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 of Employment
2. Staff Procedures and Processes
Compensation & Benefits

General policy Statement

Hope College adheres to all federal and state civil rights laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in private institutions of higher education. Hope College affirms the dignity of all persons as made in the image of God. Hope College is committed to being a welcoming, vibrant and caring academic community where academic excellence and the pursuit of knowledge are strengthened by our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and grounded in the historic Christian faith, where the full humanity of all may flourish in an environment in which there is room for different perspectives that bring people together. It is the policy of Hope College not to discriminate on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, familial status, genetic information, height, national origin, race, religion (except in the event of a bona fide occupational qualification), sex (including gender expression, gender identity, pregnancy, sexual orientation), theological perspectives (e.g., conservative, progressive, traditional), veteran status, weight or any other legally protected attribute, status or characteristic.

Our commitment to an equitable and inclusive place of learning, living, and working together, and to prevent discrimination and harassment, is the responsibility of all members of the Hope community. This covers nondiscrimination in all the College’s programs and activities, including employment, admissions, and access to educational opportunities.

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.

It is the employee’s responsibility to read and comply with the policies, processes, and procedures in this handbook and linked documents.

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, 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.

Conditions of Employment

College Policies of Employment

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. When an employee does not observe these standards, counseling or an oral reminder by a supervisor normally results in the employee observing these standards in the future. 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
Dishonesty
Inefficiency or 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, a performance improvement plan (PIP), 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 here.

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.

Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Non-Discrimination

Hope College adheres to all federal and state civil rights laws and regulations prohibiting dis-crimination in private institutions of higher education. Hope College affirms the dignity of all persons as made in the image of God. Hope College is committed to being a welcoming, vibrant and caring academic community where academic excellence and the pursuit of knowledge are strengthened by our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and grounded in the historic Christian faith, where the full humanity of all may flourish in an environment in which there is room for different perspectives that bring people together. It is the policy of Hope College not to discriminate on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, familial status, genetic information, height, national origin, race, religion (except in the event of a bona fide occupational qualification), sex (including gender expression, gender identity, pregnancy, sexual orientation), theological perspectives (e.g., conservative, progressive, traditional), veteran status, weight or any other legally protected attribute, status or characteristic. Our commitment to an equitable and inclusive place of learning, living, and working together, and to prevent discrimination and harassment, is the responsibility of all members of the Hope community. The Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Non-discrimination Policy covers nondiscrimination in all the College’s programs and activities, including employment, admissions, and access to educational opportunities.

The following individual has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the College’s non-discrimination policies:

Taylor Sinclair
Senior Director of Equity and Compliance
Office of Equity and Compliance
Anderson-Werkman Center, Suite 251
616.395.6816

Accommodation Policy

Hope College is committed to providing equal access to employment and educational opportunities for persons with disabilities. Hope College recognizes that individuals with disabilities may need reasonable accommodations to ensure equally effective opportunities to participate in or benefit from college educational programs, services, and activities, and to have equal employment opportunities.

This policy is established to clearly define process and procedures around requesting reasonable accommodation(s) on the basis of disability. This policy applies to all Hope College students, employees, applicants and community guests/visitors. View more information about this policy.

Technology Usage Policy

The purpose of the Technology Usage Policy is to inform and educate all of us at Hope College of the rights and responsibilities associated with our shared use of College Technology Resources, encouraging transparency and common understanding.

Hope College is committed to providing integrated and comprehensive technologies to enhance teaching and learning and to improve productivity and support a residential student community. Hope provides students, faculty and staff with access to a wide range of computing resources, digital information and communication networks to support the academic, research and administrative functions of the College.

This policy strives to provide a balanced approach between user rights and responsibilities with appropriate use of College Technology Resources. Students, faculty, staff, and anyone else authorized (see the “Authorized Users” provision below) to use College Technology Resources are responsible for reading, understanding and complying with this Technology Usage Policy.

Hope College Privacy Statement

Hope College respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

The privacy statement (“The Statement”) applies solely to identifiable information about you (“Your Information”) collected via hope.edu (“ The Site”). Any data collected or provided outside www.hope.edu is not covered. The Statement will notify you of:

How Your Information is used and with whom it may be shared;
What choices are available to you regarding Your Information;
The security procedures in place to protect Your Information.

By using The Site you acknowledge an understanding of The Statement and all its contents. View the specifics of the policy.

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. View specific details of the whistleblower policy.

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.). View specific information about the Animal Policy.

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 state requirements and guidelines of this policy could jeopardize your ability to use College owned vehicles or involve 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 or driving on college business:

As of June 30, 2023, Michigan is a “Hands Free” state regarding mobile devises. Michigan law prohibits holding or using a cellphone while driving.

Hope College employees may not manually dial a hand-held cell phone while operating a college vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. Additionally, for college vehicles equipped with mobile computers, employees may not make keystrokes on those computers while driving. The college encourages employees to avoid cell phone conversations while the vehicle is in motion, even if hands free, as this can distract a driver from his/her full attention to the road and the surrounding elements.

If a Hope College employee needs to use their hands to take/make a call or to review GPS directions, they should pull over safely to the side of the road or another safe location.

Additional information about the Michigan law, including exceptions for first responders and emergency calls, can be found on the Distracted Driving page of the Michigan State Police website.

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 who will work with the Provost, Dean, Chair or department administrator. They 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 $30 dollars per office key $100 dollars per master key and $30 dollars per lock change 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 or Campus Safety.

Small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)/Drone Policy

To provide a safe and productive environment for such activity, all use or control of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) taking place within or above the boundaries of Hope College shall fully comply with the Small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)/Drone Policy.

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. When no internal promotions are evident for an open or new position, the College will engage the Staff Hiring Policy to fill the position.

Developing a Diverse 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 developing a diverse and inclusive community, departments should make every effort to seek candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and historically underrepresented groups.

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 will advance our goal of building a work force of persons committed to the mission of the College.

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

A hiring manager will create a requisition (job description) in the applicant system and the necessary approvals will be secured prior to any search.
An electronic posting of the position will be posted on the Colleges job landing page, accessible via the Human Resources web site.
Appropriate outside advertising will be coordinated by the Human Resources Office and the hiring manager.
The hiring manager will select a search committee that includes diverse members (gender, race, age, departments) including an employee trained as an Equity Advisor.
The search committee will conduct campus and/or virtual interviews and special effort should be made to consider candidates from under-represented groups.
Reference checks will be conducted on final candidates whom are being considered for a position with the College.
An oral offer of employment by the hiring department will occur, along with Human Resources conducing a confidential background check of the candidate. Once the background check has successfully been completed, an offer letter will be sent through the applicant system. Hiring managers will be responsible for communicating with those candidates that were interviewed in person but did not receive the job offer.
The hiring manager will complete a hiring form in the applicant system. This will begin the onboarding process.
Hiring managers will receive their task list of responsibilities to onboard the new employee prior to the employee’s first day of work.

Background Check Policy

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, felony charges, 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.

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 within 3 days of beginning work. Accurate documentation as noted by the Immigration and Naturalization Service must be provided.

Expense and Resource Stewardship Policy

As trusted stewards of Hope's institutional assets, we use the College’s financial resources to further the mission of the College drawing on our strategic priorities as a guide. We are mindful that the primary sources of revenue come from students, their families, and friends of the College.

We use the College’s resources with integrity, in a manner that is wise, fair, honest, transparent, and ethical. We seek to achieve the highest overall value per dollar, considering financial and nonfinancial aspects of each transaction.

While the policy was developed in the spirit of good practice and good stewardship, we recognize not every situation an employee faces in regards to spending will be covered in detail in this policy. If you encounter decisions or questions around spending or approvals that are not covered directly in this document, please contact Business Services.

The guiding principles, procedures, and policies outlined in this document are applicable to all employees and all fund types (operating, discretionary, professional development, sponsored program, agency, etc.) unless otherwise noted. Read the full Expense and Resource Stewardship Policy.

Staff Procedures and Processes

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 Campus Safety (ext 7770) or the Human Resources Office (ext 7811).

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 and DeVos Fieldhouse, free general admission to College athletic events (with some limitations), discount fees for numerous cultural activities, use of other College facilities including parking and a discount on bookstore purchases.

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 issuance of cards by Campus Safety. The following I.D. card categories and guidelines are followed:

Staff Card — 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. .
Retired Employee Card — Employees who retire from active service at the College on or after the age of 65 or through a College Early Retirement Plan are eligible to keep their I.D. that will provide the same benefits described in paragraph one for regular, active employees.

Work Schedules/Hours

As a community that serves a student population, many of our positions require being present on campus during set times of specific days to complete daily work. Hope College does recognize that at times it is possible to alter how and when work is performed. The College will consider the following possibilities:

Remote Work — Different departments and positions will have varying levels of remote work as a possibility (1-day, 2-day, ½ day). If you are interested in remote work, please work with your supervisor to discern what options are possible for your specific position and contact Human Resources. Remote work options will typically not be available during the first weeks or months of employment due to job training.
Revised Work Week — Some positions allow for a revised work week based on days (other than M-F) or start and end times. If you believe your work is suited for this type of consideration, please work with your supervisor to discuss options.
Reduced Hours (FTE) — If you find your workload is changing over time and would like to consider reduced work hours, please work with your supervisor to discuss what options might be available.

A request for one of the altered work arrangements does not guarantee it will be approved. Decisions will be made in conjunction with the supervisor, divisional leader, and human resources.

Variable Schedules

Part time employees have a varied work day schedule based on the needs of the College department where they are working. Employees will be scheduled to work such hours as are required by the job assignment. At peak times, it may be necessary to work more hours than originally agreed upon. These hours will be assigned by the direct supervisor. Lunch/meal breaks are required for all employees working more than 4 hours per day and are not considered “hours worked” for compensation or overtime purposes.

Absenteeism and Tardiness

All employees are normally expected to work the full amount of their scheduled assigned daily work shift. Hourly employees are not required to punch in at a time clock, but are expected to truthfully report their hours on their timesheets.

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. 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 Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
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. Failure to take a break period may not be used to modify the normal work schedule (arrive late or leave early).
Wellness Classes/Exercise — Employees who are full time (.75 FTE or greater) may take a ½ hour paid time to exercise with their supervisor’s approval. This may be to participate in a wellness activity, work out in one of the campus facilities, or attend an off campus exercise program/facility. Each department will determine the best approach for allowing employees time to exercise.

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.

Change of Personal Information

It is very important that the Human Resources Office and your immediate supervisor be kept informed of your correct address and telephone number. All changes to addresses/phone numbers can be made 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/or dependency allowance status.

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.

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 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.

If the dispute is something that is covered in the protections outlined in the Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination Policy, the Compliance Office will work in conjunction with other appropriate offices.

Resignation

Employees are asked 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.

All College property, including I.D.s, keys, college credit cards and laptops must be returned to the supervisor on the last day of employment.

Layoff

In the event of layoff, the employment relationship will be terminated at midnight on the day of layoff.

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. In the event no other position is available, the employee will be permanently laid off and eligible for unemployment.

Exit Process

Upon the Human Resources Office receiving notification of your leaving, you will receive an email outlining the steps that need to be taken. All employees leaving the employ of the College will be expected to return all College property including College ID, keys, and equipment by the last day of employment. If property is not returned in a timely matter, 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. If you wish to speak privately with someone regarding your decision to leave the College, you can request a meeting with the Employee Development Manager to schedule an exit interview.

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.

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 Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) that went into effect February 21, 2025, providing employees with their rights as outlined by this act. Part-time, non-benefit eligible hourly employees receive sick leave, which accrues 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Accrual occurs with each pay cycle.

The sick leave benefit provides for payment at your normal pay rate for absences due to the following:

The eligible employee's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of the eligible employee's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or preventative medical care for the eligible employee.
The eligible employee's family member's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of the eligible employee's family member's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or preventative medical care for a family member of the eligible employee.
If the eligible employee or the eligible employee's family member is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, the medical care or psychological or other counseling for physical or psychological injury or disability; to obtain services from emergency; or if it has been determined by the health authorities having jurisdiction or by a health care provider that the eligible employee's or eligible employee's family ma victim services organization; to relocate due to domestic violence or sexual assault; to obtain legal services; or to participate in any civil or criminal proceedings related to or resulting from the domestic violence or sexual assault.
For meetings at a child’s school or place of care related to the child’s health or disability, or the effects of domestic violence or sexual assault on the child.
For closure of the eligible employee's primary workplace by order of a public official due to a public health emergency; for an eligible employee's need to care for a child whose school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health ember's presence in the community would jeopardize the health of others because of the eligible employee's or family member's exposure to a communicable disease, whether or not the eligible employee or family member has actually contracted the communicable disease.

Employees’ sick leave balance will rollover from one calendar year to the next, with a maximum sick leave balance of 72 hours. At this point, employees will not accrue additional sick leave until it is used, at which point it will accrue again. Sick leave may be taken in 15 minute increments.

In all cases, when you must be absent, it is your responsibility to contact your supervisor with an explanation. If the employee’s need to use sick leave is foreseeable, please provide your supervisor notice of your intention to use the earned sick time at least 7 days prior to the date the sick leave is to begin. If your need for sick leave is not foreseeable, provide notice of the intention as soon as practicable.

For sick leave of more than 3 consecutive days, a supervisor or Human Resources (HR) may require reasonable documentation that the paid time off has been used for a purpose described above. Upon the supervisor’s request, the employee must provide the documentation to HR not more than 15 days after the request, although the use of sick time may not be denied/delayed based on documentation. Reasonable documentation might include:

A letter signed by a healthcare professional indicating that the sick leave is necessary
In cases of domestic violence or sexual assault, one of the following:
- a police report indicating that the employee or the employee’s family member was a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault;
- a signed statement from a victim and witness advocate affirming that the employee or employee’s family member is receiving services from a victim services organization;
- a court document indicating that the employee or employee’s family member is involved in legal action related to domestic violence or sexual assault. An employer shall not require that the documentation explain the nature of the illness or the details of the violence.

If there are any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the employee to obtain required documentation, the college will reimburse those expenses if receipts are submitted to HR.

In the event of a work-related accident/injury, 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. The DeWitt Tennis Center club hours and general information (including rates) can be found on their website, https://tennis.hope.edu/. 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