1.0 Introduction

This chapter is designed to provide all employees with clear, concise, and accessible information about employment at Middlebury College. Throughout the chapter are links to specific College policies, procedures or related information.

This document is intended solely to provide guidance on the mutual expectations shared by the College and its employees. It is not an employment contract and does not create any type of contractual obligations. Neither the employee nor the College is bound to continue the employment relationship if either, at any time, chooses to end it.

The College reserves the right to change, revise, or eliminate any of the policies described herein.

As faculty members are employed on a contractual basis, some of the policies and provisions contained herein are not applicable to them. Provisions applying solely to the faculty are described in the Faculty chapter of the College Handbook.

While the Employee Handbook provides much detail, it does not cover every situation. Questions about the information should be directed to the Human Resources Office at ext. 5465.

1.1 Middlebury College Expects

The College expects an employee to accomplish his/her tasks and duties competently and responsibly. The College has provided resources to assist the employee in the successful execution of his/her position responsibilities. If work problems arise, an employee is asked to contact his/her supervisor, a representative of the Human Resources Office, a member of the Staff Council, or an ombudsperson.

An attitude of cooperation and goodwill benefits everyone, in work and in the contacts with students, alumni, and visitors to the campus.

Middlebury College expects all employees to abide by the Code of Conduct for Employees policy.

1.2 Middlebury College Offers

The College seeks to provide its employees with job satisfaction and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

In addition to the usual group benefits, such as medical, life, and disability insurance, the College offers other benefits, such as the use of the athletic facilities, including the swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness center, and free or reduced admission to athletic events, concerts, and various campus events.

2.1 Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Middlebury College complies with applicable provisions of state and federal law which prohibit discrimination in employment, or in admission or access to its educational or extracurricular programs, activities, or facilities, on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, place of birth, service in the armed forces of the United States, or against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability. Retaliation against any employee for filing or supporting a complaint of discrimination or harassment in violation of this policy is prohibited. Employees are encouraged to report suspected violations of this policy to their managers or Human Resources for prompt investigation and response.

2.2 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Middlebury College recognizes and supports the standards set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and similar state laws, which are designed to eliminate discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities. The College does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in any aspect of the employment relationship, and does provide reasonable accommodations as required by law to otherwise qualified employees or applicants with disabilities. Employment opportunities or privileges will not be denied to an otherwise qualified employee or applicant because of the need for reasonable accommodation of the individual's disability. Discrimination based on an employee's or applicant's association with a disabled individual is also forbidden. Employees with ADA-related concerns should contact the Human Resources Office.

2.3 Basic Information about Employment at Middlebury College

Hiring

The Human Resources Office confirms by letter all appointments as well as all promotions, job transfers, and changes in employee status. Before being placed on the payroll, new employees must complete the necessary federal tax forms at the Human Resources Office.

Form I-9

The College, in accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, is committed to employing only those applicants authorized to work in the United States. As a condition of employment, all new and rehired employees must properly complete, sign, and date the first section of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-9 within the first 3 days of employment. A newly rehired employee must complete the form within three days of starting work if his/her previous I-9 is more than three years old, or his/her previous I-9 is no longer valid. An employee who does not properly complete the I-9 form within the legally required timeframe will not be permitted to continue to work until the form is completed.

Personnel Records and Changes in Personal Status

The employee is responsible for keeping his/her records current and accurate. Notification to the department head and the Human Resources Office of any changes in personal status is critical. Such information is necessary to ensure correct coverage and, if appropriate, deductions for taxes, medical insurance, life insurance, etc. Incorrect or outdated information may affect employee benefits and the ability of the College to make the appropriate contacts in an emergency. The accuracy of the employee's entry in the College directory depends on the accuracy of his/her files. Some changes that should be reported promptly include:

Name
Address
Telephone number
Marital status
Names and social security numbers of dependents
Birth dates of dependents
Changes in dependent(s) status
Beneficiary designations for benefit plans, such as retirement plan, life insurance, etc.

The employee may review the personal information in his/her personnel file by setting up an appointment with a representative of the Human Resources Office. One business day's notice is required.

Failure to notify Human Resources of changes or falsification of records may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Categories of Employment

The College developed a series of employment categories to identify the type of position held by each staff and faculty member. The employee's position type should be included in the letter notifying him/her of employment.

If at any time, an employee is unclear about the type of appointment s/he holds, clarification should be sought from either the department head or the Human Resources Office. See section 3, Employee Benefits for benefit eligibility information.

Faculty members teach students. Faculty titles include: full professor, associate professor, assistant professor, visiting professor, instructor, lecturer, and assistant in instruction.

Staff members are hired to perform non-teaching duties in support of the College's academic mission.

Middlebury College classifies faculty and staff members according to the chart below. The primary basis for classification is committed hours for staff and instructional units for faculty. Committed hours are regularly scheduled and budgeted hours assigned to a specific position. Regardless of the number of hours actually worked, on-call positions have no committed hours. Human Resources will work collaboratively with managers to determine the classification of each position.

Employee Group Classifications - Faculty

Classification	Duration	Full Time Equivalency	Instructional Units Per Year	Benefit Category
Full Time	Renewable Contracts (1-5 yrs)	.83 or 1	5 or 6	Eligible
Part-time Benefit Eligible	Renewable Contracts (1-5 yrs)	.50 or .67	3 or 4	Eligible
Part-time Not Benefit Eligible	Renewable Contracts (1-5 yrs)	< .50	< 3	Ineligible

Employee Group Classifications - STAFF

Classification	Duration	Full Time Equivalency (2080 hr/yr base)	HRS/YR (com-mitted hourrs)	Benefit Category	CTO Category
Full Time	on going	.80 to 1	1664-2080	Eligible	Eligible
Part-time Benefit Eligible	on going	.48 to .79	1000-1663	Eligible	Eligible
Part-time Not Benefit Eligible	on going	< .48	<1000	Ineligible	Ineligible
On-Call	varies	0	0	Ineligible	Ineligible
Time Limited	9+ months with end date	varies	varies	Dependent on committed hours	Dependent on committed hours
Temporary /Seasonal	<9 months	varies	varies	Ineligible	Ineligible

2.4 Release of Information and Employment Confidentiality

Authorized staff members have access to confidential information about the College, its employees, and students. All employees must handle such information responsibly.

Since it can be difficult to distinguish legitimate inquiries from invasions of others' privacy, no information is to be divulged without proper authorization. Refer verification of employment inquiries to the Human Resources Office. Human Resources will verify employment, job title(s), and dates of employment. An employee who wishes the College to provide further information regarding employment must complete an Information Release and Waiver Agreement. Waiver agreements are available from the Human Resources Office and on the web (Release and Waiver Agreement Form). Completed copies must be returned to the Human Resources Office. Specific references will not be provided without a completed Information Release and Waiver Agreement. Managers must verify that an Information Release Waiver is on file with HR before providing a reference to an external employer.

All other requests for information (i.e. those envolving private attorneys, or state for federal agency representatives) should be directed to Human Resources.

2.5 Employment of Family Members

The College has no prohibition against hiring relatives of existing employees but understands that employment of relatives in the same area of the College may impact departmental functioning. To minimize any potential issues with regard to relatives working together, it is strongly recommended that an immediate family member does not have supervisory responsibilities for another family member. Immediate family is defined as spouse, domestic partner, civil union partner, grandparent, sibling, or child.

2.6 New Employee Orientation

New Employee Orientation (NEO) takes place bi-weekly on the first Monday of each pay period. The College's goal is to coordinate employment start dates with scheduled orientation dates whenever possible in order to provide a smooth transition to employment at Middlebury College. NEO sessions are offered for full-time and part-time employees as well as certain time-limited positions.

Orientation sessions are hosted by Human Resources and are designed to introduce new staff members to the history, culture, and mission of Middlebury College, as well as allow them to complete required employment paperwork. The orientation program provides employees with the opportunity to meet different members of the community, tour the campus, review College policies, and enroll in eligible benefit programs.

2.7 Starting Work

When an employee first reports to work, his/her supervisor will show him/her the workplace, explain the responsibilities and procedures of the position, and answer any questions s/he might have.

Additionally, the new employee will receive information from his/her supervisor about paychecks, College policies regarding overtime, CTO, sick leave reserve, attendance, performance evaluation, and wage reviews; keeping records current; automobile registration and parking; arrangements for necessary keys; lunch schedules and facilities; any required training associated with the position; and campus orientation.

Supervisors should access the Supervisor Check List for new employee orientation suggestions.

2.8 The First Three Months

All new, rehired, and newly promoted employees work on a provisional basis for the first three months. An employee is encouraged to take advantage of this period to determine whether the position meets his/her expectations and to get clarification concerning responsibilities. The College will use this period to evaluate an employee's capabilities and work habits. Either the College or the employee may end the employment relationship at will, with or without cause. Certain departments may have longer provisional periods.

If an employee is absent from work for any significant period of time as defined by the supervisor during the first three months, the provisional period will be extended by the length of the absence automatically. If the College determines that it has not had sufficient time for a thorough evaluation of the employee's performance, it may choose to extend the provisional period for a specified length of time. The employee's supervisor will notify him/her of any extension, its length and reason.

Provisional employment status does not affect eligibility for employer-provided benefits. The terms and conditions of each determine eligibility for such programs.

If newly hired, transferred or promoted, an employee will receive a performance appraisal after one month and at the completion of the provisional period. Subsequent reviews occur annually between January and April, with an informal performance discussion every six months.

The provisional period may be waived at the discretion of the department or Human Resources.

2.9 Scheduling and Hours of Operation

The College has many functional units with diverse objectives and operational needs. Each employee should work with their supervisor and department head to understand the scheduling needs of his/her department and individual procedures related to hours and scheduling.

It is expected that administrative offices are open from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. During standard office hours, it is expected that coverage of the office or department will be in place during that period of operation. A minimum of 30 minutes of unpaid time is included. The schedules of non-administrative departments are determined by work needs. Departments may provide one 15-minute break each day, scheduled by the supervisor.

Work schedules are subject to change, given seasonal and weekend demands. Any variation in the standard schedule for a given position must receive advance approval from the supervisor, who will advise all employees of their working hours.

Scheduling Alternatives

In order to provide a supportive and flexible workplace scheduling alternatives are available. The department head will be responsible for the operation of the department and will give final approval of all schedule changes in consultation with the employee's direct supervisor. Department heads should discuss the service levels with their supervisors before approving the use of scheduling alternatives in the department. Due to the changing needs of the College, schedules may be changed at any time.

Flexible Work Schedules: Employees may request a change in the start and end of their workday provided they are able to complete their position responsibilities. Schedules will be approved on a quarterly basis using standard calendar quarters. At the end of each quarter before approval is given for a subsequent quarter, a department is asked to review the impact on service and the orderly work of the department. It is important that an analysis be performed of the impact on service levels of changing schedules.

Four-day Workweek: It is possible that four 10-hour days or four 9.75-hour days could be worked in a week, thus giving the employee three days away. Generally in a four-day workweek, the days revolve so the employee has a four on/three off schedule, with the days worked and days off changing each week including weekends. The College will entertain those requests, particularly in Facilities Services and Dining Services. Should someone be on a four-day workweek situation, s/he may need to alter the schedule for important departmental meetings or College presentations.

Buying down the workday: Subject to the scheduling alternatives approval, a non-exempt employee may reduce the length of his/her workday by taking Combined Time Off (CTO).

Example: If an employee wanted to leave at 4:00 p.m. during January and February in order to drive home before it became too dark on potentially icy roads, his/her supervisor could approve the request, provided there was sufficient staff coverage in the department until 5:00 p.m. The employee could use an hour of CTO time each day to reduce his/her workday. People need breaks and lunchtime in the middle of the day; therefore, an employee cannot reduce the workday by permanently eliminating lunch periods and breaks from his/her schedule.

2.10 Safety & Security

Report all accidents or injuries occurring at Middlebury College, or while traveling on College business, as soon as possible. Report accidents occurring in the course of employment to the Human Resources Office; Public Safety should be notified of accidents involving students, guests, and visitors.

Please remember, it is important that employees report immediately any hazardous or unsafe conditions on campus so that we may take prompt action to remedy them.

Environmental Health and Safety Office

The establishment and maintenance of a safe work environment is the shared responsibility of the College and all its employees. The College attempts to protect employees against hardship and suffering from injuries and illnesses resulting from accidents or work conditions and to protect the College from potential losses, damages, and costs caused by such accidents and conditions. Therefore, the College strives to comply fully with the intent of all federal, state, and local laws governing the safety of the College community.

The Environmental Health and Safety Office is a resource for the entire College community. The Environmental, Health, and Safety Officer is a safety professional who will assist employees in addressing their safety concerns, and may be reached through the Business Services Office.

All employees of the College are expected to follow all government safety regulations and College safety policies, to take an active part in protecting themselves and their coworkers from accident and injury, and to report promptly to their supervisors any hazardous conditions and practices. Both supervisors and employees at all levels of the College are expected to report and try to correct unsafe conditions as promptly as possible.

Blood-Borne Pathogens

OSHA's standard pertaining to employee exposure to blood-borne pathogens, such as HIV and Hepatitis B (HBV) viruses, is designed to educate and protect all employees in jobs in which exposure to blood or other potentially infected bodily fluids can be "reasonably anticipated."

Employees in covered positions are required to attend blood-borne pathogen training at the beginning of employment, as well as retraining, provided annually. Middlebury College implemented an exposure control plan that is available through the Environmental Health and Safety Office. If an employee believes his/her position is one in which such exposure might occur and s/he has not received a copy of the plan or notice of the potential of such exposure, the Environmental Health and Safety Office should be contacted immediately.

Ergonomics

Further information concerning the ergonomics program can be accessed at http://www.middlebury.edu/administration/hr/Safety/ergo

Workers' Compensation

In compliance with Vermont state law the College provides a comprehensive workers' compensation insurance program at no cost to employees. This program covers any injury or illness sustained in the course of employment that requires medical, surgical, or hospital treatment that is accepted as a workers' compensation claim.

Return to Work Transitional Duty Program

Middlebury College supports the implementation of a Return to Work Transitional Duty Program (RTWTDP) to assist employees after the onset of both work-related and non-work-related injuries or illnesses. The RTWTDP is designed to provide a temporary work assignment allowing the employee to transition back into the position he/she held prior to the onset of the injury or illness. The transitional position will be carefully designed to be appropriate for the skills, knowledge, and capabilities of the recovering employee so that the work can be accomplished safely. The RTWTDP is limited to employees with temporary illnesses or injuries. Transitional duty positions, when available, are always temporary and are assigned for a period of time usually not to exceed 12 weeks. In addition, employees participating in the program must have appropriate documentation from a medical care professional that evaluates his/her capability to work. It is the College’s responsibility to identify transitional work for the employee. Middlebury College has the sole discretion to determine whether or not there are transitional duty positions available considering the workload needs of the company.

Controlled Substance/Alcohol Testing for Employees with a Work-required CDL

All employees who hold a commercial driver’s license as part of their position responsibilities for travel within the state are required to participate in controlled substance/alcohol testing. This includes testing for pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, and return to duty testing.

Controlled Substance/Alcohol Testing Procedure

2.11 Unlawful Harassment

As an educational institution, Middlebury College is committed to maintaining a campus environment where discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, physical ability, or age is unacceptable. The College complies with state and federal laws that address discrimination in the workplace.

Harassment/Sexual Harassment Policy

2.12 Employee Newsletter

Midd Points is a newsletter published approximately twice per month by Human Resources for the faculty and staff of Middlebury College. The issue schedule and deadlines are listed on the Human Resources Web site. Midd Points is mailed without charge to benefits-eligible employees. Other employees will receive an email notification of MiddPoints on-line. Each issue is also posted on the Human Resources Web site. Midd Points is a primary communication vehicle on policy changes, upcoming events, news, and other items of interest to employees. Entities outside the campus may not advertise in Midd Points. Classified ads and articles may be submitted by employees, students, and alumni only via Outlook to Midd Points Editor or via campus mail to Midd Points Editor, Human Resources Office, Service Building.

2.13 Internal Career Opportunities

Filling a Position: The Staff Resources Committee (SRC) authorizes the creation of new positions and the filling of current vacancies. Upon request of the SRC, the Human Resources Office, in coordination with the hiring department, facilitates recruitment.

Faculty Recruitment: The dean of the faculty, in conjunction with department chairs, handles faculty recruitment. Persons interested in receiving notice of faculty openings should contact the Office of Academic Affairs at ext. 5391.

Staff Recruitment: For most job vacancies, the Human Resources Office and the appropriate senior administrator determine if there is a candidate for whom the vacancy is a natural career progression. In such cases, posting of the position may not occur. If broader recruitment is necessary, the position will appear on the Employment Opportunities web listing for a minimum of 5 business days and staff members may apply on-line. Temporary positions of one year or less are not necessarily posted. At the discretion of the president, certain jobs may not be posted.

Employment Opportunities List: The Employment Opportunities listing of all available non-faculty positions is posted on the Human Resources Web page. Applicant requirements appear with the description of each job opening.

Applying for a Posted Position: Interested employees should submit a resume online via the Employment Opportunities page once they have identified a position of interest. An employee must have been in his/her current position for a minimum of 3 months before being eligible to apply for positions in other departments.

If an employee is selected to interview for a position, and is a final candidate, the employee should inform his/her current supervisor of his/her interest in the new position. If an employee is offered and accepts a position external to his/her current department, coordination between both departments and the Human Resources Office is required to ensure that the timing of such a transfer does not result in a hardship to the College.

Filling a Position: The supervisor of the department or search committee selects the best-suited candidate to fill the job vacancy. The supervisor contacts the Human Resources Office to determine an appropriate hiring wage and to coordinate issuing the job offer.

Career Decisions: Employees should give careful consideration to all career moves. Having accepted a promotion or requested or accepted an internal transfer, an employee is unlikely to have the option of returning to the old position should the new one not work out.

2.14 Rehire

College Re-employment
Consideration for re-employment is based on qualifications and demonstrated ability, as well as prior job performance. In the event of re-employment at Middlebury College, prior service will be recognized in determining benefit eligibility to the maximum extent allowed by the Benefit Plan Descriptions or other relevant policies. An employee returning within three months of his/her termination date will have his/her CTO accrual date reinstated.

2.15 Staff Computer Use Policy

Middlebury College recognizes that e-mail is one of the primary venues through which important information about the College and its operations is communicated. This information ranges from updates on the strategic direction of the College and matters of interest to the community, to notification of road closings and building maintenance, to information about employee benefits. As part of the Middlebury College community, staff members are responsible to be aware of this information. All employees are issued a standardized college e-mail account through their employment at Middlebury College. The work of some employees requires regular use of a computer, often in an office situation. Public access computers have been installed at many locations across campus to allow access and a desired level of privacy for those employees whose work does not require regular use of a computer. For departments or work groups in which computer use is secondary to the core function, internal procedures will be developed to allow staff reasonable access to email while ensuring proper work coverage. Given the volume and frequency of campus communications, it is expected that up to 10 minutes out of each workday will be allotted for email usage. The employees and supervisors are to work out details of how e-mail access time is implemented, depending on intensity of workload (periodic in certain areas like facilities services and dining). As departments utilize computers for work-related purposes beyond e-mail, these time estimates may be adjusted. Training is available through LIS for those unfamiliar with e-mail use. Anyone using College email resources is responsible for abiding by the guidelines for appropriate e-mail use as outlined in the College Handbook.

3.1 General Information

Middlebury College offers a comprehensive health and welfare benefit plan and a generous retirement program to eligible employees.

Enrollment in some College benefit plans is not automatic. Although the Human Resources Office will make an effort to notify or remind an employee when s/he becomes eligible to enroll in a particular benefit plan, it is the employee's responsibility to enroll in a timely manner. Please consult with the Human Resources Office should any questions arise concerning eligibility for or status in a plan.

Although it is the intent of the College to continue the benefit plans described in this section, the College reserves the right to modify, amend, or terminate any benefit plan, with or without notice.

3.2 Benefit Changes

Health, Dental and Flexible Spending Accounts

In accordance with IRS regulations, changes such as adding or dropping coverage for an employee or dependent can only be made at certain times: 1) the initial eligibility period (the 30 days after an employee is first hired or the 30 days after an employee first moves into a benefits eligible employment status), 2) the yearly open enrollment period, and 3) the 30 days after a change in family status (as defined by the IRS). The most common permissible changes-in-family status include marriage, divorce, birth, adoption, change in a spouse's employment status effecting benefits eligibility, open enrollment in a spouse's benefit plan, dependent non-student reaching age 19, or a dependent student leaving school, getting married, or turning 25. (For a complete list contact Human Resources). To be allowed, the desired benefit change must also be consistent with the reason for the change (for example, in case of a divorce a spouse could be dropped, in case of a birth the baby could be added).

Please note that it is the employee's responsibility to notify Human Resources within 30 days of a change in family status. Failure to promptly notify HR of a family status change that could affect benefits can have serious consequences. For example, not notifying HR of a new dependent will mean that the new family member will not be added until next open enrollment period. IRS regulations further will not allow a change in an employee's pre-tax health or dental premium, later than 30 days after a change in family status; even if the family status event means that an employee or dependent is no longer eligible for coverage under the terms of the medical or dental plan. This means that an employee could be required to pay premiums for coverage that s/he or a dependent does not have until next open enrollment period. Furthermore, under COBRA regulations, late notification to Human Resources could result in an otherwise eligible former plan participant not being offered COBRA continuation coverage in the health, dental or health flexible spending account.

Employees are financially responsible for any claims paid by insurance based on false information. Willful failure to notify Human Resources of a change may result in disciplinary action.

Retirement Plans

Employees are able to make an election change in the voluntary retirement plan at the beginning of any pay period.

3.3 Health and Welfare Benefit Plan

The Middlebury College Health and Welfare Benefit Plan offers medical, dental, life, supplemental life, long-term disability, short-term disability, and health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts to full time staff and faculty members; to part-time or time-limited staff who work a minimum of 1,000 hours per year in a regular part-time job; and to part-time faculty members scheduled to teach at least half time. On-call, temporary or seasonal staff are not eligible for benefits. A Summary Plan Description (SPD) and employee contribution chart for this plan can be found at the Human Resources Benefits Web page, or by contacting the Human Resources Office at ext. 5465 or hr@middlebury.edu

3.4 Employee & Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)

Middlebury College offers a confidential Employee and Family Assistance Plan (EFAP) for active employees, their dependents, and others residing in the employee's home. EFAP provides counseling and referral services for a range of quality of life issues: alcohol and/or drug abuse, marital difficulties, child/parent relationship concerns, or other personal or family situations. The Wellness Corporation, the EFAP provider, can be reached at 800-828-6025.

For more information on EFAP, please visit that page on the Human Resources Web site.

3.5 Retirement Plan

The Middlebury College retirement program is administered by TIAA-CREF and is designed to offer eligible employees a generous employee contribution, tax advantages and flexibility in building savings for future security. The plans provide retirement, death and disability benefits according to Section 403(b) and 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

As a condition of employment, eligible employees are required to participate in the retirement program.

For a complete description of the plan, refer to the Summary Plan Description on the Human Resources Web site or contact the Human Resources Office at ext. 5465.

3.6 Educational Assistance

Middlebury College offers four separate programs that assist eligible employees or their dependents in pursuing post-secondary education (refer to the individual policies for benefit details):

A. Continuing Education Fund – Provides eligible employees with funding of a maximum of $1,000 per semester for their own post-secondary course work.

B. Middlebury College Course Fee Reduction For Employees – Allows eligible employees and their spouses/partners to take Middlebury College courses, for credit, for $100 per course.

C. Comprehensive Fee Credit – Provides a discount of 45% of the Middlebury College comprehensive fee for up to four full years of coursework for eligible dependents admitted to Middlebury College.

D. Tuition Cash Grant Scholarships - Provides a cash payment of either 30% of Middlebury’s comprehensive fee or 50% of the tuition of the institution attended (whichever is less), for eligible dependents attending an accredited institution other than Middlebury.

3.7 Sick Leave Conversion

At retirement, as defined in the College's Retiree Benefits policy, every accumulated sick leave reserve day will convert to an insured day. (Weekends and the holidays listed in this handbook do not reduce Sick Leave Reserve.) For each insured day the College will pay 100 percent of the premium to continue the medical and dental benefits for the enrolled employee and enrolled eligible dependents, until the end of the month in which the last insurance day is used. Example: If an employee retires with 30 accumulated sick leave reserve days on July 1, 2005, his/her converted sick leave reserve would run out on August 12, 2005 and his/her insurance would continue until August 31, 2005. Retiring part-time employees may convert CTO hours to paid insurance days at a conversion rate of 7.75 hours per day.

Faculty members do not have sick leave reserve or CTO. They will be given a week of retiree insurance coverage for each academic year in which they carried a full course load. The dean of the faculty and the director of Human Resources will resolve all conflicts and pro-rate the coverage for years in which there was a reduced course load.

Sick Leave Reserve Survivors' Conversion
If a Middlebury College employee dies while in an active status, survivors' benefits will be provided (for eligible dependents) in the medical and dental plans.

Note: There is no cash conversion of sick leave reserve. Conversion of sick leave reserve to insurance days is available only as outlined in the sections on Sick Leave Reserve Conversion at Retirement, and Sick Leave Reserve Survivors' Conversion.

3.8 Survivor Benefits

Employees enrolled in the College's Medical, Dental, and EAP plans have survivors' benefits. If an employee dies while in an active employment status, his/her survivors will receive the following benefits:

Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, and Employee Assistance Program: Such benefits will continue for 60 days following the date of death with all premiums paid by the College. Following the initial 60 days, accumulated staff sick leave reserve may be converted to insured days (see sick leave conversion section of handbook for details). Following the sick leave reserve conversion the benefits may be continued as described in the “medical” section of the Middlebury College Health & Welfare Benefits Summary Plan Description.

Accrued CTO: Survivors of insured staff have the option of converting accrued CTO time to cash or insurance benefits.

Faculty Survivor Insurance Continuation: Survivors of insured faculty members receive a week of insurance continuation for each academic year in which a full course load was carried. (Prorations are made and all conflicts resolved by the dean of the faculty and the director of Human Resources.)

Comprehensive Fee Credit and Tuition Cash Grant Scholarship: If, at the time of his/her death, a tenured faculty or staff employee has met the eligibility requirement for the comprehensive fee credit and/or the tuition cash grant scholarship educational benefits, the dependent children will retain such benefits until age 25.

Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, and Retirement Plans: All benefits under these plans will be settled with the survivors in accordance with the provisions of the plans and beneficiary designations.

MiddCard Privileges: A surviving spouse/domestic partner/civil union partner receives full faculty/staff MiddCard privileges for one year. If no spouse/domestic partner/civil union partner survives, dependent children will receive Snow Bowl and Golf Course discounts for one year instead of MiddCard privileges.

3.9 Midd Card Privileges

All employees of Middlebury College are eligible for an identification card, called a Midd Card, which entitles the employee to certain privileges including: access to athletic facilities, discounts at the College store, library privileges, and discounts at cultural and sporting events. In addition, the card allows door access to certain campus buildings.

Spouses or domestic partners of benefits-eligible employees are eligible to receive a Spouse/Partner card with the same privileges as the employee card (except door access).

Both employee and spouse/partner cards are valid only during the employee’s period of active employment. Employees who retiree from the College are eligible for a Retiree/Emeriti card.

Additional information on MiddCards can be found on the Identification Card (MiddCard) section of the Handbook. Questions regarding card eligibility can be directed to Human Resources, questions regarding new or replacement cards or door access should be directed to Public Safety, and questions regarding discounts, events or athletic facilities access or policies should be directed to the responsible department (i.e. Book Store, Athletics Department, etc.)

3.10 Golf & Ski Discounts

Benefits eligible employees may receive discounts on season passes at the Middlebury College Snowbowl, the Ralph Myhre Golf Course, and the Rikert Ski Touring Center. All employees are eligible for discounted day passes at the golf course. For information on discounts contact the recreation facilities directly.

4.1 Reporting Absences

If an employee is unable to report to work for any reason, it is his/her responsibility to notify his/her supervisor as soon as possible prior to the start of the workday. If the employee is unable to reach the supervisor, s/he should follow the department's procedure for notification. Failure to notify the College of an absence before the start of the workday means the absence is unauthorized and can lead to disciplinary action.

4.2 Combined Time Off

In an effort to provide flexibility to employees for the use of time off, Middlebury College created combined time off (CTO). CTO can be used for vacation, sick, or personal time, as well as for three floating holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day).

It is not necessary to distinguish how the time is being used (i.e. vacation, sick, or personal day). Departments will establish practices for providing notice of absences from work, and scheduling time away.

Eligibility

Most full-time regular staff employees and benefits-eligible part-time staff employees accrue CTO in the first pay period in which the employees are paid. See Handbook section 2.3 Basic Information about Employment at Middlebury College for definitions of regular full-time and benefits-eligible part time.

Faculty, temporary, seasonal, part-time employees in positions budgeted for less than 1,000 hours per year, as well as a small number of special jobs, are not eligible for CTO.

Accruals

CTO accrues in hours after each biweekly payroll is run. Accrual is based on length of service. The following chart outlines CTO accruals.

Length of Service	Annual Accrual for 1 Full Time Equivalent	CTO Accrual for Each Hour Paid	BiWeekly Accrual for Staff with Schedules of 77.5 Hrs./Wk.	Biweekly Accrual
0-2 Years	26 Days/Yr.	0.1 Hrs.	7.75 Hrs.	8 Hrs.
Over 2-10 Years	31 Days/Yr.	0.1192 Hrs.	9.24 Hrs.	9.54 Hrs.
Over 10-20 Years	36 Days/Yr.	0.1385 Hrs.	10.73 Hrs.	11.08 Hrs.
Over 20 Years	40 Days/Yr.	0.1538 Hrs.	11.93 Hrs.	12.31 Hrs.

CTO Maximum

CTO accrues in hours after each biweekly payroll is run. Accrual is based on length of service. The following chart outlines CTO accruals.

	Maximum at fiscal year end*	Maximum at anyother time during the year
Staff on 8 Hrs./Day Schedules	192	288
Staff on 7.75 Hrs./Day Schedules	186	279

*The fiscal year end maximum is applied in the last full pay period in June of each year. Following the close of this pay period any CTO over the maximum will be automatically moved to SLR.

At any other time of year, no automatic SLR transfer will occur and CTO accrual will stop when the maximum is reached.

To avoid lost CTO accrual staff must manage their own CTO banks and transfer CTO to SLR before reaching the maximum.

Advance planning of time away, shifting of CTO time to Sick Leave Reserve, and requesting and reporting time off in a timely fashion is the employee's responsibility. Supervisors and managers are responsible for planning for appropriate coverage in their departments and giving timely responses to requests for time off. Supervisors are required to track time away and ensure it is recorded properly.

CTO Pay-Out

Accrued and unused CTO will be paid out at 100% of the employee's rate of pay when they terminate employment or their position is no longer eligible to accrue CTO. SLR is not paid out.

CTO Use

General CTO guidelines

The combination of CTO and regular worked hours each pay period should equal an employee's regular scheduled hours. Part time employees may not enter CTO in excess of their scheduled hours. Employees not on a formal leave status must use CTO to cover absences from work unless their supervisor has granted an unpaid absence. Employees may not choose to take time unpaid.

Please refer to the Personal Leave of Absence Policy for Unpaid Absences in excess of a full pay period.

Non-exempt staff CTO Use

As required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt staff must record all work time. When a non-exempt staff member uses CTO they should record each hour or portion of an hour away from work as CTO.

Exempt Staff CTO Use

As required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), exempt staff are paid on a salaried basis. This dictates that their pay does not vary with regard to the number of hours worked. Exempt staff often work in excess of their normal scheduled hours and do not receive overtime or any additional pay beyond their salary. Therefore, occasional brief absences from work of less than a day will not be deducted from the CTO banks of exempt staff with the exception of approved leaves of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). CTO will be recorded in full day increments when an exempt staff member is away from work for the entire day. Exempt staff hold regular schedules and deviations from these schedules must be approved by their supervisors. In situations of a reduced schedule or repeated or regular absences, managers and staff should make arrangements to enter CTO to adjust for absences, use of half days may be a useful alternative in these cases. Issues related to productivity, meeting position responsibilities and appropriate office hours are performance matters and will not be managed through CTO use.

4.3 Sick Leave Reserve

Sick Leave Reserve can be used in the event an employee has a bona fide illness, injury, physically disabling condition including pregnancy, or if s/he must care for an ill member of his/her immediate family. SLR may not be used to care for well infants, children, or other family members. Those included in the definition of immediate family are individuals permanently residing in the employee's home or temporarily residing with the employee as a result of the family member's illness, including, but not limited to spouse/domestic partner/civil union partner, children, parents, and parents-in-law.

Appointments with physicians, dentists, or other health care providers that take place during normal working hours may be claimed.

Time from an employee's CTO bank may be transferred into his/her Sick Leave Reserve (SLR) bank. Sick Leave Reserve time, however, cannot be transferred to CTO. An employee must call in if s/he is going to be absent from work. Doctor's notes may be required.

Impact of CTO and SLR on Calculation of Overtime

Scheduled time away is time that was requested and approved, in accordance with departmental policy, in advance of the day being taken. Unscheduled time away is time that was not planned or approved in advance but was called in and approved at that time. Scheduled time away will be included in determining 40 hours for overtime at a rate of time and one half. Unscheduled time away will not be included in determining 40 hours for overtime at a rate of time and a half.

Examples: If an employee worked 48 hours in a week that included 8 hours of unscheduled time, s/he would be paid straight time for 48 hours. If s/he worked 48 hours in a week that included 8 hours of scheduled time, 40 hours of straight time and 8 hours of time and one half would be paid.

SLR Pay-Out

Sick Leave Reserve has no cash value.

4.4 Holidays

There are two types of holidays: Regular Holidays and Floating Holidays. The eligibility and usage of each differs according to the guidelines below. When a holiday falls on a Saturday it will be observed on the preceding Friday. Holidays falling on Sunday will be observed on the following Monday.

Regular Holidays
Regular holidays include New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and up to 4.5 additional days associated with Christmas and New Year's Day. The regular holiday schedule will be made available to the college community by Human Resources in the fall. The intent of holiday pay is to maintain a staff member's regular pay when their schedule is impacted by office closure due to Regular Holidays.

Eligibility: Full time employees and part time benefits eligible staff are eligible for Regular Holidays.

Administration: Eligible Staff will receive holiday pay for the designated regular holidays that fall on their regularly scheduled days of work. For example, if a staff member's regular schedule does not include Friday, they would not be paid for the Friday after Thanksgiving. To do so would effectively pay the staff member more than they would earn in a typical week.

Floating Holidays
Floating holidays include Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Each department will establish the use of floating holidays based on operational needs.

Eligibility: Full and Part time benefits eligible staff are eligible for floating holidays.

Administration: In offices that remain open on floating holidays, managers will work with staff to ensure adequate staffing. If a regularly scheduled staff member takes the day off, CTO will be used. If a staff member works they will be paid for the day and the CTO may be used at another time. In offices that close on floating holidays, scheduled staff typically do not work and will take CTO for the day. Managers must approve exceptions in advance.

Holiday Premium Pay
The purpose of holiday premium pay is to provide additional compensation to non-exempt staff members who are required or volunteer to work on designated regular holidays. When a non-exempt staff member works on a designated regular holiday s/he will receive holiday pay and time and one half their regular rate of pay for each hour worked.

For example: A staff member who earns $10 per hour and works 8 hours on Thanksgiving Day will receive $200 for the day.
8 hours Holiday Pay @ $10 per hour = $80
8 hours of time and one half ($15 per hour) = $120

4.5 Staff Parental Leave Policy

Benefits-eligible with one year of service employees are eligible for up to three weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Adopted children must be under 18 years of age. In order to receive paid leave, employees must meet eligibility requirements prior to the date of birth or adoption.

Parental leave may be used pre- or post-birth or adoption and will be applied to the 12 weeks of leave allowed under the Family and Medical Leave policy. Paid leave must be taken within one year of the birth or adoption.

In compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines, "disabilities caused or contributed to by pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, childbirth and recovery therefrom are, for all job-related purposes temporary disabilities and should be treated as such under any health or temporary disability insurance or sick leave plan available in connection with employment." This principle ensures that pregnant employees will be in no worse and no better position with regard to job related practices and benefits than employees similarly situated suffering from other disabilities. The determination of the length of time an employee will require for leave because of pregnancy and childbirth is a medical decision between the woman and her physician, to be treated in the same way as other sick leave, in compliance with the provisions of Vermont law.

4.6 Family & Medical Leave

FMLA Procedure

In compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and the Vermont Parental Leave Act, the College grants up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave to an eligible employee during a rolling 12-month period. FMLA leaves of absence can be granted for the following reasons:

The birth of a child and in order to care for that newborn child, within one year of the birth.

The placement of a child for adoption or foster care, within one year of the initial placement.

To care for a spouse, domestic/civil union partner, child, parent, or parent-in-law with a serious health condition.

To respond to a medical emergency involving the employee's child, stepchild, foster child, or ward who lives with the employee, or the employee's parent, spouse, domestic partner/civil union partner, or parent-in-law.

The serious health condition of the employee that renders the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his/her position.

This policy is designed to offer assistance by providing job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons. The leave may be unpaid, paid, or a combination of unpaid and paid depending on the circumstances as specified in this policy.

4.7 Jury Duty

The College encourages an employee to accept his/her civic responsibility if s/he is called for jury duty. All full- and part-time employees, excluding temporary employees, will be paid for time off for required jury duty. The employee's status at the College will remain the same and all benefits will continue.

When called for jury duty, the employee must notify the supervisor and provide subsequent notification of jury duty related absences. The College will continue to pay the eligible employee for scheduled hours missed due to jury duty. Whenever the employee is released from jury duty for partial or full days, s/he is expected to report for work at the College. An employee's time record must accurately reflect jury duty service.

4.8 Military Reserve

A military leave of absence is granted to employees to attend scheduled drills or training or if called to active duty with the United States armed services.

Middlebury College offers a pay differential to those eligible employees who have been called to perform military service.

To be eligible to receive this benefit, the employee must be a full-time employee who has satisfactorily completed his/her three-month probationary period with the College; provide the College with advance notice of impending service unless precluded by military necessity; and submit a copy of their military leave and earnings statement for the covered period.

4.9 Bereavement

If an employee needs to take time off because of the death of an immediate family member, s/he must notify the supervisor immediately. Paid or unpaid time off will be granted to allow the employee to make any necessary arrangements and attend the funeral. Full and part-time benefits eligible employees may receive up to three days of paid bereavement leave for each death.

Bereavement pay is based on the pay the employee would have earned had s/he worked the day(s) of his/her leave.

Employees will receive approval of bereavement leave as long as there are no unusual operating requirements. Any employee may, with the supervisor's approval, use available paid leave for additional time off.

Immediate family includes the employee's spouse/ domestic partner/civil union partner, parent, child, sibling, the employee's child's spouse, parent in-law, brother and sister-in-law, grandparents and grandchildren, and other relatives residing in the employee's household.

4.10 Personal Leave of Absence

Occasionally staff employees may wish to take time off in excess of normal vacation time and/or available CTO, for personal reasons*. In such instances, employees may apply for a Personal Leave of Absence (LOA). Personal LOAs are discretionary and require approval from both the employee’s manager and from Human Resources. The minimum duration is one full pay period, and a Personal LOA may not exceed one year in duration. (Managers may, at their discretion, approve shorter absences without undergoing the formal Personal LOA process).

During an approved Personal LOA an employee will be paid no earned time (regular pay). Certain employee benefits may be negotiated with Human Resources during the approval process. These include:

whether or not the employee will continue to be eligible for employee benefits during the LOA;

if benefits continue, whether the employee will pay the employee-only portion of the cost or the full cost of the benefit;

if applicable, how the employee will pay for the benefits during the LOA (i.e. pre-pay, pay-as-you-go, etc.); and

whether or not the employee will be required to use accrued CTO time during the LOA (this is typical).

In order to request a Personal LOA, employees should contact the Human Resources office to initiate the application process.

Non-exempt and exempt employees on approved Personal LOAs do not accrue CTO time on the unpaid portion of the leave. CTO will accrue only on CTO hours used during the leave.

During an approved Personal Leave of Absence, employees have the same job protection afforded active employees.

* Employees needing time off for medical reasons or to care for a family member with a serious medical condition should refer to the Family and Medical Leave Act policy .

4.11 Weather Emergencies

Extreme weather emergencies may arise throughout the year, however, the College must continue to provide all services regardless of the weather. When the College administration determines that weather conditions pose a significant hazard to the safety of its employees, it may authorize non-essential staff to arrive late, leave early, or remain at home. While the College does not normally close, each employee must use good judgment in assessing the impact of the weather on his/her commute. The Emergency Information Line (443-2500) will have recorded information announcements in the case of emergency.

4.12 Release Time

Release time may be approved by the president or his designee, in order to allow staff to attend certain campus-wide events. If release time falls during an employee's regularly scheduled hours it is considered regular paid time. If release time falls during a time when an employee is not scheduled to work, s /he may attend the event if s/he chooses, but the time is unpaid.

5.1 Direct Deposit

Employees are strongly encouraged to have pay checks directly deposited. Deposits may be made to any U.S. domestic bank by completing and filing the appropriate form with the Payroll Office. An employee may elect to deposit to several bank accounts if so desired, however, partial direct deposit is not permitted. Pay stubs are mailed to the employee's campus address.

When a request is made for direct deposit to a new bank or account, the first check issued after the request will be a real check while the information is pre-noted to the bank. Provided the information is correct, the next paycheck will be direct deposited.

5.2 Deductions

Certain deductions, required by law or elected by the employee, will be made automatically from paycheck. These include:

1. Federal and State Taxes

The law requires withholding taxes based on an employee's W-4 statement. The amount withheld will vary according to the earnings and number of exemptions claimed.

2. Social Security & Medicare (FICA) Taxes

In compliance with the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA), the College makes deductions from an employee's pay that, with an equal contribution by the College, are credited to his/her social security account.

3. Voluntary Withholding

An employee may wish to pay for his/her insured benefit plans and/or United Way through voluntary withholding. Some insured benefit plans allow the employee to withhold funds from his/her wages before taxes are calculated ("reduction"). Other withholdings may be allowed only after taxes have been calculated ("deduction").

5.3 Advances

The College does not advance pay.

5.4 Reporting Time and Payroll Issues

All employees of the College are paid every other Friday on a bi-weekly pay period basis. If a payday falls on a holiday, employees will receive paychecks on the last working day of the week. The pay period begins on Monday and ends on the following second Sunday.

The pay calendar schedule can be found in the Banner/Payroll section of the Human Resources Office Web site.

All time must be submitted by noon on the Tuesday following the close of the pay period in order to be included in the next pay check. If you feel your check may be inaccurate, first verify that your time was submitted accurately and on time. Issues regarding rate of pay, positions or titles and CTO should be directed to human resources. Other paycheck issues such taxes and direct deposits should be directed to payroll.

There are a number of mechanisms for reporting your time. Employees should check with their supervisors for training on the reporting methods and standards for his/her department.

Reporting time accurately is critical. It is the responsibility of the employee to report his/her time, and the responsibility of the supervisor to verify the employee's time. Falsification of a time record is a terminable offense as is the knowing approval of a false time card.

In order to meet the needs of the College community, attendance and promptness are taken into account in performance reviews. If an employee is unable to come to work for any reason, s/he must contact the appropriate supervisor or the Human Resources Office before the start of the workday. The College appreciates as much notice as possible. Individual departments, due to coverage needs, may set specific notification times.

6.1 Staff Compensation Program

The staff compensation program is explained in the two publications below.

The Staff Compensation Program Overview is an informative description of the program. It addresses program highlights and covers areas useful for staff interested in learning more about their compensation program.

The Administrative Guidelines provides greater detail on the practices and administrative procedures of the Staff Compensation Program. This will be a useful document for managers and supervisors. Staff are welcome to utilize this document as well for further program details.

As described in the Administrative Guidelines, our program relies on the tools below for assigning positions to a Career Band and Level.

Career Band Definitions
Job Content Framework
Job Placement Worksheet

6.2 Job Descriptions

The job description summarizes the purpose of a job, its primary responsibilities, and the minimum qualifications needed to perform the job in terms of education (or equivalent experience), experience, special skills, etc. Descriptions should be submitted electronically in MS Word to Human Resources. They are maintained in Human Resources. A website is available which allows for on-demand viewing of all job descriptions at the following link: http://www.middlebury.edu/administration/hr/job_descriptions/.
Consult with your Human Resources Generalist for assistance in updating or creating a job description.

6.3 Eligibility for Overtime and FLSA Compliance

Middlebury College conforms to all terms of the Fair Labor Standards Act (also known as the Federal Wage and Hour Law), including the payment of minimum wages and overtime pay. These laws establish the criteria for determining which positions are "non-exempt" (eligible to receive overtime pay), and which are "exempt" (not eligible to receive overtime pay). The Human Resources Office is responsible for ensuring compliance with such laws, including the determination of exempt and non-exempt status. Questions concerning exempt and non-exempt status of positions should be directed to the Human Resources Office.

Executive, administrative, and professional positions that meet specific federal criteria are exempt positions and will be paid a fixed salary based on a standard number of hours worked per pay period. No overtime is paid for hours worked in excess of a standard 40-hour week.

Positions that do not meet the federal exempt criteria are non-exempt positions that receive overtime pay at a rate of one and one-half times the regular hourly rate for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in one week. (For the purpose of computing overtime compensation, scheduled CTO, paid holidays, and scheduled paid sick leave reserve are counted as time worked. Unscheduled time taken is not factored into the overtime computation.)

Overtime for non-exempt employees: It is the policy of the College to accomplish its work within normal work schedules without unreasonable overtime. Some positions, however, by the nature of their responsibilities and the demands of the academic year, require irregular and heavy work schedules. All employees may be asked to work extra hours as needed. Overtime assignments will be distributed as equitably as practicable to all employees qualified to perform the required work. Employees should not work overtime without prior approval from their supervisor. However, once the work has occurred all overtime will be paid. Failure to receive prior approval will be addressed as a performance issue.

Each bi-weekly pay period consists of two Monday through Sunday work weeks. Each work week stands alone for the purposes of determining overtime. Averaging over any period beyond the seven day work week is prohibited. The first 40 hours worked, or a combination of worked hours, scheduled CTO or SLR and paid holidays is paid at straight time. Any time worked after the 40th hour is paid as overtime.

Example: Monday, 8 hours; Tuesday, 8 hours; Thursday, 8 hours; Friday, 4 hours; Saturday, 8 hours; Sunday, 8 hours for a total of 44 hours. The overtime hours are the last four hours worked on Sunday not the 4 hours worked on Friday. Time cards and paper and electronic timesheets must be coded accordingly to ensure proper payment of overtime.

An exception to charging the last hours over 40 as overtime will be made in cases where an employee holds two non-exempt positions such as, a full time primary job and a secondary on-call position. In that case overtime will be charged to the secondary position for any hours over 40 in a workweek.

Compensatory Time: Compensatory time or Comp time is not permitted. This is the practice of saving or holding extra hours worked to be exchanged for time off or paid at a later time, to avoid payment of overtime. All hours worked must be reported in the period they are worked and will be paid on the standard bi-weekly pay cycle.

6.4 Compensation Issue Resolution Process

If an employee disagrees with any decisions from Human Resources related to their compensation, s/he should review the disagreement with his/her supervisor and department head. The supervisor and department head should be sure that the employee's expectations under the compensation program are reasonable and that the employee understands the program as it relates his/her particular situation. If following the evaluation, the supervisor determines there needs to be further review, the supervisor, or department head, and the employee should make an appointment with Human Resources to discuss the position and the decision. Human Resources will reevaluate its original position in light of any new information. The decision resulting from the Human Resources review will be final.

7.0 Evaluating Job Performance

Middlebury College requires annual written performance evaluations for all staff employees. Informal performance evaluations are conducted at six month intervals between the annual written performance evaluations. These meetings allow employees and supervisors to establish performance expectations and goals for the future and to review previously communicated performance expectations and development plans. The process also establishes the link between performance and suggested merit increases.

The College encourages supervisors to provide opportunities throughout the year for less formal verbal performance feedback to employees.

Performance Evaluation Procedures

8.1 Problem Solving

Middlebury College strives to maintain effective employer-employee and employee-employee relations within the context of the at-will employment relationship. The College seeks to promote open communication between its employees with appropriate involvement of Human Resources, if necessary, to facilitate a resolution of employee concerns. Employees are encouraged to bring concerns directly to the attention of their immediate supervisor or, if uncomfortable in doing so, to their second level manager, Human Resources, MCSC, or an ombudsperson. If the concern remains unresolved, formal College resources such as an ombudsperson, the Human Resources Office, or the MCSC should be engaged. After a minimum of two rounds of problem-solving, having involved an ombudsperson or a member of the Human Resources Office, the employee may file a grievance. A list of ombudspersons can be found under people who can help on the Human Resources Web site.

Grievance Procedure

As an educational institution, Middlebury College is committed to maintaining a campus environment where discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, physical ability, or age is unacceptable. The College complies with state and federal laws that address discrimination in the workplace.

Harassment/Sexual Harassment Policy

8.2 Progressive Discipline

The College maintains a progressive discipline system to serve as a fair and consistent means to enforce College rules and regulations and to address conduct or performance deficiencies. The purpose of progressive discipline is to retain employees through identification and correction of problems. The College recognizes (a) that failure to correct disciplinary problems may lead to suspension or termination, and (b) that serious infractions may result in immediate termination.

If a situation warrants corrective action, the disciplinary actions applied may include a verbal warning, a written warning, a written reprimand, and/or termination from employment. At any stage in the process, the College may decide to separate the employee from his/her work environment. Administrative review leave is used to provide all parties time to reflect on the situation. Administered at the College's discretion, the leave may be for as little as one hour or as long a two days, with no loss of pay. Every action need not be taken in each case, and depending upon the relevant circumstances, the College may decide to take any disciplinary action, including immediate termination, at any time. The College reserves the right to terminate the at-will employment of any employee at any time, with or without cause or notice.

8.3 Staff Training & Development Opportunities

The College encourages the development of employee job skills through a variety of on-site programs that are free of charge to members of the College community, as well as individual career coaching. The Human Resources office maintains a file of information about staff development programs and opportunities.

Visit the Human Resources Web site for more information.

8.4 Staff Development Funds

Continuing Education Fund

The Continuing Education Fund is available for the benefit of Middlebury College employees who are interested in continuing their personal and/or professional development by pursuing a degree or certificate through an accredited institution. Funding is limited and will be allotted on a first-come-first-serve basis. The annual amount allocated to the fund may vary at the discretion of Human Resources and EVP & Treasurer. Eligibility is determined by two full years in a full-time or part-time benefits eligible position, a current performance evaluation with an overall demonstration of satisfactory performance and enrollment in an accredited institution that grants degrees or certificates.

Staff Development Fund

The Staff Development Fund is available to help support job-related training that is required for the job, or that is directly related to enhancing job skills and professional development. The application must be submitted in advance of the training. Contact Human Resources for additional information.

9.0 Leaving Middlebury College

Middlebury College values employees' contributions to the successful operation of the College, expecting a productive and mutually satisfactory employment relationship. It is understood, however, that the employment relationship between Middlebury College and its employees is at-will, meaning that either the College or the employee may terminate that relationship with or without notice or cause, at any time.

The Human Resources Office usually schedules exit interviews for employees leaving the College. The exit interview is a time to express suggestions, complaints, and questions. It also provides an opportunity to discuss employee benefits, conversion privileges, repayment of outstanding debts to the College, and return of College-owned property.

9.1 Voluntary Termination of Employment: Resignation

Resignation is defined as employment termination initiated by an employee who chooses to leave the College voluntarily. An employee who is considering leaving Middlebury College for any reason is encouraged to discuss his/her situation with his/her immediate supervisor before making a final decision.

If the employee voluntarily leaves the College, it is expected that as much notice as possible will be given. At least two working weeks' notice is customary for non-exempt (hourly paid) employees while administrative and professional staff (salaried) are expected to give at least one month's notice. A letter of resignation addressed to the department head, stating the final date(s) of employment will be forwarded to Human Resources. Before leaving, the employee must visit the Human Resources Office to make benefit transition arrangements and to turn in ID cards, keys, and any other College property.

9.2 Discharge

Discharge is defined as employment termination initiated by the College.

If an employee violates a basic College rule or demonstrates gross misconduct, the College reserves the right of immediate discharge without warning. Examples of summary discharge include:

Conduct that is in opposition to the College's nondiscrimination statement;
Insubordination or refusal to comply with a reasonable request given by the supervisor or College official, or abusive treatment of a supervisor or College official;
Theft of College property, personal property, of theft of service;
Falsification of records, time cards, claiming sickness or claiming benefits for self or others, under false pretenses;
Disorderly conduct while on the job;
Deliberate, frequent, and/or recurring violations of stated safety regulations, even if they are not intentional;
Absence and/or failure to return to work without notice for three days;
Use or possession of, or being under the influence of illegal substances or alcohol while at work;
Threatening physical harm, or actual physical violence to another member of the College community, on or off campus; or
Breach of confidentiality, which is defined as releasing to unauthorized persons, or misuse of confidential information to which an employee is privy because of his/her job.

In all cases of separation, final CTO payout may be withheld until keys, ID cards, and other College property are returned to the supervisor or the Human Resources Office.

Progress Discipline Policy

9.3 Retirement

The College has no standard retirement age. However employees who have met certain age and service requirements when they do retire from the College may be eligible for certain retiree benefits. In order to be eligible for retiree benefits an employee must:

a) have been employed by the College for ten consecutive years following the attainment of age 45; or

b) be a faculty member who has resigned from a tenured position to take a part-time position, regardless of age or years of service.

Retiree benefits may include continued participation in the College's medical and dental insurance programs, a retirement gift from the College, retiree lunch benefits, retiree I.D. card.

A retiree who has met the eligibility requirements for the dependent education programs will remain eligible for these programs.

Contact Human Resources for benefit eligibility details.

Middlebury College appreciates the advantages that phased retirement offers to both the employee and the College. Middlebury College is willing to work with employees on case-by-case bassis to assist them in a successful and fulfilling transition into retirement.

9.4 Reduction in Force

A Reduction in Force (RIF) is defined as the laying off of one or more staff employees. The purpose of the policy is to ensure appropriate consultation and communication within the College community as well as to clarify procedures to be followed. The procedures go into effect at the time a possible RIF is announced. This policy does not apply to seasonal employees, employees hired for fixed periods of time, or employees dismissed as an outcome of performance evaluations.

Reduction in Force Procedure

Payroll

Evaluating Job Performance

Employee Relations

Leaving Middlebury College