1 - Norm



4.1

BENEFITS POLICY

The following benefits are provided to eligible employees. Unless otherwise indicated, these benefits are provided only to full-time employees after 90 days of employment. Legally mandated benefits are provided to all employees as required. These benefits are provided to show our appreciation for your hard work and continued service to _____. Certain benefits are either partially or fully paid for by ____. Benefits in some cases may be received based upon length of service and/or hours actually worked. Following is a summary of these benefits, followed by a quick-reference guide employees can use to determine available benefits.

This section of the manual is not an employment agreement or legal contract and ____reserves the right to change, revise, or eliminate policies, procedures, and benefits at anytime at its sole discretion. ____ benefit plans are defined in legal documents such as insurance contracts, official plan text and trust agreements. This means that if a question ever arises about the nature and extent of plan benefits or if there is conflicting language, the formal language of the plan documents govern, not the informal wording of this section of the manual.

It is the employees’ responsibility to notify management of any changes that may affect their benefits such as pregnancy, the birth or adoption of children, changes in marital status, changes in designated beneficiaries, etc.

4.2

VACATION

Full-time employees of _____ are eligible to accrue vacation time. Part-time, temporary and on-call employees are not eligible for this benefit.

Vacation leave does not begin to accrue upon employment. No vacation is available for use during the initial introductory period. After 90 days of employment a block of vacation is credited to the employee’s bank. Employees can begin using available at this point. Thereafter, vacation is earned according to a formula based on employment status, length of service, anniversary date, and pay periods completed. Vacation time goes from January to January.

▪ Employees with one year of service are eligible for 4 vacation days after 90 days from date of hire.

▪ Beginning the second year of service employees are eligible for 8 vacation days.

▪ Beginning the sixth year of service employees are eligible for 12 days.

▪ Beginning the eleventh year of service employees are eligible for 16 days

EXAMPLE: During a year of employment an employee normally works 26 pay periods.

Vacation time must be taken in minimum of 1/2 day increments. Employees are asked to schedule their vacation time thirty days in advance. In the event two employees request vacation at the same time, management discretion will be used, taking into consideration office scheduling needs and patient care. If scheduling issues persist, choice of vacation time will be granted according to seniority. An employee’s seniority will only be recognized for the first vacation scheduled, with subsequent available vacation scheduled after all other employees have scheduled. Late requests may be denied. Vacation requests that coincide with a specific holiday on a repetitive year-to-year basis must be resolved on a rotating basis beginning with the senior most employee in a department. A maximum of two weeks vacation is all that may be requested at one time, unless otherwise approved by management.

Vacation time does not accrue during any long-term leave of absence.

Vacation pay is compensated at an employee’s regular hours worked per day (8 hours maximum), at the employees base rate, and is considered taxable income.

Time away from the job and responsibilities are important to maintaining a readied staff. Therefore, we encourage employees to take available vacation by year end. Pay in lieu of vacation leave is not granted except in extraordinary circumstances and approved at the sole discretion of management. Employees are encouraged to use vacation when the doctor is scheduled to be out of the office. A maximum of 8 accrued but unused vacation days may be carried over to the next year. Any additional vacation leave remaining would not be carried over. Employees may not take time off beyond earned time available. Accrued vacation is paid out to an employee upon termination except in circumstances of gross misconduct as determined by the practice.

4.3

SICK TIME

▪ Employees on short-term sick leave must keep management informed on a daily basis of their ability to return to work for the next scheduled work day. The practice reserves the right to request a physician’s statement for any length of absence due to illness/disability. In addition, when an absence due to illness/disability is over three consecutive work days, a physician’s statement may be required releasing the employee to return to work.

▪ After 90 days probation, employees start accumulating sick days ½ day (4 hrs) per month, up to 6 sick days per year. After 6 sick days, employee will be required to furnish doctors excuse for the remainder of the year. Sick days may be used for children or family illnesses, which go towards the 6 days per year.

▪ Employees can accumulate up to 20 sick days.

▪ Abuse of the sick leave policy (e.g., frequent or patterned absenteeism) will be subject to disciplinary actions.

▪ For information and planning purposes available sick leave may appear on each paycheck.

▪ Employee may use two sick days per year for personal use.

4.4

HOLIDAYS

The following are considered to be paid holidays for full-time employees as determined below:

|· New Year’s Day |January 1st |

|· Memorial Day |Last Monday in May |

|· Independence Day |July 4th |

|· Labor Day |1st Monday in September |

|· Thanksgiving Day |4th Thursday in November |

|· Christmas Day |December 25th |

| |The practice may be closed for additional |

| |days during Christmas week. Any additional|

| |days may vary from one year to the next. |

Full-time employees are eligible for paid holidays as soon as employed.

When a holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday ______ may, at its discretion, elect to pay the additional day, or observe the holiday on a Monday or Friday adjacent to the weekend holiday.

If an employee is on vacation when the holiday is observed, the employee will be paid for the holiday and will be granted an alternate day of vacation at a later date. Employees will not receive double pay (vacation and holiday pay).

Observance of other holidays, not listed above, can be observed individually as earned time off in accordance with practice policy.

Holiday pay is compensated at an employee’s regular hours worked per day (8 hours maximum), at the employee’s base rate, and is considered taxable income.

Employees on a long-term leave of absence are not eligible for holiday pay.

Any changes in holiday schedule will be posted as far in advance as possible for your convenience.

Time paid for holidays will not be considered as hours worked for the purpose of computing overtime.

4.5

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

After completing 90 days of continuous service, and in the event of a death in the immediate family, full-time employees are eligible once a year for up to 3 consecutive days of time off (to include the day of the funeral). Pay will be granted only for absences occurring on days which you were normally scheduled to work. The "immediate family" includes your:

Father, Mother, Spouse, Son, Daughter, Brother and Sister, grandparents, Grandchildren, Father-in-Law, Mother-in-Law, Son-in-Law and, Daughter-in-Law; Stepparents, children, and siblings.

_____ recognizes that immediate family arrangements may include significant others (e.g., being raised by an aunt or uncle) that are not included in the above list. These situations will be handled on a case-on-case basis and at the sole discretion of __________.

Additional time off without pay may be granted on an individual basis at management’s discretion.

Time off without pay or vacation leave may be arranged if you wish to attend the funeral of other relatives or a friend.

Bereavement pay is compensated at an employee’s regular hours worked per day (8 hours maximum), at the employees base rate, and is considered taxable income. Proof of death, funeral attendance and relationship to the deceased may be required.

Employees on a long-term leave of absence are not eligible for bereavement pay.

Time paid for bereavement leave will not be counted as hours worked for the purpose of computing overtime.

4.6

JURY AND WITNESS DUTY

It is the policy of ______ to encourage employees to fulfill their obligations for jury duty when selected. Upon receiving a summons to report for jury service, the employee must show the summons to management on the next working day so that arrangements can be made for the excused absence. In cases where an employee’s absence or extended absence would have a serious effect on operating efficiency, _____ may submit a letter to the court requesting that the employee be excused from jury duty or that his/her assignment be postponed.

Employees excused for jury duty are asked to report to work on any day in which they are not required to report for court duty or have been excused early and could work ½ of their shift. Many courts have a phone-in system where employees can find out early in the day whether or not they will serve on a jury that particular day.

_____ will pay the difference between the employee’s straight time pay and the money paid by the court system for the time actually spent on jury duty. Any time spent on court duty must be substantiated for reimbursement with an official court document indicating dates served and amount of court pay. Pay will only be granted for absences occurring on days in which the employee is regularly scheduled to work. Such pay is taxable income.

Time missed for court appearances in which one is a litigant or witness is without pay.

Employees on a long-term leave of absence are not eligible for jury/witness duty pay.

Time paid for jury duty will not be counted as hours worked for the purpose of computing overtime.

4.7

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

(Long-term)

Leaves of Absence for full-time employees who are in good standing (as determined at the sole discretion of management) and have completed six months of continuous employment will be considered by ______ for absences greater than ten days. Shorter absences will be handled according to the guidelines for vacation and sick leave.

All requests for leave of absence must:

▪ be presented in writing to management;

▪ have the final approval of management;

▪ not exceed 24 work days (six weeks);

▪ not seriously affect daily operations;

▪ not have an unacceptable impact on the quality of patient care.

Medical and Maternity Leave will begin and end on the basis of a physician's written statement regarding the employee's ability to work. A written physician’s statement may be periodically required (as requested) for the duration of both medical and maternity leave. Before the employee can return to work a fitness for duty certificate from an attending physician may be required stating that the employee is fit for duty and releasing the employee to resume work.

In your Notice Of Intention, please include the following:

1. Departure date

2. Return date if any)

3. What eligible paid time off is available to use? (i.e., sick and/or vacation days)

Military Leave is granted at any time after employment and will be handled according to USERRA guidelines. At the employee’s option, this time off may be combined with paid vacation time.

Personal Leave will be considered on an individual basis for compelling personal reasons. Approval is solely at the discretion of management and based on department work requirements, performance history, attendance and other factors.

Administrative Leave will be considered at management’s discretion for leaves of absence without pay for unusual circumstances which are in the best interest of the employee and the practice.

Employees are not to engage in seeking employment or gainful employment during a leave.

Employees must use any available paid time off while on leave of absence. The only exception to this rule is that accrued sick leave can be substituted only for absences due to bonafide illness of the employee, spouse, dependent(s), or parent(s). When all available paid time off is used, and subject to maximum time off restrictions, the employee will be on leave without pay until such time he/she returns to work

______ reserves the right at its sole discretion to approve or deny any request for an extended leave of absence. To extend a leave of absence, an employee must submit the written request prior to the expiration of the original leave, request no more than an additional 24 working days (six weeks), and have it approved by management. Extended medical and maternity leaves must be accompanied by a written physician's statement addressing the reason for the request. Each request for extension of personal leave will be considered individually, taking into account the employee's work record, attendance, and urgency of the request. All extended leave requests are considered against the impact the continued absence will have on the practice.

Employer premium contributions for all insurance benefits during paid leave of absence will be continued on the same level and under the same conditions as they would have been provided if the employee had continued to work.

During unpaid leave, only medical insurance will be continued on the same level and under the same conditions for a maximum period of six weeks provided the employee makes arrangements to pay any employee portion of the premium. Any other types of insurance premium cost(s) (e.g., dental, vision, life, disability) become the sole responsibility of the employee. A personal check made payable to the practice should be submitted by the first of each month (See management). If the employee portion of the premium is not paid in a timely manner (30 days from due date), the employee’s medical insurance coverage may lapse during leave. The practice will provide 15 days notice prior to loss of coverage. In the event of no response or an untimely reply from the employee regarding such notice, his or her medical insurance coverage may lapse.

The practice may, at its option, choose to keep the medical insurance in effect, even if the employee does not make the required payment. If the practice does so, it may deduct the employee’s portion of the premium from earned wages when the employee returns to work. In most instances, if the employee fails to return to work, the practice may bill the employee for all of the medical insurance costs it incurred while the employee was on leave. However, if a serious health condition or some other circumstance beyond the employee’s control is the cause of the employee not returning to work, the practice may only seek reimbursement for the employee’s portion of the premium made on his/her behalf.

________ is under no obligation to hold any position of an employee requesting leave of absence. The practice will attempt to return an employee to his/her former position after a leave of absence. If the former position is not available, the employee will be considered for any position with status and pay commensurate to the former position. An employee who refuses placement in an available position will be considered to have voluntarily resigned. If no such position exists, the practice may reinstate or reassign the employee as the work schedule permits or at management’s sole desecration terminate the employee after three (3) calendar days from the expiration of the leave of absence. Should a termination result, the employee is welcome to re-apply subject to _____ usual hiring practices.

An employee who fails to keep the terms of a leave of absence will be considered to have voluntarily resigned.

An employee authorized to return back to work but fails to report on the first day after a leave of absence expires, is considered to have abandoned his/her position. An exception may be a compelling reason, which the employee must document, and which management in its sole discretion finds acceptable.

If an employee decides not to return to work he/she is asked to submit a signed letter of resignation.

Employees on an long-term leave of absence are not eligible for holiday, bereavement, or jury and witness duty pay.

Paid time off does not accrue during any long-term leave of absence.

4.8

ABSENCES DUE TO ILLNESS OR INJURY

When an employee is absent from work due to a work-related illness or injury he/she must present a return-to-work release from an approved workers’ compensation medical doctor to his/her supervisor regardless of how long he/she was off work prior to return.

The practice reserves the right to request, at its sole discretion, a return-to-work release when an absence of any duration is due to a non-work-related illness or injury. Any required release should be immediately given to management upon his/her return.

4.9

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Full-time employees are eligible to apply for medical insurance benefits upon employment after a probationary period.

________ currently provides hospitalization, surgical, and medical coverage. The company may modify or terminate health insurance at any time. A separate handbook is available which outlines the benefits. ______ does not provide any additional benefits other than those described in the handbook. The terms and conditions of the actual insurance policy will govern entitlement to benefits. This benefit is furnished at practice expense, with only a minimal employee contribution, upon your acceptance by the insurance carrier. ______ is not responsible for any restricted coverage of an employee due to medical problems.

_______ strongly encourages all new employees to make certain of their acceptance by the insurance carrier for medical coverage prior to terminating any medical coverage of a previous employer.

An employee may purchase medical insurance for dependents. The premium for dependent coverage will be paid by the employee to the practice via payroll deduction.

It is the employee's responsibility to file and follow-up on medical claims.

New Born Coverage: Prior to the arrival of a new family member an employee must notify management of their desire to have the new born placed under medical coverage. Failure to do so could jeopardize coverage for the baby.

MEDICAL & DENTAL INSURANCE

Full-time employees are eligible to apply for medical and dental insurance benefits upon employment after a probationary period.

_______ currently provides group medical and dental coverage. The company may modify or terminate health and dental insurance at any time. Separate handbooks are available which outlines the benefits. _____ does not provide any additional benefits other than those described in the handbook. The terms and conditions of the actual insurance policy will govern entitlement to benefits. These benefits are furnished at practice expense upon your acceptance by the insurance carrier. _____ is not responsible for any restricted coverage of an employee due to medical and dental problems.

______ strongly encourages all new employees to make certain of their acceptance by the insurance carrier for medical and dental coverage prior to terminating any medical and dental coverage of a previous employer.

An employee may purchase medical and dental insurance for dependents. The premium for dependent coverage will be paid by the employee to the practice by payroll deduction.

It is the employee's responsibility to file and follow-up on medical and dental claims.

New Born Coverage: Prior to the arrival of a new family member an employee must notify management of their desire to have the new born placed under medical and dental coverage. Failure to do so could jeopardize coverage for the baby.

4.10

LIFE INSURANCE

A life insurance policy is provided with medical insurance coverage. This is for the employee only and a beneficiary must be designated (See specific plan description).

4.11

HEALTH INSURNACE CONTINUATION

TENNESSEE STATUTE

_______ is not covered by COBRA, but rather complies with ___state____Statute. If the employee, spouse, or dependent(s) have health insurance coverage at the time of loss of coverage, please see management for health insurance continuation options.

______ permits an employee whose group health insurance is terminated for any reason to continue coverage under the group policy for the remaining portion of the month in which the termination occurred plus an additional three months.

In order for an employee to have this right, the employee must have been continuously insured under the group policy for at least three months prior to termination. The employee must also pay in advance to _____ the full three months premium for the continuation of the coverage, including any portion of the premium usually paid by ______.

Divorce or Death/15 months: When a spouse’s insurance is terminated as a result of divorce or death, the spouse has the option of continuing coverage under the group policy for the remaining portion of the month in which the termination occurs, plus an additional 15 months. In order to obtain this continuation, the spouse must pay in advance to the employer the full premium every three months, including any portion of the premium usually paid by the employer.

Pregnancy/At Least 6 Months: In addition, if an individual’s group insurance is terminated during pregnancy, the employee or spouse is entitled to continue the group coverage for the remaining portion of the month in which the termination occurs plus an additional period of not less than six months after the pregnancy ends.

4.12

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Employees may be covered against loss of earnings and/or medical expenses due to job related injury/illness by our Workers' Compensation Insurance Policy. ______ pays for the full cost of this protection. In all instances, the employee must immediately report any injury, no matter how slight, which occurs while on the job to management. It will be determined by management if the employee should report for medical attention outside of the practice. It is not the employee’s responsibility to determine the severity or insignificance of the injury. Failure to immediately report any incident may jeopardize eligibility for Workers' Compensation. Employees who miss work due to a workers’ compensation injury must provide a work release from a physician prior to returning to work.

4.13

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION

This practice contributes each quarter towards unemployment compensation. The basic reason for unemployment pay is to provide some security to those who are unemployed through no fault of their own. The state is responsible for determining eligibility and the amount an unemployed employee will be paid.

4.14

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE & TRAVEL

Approved job related off-site meetings and travel may be available at full or partial reimbursement from ____ at its discretion and in accordance with state and federal guidelines. Participation in and support of this type of educational program is encouraged. Assistance is not available for entire degree programs.

Paid Time: Time spent in attending employer requested and approved meetings are considered compensable work time.

Unpaid Time: Time need not be credited as working time if all 4 criteria are met: (1) Attendance occurs outside the employee’s normal working hours, (2) attendance is voluntary, (3) employee does no productive work while attending; and (4) the meeting is not directly related to the employee’s job (i.e., does not aid the employee in performing his/her present job better). However, compensation may still be considered on a case-by-case basis at the company’s discretion.

While educational assistance is expected to enhance employees’ performance and professional abilities, the practice cannot guarantee that participation in formal education will lead to advancement, a different job assignment, or pay increase.

It is the responsibility of each employee (as appropriate) to obtain continuing education and maintain the documentation for such continuing education as required for licensure and certification.

Overnight Travel : ______ will pay nonexempt employees wages for approved travel time that crosses through an employee’s regular work hours (Monday-Thursday).

Passenger: Time riding as a passenger in private transportation (automobile, van, etc.) or public conveyance (airplane, bus, etc.) is compensable work time during normal work hours. Time riding beyond normal work hours is not compensable, unless work is performed in route for the benefit of the company.

Driver: Time spent driving is considered work time and is compensable, less the employee’s usual commute time from home to work.

A one-hour lunch time is not compensable when the employee is relieved of work duties.

Day Travel: ______ will pay nonexempt employees wages for approved travel time. Employees will be compensated for all hours in transit during the day (including those beyond the normal work hours).

Passenger: Time riding as a passenger in private transportation (automobile, van, etc.) or public conveyance (airplane, bus, etc.) is compensable work time during and beyond normal work hours.

Driver: Time spent driving is considered work time and is compensable, less the employee’s usual commute time from home to work.

A one-hour lunch time is not compensable when the employee is relieved of work duties.

Mileage: When personal transportation is used for business travel, the owner of the vehicle will be reimbursed at the allowed IRS rate per mile for mileage and gas expenses. However, there will be no reimbursement for mileage expenses incurred for travel within the city and/or county the employee works.

When gas expenses are charged to ______ the mileage reimbursement will be prorated as follows: (Current IRS mileage allowance x Mileage = Total Possible Reimbursement), then (Total Possible Reimbursement ! Gas Receipts = Prorated Mileage Allowance). The Prorated Mileage Allowance is the amount of reimbursement the owner of the driven vehicle will receive.

Meal Expenses: A per diem of $50.00 per day will be given to the employee prior to travel. A corporate credit card will also be issued to the traveler, or one of a group of travelers, for lodging, car rental if applicable, and other business related expenses. Employees whose conferences include meals will receive a pro-rated per diem per day. Each meal provided will reduce the day per diem.

_______________________________ may change the per diem rate as necessary to accommodate expected differences in travel expenses. The current standard per diem rate is as follows:

All brochures, program materials and receipts must be kept and given to management for reimbursement and/or verification purposes.

4.15

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Dues for documented participation/memberships in approved local and state societies will be paid by _____ up to a maximum of $500 annually. If ____ pays the dues, it is required that the employee attend at least 50% of all meetings on their own time and provide proof of attendance. This documentation will be placed in the employee’s personnel file.

4.16

(Identify Appropriate Plan)

SIMPLIFIED EMPLOYEE PENSION

A simplified employee pension plan (SEP) is an arrangement under which the practice contributes to an IRA that is set up for each covered employee. See management for current details.

PENSION PLAN/401K

After one year of employment, all eligible employees (with 1000 hours of service) may participate in our 401K Pension Plan. A summary plan description (SPD) outlining the plan benefits is available from management.

The 401K Salary Deferral Plan is designed to help provide some retirement income to employees who participate in the plan through a combination of financial contributions made voluntarily by employees via paycheck deductions over the course of their employment, financial contributions made directly into the plan by the practice, and income earned on plan investments.

Additional information about this plan is available from management.

PROFIT SHARING

A profit sharing plan for eligible employees is maintained and funded by the practice. Full time employees become eligible on a predetermined date for inclusion in the plan after completing one year of continuous employment. Upon becoming eligible for the plan, an employee is considered to be fully (100%) vested after a predetermined number of years of participation in the plan. ____ at their discretion may deposit an amount of funds into the employee’s retirement account based on a predetermined percentage rate and the employee’s level of compensation. See the summary plan description for details. It is available from management. Terms and conditions of the plan are subject to review and change at management’s discretion as provided by law.

4.18

HIDDEN PAYCHECK

____ provides benefits that makeup what is known as the "hidden paycheck". They are provided as required, and/or as corporate funds allow, and at full cost to the practice.

They include:

       • Employer's Social Security Tax Contribution (FICA)

       • Workers' Compensation Insurance Coverage

       • Unemployment Insurance Premiums

       • Hepatitis B Vaccine (as appropriate)

       • TB Skin Test

Additional benefits may include:

       • Luncheons/parties

       • Free coffee, kitchen available with microwave

4.19

DRUG SAMPLES

No employee is to take drug samples from this office without written physician approval and documentation in the employee’s medical record. Medications taken on a regular basis need to be documented only once unless more frequent documentation is required by the physician.

Samples given to patients of this practice when the physician is not present should be documented in the patient’s chart and be signed by the physician at a later time.

All samples distributed to employees should be recorded by a designated member of management in a log book.

Sample amounts to employees, for personal use only, should be limited to a short 10-day course of therapy.

Deviations from this policy are grounds for disciplinary action, including termination.

IT’S THE LAW: DISPENSING SAMPLE MEDICATIONS WITHOUT PHYSICIAN INVOLVEMENT IS EQUIVALENT TO PRACTICING MEDICINE WITHOUT A LICENSE AND IS AGAINST THE LAW.

4.20

EMPLOYEE FACILITIES (Lounge)

_____ provides comfortable employee facilities. We expect all employees to clean up after themselves as a matter of courtesy.

No food or drink is allowed in designated OSHA areas (See Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan). Do not have food or drink in other areas where it interferes with your work, patient care, or practice image. Avoid having food or drink near office equipment including computer keyboards.

The following are employee areas available for your convenience:

Conference Room

Lobby (when authorized)

Kitchen

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