Amended July 22, 2020
A. Responsibilities
1. Board of Trustees
a. Approve the establishment of new positions, significant alterations to existing positions and the abolishment of positions.
b. Approve the compensation offered for a position.
c. Approve significant personnel policies with budgetary or legal implications, including benefits policies.
d. Provide advice to the Minister (“Chief of Staff”) and the Vice-President for Personnel and Chief of Staff regarding significant personnel matters.
2. Vice-President for Personnel
a. In consultation with the Chief of Staff, review and make recommendations to the Board concerning: staffing needs, compensation, significant personnel policies, benefits and any matters specifically requested by the Board.
b. In consultation with the Chief of Staff, approve job descriptions, conduct searches to fill staffing vacancies, develop employment contracts or letter agreements, determine probationary periods for new employees, resolve employee complaints or grievances and approve any involuntary terminations.
c. Report all new hires and terminations to the Board.
d. Oversee annual performance evaluations of non-Ministerial staff and, along with the Chief of Staff, present a report of the evaluations to the Board.
e. In consultation with the Chief of Staff, develop, maintain and update an Employee Handbook detailing the Church’s personnel policies and procedures. As necessary, provide interpretations of such policies and procedures. Seek Board approval of changes to significant personnel policies (including benefits policies).
f. Maintain confidential, individual personnel files for each employee. Chair the Personnel Committee, consulting and delegating duties to the Committee or individual members as appropriate.
e. With the Chief of Staff, inform the Board of significant personnel matters.
3. Chief of Staff
a. In consultation with the Vice-President for Personnel, make decisions on hiring new staff members and on terminating staff members.
b. Oversee the performance of all Church staff, directly or through supervisors, including the performance of day-to- day duties, the development of and performance towards longer-term goals, resolution of employee grievances, and conducting annual written and oral performance evaluations.
c. Work with the Vice-President for Personnel as described in Section A.2.
B. Personnel Committee
The Personnel Committee is established to assist the Vice-President for Personnel and the Board in the administration of non-Ministerial staff. It shall consist of no fewer than four members. The Vice President for Personnel shall act as Board liaison for the committee.
C. Equal Opportunity
UUCSS is an equal opportunity employer in its selection of staff and employment practices. Applicants and employees shall receive consideration without regard to race, sex, age, national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information or other non- merit factors.
D. Hiring of Members
1. Members of the congregation may not serve as paid staff persons except for short-term or interim positions. If a member of the congregation chooses to become a paid staff person, he or she will be expected to resign their membership, with the understanding that their relationship to the membership and staff of the church will change accordingly and significantly. This is an important difference in relationship that must be managed by the former member. A “short-term” position is defined as a position that is expected to last three months or less. An “interim” position is one where a person is filling in only until a permanent person can be found. If there is uncertainty regarding whether a position is short-term or interim, the Chief of Staff will make a final determination.
2. Staff persons may at their own discretion:
a. Enroll their children in the Religious Education Program.
b. Participate in UUCSS social events. However, unless the event is directly related to their official duties, the staff person will be responsible to pay any fees that non- staff persons are expected to pay, and will not be paid for the time spent at the event. If there is uncertainty regarding whether participating in an event relates to official duties, the Chief of Staff will make a final determination.
c. Family members of UUCSS staff members may, at their own discretion, choose to become members of UUCSS. Family members should be aware of the potential conflicts of interest that this situation may create, and should not seek pastoral counseling on issues related to their family member’s employment at UUCSS.
E. Compensation Criteria
The Board shall consider the following criteria in setting employee compensation, including whether such compensation be increased, decreased, or remain the same:
- Fair Compensation criteria as set by the Unitarian Universalist Association;
- The duties and responsibilities of the position;
- The individual’s experience and education level;
- Performance and effectiveness of the employee during the previous year;
- The consumer cost-of-living during the previous year.
- The employee’s tenure. It is presumed that employees’services become more valuable as their experience increases;
- The achievement of a significant milestone such as the acquisition of a degree or certificate directly applicable to the employee’s position at UUCSS; And
- The financial condition of UUCSS.
F. Benefits
Employees may be given specified benefits in addition to their salary. Benefits policies will be set forth in an Employee Handbook distributed to all employees. In addition, some employees may be provided with different benefits spelled out in individualized contracts or letter agreements, which shall supersede any benefits described herein or in the Employee Handbook.
1. Health Insurance
For employees who work half-time or more, the Church will contribute to the cost of individual health insurance coverage through the Church’s group health insurance plan. The Church contributes 80 percent of the cost of such coverage for full-time employees. For part-time employees working at least half-time, the Church will contribute the greater of (a) a pro rata share of 80 percent of the cost of such coverage based on the percentage of full-time hours worked or (b) 60 percent of the cost.
2. Retirement
For employees who work half-time or more, after one year of employment, the Church will contribute an amount equal to 10 percent of the employee’s salary to a retirement plan.
3. Workers’ Compensation Insurance
The Church will carry workers’ compensation insurance in accordance with law.
G. Leave and Holidays
1. Personal Leave
The Church provides paid vacation leave to employees working at least half-time, based on length of service. For part-time employees, a percentage of the full-time leave will be allowed based on the percentage of full-time hours worked. The full-time based leave is as follows:
| Length of Service | Personal Leave |
|---|---|
| 0-2 years | 4 hours/month |
| More than 2 years but less than 5 years | 8 hours/month |
| More than 5 years but less than 10 years | 10 hours/month |
| More than 10 years | 12 hours/month |
Unused vacation up to half the employee’s annual vacation may be time may be carried over into the following year. Employees who resign with at least two weeks’ notice may receive payment for the accrued vacation days that have not been used, except for any time carried over from the prior year.
2. Sick Leave
Full-time employees accrue one day of paid sick leave for each month of work. Accrued sick leave can be carried over from year to year to a maximum of 60 days. Part-time employees working at least half-time accrue sick leave on a pro rata basis, based on the percentage of full-time hours worked.
3. Compensatory Time
Employees who agree to work outside the scheduled work hours for the position may be provided with compensatory time-off by the supervisor.
4. Holidays
Employees working at least half time shall normally have a paid holiday for regularly scheduled hours which fall on the following days as celebrated by the Federal Government: Martin Luther King’s Birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day. In addition, the period from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day, inclusive, shall be a paid holiday except as an employee is required to work in connection with any Sunday service that falls within that week.
5. Jury Duty
Employees called for jury duty shall receive compensation for up to five working days (compensated for their regularly scheduled hours during such days).
6. Emergency Closings
Employees working at least half time shall be compensated for time missed due to an emergency closing of the church (for weather-related or other emergencies).
7. Funeral or Bereavement Leave
Full-time employees may be eligible for a leave of absence for up to three days with pay for the death of an immediate family member, defined as a spouse, domestic partner, child, parent or sibling.
8. Other Leave
Additional policies regarding unpaid leave shall be described in the Employee Handbook.
H. Harassment
1. Sexual harassment is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
2. Conduct that shows hostility or an aversion towards an individual because of his or her race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other non-merit classification protected by law constitutes harassment. Harassment is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
3. Any employee who believes he or she has been harassed or sexually harassed by another employee, a supervisor or any other person encountered in the course of employment should report the conduct immediately to his or her supervisor or the Chief of Staff. A supervisor receiving such a report will immediately notify the Chief of Staff. If the report or complaint involves the Chief of Staff, or if the Chief of Staff is unavailable, the employee may or the supervisor shall report the conduct to the Vice President for Personnel.
4. The Chief of Staff in consultation with the Vice President for Personnel will promptly investigate any complaint or report of sexual harassment. If the investigation indicates that a violation of the harassment or sexual harassment policy may have occurred, he or she will take timely and appropriate action.
5. The supervisor, Chief of Staff and Vice President for Personnel will maintain confidentiality to the extent possible during and after the investigation, but investigative information may be communicated to those with a need to know.
6. Retaliation or reprisal against employees who report harassment or sexual harassment claims is prohibited and will not be tolerated. Any violation of this policy will be treated as a serious matter and will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
I. Resolution of Employee Grievances
Employees should present any grievance to his or her supervisor, who will seek to resolve the concern. If discussion with the supervisor does not resolve the matter to the employee’s satisfaction, the employee may submit the grievance to the Chief of Staff or, if the Chief of Staff is unavailable or is involved in the grievance, to the Vice President for Personnel. The Chief of Staff and/or Vice President for Personnel will conduct an investigation, and may involve the Personnel Committee or an ad hoc committee to advise him or her. After an appropriate investigation, the Chief of Staff or Vice President for Personnel will make a final decision regarding resolution of the grievance.