Temporary employees who attain regular employee status begin their benefits and/or waiting periods for benefits when regular employee status is attained.

RFMH provides you with salaries that are competitive with other organizations involved in comparable work. In general, appointments are based on a salary grade assigned to a specific job. Each grade is largely based on required education and/or experience and has a salary range commensurate with these requirements.

Exempt employees are primarily executive, administrative or professional, and are exempt from overtime compensation. Non-exempt employees are paid straight time for hours worked up to forty (40) and time and one half for hours worked over forty (40). Hours worked does not include the use of any time accruals when calculating overtime.

Upon separation from employment there will be no payment made for unused overtime credit.

Your work schedule will be determined by your supervisor. Employees are entitled to a 30 (thirty) minute unpaid meal period after six hours of work. This period is designated by your supervisor and must be taken.

In the event that a non-exempt employee works more than 37.5 hours during the work week which runs from 12:01 a.m. Thursday through 12:00 p.m. the following Wednesday, they may be credited with compensatory time that must be used within the work week in which it was earned.

In order to effectively conduct our research studies, it is imperative that you come to work on time each day. In the event that illness or injury prevents you from coming to work, it is your responsibility to personally notify your immediate supervisor each day within 30 (thirty) minutes of your scheduled start time.

If you are going to be late, you must personally notify your immediate supervisor, if at all possible before your scheduled starting time. State the reason for your lateness and the time you expect to arrive.

Failure to call in as required is a violation of RFMH policy and will result in the absence or tardiness being recorded as an unexcused absence that may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

In the case of repeated absences and/or tardiness, you may be required to submit proof confirming the reasons given. Failure to provide such proof when requested will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Any absence of three (3) consecutive work days without notifying RFMH will be considered a voluntary resignation.

Time and attendance records are kept for each employee. Exempt employees are required to sign in at the beginning of each workday. Non-exempt employees are required to sign in at the beginning and out at the end of both the workday and meal periods.

Salaried timesheets are completed and submitted to your supervisor by the Monday following the completion of the last pay period ending the time sheet. When recording absences on your time sheets, accruals may only be charged in one quarter hour increments.

Our workweek is seven consecutive calendar days beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and continuing through 12:00 midnight the following Wednesday. Employees are paid bi-weekly.

Direct deposit statements are sent via email on the payday (Wednesday).

Employees who do not use direct deposit will have their paychecks mailed directly to their home address. Although paychecks are mailed before the pay date. employees should allow extra time for the US Postal Service. RFMH will not be responsible for delayed mail.

You are eligible to participate in a direct deposit program. If you choose to do so, your paycheck will be automatically deposited each payday in up to three (3) financial institutions. To enroll for direct deposit, you must provide the Personnel/Payroll Office with a voided check or deposit slip containing the proper account information.

An employee with direct deposit who is delinquent with timesheet submission will have their direct deposit privileges canceled, not to be restored until there is a record of prompt timesheet submission.

Reasonable rules of conduct are necessary for the orderly, efficient, and safe operation of business. The following list identifies conduct which will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. This list is meant to serve as a guideline and is not intended to be all inclusive. Many of the standards of conduct are addressed in greater detail in various sections of this handbook and should be referred to for clarification. RFMH management reserves the right to modify work rules and regulations or establish such different or additional rules or regulations as it deems appropriate or necessary at any time. The following conduct may result in immediate discharge:

• Deliberate scientific misconduct, such as plagiarism, fabrication or falsification in the conduct of research or the reporting of research.
• Rude, abusive, or obscene language or conduct on business premises.
• Fighting, disorderly conduct, threatening another person with verbal or physical violence.
• Gambling on RFMH premises.
• Harassing, interfering with or refusing to cooperate with co-workers in the performance of their duties.
• Tampering, altering, or recording time on behalf of another employee.
• Acts of dishonesty or theft, including falsification of employment applications or other personnel records.
• Damage to machinery or equipment, waste of materials, or defacing RFMH property.
• Insubordination or refusal to follow a supervisor's instructions or to perform assigned work.
• Failure to adhere to published RFMH policies.
• Actions which result in complaints from clients, suppliers, or manufacturers affecting the reputation or business of RFMH.
• Commission of a crime or possession of a weapon on work premises.
• Violation of "co-workers', "patients" or "human subjects" rights on discriminatory grounds in violation of RFMH equal opportunity policy.
• Failure to adhere to RFMH, Federal and New York State regulations for the protection of human and animal research subjects.

Any of the following conducts will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination, depending on the seriousness of the offense under the facts and circumstances as determined by management:  

• Repeated absences and/or tardiness.
• Failure to follow work rules or procedures.
• Failure to complete assigned work in a timely manner.
• Wasting time, loafing or loitering.
• Leaving the work area during working hours without permission.
• Negligence or carelessness.
• Unauthorized or improper use of property or machinery to include telephones, computers or use of the Internet.
• Abuse of break or meal periods.
• Refusal to accept assigned overtime when necessary.
• Unsatisfactory work performance.
• Inappropriate dress.
• Solicitation of fellow employees for any purpose during periods of the workday without prior management approval.
• Distribution of literature in working areas of the building or during periods of your workday when you are engaged in or required to be performing your work assignments.

Discussions between the supervisor and the employee are encouraged to allow the employee to correct the situation before it reaches the stage necessitating management issuing a written warning. These discussions will be documented and become a part of the employees' personnel record. This information will be considered when evaluating an employees performance for purposes of promotion, transfer, additional discipline and/or continued employment.

Disciplinary action will be taken when RFMH policies, procedures or work rules are violated. Such actions may include, but are not limited to, verbal warning, written warning, suspension or immediate termination. The action to be taken will depend, in part, on the nature of the violation and the work history of the employee.

Our reputation for quality and integrity in our business dealings has been carefully built over many years. We are recognized as much for our image as we are for our research and services.

Employment at RFMH carries with it the responsibility of representing us in just about everything you do. Your conduct outside the organization will reflect on our reputation as surely as your performance on the job.

We expect our employees to show concern and consideration for co-workers, clients, and for the community at large, and we encourage your participation in activities that bring credit to our organization. If you participate in activities that bring discredit to RFMH you will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.