2.12 Dress

In principal, staff members are required to dress in a way that is compatible with their roles at the Center, and does not impede their ability to perform duties to ensure the safety of children. Additionally, taking pride in your appearance influences how parents view our program.

Therefore, it is requested that employees should be neat and clean at all times, and dress appropriately to be actively involved with children. This includes Staff not wearing clothing, or articles of personal appearance which:

inappropriately exposes your body.
depict profanity, obscenity, or violence
promote use of tobacco, drugs, or alcohol;
may create a threat to health or safety of others;
are associated with intimidation or violence; or
may be disruptive.

The Executive Director reserves the right to require Staff to make appearance changes to fulfill the above guiding principles.
This policy applies to all staff at all times on school property, or at anytime when in charge of FEELC children.

2.13 Personal Property

You are encouraged to keep personal property with you or in your classroom and stored in a locked cabinet out of the reach of children. Lockers are provided for rotating staff.

2.14 Weapons and Violence Prevention

This Weapons and Violence Prevention policy applies to all employees of First Environments, parents, visitors, and any other persons entering First Environments’ premises.

First Environments has a strong commitment to its employees to provide a safe and secure work environment. We also expect our employees to maintain a high level of productivity and efficiency. The presence of prohibited weapons and acts of violence, including threats of violence, in the workplace are inconsistent with these objectives. First Environments expects all employees to adhere to this policy on weapons and violence prevention.

Employees, parents, or other visitors to the Center must not possess any prohibited weapon on the Center’s premises, or while representing First Environments on business away from its premises. First Environments also prohibits any violence, threats of violence, harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or other such behavior on the Center’s premises.

For purposes of this policy, “prohibited weapon” includes any device or other implement designed or which may be used for the infliction of bodily injury or death. Examples include any gun or other firearm (including a handgun for which an individual possesses a valid permit); ammunition, firecrackers, or other explosives; a knife or other cutting device or instrument; or other similar implements. Prohibited weapons do not include implements or devices which are designed and commonly used for a personal, business, or medical purpose and are actually being used for a lawful purpose. “The Center’s premises” include the buildings, grounds, parking lots, and vehicles of First Environments and any other place where the business of First Environments is being performed.

If First Environments has reason to believe or suspect that an employee is in possession of a prohibited weapon or has engaged in violence or other behavior which violates this policy, it has the right to search, or may authorize local law enforcement officials to search, any areas on the Center’s premises, including the employee’s personal effects, work area, office, desk, containers, cabinets, drawers, or other furniture, equipment or other facilities, or any other repository used by the employee which either is owned or leased by First Environments or is located on the Center’s premises.

Any employee of First Environments who has knowledge that any other person has possession of a prohibited weapon or has engaged in behavior that violates First Environments’ policy on violence prevention should immediately report that fact to his or her supervisor or a member of management. First Environments reserves the right to notify the appropriate law enforcement authorities of any individual who is in possession of a prohibited weapon or who participates in an act of violence in violation of law and may assist in any resulting criminal prosecution.

Violation of this policy by an employee will not be tolerated and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Any person found to be in violation of this policy who is not an employee of First Environments will be evicted from the Center’s premises and will not be allowed to re-enter its premises unless the person can demonstrate that he or she is not in violation of this policy.

2.15 Outside Employment

Employees are cautioned to consider carefully the demands that additional work activity will create before accepting other employment. Any failure to meet the responsibilities of your position with the Center may lead to discipline, up to and including termination from employment.

2.16 Personnel Records

Personnel files are the property of First Environments and access to the information is restricted. to management personnel of First Environments who have a legitimate reason to review the files or as required by state or federal law. Employees who wish to review their own files should contact the Executive Director. With reasonable advance notice, an employee may review his or her personnel file in the Center and in the presence of management. You may not remove material from your files. Former employees of First Environments do not have access to view or copy their personnel files.

Employee personnel files are keep in a secure locked filing cabinet. All files are keep confidential which includes the employees application with record of past experience, educational transcripts, health-assessment records, records of ongoing professional development, annual performance evaluations, and other required material for licensing purposes.

2.17 Confidential Information

It is the policy of First Environments that each employee has a continuing obligation to protect the internal business affairs of the Center and any confidential information of First Environments. This policy is not intended to impede normal business communications and relationships, but is intended to make employees aware of their obligations to use discretion to safeguard information obtained during the course of their employment with First Environments.

No employee, without the approval of the Executive Director, may disclose any confidential information concerning the property, business, or affairs of First Environments, including personal information about any employee, nor may any employee under any circumstances use such information to advance the financial or other private interests to him/herself or others. Confidential information should not be discussed outside the Center and only discussed within the organization to others who have a “need to know.” In addition, information about children should never be discussed with any outside party without the written consent of the child’s parent, or as authorized or required by law, and then only to the extent authorized or required.

Violations of this duty of confidentiality can seriously affect our organization. Employees who disclose confidential information of First Environments or information relating to the children of First Environments in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Your employment with First Environments assumes an obligation to maintain confidentiality, even after you are no longer employed with First Environments.

2.18 Communications Systems

First Environments follows Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for electronic mail systems, voice mail systems, the Internet, computer systems, and other communication systems.

In order to ensure the appropriate use of the Communication Systems provided and/or made available by First Environments, the following guidelines for employee use have been established. Supervisors of First Environments also are responsible for instructing employees on the proper use of the Communication Systems for both internal and external business communications.

Protect Confidential Information.
Employees are prohibited from disclosing confidential information via the Communication Systems or otherwise, outside the Center, to employees within the Center, unless the recipient of the information is authorized to receive that information and has a legitimate need to know. In order to protect First Environments’ proprietary information, employees must not leave electronic mail messages on computer screens. Employees are required to maintain access passwords in a confidential manner to meet the confidentiality standards set by First Environments. Sensitive and highly confidential information should be sent within the Center via electronic mail or voice mail only when absolutely necessary, and then only after appropriate passwords and encryption devices, if available, have been used. As a general rule, sensitive and highly confidential information should not be sent via the Internet or any other communications system to which individuals not employed by First Environments have access.
Keep It Professional.
All Communication Systems users must keep their messages businesslike and refrain from using these systems for personal messages. Employees are expected to use good judgment and common sense when sending or receiving messages by the Communication Systems. The Communication Systems may NOT be used in such a way as to be disruptive or offensive to others. Messages containing offensive sexual material, racial or ethnic slurs or epithets, or other material of a harassing nature are strictly prohibited. Remember—First Environments’ policies against discrimination and sexual and other unlawful harassment apply to communications through the Communication Systems or otherwise.
Do Not Solicit.
Employees may not use the Communication Systems provided or made available by First Environments to solicit other employees for any purpose, including but not limited to religious, commercial, or charitable purposes, or for membership in or adherence to any outside organization or political cause.
Abide by Copyright Laws.
The illegal downloading, copying, or sending of copyrighted software and/or other copyrighted materials is prohibited.
Keep Your Personal Use of Communications Systems Separate.
First Environments recognizes that some of its employees may have access to the Internet and other communications systems at their homes or through sources outside the Center. Although employees may access and use these systems in any manner they see fit for their own personal purposes, they are not permitted to transmit any First Environments information over these systems or indicate in any way that their access and use are related to First Environments.

2.19 Telephones

Employees should not use the telephones for personal purposes except when it is an emergency or when other extenuating circumstances warrant moderate use. Misuse of First Environments’ telephone system may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

2.19.1 Cell Phone Usage

All personal cell phone use should be conducted at break times. FEELC understands there might be times when an employee neds to check her/her phone; please notify your supervisor.

2.20 No Solicitation and No Distribution

Persons not in the employ of First Environments are not allowed to solicit the Center’s employees or anyone else on the Center’s premises for any purpose. No employee will be allowed to solicit for any reason while he or she is on the job and on First Environments time. This rule applies only to actual working time and not to break time, lunch time, or time before or after work. All types of solicitations on First Environments time are prohibited by this rule. Anyone who violates this rule and who thereby neglects his or her own work or interferes with the work of any other employee will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Persons not in the employ of First Environments are not allowed to distribute any material on the Center’s premises for any purpose without the permission of the Executive Director. Employees are not permitted to engage in the distribution of advertising material, literature, or other non-work material during their working time or when they might interfere with the work of others. Employees are not permitted to distribute any such materials at any time in work areas. Anyone who violates this rule and who thereby neglects his or her own work or interferes with the work of any other employee will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Any employee who engages in the distribution of any literature or non-work material in non-work areas shall be responsible for cleaning up any litter which may occur. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Last updated: 1/26/2017

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