Pointer Books & Music Employee Manual

Definitions

At-Will Employment

Employment at Pointer Books & Music is voluntarily entered into and all employees are free to resign at any time, although thirty (30) days written notice is generally expected and appreciated. Similarly, Pointer Books & Music is free to terminate an employment relationship. Although the company generally gives thirty (30) days written notice, it reserves the right to terminate employment, effective immediately, in extreme circumstances. While Pointer Books & Music hopes that the employee/employer relationship will be long and beneficial, in no instance has employee or Pointer Books & Music entered into any contract of employment, expressed or implied. Poter Books & Music’s relationship to its employees is and will always be one of employment “at-will.”

Part-Time Staff Employees

Part-time staff employees have positions that require less than 40 hours of work each week and are hired with this understanding by Pointer Books & Music. Time allowed for lunch for part-time staff employees is decided upon a case-by-case basis between supervisor and employee at the time of hiring.

Full-Time Staff Employees

Regular full-time staff employee positions require a minimum of 40 hours of work each week during regular business hours. As a part of those 40 hours, employees may take one hour each day for lunch. Employees working 40 hours per week are entitled to all of the benifits described in this handbook as applying to full-time staff employees.

Temporary Staff Employees

Temporary staff employees work on a particular project or task or are generally hired as seasonal help. They perform routine tasks which usually require the direct supervision of a full-time or part-time staff employee. Temporary staff employees receive only two fringe benifits: the standard employer's matching contribution to Social Security and coverage under the store's Workers Compensation insurrance. An example of a temporary staff employee is someone hired to assist with data entry for a period of only a few days.

Compensation

Philosophy

Salaries and wages are considered personal and confidential. There is no set policy or pay scale for establishing adminstrative salaries. In general, the General Manager, within the requirements of law, will take into consideration the following factors: employee's professional qualifications (including work experience and education), competitive salaries for like work at similar institutions, years of service to Pointer Books & Music, past performance, and the stores’s payroll budget.

Staff Paychecks

The Pointer Books & Music pay period extends from the sixteenth of one month to the fifteenth of the next month. Paychecks will be issued once a month on the fifteenth of the month. If the fifteenth falls on a Saturday, checks will be issued on Friday. If the fifteenth falls on a Sunday, checks will be issued on the following Monday. Paychecks represent compensation for the month of work just completed up to and including the 15th of the month.

Compensation for staff members will represent the agreed upon annual salary as stated in an individual's letter of employment, divided into twelve equal installments. One installment will be given to the employee each month unless special arrangements have been made or unusual circumstances occur.

Direct Deposit

For convenience, an employee may have his or her paycheck deposited directly into his or her personal bank account. Some banks will waive monthly service fees for direct deposit customers. This service may be arranged through Pointer’s Books and Music business office.

Vacation/Personal Days

Benefit for Full-Time Employees

Each full-time staff member receives fifteen (15) paid vacation/personal days annually from the date of hire plus the holidays listed below. Guidelines relating to personal days are found elsewhere in this handbook. Unused vacation/personal days may not be accrued from one year of employment to the next.

Benefit for Part-Time Employees

Each part-time staff member (those working fewer than 40 hours per week) receives an annual benefit, based upon date/aniversary of hire, of vacation/personal days. For part-time employees, the number of vacation/personal days is established, in writing, between supervisor and employee before the commencement of employment. The part-time allotment of vacation/personal days may be based upon a pro-rated model of the full-time benefit discussed above.

Eligibility for Benefit for Full and Part-Time Employees

During the first three months of employment, neither full nor part-time employees may take any vacation/personal days unless arrangements have been made with the General Manager at the outset of employment or if days away from the office are needed, again with the permission of the Manager, in response to unusual circumstances. After three months of employment all vacation/personal days for which an employee is eligible are available for use.

Compensation for Unused Vacation/Personal Days

If an employee resigns from Pointer Books & Music, he or she will be compensated for earned but unused vacation/personal days for the current year of employment dating from employee's renewal date. For purposes of this calculation only, vacation days for full-time employees will be figured to have been earned at a rate of 1.25 days per month of work. This calculation will be pro-rated for part-time employees. The date and aniversary of start of employment are used as the beginning date to figure vacation/personal days. For example, if a full-time employee's renewal date is July 1 and he or she resigns, having taken no vacation days, effective November 1, he or she will be compensated for five vacation/personal days--1.25 days x 4 months.

Vacation Scheduling

To avoid any conflicts and ensure adequate staffing during vacation periods, vacations must be approved in advance by the General Manager. Employees are asked not to use more than ten (10) consecutive vacation days at any one time. For vacations of more than two days in length, one month written notice is requested. For vacations occurring during the months of June, July and August, notice must be received one month in advance or by June l, whichever is earlier.

Personal Days

It is generally recognized that personal situations arise which require employees to be away from work. Staff members are expected to use their paid vacation/personal days for these situations. These include, but are not limited to, doctor and dental appointments, moving, civic involvements, court appearances (other than jury duty, see Jury Duty below), funerals (other than death in the immediate family, see Bereavement below), or emergencies.

Sick Days

Sick Day Philosophy and Procedure

All employees are asked to use their own judgment in considering whether or not they possess the physical health required to perform the duties of their employment at the store. If an employee is sick he or she should feel free to take time away from work in order to regain his or her health. An employee's immediate supervisor should be contacted when sick days are to be taken. Sick days are to be used at an employee's discretion with the understanding that these days are not to be used for vacation. Extended illnesses from work may be covered under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Paid Sick Day Benefit for Full-Time Employees

Each full-time staff member receives five (5) paid sick days during his or her first year of employment at Pointer Books & Music. During the second and subsequent years of employment, each full-time staff member receives ten (10) paid sick days per year. The date and aniversary of the start of employment are used as the beginning date when figuring available sick days. Employees have immediate access to their paid sick days. Unused sick days do not accrue from one year to the next. Employees, upon resigning from Pointer Books & Music, do not receive compensation for unused sick days.

Paid Sick Day Benefit for Part-Time Employees

Each part-time staff member (those working fewer than 40 hours per week) receives sick days on a pro-rated basis as established between supervisor and employee at the outset of employment. The full-time employee allotment of five days in year one of employment and ten days in year two are used as a basis for the pro-rated calculation. For example, an employee who works half-time (20 hours per week) would receive half of the full-time paid sick day benefit -- 2.5 paid sick days during their first year of employment and 5 paid sick days in the second and subsequent years (i.e. full-time benefit of 5 days / half time = 2.5 days.). The date and aniversary of the start of employment are used as a beginning date when figuring available sick days. Employees have immediate access to paid sick day benefit. Unused sick days do not accrue from one year to the next. Employees, upon resigning from Pointer Books & Music, do not receive compensation for unused sick days.