§ 18-12Access to personnel files.
§ 18-13Application.
§ 18-14At-will employment statement.
§ 18-15Authority to effect personnel actions.
§ 18-16Background checks.
§ 18-17Employment of relatives.
§ 18-18Employment reference checks.
§ 18-19Enforcement.
§ 18-20Falsification.
§ 18-21Job descriptions.
§ 18-22Job postings.
§ 18-23Medical examination/drug screen.
§ 18-24Performance evaluation.
§ 18-25Personal data changes.
§ 18-26Probationary period.
§ 18-27Proof of eligibility to work in the United States.
§ 18-28Release of final paycheck.
§ 18-29Seniority.
§ 18-30Training.
§ 18-31Volunteers.
The WHA maintains a personnel file on each employee. The personnel file includes such information as the employee's job application, resume, records of training, documentation of performance appraisals and salary increases, and other employment records. Personnel files are the property of the WHA, and access to the information they contain is restricted. Generally, only supervisors and management personnel of the WHA who have a legitimate reason to review information in a file are allowed to do so.
An employee who wishes to review his/her own file should contact the Director of Administration and Personnel. With reasonable advance notice, employees may review their own personnel files in the WHA's offices three times a year and in the presence of an individual appointed by the WHA to maintain the files. Employees may request a copy of any information contained within their personnel files. Employees have the right to add written comments to their personnel files if they disagree with information but cannot alter the information contained therein.
Persons desiring employment shall file a written job application as prescribed by WHA management, setting forth their qualifications, experience, references and other information as required. In accordance with the WHA's Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Plan and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the WHA will extend fair and equal opportunity for employment to all applicants regardless of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability or any other protected status.
Employment with the WHA is voluntary and subject to termination by the employee or the WHA at will, with or without cause, and with or without notice, at any time. Nothing in this manual shall be interpreted to be in conflict with or to eliminate or modify in any way the employment-at-will status of WHA employees.
This policy of employment-at-will may not be modified by any officer or employee and shall not be modified in any publication or document. The only exception to this policy is a written employment agreement approved at the discretion of the Executive Director or the Board of Commissioners, whichever is applicable.
These policies and procedures do not create a contract of employment or a legal document.
The WHA retains all rights and jurisdiction to manage The Housing Authority of the City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Such management shall include, but not be limited to, selection and direction of the working forces; to hire, suspend or discharge for just cause; to assign and determine the amount of overtime worked; and to determine the work to be performed, subject to the terms of this policy and any union contracts.
At the WHA, background checks are conducted on job applicants applying for all positions. The type of information that can be collected by the WHA includes, but is not limited to, that pertaining to an individual's past employment, education, character, conviction record, and reputation. This process is conducted to verify the accuracy of the information provided by the applicant and to screen the applicant.
The WHA will ensure that all background checks are conducted in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits organizations from collecting non-job-related information from previous employers or other sources. Therefore, the only information that can be collected is that pertaining to the quality and quantity of work performed by the applicant, the applicant's attendance record, education, and other issues that can impact the workplace.
The employment of relatives in the same area of an organization may cause serious conflicts and problems with favoritism and employee morale. In addition to claims of partiality in treatment at work, personal conflicts from outside the work environment can be carried into day-to-day working relationships.
Relatives of persons currently employed by the WHA may be hired only if they will not be working directly for or supervising a relative or will not be working directly above the relative's immediate superior or directly for the relative's immediate subordinate.
WHA employees cannot be transferred into such a reporting relationship. If the relative relationship is established after employment, the WHA will decide who is to be transferred.
In other cases where a conflict or the potential for conflict arises, even if there is no supervisory relationship involved, the WHA may reassign the parties.
For the purposes of this policy, a relative is any person who is related by blood or marriage, or whose relationship with the employee is similar to that of persons who are related by blood or marriage, or who resides in the same household with the employee.
The WHA will only respond, and only in writing, to those reference check inquiries that are submitted in writing and are authorized by the signature of the former employee. Responses to such inquiries will confirm only dates of employment, wage rates and position(s) held.
No supervisor, manager or coworker may provide an employment reference for a former (or current) employee. All reference calls must be referred to the Human Resources Department. Any employee outside of the HR Department found to have provided a reference for another employee will face disciplinary action.
The Executive Director shall have the primary responsibility of enforcement of the provisions and purpose of this Policies and Procedures Manual.
The WHA relies upon the accuracy of information contained in the employment application, as well as the accuracy of other data presented throughout the hiring process and employment. Any misrepresentation, falsifications, or material omissions in any of this information or data may result in excluding an individual from further consideration for employment or, if the person has been hired, termination of employment.
The Human Resources Department will maintain job descriptions for all positions in the WHA. Each time a job is posted, the job description must be reviewed by the supervisor. Edits, comments and suggestions should be forwarded to the appropriate union committee for review, and then to the Director of Administration and Personnel for revision. Revised job descriptions will be approved by the Executive Director before they are posted.
The goal of job posting is to ensure that all employees are made aware of and have the opportunity to apply for open positions either before or concurrent with the WHA's consideration of external candidates for employment. While the WHA has a philosophy of promoting from within whenever possible, there are business conditions that could cause a position to be posted while simultaneously recruiting from the outside. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, organizational restructuring or position requirements such as skills, education, and/or experience that are not known to match any existing employee.
Applicants extended a formal offer of employment shall be required to take and pass a medical examination, including a drug screen urinalysis, to be performed by a doctor of the WHA's choice. The fee for said examination shall be borne by the WHA. It must be noted that the WHA has a strict policy on "substance abuse," and any indication of such will result in a denial of employment.
The discovery of a preexisting condition will not necessarily disqualify a candidate as long as the candidate is able to perform the essential duties of the position for which he/she is being hired with "reasonable accommodation," as is defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The WHA hires new employees into a probationary status. This classification allows an adjustment period during which the employee's suitability for the job can be evaluated. This probationary period also provides the new employee the opportunity to assess the new position and the organization.
When probationary status is assigned, employees are given a job description as well as a thorough outline of the performance standards that will be judged as acceptable. As a matter of course, the standards set and the performance subsequently achieved should be thoroughly documented.
Supervisors and employees are strongly encouraged to discuss job performance and goals on an informal, day-to-day basis. A formal written performance evaluation will normally be conducted at the end of an employee's initial period of hire, known as the "probationary period." Additional formal performance evaluations are normally conducted annually to provide both supervisors and employees the opportunity to discuss job tasks, identify and correct weaknesses, encourage and recognize strengths, and discuss positive, purposeful approaches for meeting goals.
Merit-based pay adjustments may be awarded by the WHA in an effort to recognize truly superior employee performance. The decision to award such an adjustment is dependent upon numerous factors, including the information documented by this formal performance evaluation process.
It is the responsibility of each employee to promptly notify the WHA of any changes in personal data. Personal mailing addresses, telephone numbers, number and names of dependents, individuals to be contacted in the event of an emergency, educational accomplishments and other such status reports should be accurate and current at all times. If any personal data has changed, the employee should notify the Human Resources Department.
There exists a probationary period of 180 working days for each new employee, during which time the WHA reserves the right to discipline, dismiss or discharge said new employee for any reason without being subject to any action either at law or in equity for having exercised said right.
Upon hire, Form I-9 must be completed as a part of the intake process for new employees. The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that this document be completed within three days of hire.
There are specific documents that are acceptable by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and no other documents may be substituted. The Human Resources Department will assist new employees with this form.
The final paycheck of an employee leaving the WHA (voluntarily or involuntarily) will be held until all WHA property has been returned. Similarly, the direct deposit of the last paycheck will be suspended and the check will be retained at the main office until access cards, keys, cell phones and all other property of the WHA are surrendered.
Seniority is defined as the length of continued service with the WHA since the date of hire.
Seniority shall be considered in all cases of changes of employment status.
Seniority shall be considered broken for the following reasons only:
When an employee has been discharged for just cause;
When an employee voluntarily terminates his/her employment;
When an employee fails to respond to a recall notice;
When an employee fails to notify his/her departmental director of his/her absence from work within three working days;
When an employee fails to renew a leave of absence;
When an employee engages in other work while on leave of absence;
When an employee is laid off in excess of two years from the date of his/her most recent layoff.
Seniority shall be considered when a reduction in force is necessary so that:
All probationary employees shall be laid off first;
If, thereafter, a further reduction is necessitated, the junior employees shall normally be laid off first; and
When a recall of employees is made necessary, the most-senior qualified employee shall be recalled first. Recall notices, if necessary, shall be sent by registered mail to the employee's last known address.
The WHA desires the best-skilled and most-qualified work force possible. To that end, the WHA will assist employees in receiving "certification" for their particular field of expertise. In addition, management may shift employees to other positions for short training periods for purposes of expanding and enhancing the skill level of its work force. The Executive Director is responsible for the development and coordination of training.
The WHA welcomes the services of persons volunteering time and services without any present or future expectation of payment of any kind. This is not an employment relationship, and the volunteer is under no obligation to provide time, duties or resources other than what he or she chooses to freely provide.
Each volunteer job will be clearly defined as to qualifications, responsibilities and limitations of the position. Each volunteer must complete a volunteer application and consent to a criminal background check before beginning any association with the WHA.
