§ 18-32Absenteeism and tardiness.
§ 18-33Anti-harassment policy.
§ 18-34Code of Business Conduct.
§ 18-35Confidentiality statement.
§ 18-36Conflicts of interest.
§ 18-37Disposition of personal property.
§ 18-38Dress code.
§ 18-39Employee conduct.
§ 18-40Fundraising campaigns.
§ 18-41Grievances.
§ 18-42Hours of work.
§ 18-43Language Code of Ethics.
§ 18-44Media inquiries.
§ 18-45Outlook messaging.
§ 18-46Personal conduct.
§ 18-47Privacy.
§ 18-48Progressive discipline.
§ 18-49Recording devices in the workplace.
§ 18-50Relationships with residents and vendors.
§ 18-51Substance abuse policy.
§ 18-52Technology use policy.
§ 18-53Telephone usage.
§ 18-54Unauthorized use of property.
§ 18-55WHA property and vehicles.
All employees are expected to be at their assigned workplace, ready to work, at their regular starting time each day on which they are scheduled to work. Similarly, staff are allowed to take authorized breaks and must return within the allotted time.
Nonexempt (hourly) staff are expected to punch in when they arrive at the beginning of each scheduled workday and punch out when they leave at the end of their scheduled workday. Employees should not punch in more than 15 minutes prior to their regular starting time or 15 minutes after their regular ending time unless they have received prior authorization to do so.
An employee who is not at his/her assigned workplace prepared to work at the beginning of his/her scheduled work time is considered to be late. Employees will not be paid for lateness of more than five minutes.
Employees must notify the answering service and their supervisor in advance, whenever possible, of any absence. When prior notification is not possible, staff should call the supervisor/designee no later than 15 minutes after their regularly scheduled starting time. When providing notification, the employee is expected to give the reason and the estimated length of the absence.
Employees who are absent for three consecutive workdays without notifying the WHA are subject to termination as "voluntary quit."
An employee may call out sick or call in to use a personal day; however, vacation must be preapproved. The WHA has the right to require employees to submit a doctor's note to verify claims of illness.
It is the responsibility of the employee's immediate supervisor to monitor and maintain a record of the attendance of staff. If an employee has an attendance problem, i.e., excessive lateness (whether or not he/she has been docked), absence or a combination of both, the problem should be discussed with the employee as soon as it is noted.
Based on the employee's past attendance record and information resulting from the discussion, the supervisor will take appropriate action. If a problem is defined, disciplinary action should be taken.
It is the policy of the WHA that employees maintain a working environment that encourages mutual respect, promotes civil and congenial relationships among employees and is free from all forms of harassment and violence.
Employees are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner as judged by a reasonable person.
Employees have the right to conduct their work without disorderly or undue interference from other employees. The WHA prohibits employees from violating this right of their coworkers.
The WHA encourages a congenial work environment of respect and professionalism. Therefore, the WHA prohibits employees from intentionally harming or threatening to harm other employees, clients, vendors, visitors or property belonging to any of these parties. This prohibition includes but is not limited to intentional acts such as:
The WHA may take disciplinary action against an employee whose conduct violates this or other WHA policies and practices. The supervisor should consult the Director of Administration and Personnel and/or the Executive Director on such matters.
It is the WHA's policy to observe and comply with all laws and regulations applicable to the conduct of its business and to require its employees to avoid any activities that could involve or lead to involvement of the WHA or its employees in any unlawful practice.
It is the personal responsibility of all employees to acquaint themselves with the legal standards and restrictions applicable to their assigned duties and responsibilities and to conduct themselves accordingly.
More specifically, employees should:
Ensure accuracy and reliability in the preparation and retention of all business records;
Ensure compliance with all accounting and internal control procedures;
Ensure accurate and timely disclosure to the public;
Keep confidential those things that would cause harm to the organization, provided the public trust is not breached;
Not breach confidentiality to achieve personal gain;
Assure that discrimination in any form does not exist; and
Be responsible. Disclose violations of business conduct.
Nothing can replace good individual judgment. Any questionable situations should be referred to supervisors for subsequent review by WHA's legal counsel.
In the course of their job duties, employees of the WHA may have access to personal details of clients' lives. The WHA affirms that confidentiality of sensitive information is a basic client right, necessary for the development of trust, and essential to a fair and effectual delivery of services. The WHA is therefore committed to honoring clients' right to and expectations of privacy and will take all reasonable measures to guard sensitive information against unwarranted disclosure.
To that end, all WHA employees, Commissioners, volunteers, independent contractors, consultants, and on-site service providers will be bound by the standards and procedures set forth in the Confidentiality Policy (see Addendum I).
The WHA provides training to employees on the measures set forth in the policy, and supervisors monitor employees' performance to ensure total compliance.
Violation of this policy may be grounds for immediate dismissal or contract termination.
Every employee must avoid any interest, activity or relationship that conflicts with the interests of the WHA. It is not possible to enumerate all situations that constitute a conflict. The facts in each situation will determine whether the interest in question is such as to bring it within an area of potential conflict. Generally speaking, it would be considered in conflict with the WHA's interests, and a violation of trust, for an employee to benefit directly or indirectly, monetarily or otherwise, from an activity in which the WHA is a part. More specifically, such areas would include:
Not declaring an interest in another organization or enterprise that is involved with the WHA;
Having an interest in a property transaction of which the WHA is a part;
Acting in any capacity for a supplier of services or materials;
Revealing confidential information, bids, contracts, etc.; or
Accepting gifts from individuals who do business with the WHA.
Individuals should declare any possible conflict. Questionable situations should be reported to supervisors for subsequent review by WHA's legal counsel. All such activities should be halted pending results of a written legal opinion.
Disposition of personal property to employees will be in accordance with the WHA's Procurement Policy.
The WHA's public image is directly dependent on the staff, individually and collectively. People are inclined to judge organizations by the people who represent them. The personal appearance, quality of service and positive attitude of our employees are essential to creating and maintaining a favorable public image.
Attire should be conservative and tasteful so as to promote an appropriate businesslike attitude and image in keeping with each specific job. Extreme and liberal forms of dress and hairstyle are not acceptable.
To enhance the image of the WHA, it is important that employees keep themselves well groomed and dress appropriately for the position they hold and the people they serve.
If necessary, supervisors have the right to deem articles of clothing inappropriate.
These guidelines apply during regularly scheduled business hours. The WHA is confident that each employee will use his/her best judgment in following this policy. Violators will be subject to disciplinary action. Repeated violations may result in the employee being sent home and returning to work with attire conforming to policy.
The WHA allows dress-down day on Fridays, provided that casual dress is also appropriate and tasteful. Staff who are engaged in dealing with the public and/or business meetings should dress appropriately even on dress-down days.
Casual dress does not include t-shirts, not wearing stockings or socks, tank tops, halter tops, shorts, sweatpants, or flip-flop sandals. Violators will be subject to disciplinary action.
The WHA hires people who we believe want a job and want to work. The WHA expects its employees to be mature, reasonable and behave in a businesslike manner appropriate to the workplace. The WHA expects its employees to perform their duties in a safe, competent and businesslike manner. The WHA expects its employees to be honest and to be careful of equipment and property. In short, the WHA expects its employees to give their best efforts to their jobs and to treat their jobs as an important part of their lives.
The WHA recognizes its responsibility to promote certain fundraising campaigns conducted for the benefit of the general public. It also recognizes the right of the individual to voluntarily contribute to such campaigns according to his or her desires and financial ability, and further recognizes the individual's right to be provided with working conditions free from the distractions which would result from frequent fundraising appeals or other solicitations on WHA premises.
Accordingly, fundraising campaigns on WHA premises must have prior written approval of the Executive Director.
Upon presenting an oral or written request, a nonrepresented management employee shall be entitled to a hearing before a hearing panel or hearing official.
Normal office hours for clerical and administrative personnel are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The regular work schedule for maintenance personnel is Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Employees are allowed one ten-minute break in the morning, one thirty-minute lunch break, and one ten-minute break in the afternoon. There shall be no deviation from this schedule without prior approval. Currently, there is not a flextime policy at the WHA.
No WHA employee shall be allowed to punch in (or report to the work site) more than 15 minutes before, or punch out (or remain at the work site) more than 15 minutes after the end of, his/her regular shift without prior authorization from his/her supervisor. The same time restrictions apply to employees who do not punch a time card. Supervisors shall forward any requests for a deviation in an employee's schedule to the Human Resources office for review by the Deputy Director and the Executive Director. The only exception to this rule is prior approved or emergency overtime. Scheduled overtime still requires the Executive Director's approval.
The Director of Security will be notified of any approved deviations from the normal work schedule. No employee is allowed access to a WHA work facility outside of normal working hours without prior authorization. Any employee normally scheduled to work Monday through Friday must obtain prior approval from his/her supervisor before reporting to work on a weekend day. The approval, review and notification procedures outlined in the above paragraph apply to weekend days as well.
The use of profane, foul, obscene, insulting, abusive or crude language, inappropriate jokes, racial slurs, sexual comments, even if spoken in nonstandard English/foreign languages, or the making of verbal threats is considered disrespectful, demeaning and abusive behavior. This abuse usually causes great anxiety and stress for the recipient and may give the recipient reason to be concerned for his/her safety and well-being. Vulgar and offensive language can cause real harm, crosses the boundary of appropriate conduct and may even disrupt the entire workforce.
Inappropriate language infringes upon equal respect in working relationships and can cause serious harm to productivity, efficiency and stability. Language that results in intentionally or unintentionally harassing, discriminating or creating an offensive work environment for anyone with regards to their disability, color, creed, sex, sexual preference, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin or any other protected status will not be tolerated.
Any employee of the WHA who feels he or she is the recipient of such conduct should report such violations immediately to the Director of Administration and Personnel or Executive Director. All complaints will be investigated promptly; and where necessary, immediate and appropriate action will be taken to stop and remedy any such conduct. Any manager, supervisor, agent, or employee found in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action that may involve a counseling session, verbal warning, written reprimand, suspension or termination, depending upon the severity of the event.
All media inquiries, whether verbal or written, are to be directed to the Executive Director. Any media contact not made initially through the Executive Director should be reported to the Executive Director immediately.
The WHA allows internal e-mail messaging to expedite necessary business communications between two or more individuals; however, the use of the electronic mail system Outlook is reserved solely for the conduct of business at the WHA. It may not be used for personal business without authorization from the Executive Director.
The WHA's prestige and reputation in the community is determined by the work we do and the employees who represent us. We are proud of those who work for us, and employees can be proud of the positions of trust they hold. We must continue to earn that trust in everything we do. It is expected that employees maintain the highest degree of confidentiality, integrity and honesty.
The WHA reserves the right to search unlocked and/or publicly used WHA property at any time without consent. The WHA may request a search of personal property at the work site or locked WHA property assigned to an individual if there is reasonable suspicion that evidence of illegal or prohibited activities resides therein. Refusal of such a request may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
The WHA supports the use of a process called "progressive discipline" to address conduct issues such as poor work performance or misconduct and to encourage employees to become more-productive workers and conform their behavior to standards and expectations. Generally, warnings to employees are used to explain what behavior has been unacceptable. There are two types of warning: verbal and written.
A verbal warning occurs when a supervisor verbally counsels an employee about an issue of concern. A written record of the discussion, noting the date, event, and recommended action, is placed in the employee's file for future reference.
Written warnings are used for behavior or violations which a supervisor considers serious or where a verbal warning has not helped to change unacceptable behavior. An employee should recognize the grave nature of the written warning.
The WHA has established general guidelines to govern the conduct of its employees and reserves the right to determine the appropriate level of discipline for any inappropriate conduct, including, but not limited to, demotion, oral and written warning, suspension with or without pay, and discharge. Each situation will be dealt with on an individual basis.
The WHA prohibits employee possession or use of cameras, tape recorders or other recording devices in the workplace as a preventative step to secure employee privacy and business information.
Employees are prohibited from bringing cameras or other video tape recorders or other recording devices into the workplace unless specific advance written authorization has been obtained from their department head.
Authorization may be granted when a specific business purpose will be served by the possession or use of such a device and when its use will not violate employee privacy. In such a case, all parties to the meeting or conversation that is to be recorded must have been informed at its outset that it will be monitored, transcribed, intercepted, or recorded, and they have consented to such actions prior to the conversation, preferably in writing.
Employees are also prohibited from arranging for others, including non-employees, to engage in any recording of conversations, phone calls or other activities in the workplace.
Employees should regard this policy as an explicit statement that the employer does not consent to tape recording of any meetings or discussions without prior authorization as discussed above.
Consenting romantic relationships between a WHA employee and a resident or vendor of the WHA may at some point lead to unhappy complications and significant difficulties for all concerned - the employee, the resident or vendor, and the WHA. Any such relationship may, therefore, be contrary to the best interests of the WHA, as it may hinder the employee's ability to meet the responsibilities and demands of his/her required work. Accordingly, the WHA strongly discourages such relationships and any conduct (such as dating between an employee and a resident or vendor) that is designed or may reasonably be expected to lead to the formation of a romantic relationship.
Employee health and safety are of paramount concern to the WHA. The use, possession or sale of illegal drugs and alcohol in the workplace poses a serious risk to the welfare of all WHA personnel. Also, it is the policy of the WHA to have a drug- and alcohol-free environment and for employees at work to be drug- and alcohol-free.
This policy applies to all substances, drugs or medications, legal or illegal, which would impair an employee's ability to effectively and safely perform the functions of the job. All employees and outside individual consultants, contractors and others are subject to this policy.
Application of policy.
The use, possession, manufacture, purchase, distribution or sale of illegal drugs in the workplace or during the performance of company business is prohibited and will result in discipline up to and including termination.
The legal use of drugs prescribed by a physician is permitted. Employees must advise their supervisors of the use of such drugs and their potential side effects that may influence the employee's ability to safely and effectively perform the duties of the job.
Employees shall not report to work or return to work under the influence of alcohol. This will result in discipline up to and including termination. Similarly, employees may not use or possess any alcohol on WHA property without the prior approval of the Executive Director or his designee. Use or possession of alcohol on WHA property without obtaining prior approval may result in discipline up to and including termination.
The use, possession, manufacture, purchase, distribution, sale or transfer of illegal drugs is a violation of the law. The WHA may refer such illegal drug activities to law enforcement officials.
Inspections for drugs or alcohol.
The WHA premises and all equipment and furniture are the sole and exclusive property of the WHA. The WHA reserves the right to inspect at any time the WHA's property and premises, including but not limited to equipment, vehicles, cabinets, desks and lockers.
When the WHA believes an employee is violating any aspect of this policy, he or she may be asked to submit immediately to an inspection of any personal property which he or she has brought to or has access to at work. Refusal to consent to an inspection may subject the employee to discipline up to and including termination.
All inspections should be conducted by at least two management employees and approved, in advance, by the Executive Director or his designee, when possible.
Legal requirements. As required by the Federal Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, employees will, within five days, notify the Executive Director of any workplace drug conviction. The Executive Director will notify the appropriate federal contracting officer(s) within 10 days of receiving notice of any employee's workplace drug conviction, whether notification comes from the employee or otherwise. A plea of nolo contendere is considered a conviction.
To better serve our applicants, tenants, vendors and the public in general, and to provide our employees with the best tools to do their jobs, the WHA makes available to our workforce access to one or more forms of electronic media and services, including computers, e-mail, telephones, voice mail, fax machines, external electronic bulletin boards, wire services, on-line services, intranet, Internet and the World Wide Web. The WHA encourages the use of these media and associated services not only because they make communication more efficient and effective but also because they are valuable sources of information about vendors, customers, technology, and new products and services. However, all employees and everyone connected with the organization should remember that electronic media and services provided by the WHA are WHA property and their purpose is to facilitate and support WHA business. All computer users have the responsibility to use these resources in a professional, ethical, and lawful manner.
To ensure that all employees are responsible, the following guidelines have been established. No policy can cover every possible situation. Instead, this policy is designed to express the WHA's philosophy and set forth general principles when using electronic media and services.
Prohibited communications. Electronic media cannot be used for knowingly transmitting, retrieving, or storing any communication that is:
Discriminatory or harassing;
Derogatory to any individual or group;
Obscene, sexually explicit, or pornographic;
Defamatory or threatening;
In violation of any license governing the use of software;
Engaged in for any purpose that is illegal or contrary to Authority policy or interests;
For the promotion or advancement of personal political beliefs or commercial purposes;
Confidential.
Access to employee communications.
Generally, the WHA does not directly review electronic information created and/or communicated by an employee using e-mail, word processing, utility programs, spreadsheets, voice mail, telephones, Internet and bulletin board system access, and other similar electronic media. However, the WHA does routinely gather logs for most electronic activities or monitor employee communications indirectly. For example, the WHA reviews telephone numbers dialed, sites accessed, call length, and time at which calls are made. These reviews are conducted for purposes such as cost analysis, resource allocation, optimization of information resources, and detecting patterns of use that indicate employees are violating company policies or engaging in illegal activity. The WHA reserves the right, at its discretion, to review any employee's electronic files and messages to the extent necessary to ensure electronic media and services are being used in compliance with the law, this policy and other WHA policies. This type of direct review will be authorized at the discretion of the Executive Director in conjunction with the Technology Committee.
Employees should not assume electronic communications are private, because they are not. Accordingly, if they have sensitive information to transmit, they should use other means.
Security/appropriate use.
To prevent computer viruses from being transmitted through the WHA's computer system, unauthorized downloading of any unauthorized software is strictly prohibited. Only software registered through the WHA may be downloaded. Employees should contact the Technology Department if they have any questions.
Employees must respect the confidentiality of electronic communications of other individuals. Except in cases in which explicit authorization has been granted by WHA management, employees are prohibited from engaging in, or attempting to engage in:
Monitoring or intercepting the files or electronic communications of other employees or third parties;
Hacking or obtaining access to systems or accounts they are not authorized to use;
Using other people's log-ins or passwords;
Breaching, testing, or monitoring computer or network security measures.
No e-mail or other electronic communications can be sent that attempt to hide the identity of the sender or represent the sender as someone else.
Electronic media and services should not be used in a manner that is likely to intentionally cause network congestion or significantly hamper the ability of other people to access and use the system.
Installation of any alternate Internet service provider (ISP) is not permitted unless it is authorized in writing by the Technology Department.
Anyone obtaining electronic access to other companies' or individuals' materials must respect all copyrights and cannot copy, retrieve, modify or forward copyrighted materials except as permitted by the copyright owner.
Employees should remember that any messages or information sent on company-provided facilities via an electronic network — for example, Internet mailing lists, bulletin boards, and on-line services — are statements identifiable and attributable to the WHA.
The WHA recognizes that participation in some forums might be important to the performance of an employee's job. For instance, an employee might find the answer to a technical problem by consulting members of a news group devoted to the technical area.
The technology equipment provided by the WHA is to assist employees in the performance of their jobs. Limited, occasional, or incidental use of electronic media equipment for personal or nonbusiness purposes is understandable. All such use should be minimal, outside of business hours, and done in a manner that does not negatively affect the systems' intended business use. Employees are expected to demonstrate a sense of responsibility and not abuse this privilege.
Violations. Any employee who abuses the privilege of access to electronic media and services such as e-mail or the Internet in violation of this policy will be subject to corrective action. Depending on the severity of the incident, sanctions for violation of this policy might include loss of access, suspension or termination of employment, legal action, and criminal liability.
The WHA provides access to telephones to all staff, including wage and contract employees. The WHA telephone system is available to conduct WHA business. Abuse of the WHA telephone system, including but not limited to charging personal long-distance calls to the WHA, making or receiving excessive personal calls, and disclosing confidential information over the phone, may result in disciplinary action, including termination.
Staff members are discouraged from making or receiving personal telephone calls through the WHA's telephone system or using WHA cellular telephones. The WHA recognizes that, under certain circumstances, an employee will need to make or receive a telephone call of a personal nature from a business phone. Those calls must be held to a minimum in both time and number. When an employee lives outside the immediate area and a personal call results in a charge being assessed to the department, established procedures should be followed to reimburse the WHA for the cost of the call(s).
Collect call: a call received where the caller is requesting that the WHA be charged for the call. These calls may not be accepted.
Operator-assisted call: calls or services requiring the assistance of an outside operator. Such calls are discouraged.
Third-party billing: a call made from a non-WHA phone but charged to the WHA. Charging external calls to the WHA is prohibited. Any such call will be investigated and charged to the originating party. Managers are responsible for determining the level and type of telephone service each staff member needs to do his/her work. Management is also responsible for regularly reviewing monthly telephone billing statements and investigating odd calling patterns, unexpected charges or unusual frequency of numbers called. Managers will direct reimbursement of charges for personal calls and consult with Human Resources regarding potential disciplinary action.
Staff members are responsible for informing supervisors of any need to make personal calls in connection with family care situations. They are also responsible for timely reimbursement of charges for personal long-distance calls.
No employee shall use WHA property for personal use unless specific permission has been granted by the Executive Director. This includes, but is not limited to, services paid for by the WHA, computers, pagers, telephones, cellular phones, copiers, faxes, Internet services, printers, etc. Should permission be granted, the employee is responsible for the return and care of the loaned property. Special care should be taken to identify any concerns regarding its condition before the property is removed and/or used. Misappropriation of WHA property is grounds for immediate termination and possible criminal action.
Equipment and vehicles essential to accomplishing job duties are expensive and may be difficult to replace. When using WHA property, employees are expected to exercise reasonable care, perform required maintenance and follow all operating instructions, safety standards and guidelines.
Employees will notify the supervisor if any equipment, machines, tools or vehicles appear to be damaged, defective or in need of repair. Prompt reporting of damages, defects and the need for repairs could prevent deterioration of equipment and possible injury to employees or others. The supervisor can answer any questions about an employee's responsibility for maintenance and care of equipment or vehicles used on the job.
Employees must have a valid and current driver's license to operate a WHA vehicle or a personal vehicle with current auto insurance while on WHA business. Employees are expected to drive in a safe and responsible manner and to maintain a good driving record. Any employee who has a driver's license revoked or suspended shall immediately notify his/her supervisor and immediately discontinue operation of a WHA vehicle. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment.
The improper, careless, negligent, destructive or unsafe use or operation of equipment or vehicles, as well as excessive or avoidable traffic and parking violations, may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
