Personnel Records

The Library maintains personnel records for all applicants, employees, and past employees in order to document employee-related decisions and comply with government record-keeping and reporting requirements. The Library maintains only the personnel information necessary for the operation of the Library or that which is required by federal, state or local law.

Employees have a responsibility to keep their personnel records up to date and should notify the Library Director in writing of any change of status in the following areas:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Marital status (for benefits and tax-withholding purposes only
• Number of dependents
• Addresses and telephone numbers of dependents, spouse, or former spouse (for insurance purposes only)
• Beneficiary designations for any of the Library’s insurance, pension, and retirement plans
• Persons to be notified in case of emergency
• Any change in ability to do one’s job

If you have a change in the number of dependents or your marital status we recommend that you complete a new W-4 form for income-tax-withholding purposes within 10 days of the change.

You may inspect your own personnel file and may copy but not remove documents in the file. All inspections must be conducted in the presence of the Library Director. If upon inspection you believe that any file information is incomplete, inaccurate, or irrelevant you may submit a written request for file revisions to the Library Director. If your request is not granted, you may place a written statement of disagreement in the file and make a complaint using problem-solving procedures. You should refer all outside requests for verification of employment to the Library Director.

Work Rules and Regulations

The Library believes that all employees must observe certain rules and regulations to ensure efficient Library operation, good customer service, and safety of our employees. Appropriate employee conduct includes:

• Treating all customers and co-workers in a courteous manner;
• Reporting suspicious or illegal conduct by customers;
• Reporting suspicious, unethical, or illegal conduct by co-workers;
• Wearing clothing appropriate for the work being performed;
• Performing assigned tasks efficiently;
• Reporting to work punctually as scheduled and being at your work station, ready to work at the assigned starting time;
• Giving proper advance notice whenever you are unable to work or report on time;
• Eating meals or snacks only in the designated eating area; and
• Using reference materials and magazines in the public-service areas only.

It may be helpful to identify some examples of impermissible conduct that may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including immediate discharge. While the Library cannot create a list that addresses all situations involving prohibited conduct, the following provides some examples:

1) Fighting
2) Stealing
3) Falsification of records
4) Insubordination
5) Threatening or intimidating a co-worker or customer
6) Engaging in any form of sexual or other harassment
7) Possession, use, or sale of intoxicants or illegal drugs or reporting to work under the influence thereof
8) Carrying weapons or firearms
9) Stealing, destroying, or misusing Library property or another employee’s property
10) Gambling
11) Poor work performance
12) Playing pranks or engaging in horseplay
13) Using profanity or abusive language
14) Unreported or excessive absenteeism or tardiness
15) Removing records or material from the Library without permission
16) Release of confidential information
17) Violation of intellectual property rights

Conflict of Interest

Library employees are prohibited from engaging in any activity, practice, or conduct that conflicts with or appears to conflict with the interests of the Library, its customers, or its suppliers. Since it’s impossible to describe all situations that may cause or give the appearance of conflict of interest, the prohibitions listed in this policy are not intended to be exhaustive and include clear-cut examples that apply to the Library.

In general, employees may not:

• Engage in any conduct that is disloyal, disruptive, competitive, or damaging to the Library;
• Accept an employment relationship with any organization that does business with the Library; or
• Accept gifts or meals, except of nominal value of $25 or less or any special discounts or loans from any person or firm doing or seeking to do business with the Library.

Employees will complete a Gift Report form for all meals and gifts received and transmit it to the Administrative Office.

Lateness and Absenteeism

Employees are expected to report to work on time and to work all scheduled hours and any required overtime. Excessive tardiness and poor attendance disrupts work and customer service. Lateness of more than 30 minutes is considered an absence charged to vacation and personal leave. Excessive lateness or absenteeism may be cause for dismissal.

You should notify your supervisor as far in advance as possible if you know you will be unable to report to work, will be late, or must leave early. If you take an unscheduled absence, you should call your immediate supervisor as soon as possible. If your immediate supervisor is not available, you should speak with the Director or Assistant Director. You should follow the same procedure if you know you will be unavoidably late. E-mail notification is not acceptable.

An employee shall be deemed to have abandoned his or her position and employment with the Library if the employee has failed to call in and directly notify the supervisor of the reason for absence from work within a reasonable timeframe. An employee who fails to return to work after any approved leave of absence, disciplinary suspension or recall from layoff status and who fails to notify his or her supervisor will also be considered to have abandoned his or her position.

An employee who has abandoned his or her position of employment at the Library is not entitled to any benefits which may have been earned but not taken.

Personal Appearance

Although the Library does not have a strict dress code for staff, all employees are expected to present an appropriate business-like image to the public. Employees should also observe personal hygiene habits that are in good taste and that project a positive image for the Library.

Personal Matters

To ensure the orderly conduct of Library business, employees are asked to observe the following:

• Limit personal phone calls and emails to only those that are necessary and keep each one brief;
• Eating and drinking only in designated areas;
• Limit personal mail deliveries;
• Do not use the Library as a business or personal mailing address; and
• Discourage friends and family members from social visits during working hours.

Confidentiality

During the course of your employment, you may come in contact with and have access to records, lists, and other materials that are confidential in nature. This information should not be shared with anyone outside the Library. Confidential information includes, but is not limited to, borrower records, information about reference requests from borrowers, Internet-use records, personnel records, software programs, ledgers and general information and financial and other records.

Progressive Disciplinary Counseling

We expect all employees to comply with the Library’s standards of behavior and performance. Any noncompliance with these standards will be addressed. We aspire to a policy of progressive disciplinary counseling in which we attempt to provide employees with notice of deficiencies and an opportunity to improve. However, there may be times when the severity of an employee’s action(s) may require a counseling action up to immediate suspension of employment pending termination. The Library retains the right to administer progressive disciplinary counseling in any manner appropriate to the occurrence. This policy does not modify the status of the employment-at-will or in any way restrict our right to bypass the disciplinary procedures suggested.

Our policy of progressive disciplinary counseling follows:

1. If the employee is not meeting Library standards of behavior or performance, the employee’s supervisor will take the following action:

• Meet with the employee to discuss the matter;

• Inform the employee of the nature of the problem and the action necessary to correct it; and

• Prepare a written memorandum for the employee with a copy to the employee’s personnel file along with a record indicating that the meeting has taken place.

2. If there is a second occurrence, the supervisor will hold another meeting with the employee and take the following action:

• Issue a written counseling notice to the employee;

• Provide notice to the employee that a third incident will result in more stringent counseling action and request a meeting among the Director, the supervisor, and the employee;

• Prepare and forward to the employee’s file a written report describing the first and second incidents and summarizing the action taken during the meeting with the employee.

3. At any time during this process or upon additional occurrences, the supervisor, in conjunction with the Director, may take the following action:

• Issue a final notice of counseling;

• Suspend the employee for up to 5 working days; or

• Suspend the employee, pending termination. Such a decision will be made by the Library Director.

Loan of Library Materials

All employees, regardless of their place of residence, are entitled to an Avalon Free Public Library card. Employees should check out all materials even if they are being used at their desk. Employees will not be charged for late fees or rentals unless the privilege is abused. Employees are expected to comply with the Library’s loan policies and return materials in a prompt manner so others may enjoy their use. Employees abusing these privileges will be subject to disciplinary action or suspension of free borrowing privileges. Employees should check their customer record periodically to ensure that materials are returned in a timely manner.

Parking

Library employees are requested to park their personal vehicles farthest away from the front of the library entrance as they can. The first two rows of the parking lot should be reserved for our patrons. The Library assumes no responsibility for the safety/security of any personal vehicle.

Employee Discounts

Employees are eligible to receive a discount, when available, on books, DVDs, CDs, books on tape, and other materials purchased through the Library. Employees purchasing materials under the discount program should complete the appropriate purchase forms. Payment must be made within five days of receiving the invoice. Employees are responsible for all applicable sales taxes.

Personal Property

The Library is not responsible for the loss of personal property.

Telephone Use

Library telephones are to be used for public service and to conduct Library business. Staff members are requested to limit personal incoming calls and to make only necessary outgoing calls. Whenever possible, telephone calls that incur use charges should be placed on a collect basis or charged directly to your personal credit card. Staff making personal long-distance calls charged to the Library will be required to reimburse the Library for the use charges.
Messages left on the Library’s voice-mail system are subject to review for violation of any Library policy stated herein when there is cause to suspect possible abuse. Security passwords or numbers for the voice mailboxes will be kept on file in the Director’s Office.

Computer Use

Internet accounts are made available to the Library’s staff in order to enhance and support public service and professional development through the use of electronic mail, access to regional, national, and international databases, networks, and other computer- mediated and shared resources.

Internet access through the Library is subject to the standards of acceptable use delineated in the Library’s Internet Use Policy.

All staff users of the Internet are expected to use this Library resource in a responsible and courteous manner, consistent with the purposes for which it is provided, and to follow all Internet-related rules, regulations, and procedures established for its use including, but not limited to, those of the Library. Responsible, courteous use of the Internet includes:

• Recognizing that the Internet, like all of the Library's information sources, must be shared and used in a manner which respects the rights of others and refrains from activity that prevents others from using it;

• Using the Library's Internet resources for educational, informational, and recreational purposes only and refraining from illegal use of the Internet;

• Refraining from using the Library's Internet resources to conduct a business or commercial enterprise, or to engage in commercial activity such as the distribution of advertising;

• Respecting intellectual property rights, by making, for example, only authorized copies of copyrighted, licensed, or otherwise-controlled software or data on the Internet;

• Respecting the privacy of others by not misrepresenting oneself as another user, by not attempting to modify or gain access to files, passwords, or data belonging to others and by not seeking disallowed access to any computer system via the Internet;

• Refraining from damaging or altering the set-up of the equipment used to access the Internet at the Library and refraining from altering or damaging software or data on the Internet;

• Refraining from the deliberate propagation of computer worms and viruses; and

• Refraining from the transmission of threatening, harassing, or abusive language and images.

Staff may make use of the Internet for personal purposes, provided such use is done on personal time, does not violate the Library’s Internet policy, and does not interfere with the access of an on-duty staff member to workstations. Staff members using pubic workstations are subject to the same use time limits as Library customers and may not displace a customer from a workstation in order to gain access to the Internet.

The Library retains the right to monitor all online communication to ensure that employees pursue only appropriate practices. If there is cause, monitoring may include, but is not limited to, review of email content and attachments, email addresses, tracking Internet sites visited by each user, the frequency and time spent on the Internet by each user, blocking access to certain sites, and ensuring compliance with this policy. Employees who violate this policy may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. The Library also retains the right to report any illegalities to the appropriate authorities.

Smoking

In accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, smoking is prohibited inside the Library and anywhere on Library or School grounds.

Solicitation and Distribution Rules

The Library may authorize a limited number of fund drives by employees on behalf of charitable organizations. However, employee distribution of literature, handbills, or other printed material is prohibited in work areas at all times. Soliciting during the work time of either the employee making the solicitation or the targeted employee is prohibited. Work time does not include your lunch or rest period or other time when you are not required to be working.

The Library prohibits solicitation and distribution on its premises by non-employees at all times.

Computer Printouts and Photocopies

You may use the Library’s computer printers and photocopiers to make printouts or copies. Staff making copies or printouts should reimburse the Library at 5 cents per page. Payment may be made directly to the Director or Assistant Director.

Reimbursement for Expenditures

The Library will reimburse staff members for personal expenditures made in connection with Library business upon presentation of receipts or in the case of more expensive expenditures, receipts and vouchers. Sales tax will not be reimbursed.

Mileage

You will be reimbursed for the use of your own vehicle on authorized Library business at the prevailing IRS rate. You should submit reimbursement claims on the Reimbursement Request Form, available on the Library staff Blog or Intranet.

Emergency Closings

Paid leave will be granted if the Library is closed for any of the following reasons:

• Extreme or inclement weather;

• An extended breakdown of heating or air-conditioning equipment; or

• Adverse conditions which affect working conditions.

An employee who calls in an absence or leaves early on an inclement-weather day will be required to use his or her personal or vacation leave regardless of whether the Library closes any time after opening.

Part-time and hourly employees are paid only for the time scheduled to work on the emergency closing day.

The Library Director and Assistant Director maintain an Emergency Telephone List for the purpose of notifying employees when a decision is made not to open the Library. A phone chain will be activated to contact employees about Library closure or delayed opening. The recorded message on the Library’s phone system will also provide information on closures/delayed openings. You are responsible for keeping the Library office informed about changes of your phone number. You are also responsible for checking the Library’s phone message for closure information if the weather is inclement, as it may not always be possible to contact all staff by phone.

Reduction in Workforce

In the event a reduction in workforce becomes necessary, the Library will attempt to notify employees in advance of any necessary layoff, including those that may come as a result of funding cuts.

Preference for any job openings that may exist or arise within the Library will be given to laid- off employees based on their qualifications. Recall rights will end one year from the date of layoff or whenever the period of layoffs exceeds the time worked, whichever comes sooner.

Employees who are laid off are generally eligible to apply for and receive unemployment insurance benefits and if applicable to continue health benefits at their own expense within the time limits set by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-272), referred to as COBRA. No other severance benefits are available.

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