staff members while on official College business only. Online vehicle requests can be made at: http://events.hope.edu/VirtualEMS/Login.aspx.

Parking and Traffic Control

The Department Campus Safety is responsible for the enforcement of the College’s motor vehicle regulations as they apply to faculty, staff and students, and for the use of parking areas on campus.

In order to park on College property all students, faculty and staff of the College must register their vehicle(s) they own or operate while they on campus and must obtain the proper parking permit. The current parking regulations and parking map can also be found at: https://hope.edu/admin/campsafe/services.html#MotorVehicleRegulations