Matthies Law Firm, P.C.  

Serving as Employment Law Advisors for over 25 years

Section 6: Business Operations

• Visitors in the Workplace
• Use of Phone and Mail Systems
• Personal Appearance
• Solicitation/Use of Bulletin Boards
• Meal Rooms
• Rewards for Good Ideas
• Personal Use of Company Property

Visitors in the Workplace

To provide for the safety and security of employees and the facilities at the Company, only authorized visitors are allowed in the workplace. Restricting unauthorized visitors helps maintain safety standards, protects against theft, ensures security of equipment, protects confidential information, safeguards employee welfare, and avoids potential distractions and disturbances.

All visitors should enter the Company at the main entrance. Authorized visitors will receive directions or be escorted to their destination. Employees are responsible for the conduct and safety of their visitors. If an unauthorized individual is observed on the Company's premises, employees should immediately notify their supervisor or, if necessary, direct the individual to the main entrance.

Use of Phone and Mail Systems

Public pay phones are available for employees to make personal outgoing calls during breaks, meal periods, or at other times with the supervisor's permission. No long distance or collect calls may be charged to the Company.

Use of Company business telephones for personal business is discouraged. All calls using Company business lines may be monitored, so any personal calls which you wish to keep private should be made on the pay phones. Excessive use of Company-paid time to conduct personal business or make personal calls constitutes theft of Company time, and will be dealt with severely.

The use of Company-paid postage, envelopes or supplies for personal correspondence is not permitted. Similarly, the use of Company copiers, fax machines or computers for personal business is forbidden.

Company internet or email accounts should be used solely for Company purposes, and employees should be aware that such use is NOT private and will be monitored. Work hours are for work, and any interruptions for personal business should be very brief and kept to a bare minimum.

Personal Appearance

Dress, grooming, and personal cleanliness standards contribute to the morale of all employees and affect the business image the Company presents to customers and visitors. During business hours and at any Company functions, employees are expected to present a clean and neat appearance and to dress according to the requirements of their positions. Employees who appear for work inappropriately dressed will be sent home and directed to return to work in proper attire. Under such circumstances, employees will not be compensated for the time away from work. Consult your supervisor if you have questions as to what constitutes appropriate attire.

Solicitation/Use of Bulletin Boards

In an effort to assure a productive and harmonious work environment, solicitation or distribution of literature by non-employees on Company property is prohibited. This includes distribution of windshield fliers, or handouts in the parking lot or at building exits/entrances.

Employees may not solicit or distribute literature regarding non-business activities during actual working time (Working time does not include lunch periods, work breaks, or any other periods in which employees are not on duty). In making any solicitations, employees should remember our policies on courtesy, and avoid actions which may be viewed as harassment of others. The Company reserves the right to prohibit solicitations which are offensive or in poor taste. Similarly, while occasional sales of items is permitted (such as school candy, Girl Scout or Campfire merchandise, and the like), employees are not permitted to carry out any recurring sales activity on Company property (including Avon, Tupperware and any other regular sales activity).

Bulletin boards contain important information, and employees should consult them frequently for:

• Affirmative Action statement

• Internal memoranda

• Organization announcements

• Payday notices

• Workers' compensation insurance information

• State disability insurance/unemployment insurance information

A limited area on bulletin boards is reserved for employee postings. These postings are limited to notices of sales of personal goods/materials and to notices about events of general interest (such as sports teams). Because of limited space, the Office Manager will control whether a notice may be posted and will control how long the message will remain up. Employees interested in posting messages may submit it to the Office Manager for approval.

Meal Rooms

Meal rooms are provided for employees use during breaks and meals. Employees are responsible for cleanliness of these areas. A microwave and refrigerator are provided. Items in the refrigerator should be marked with the owners name. All items in the refrigerators must be removed before the weekend. Any items left in the refrigerator during the weekend will be thrown away.

Rewards for Good Ideas

The Company wishes to encourage innovation and improvement in all areas of our work. Ideas or suggestions for innovations may be submitted to management by way of the Innovation and Ideas boxes in the buildings, and also may be presented directly to your supervisor. To encourage input from all employees, any idea or innovation which creates significant savings of time or money, or which significantly improves the quality of our products, may receive a special bonus of up to $500.00.

Personal Use of Company Property

No personal use of company property is allowed. The Company tools, equipment, supplies, materials, or other products and property may not be removed from the premises under any circumstances unless you are specifically authorized to do so by your supervisor for a specific business reason.

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