STEVENS COUNTY LIBRARY

PERSONNEL POLICY MANUAL

 

I.  GENERAL

 

A.  WELCOME

Welcome!  The Stevens County Library welcomes you to the staff.  Good employee relations require plans and policies. This manual contains information you will need to know to do your job to the best of your ability.  Please take the time to read it carefully.  Thank you.

 

B.  STATEMENT OF GENERAL POLICY

The Stevens County Library operates to provide efficient and effective library services to the community and area.  Providing quality service and access to information is a priority.  High standards of efficiency, effectiveness, and loyalty are required of the staff.  A work environment in which employees can contribute in the most effective manner is the responsibility of every person on the staff.  Employees are encouraged to express themselves concerning improvement of work methods and working conditions.  Common goals shared by all staff members must remain as priorities.  These goals are patron satisfaction, equal access of information to all, and the timely supply of appropriate information.  Achievement of these goals requires cooperation among staff members.

 

C.  MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Stevens County Library is to provide resources and services necessary to meet the evolving educational, recreational, technological, and informational needs and interests of the community.

 

D.  HISTORY

The Stevens County Library was formed in 1914 by the young people of Stevens County and the Hugoton Woman's Club.  It was housed in empty buildings, churches, courthouse and newspaper office before the first permanent facility was built as an N. Y. A. project in 1934.  The present building was completed in 1961, expanded in 1976, expanded again in 1985, and enlarged and remodeled in 2000. 

 

The Stevens County Library is affiliated with The Southwest Kansas Library Systems, which was established in 1965 by the Kansas Legislature to provide services to libraries in the twenty-one counties in the southwest corner of Kansas.  "The System" operates under the authority of the K. S. A. 75-2547 to 75-2552.

 

E.   AUTHORITY

The information contained in this personnel policy manual applies to all employees of the Stevens County Library.  Its contents are not to be interpreted as a contract between the Library and any of its employees.  This personnel policy is not intended to and does not constitute any sort of contract employment, either expressed or implied.  Although these policies do not constitute any type of employment contract, all employees are expected to be knowledgeable of such policies and abide by such policies.

The Board of Trustees of the Stevens County Library expressly reserves the right to change any of their policies without prior notice, including those covered here, at any time.  Employees will be notified of any changes by appropriate means.  Amendments or new policies will be effective on dates determined by the Board of Trustees.  Only the Board of Trustees in consultation with the Director have the authority to change any policy.  Final interpretation of policy resides with the Board of Trustees.  This policy supersedes all previous personnel policies.

 

The Board of Trustees of the Stevens County Library assigns the responsibility to direct the Library Director for supervision of the work force.  This supervision includes the responsibility to hire, lay off, and terminate personnel; to schedule the staff; to authorize procedures; and to carry out the customary functions of management.  The director will be responsible for carrying out the personnel policies of the Board of Trustees.

 

F.   POSTED NOTICES

Required notices relating to federal, state or local employment regulations will be posted in the business office.  It is the responsibility of each employee to read these notices.

 

G.  CONFIDENTIALITY OF PERSONNEL RECORDS

All requests for information about current or former library employees should be referred to the Director.  This includes requests for verification of employment, credit checks, government investigations and routine references.  Supervisors should not discuss current or former employees or answer questions concerning such, no matter how harmless these questions appear to be.  The institution will comply with the right to privacy provisions and Kansas open record statutes, which require that only hire date, term of employment, position and verification of salary within range need be disclosed.  Additional employee information disclosable in accordance with State and Federal law may be released at the discretion of the Director upon receipt of a proper request.  All requests for employment references must be referred to the Director and must be submitted on official letterhead of the requesting entity.

 

II.      POSITION INFORMATION

 

A.  JOB DESCRIPTIONS  

Job descriptions will be provided for all staff positions.  The job description for each position will be reviewed for changes or updates at least annually.

 

B.  JOB CLASSIFICATIONS

Each employee is classified in one of the following categories based on the conditions under which he or she is employed.

 

1.   FULL-TIME

      An individual who has satisfactorily completed a training period and works a full time 36 to 40-hour-per-week job. 

 

2.   PART-TIME

      An individual who has satisfactorily completed a training period and whose workload is less than 36 hours per week. 

 

3.   EMPLOYEE IN TRAINING

      An individual who is in a training period for six months.  Formal evaluations will be made at the end of three (3) months and again at the end of six (6) months.  If the employee’s service is acceptable, his or her status is changed to full- or part-time at the end of the six-month training period.  If the employee’s service is not acceptable, he or she may be subject to dismissal or an extension of the training period.  

 

4.   PROVISIONAL/TEMPORARY

      An individual who is hired under special circumstances at the discretion of the Director

 

      The employees job classification or a change in classification, in no way affects the employee’s status as an “at will employee.”  Consequently, any employee may be terminated, with or without cause or prior notice, at any time regardless of the employee’s job classification or job performance.

 

C.  RECRUITMENT AND APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Recruitment to fill open positions may be made through open application.  Available positions will normally be advertised in the local paper and an internal notice will be posted at the circulation desk.  Advertisement for full-time and professional positions may be advertised in professional journals and other recruitment publications and services, as needed.  The Director reserves the right in unusual situations to fill positions without posting or advertisement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Persons interested in employment will fill out official library employment application forms that are available in the Director's office or at the circulation desk.  Such forms will include information regarding residence, training, experience, references, and other pertinent information.  Interviews and/or tests may be administered to measure the relative capacities of the person to perform the responsibilities of the position.

 

Applications will be held on file for at least sixty (60) days.

 

D.  EMPLOYMENT RECORDS

Upon acceptance of a position, an employee is required to complete the employment forms by contacting the Director. (See Appendix)

 

Employees shall notify the Director promptly of a change of name, address or telephone number.

 

Any change in number of dependents or change in marital status must be reported to the Director so that Federal Withholding Exemption Certificate files can be updated and maintained.

 

All employment records and personal information are the exclusive property of the library.  Employee review of such records or information may be granted at the sole discretion of the Director and under such terms and conditions as may be established by the Director.

 

 

III.    EMPLOYMENT   

 

A.  EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY

      The Stevens County Library maintains a policy of nondiscrimination with employees and applicants for employment.  No aspect of employment with the organization will be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

 

Nothing in the previous paragraph is meant to limit or expand the library’s obligation beyond that required by state, local and federal laws, rules and regulations in all phases of employment including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, transfer and dismissals.

 

B.  NEPOTISM

It is the policy of the Stevens County Library that two or more employees who are related as immediate family will not be employed within the organization unless the Board of Trustees has reviewed and approved the proposed employment of such relative. “Immediate family” will be defined as: spouse, child/stepchild, mother/father, sister/brother, foster parent, mother-in-law/father-in-law, sister-in-law/brother-in-law, daughter-in-law/son-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, foster child, or any person residing in the employee’s household, regardless of legal relationship.

 

In the event an “immediate family” relationship develops between employees after employment, the Director is authorized to take whatever action appears to be in the best interest of the organization including but not limited to transfer or reassignment of either or both employees or dismissal of either or both.  Direct supervision of an immediate family member by another family member will not be allowed except under unusual and exceptional circumstances.

 

Employment of a member of the immediate family of a Board of Trustees member of the organization, although not prohibited by the above policy, will be carefully reviewed by the Board of Trustees and is subject to said Board of Trustees approval.

 

C.  EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP

Employees of the Stevens County Library are "employees at will." An employer of the Stevens County Library may terminate the employment relationship at any time and for any reason.  This includes termination with or without cause and also with or without advance notice.  Likewise, the employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time with or without reason or advanced notice.

 

D.    NON-HARASSMENT POLICY

Harassment is contrary to basic standards of conduct between individuals and is prohibited by federal and state law. It will therefore constitute a violation of library policy for any employee to engage in any form of harassment based upon race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, or disability.  Any act, whether physical, verbal or visual that has the effect of unreasonably interfering with a person's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work atmosphere is prohibited. 

 

The Stevens County Library will not tolerate sexual harassment in any form.  No employee will threaten or imply that an employee's refusal to submit to sexual advances will adversely affect an employee's employment, evaluation, pay promotion, job assignment, or any other aspect or condition of employment.  Any employee who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

 

Personnel will report immediately any harassing behavior or incident to the Director (or Board of Trustees member should the Director be involved) in writing with the date, location, and name(s) of individuals involved.  If, after the investigation by the Director (or Board of Trustees), the issue is not resolved the matter may be presented in writing to higher authority (Board of Trustees, Human Relations Commission, etc.).  An employee may ask the city or county human relations resource person, another employee, or Supervisor to be present at a complaint discussion with any level of management.  In its effort to prevent discrimination or harassment of any kind, the Stevens County Library will maintain an open-door policy.  All complaints will be investigated as promptly and confidentially as possible under the circumstances. 

 

E.   CHANGES IN POSITION

Each employee is urged to develop skills in his or her present position and to learn as much as possible about the operations of the library and their policies to be better qualified for promotion when opportunity presents itself.

 

The library reserves the right to transfer or reassign any employee at any time when such action is determined by the Director to be in the best interest of the institution.

 

6. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

Formal evaluations of each employee's performance of his or her duties and responsibilities will be made by the Director. In the case of the Director the evaluation will be made by the Board of Trustees. The formal evaluation will be in writing on forms authorized by the Director.  The Director will complete at least one formal annual evaluation during the month of the anniversary date of the employee's initial hire.  Other formal evaluations may be conducted at any time.  Employee evaluations will be considered in determining salary, promotions, disciplinary actions and continuation of employment.

 

 

 

G.  LAYOFFS

Whenever a layoff of personnel is determined by the Board of Trustees or Director to be necessary, those employees affected will be given as much advance notification as possible under the circumstances.  The institution reserves the right to reduce hours or reassign job tasks as deemed necessary by the Director.

 

H.  RESIGNATION

An employee of the Stevens County Library who desires to terminate his or her service with the library is required to submit a written resignation to the Director.  The library would appreciate, but does not require, at least two- (2) week’s notice of the employee’s resignation.

 

I.    RETIREMENT

1.   NOTICE

      Employees planning to retire are requested to give thirty (30) days notice to insure that retirement forms are submitted in a timely manner.  This will allow prompt payment of benefits.

 

2.   BENEFITS

      Under current regulations employees covered by KPERS may receive full retirement benefits through KPERS at age 62 with 10 years of service credit or when age plus years of service equals 85 points or in the event of permanent disability.  Reduced benefits may be received at age 55 with 10 years service.

 

3.   EMPLOYMENT PAST TRADITIONAL AGE OF ELIGIBILITY

      Employees who are mentally and physically able to adequately perform their job responsibilities and wish to continue employment may do so past the traditional age of eligibility for KPERS retirement.

 

J.