418–Adult Basic Education Program
Policy #418
Adopted 7/27/2010
418: Adult Basic Education Program
Payroll/Benefits/Human Resource Policy
Purpose: To establish rules and guidelines to govern the Adult Basic Education Program Staff in the area of payroll, benefits and human resource issues.
A. EMPLOYEE TRAINING
ABE Orientation
Your coordinator will meet with you several times during the first six months of your employment with NWSC ABE. It is our goal to help you become more familiar and comfortable with ABE policies.
Other ABE Training Events
In addition to the training mentioned above, ABE instructors can take advantage of several types of training opportunities. They include:
- NWSC ABE Fall In-service annually
- NWSC special topic workshops varies
- NWSC ABE staff meetings 5-8x per year
- MN ABE regional in-services 2x per year
- MN State ABE Training annually
State special topics training may be offered. Topics may include family literacy, workforce literacy, working with learning disabled adults, literacy project management, etc. Contact your coordinator if you hear about a training you’re interested in attending.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are awarded for state and regional ABE instructor training, as well as for occasional local workshops and in-services.
ABE professionals have the opportunity to gain an additional 5 CEU’s through ATLAS ( the ABE Teaching and Learning Advancement System) for work done as a follow-up to any ABE-sponsored professional development event focused on classroom instruction. For more information about this offering, check out the ATLAS website: www.hamline.edu/atlas
B. STAFF EVALUATIONS
The ABE Coordinator will set up a time to meet with you, usually during your regular class time, to do an annual evaluation. This is your opportunity to share all the terrific things you’re doing in your classroom. It’s also a time for you to ask questions or voice concerns you have.
It is our goal to be as supportive as possible throughout the year. Please feel free to call your coordinator with suggestions and ideas anytime!
C. EMPLOYEE PAY
Pay While Attending Trainings
You will be paid regular wages for the hours you spend participating in all training events, including local workshops, staff meetings, and in-services, as well as statewide regional and annual meetings. In addition, you will be paid for your time spent traveling to and from these events, as well as your mileage to and from these events.
Pay While Teaching
You will be paid regular wages for the hours you spend teaching ABE classes or preparing to teach a class. While you will not be paid for your time spent traveling to and from class, you will be paid for your mileage spent traveling to a classroom located outside of your main classroom location.
Classroom Prep Time
All ABE instructors are entitled to prep time, which is to be used for marketing, preparing classroom activities, attending meetings, completing paperwork, etc.
Some instructors prefer to have a certain time set aside during the day before or after the classroom opens. Others choose to keep the classroom open during prep time, completing activities when time permits. You decide which method works best for you and your students.
Please note that prep time is to be completed onsite unless you’re marketing your class or attending meetings.
You will be paid one hour of prep for every four hours of teaching.
D. MILEAGE AND TRAVEL EXPENSE FORMS
At times you will be asked to travel to attend meetings or perform other duties assigned by NWSC ABE. You will be paid mileage to and from such events.
Mileage for attending meetings and trainings
To keep mileage costs down, staff are expected to carpool to meetings whenever possible. Full mileage will be paid to the place where you can meet up with other travelers. One-half mileage will be paid (with prior approval) if you choose to drive alone. If you do not get prior approval for driving alone, you will not be paid any mileage reimbursement. Mileage will be reimbursed at the mileage rate set within the policy of the Northwest Service Cooperative. Currently, the effective IRS allowable rate will be followed. No mileage claim, from home to office, or from home to first assignment will be honored.
Travel expenses for attending meetings and trainings
You will be reimbursed for meal and hotel expenses incurred while attending meetings and trainings. Reimbursement is subject to the following circumstances:
- Receipts will be required for up to $30/day meal reimbursement within the state of MN, and a maximum of $45/day for out of state travel. Documentation of the purpose for the travel may be required.
- Same day, without overnight travel, business meals will not be approved unless business meeting/purpose documentation is attached to clearly verify that the meal was part of a business meeting or training.
- Breakfast reimbursement will not be authorized unless occasioned with overnight travel.
- Prior approval for all out-of-state travel must be obtained from the NWSC Executive Director before any meal or other expense reimbursement is considered.
When and where to turn in travel forms:
To be reimbursed for mileage and travel related expenses, you must complete and sign a C-1 Travel Expense form. (See pocket for a copy of this form.) Attach receipts by stapling them to the top left corner of the form. Completed forms can be submitted to the ABE Coordinator at any time after the expense is incurred.
Where to get mileage/travel forms:
The forms are photocopied. You are responsible for copying as many as you need.
Originals are included in the pocket folder at the end of this section. An electronic copy is available by e-mail from the ABE office coordinator.
E. PLANNED & UNPLANNED ABSENCES
Unplanned absence due to illness
- If you become ill during a scheduled class, take care of you immediate medical needs first.
- If you become ill and will be unable to make it to your scheduled class, it is your responsibility to either reschedule the class (in the case of a small rural site with limited hours), or contact a certified teacher who can substitute for you in your absence.
- Call the ABE Coordinator if you will be absent from a scheduled class due to illness.
- Call others who need to know of your absence, such as the staff at your location, etc… Ask that a sign be posted to advise students that you won’t be in class that day.
Planned absence, less than five consecutive days
- Contact the ABE coordinator for prior approval.
- Arrange for a substitute teacher to cover your classroom whenever possible.
- Advise students, coworkers, etc…, who need to know of your absence. If your class will be closed, post a sign to let students know.
Planned absence, five or more consecutive days
- Notify and get verbal approval from the ABE coordinator at least two weeks in advance.
- Arrange for a substitute teacher to cover your classroom.
- Advise students, coworkers, etc., who need to know of your absence. If your class will be closed, post a sign to let students know.
F. LUNCH HOURS
Lunch hours are unpaid. You decide whether or not to close your classroom during the lunch hour. If you choose to leave the site, be sure that the building is secure during your absence.
G. MISCELLANEOUS CLASS SITE CLOSINGS
Since ABE sites are not located in NWSC-owned buildings, the classrooms may not follow NWSC’s holiday schedule. For example, some classrooms are located in schools, which do not observe the same holidays we do. The schools may also close the building to all activities during the 2- week Christmas break.
In the event that your classroom needs to be closed, be sure that you notify your students well in advance of the closing. Post a sign to notify them of the dates the classroom will be closed, and emphasize that you look forward to their return after the break!
H. PART TIME EMPLOYEE WAGES AND BENEFITS
Wages and Salaries
All forms of employee compensation are subject to equal employment opportunity laws and the pay equity provision of the NWSC agency. All forms of employee compensation will be determined and approved by NWSC Governing Board. Compensation includes salary, honorariums, severance fees and NWSC contributions to fringe benefits. NWSC will annually review all employee compensation and make any salary adjustments it deems necessary, prior to July 1st of each year.
Payroll Checks
Paychecks are automatically deposited into your checking or savings account on the 15th and the end of the month. If either the 15th or the end of the month occurs on a Saturday or Sunday, the Friday preceding it will be payday.
Retirement Funds
Teachers shall supply all certificates, such as Teacher’s Retirement Association (TRA), Social Security, etc…, required for payroll, and deductions will be made according to law. All other employees are subject to Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) requirements. Deductions will be made from payroll checks each pay period.
I. HOLIDAY PAY
Holiday pay is a benefit for Part time Adult Basic Education employees who regularly work 30 or more hours per week (or 1550 hours or more per year) for 180 days continuous assignment from July 1 to June 30. The number of holidays you may claim is prorated, based on the number of hours you work per YEAR, divided by 2080. The result, rounded to the nearest half day, determines the number of holidays you claim on your time sheet. (For instance, if you are contracted to work 1550 hours per year divided by 2080 hours, you qualify for 75% of, or 7.5 of 10 holidays. If you are contracted to work 1640 hours per year divided by 2080 hours, you qualify for 79% of, or 8 of 10 holidays.)
NWSC currently offers 10 paid holidays, including:
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- The Friday following Thanksgiving
- December 24
- December 25
- December 31
- January 1
- The Friday before Easter
- Memorial Day
Holiday pay will be recorded on the day earned, if it falls during the workweek. If the holiday falls on a weekend, it will be recorded on the Friday prior to the weekend.
1 holiday = 8 hour work day
1/2 holiday = 4 hour work day
In order to claim a summer holiday, you must hold summer classroom hours.
J. JURY DUTY
Each citizen has the responsibility to serve as a juror when called. Any employee summoned for jury duty will be excused from work. When you are first notified of being selected as a possible juror, you must notify your coordinator as to the time period during which you may be called to serve. If you are called for a particular jury, you must notify the ABE Coordinator immediately so arrangements can be made and your classroom will be interrupted as little as possible. You will be expected to return to your classroom after being excused from jury duty for that day. You will receive your regular paycheck while serving jury duty, however, if you receive payment for jury duty services, you should present the check to the NWSC payroll department.
Military Leave
Any regular employee actively working who is required to attend training or report for active duty will be granted unpaid military leave.
K. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
Any employee who is injured in the line of duty shall receive such compensation and expenses as are prescribed by the workers’ compensation law of the State of Minnesota. All injuries sustained, no matter how trivial they appear to be, must be reported to the ABE Coordinator. If the coordinator is unavailable, the Executive Director is to be contacted within twenty four hours of the time of the incident. The Executive Director’s office will report the accident to the insurance company as per law.
L. EMPLOYEE AGREEMENTS
As an ABE employee, you will be provided annually with an employee agreement which outlines the terms of employment for the fiscal year, including your salary and the total number of employment hours. This agreement must be signed and returned to the ABE Coordinator by June 30th.
You are expected to adhere to the terms as laid out in the employee agreement. Any adjustments or modifications to the agreement must be written and signed by both you and the NWSC ABE Coordinator.