Attendance

All employees are expected to arrive on time, ready to work, every day they are scheduled to work.

If unable to arrive at work on time, or if an employee will be absent for an entire day, the employee must contact the supervisor as soon as possible. Voicemail and email messages are not acceptable except in certain emergency circumstances.

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Excessive absenteeism or tardiness will result in discipline up to and including termination. Failure to show up or call in for a scheduled shift without prior approval may result in termination. If an employee fails to report to work or call in to inform the supervisor of the absence for 2 consecutive days or more, the employee will be considered to have voluntarily resigned from employment.

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Job Performance

Communication between employees and supervisors or managers is very important. Discussions regarding job performance are ongoing and often informal. Employees should initiate conversations with their supervisors if they feel additional ongoing feedback is needed.

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Generally, formal performance reviews are conducted 90 and 180 days after hire as well as on their 1-year mark, then annually after that. These reviews may include a written performance appraisal and discussion between the employee and the supervisor about job performance and expectations for the coming year. These reviews are not tied to merit increases.

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Outside Employment/Moonlighting Policy

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On occasion, employees of CDL Electric Company, Inc. (CDL) may decide to seek employment outside their regular working hours.  The company has no objection to this type of work when it does not interfere with employee performance or attendance at CDL, performance of work during required work hours, including planned or unexpected overtime requirements and when he or she is not in the employ of a vendor, client, or competitor so as to create a conflict of interest in employment.  In no event shall the employee perform work outside of his employment with CDL that is like the work that he performs for CDL. To avoid any confusion, an electrician may not perform any electrical-related work outside his employment with CDL. An HVAC employee may not perform HVAC service or installation work of any kind outside his employment with CDL.

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All employees engaged in outside employment must immediately inform their supervisors in writing. Failure to disclose or misrepresent outside employment may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Upon notice CDL shall determine, in their sole discretion, if the outside work performed violates this policy.

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All employees will be judged by the same performance standards and will be subject to CDL’s

scheduling demands, regardless of any existing outside work requirements.

 

Violation of this policy will be subject to employee disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

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Appearance Policy 

CDL Electric Company Inc. strives to maintain a workplace environment that functions well and is free from unnecessary distractions and annoyances. As part of that effort, the company requires employees to maintain a neat and clean appearance that is appropriate for the workplace setting and for the work being performed. To that end, CDL Electric Company, Inc. has determined guidelines for workplace-appropriate attire and grooming for their employees. Division leaders will enforce these guidelines.

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Procedures

 

All CDL Electric Company, Inc. employees are expected to present a professional, businesslike image to clients, visitors, customers and the public. Office employees are expected to maintain a business casual appearance at all times. Acceptable personal appearance, like proper maintenance of work areas, is an ongoing requirement of employment with CDL Electric Company, Inc.

 

Supervisors should communicate any department-specific workplace attire and grooming guidelines to employees during new-hire orientation and evaluation periods. Any questions about the department’s guidelines for attire should be discussed with the immediate supervisor.

 

Any employee who does not meet the attire or grooming standards set by his or her department will be subject to corrective action and may be asked to leave the premises to change clothing. Hourly paid staff members will not be compensated for any work time missed because of failure to comply with designated workplace attire and grooming standards.

 

Specific requirements

 

Certain staff members may be required to meet special dress, grooming and hygiene standards, such as wearing uniforms or protective clothing, depending on the nature of their job. Facial hair needs to be kept neat and trimmed at all times. Hairstyles should be combed, styled and trimmed to have a neat appearance. Excessively long hair on employees working in the field should be pulled back out of the way for safety. Facial hair should be kept trimmed at all times. Loose jewelry is prohibited for employees working in the field. Work appropriate footwear must be worn at all times.

 

At the discretion of the division leader, in special circumstances, such as during unusually hot or cold weather or during special occasions, employees may be permitted to dress in a more casual fashion than is normally required. On these occasions, employees are still expected to present a neat appearance and are not permitted to wear ripped, frayed or disheveled clothing or athletic wear including leggings and sweat pants. Likewise, revealing or otherwise workplace-inappropriate dress is not permitted.

Piercings and Tattoos

 

CDL Electric Company Inc. permits employees to wear jewelry or to display tattoos at the workplace within the following guidelines. Factors that management will consider determining whether jewelry or tattoos may pose a conflict with the employee’s job or work environment include:

          1.  Personal Safety of self or others, or damage to company property.
          2.  Productivity or performance expectations.
          3.  Offensiveness to co-workers, customers, vendors or others in the workplace based on

               racial, sexual, religious, ethnic, or other characteristics or attributes of a sensitive protected

               nature.
         4.  Corporate or societal norms.
         5.  Customer complaints.

If management determines an employee’s jewelry or tattoos may present such a conflict, the employee with be encouraged to identify appropriate options, such as removal of excess or offensive jewelry, covering of tattoos, transfer to an alternative position or other reasonable means to resolve the conflict.

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Addressing workplace attire and hygiene problems

 

Violations of the policy can range from but is not limited to: inappropriate clothing items to offensive perfumes and body odor. If a staff member comes to work in inappropriate dress, he or she may be required to go home, change into conforming attire or properly groom, and return to work.

 

If a staff member’s poor hygiene or use of too much perfume/cologne is an issue, the supervisor should discuss the problem with the staff member in private and should point out the specific areas to be corrected. If the problem persists, supervisors should follow the normal corrective action process.

 

Examples of appropriate and inappropriate attire

 

Pants 

               Appropriate                                                                                        Inappropriate                       

•Khakis, slacks, or trousers                                                            •Sweatpants, leggings, exercise wear

•Jeans (must be clean and free of rips, tears and fraying)         •Shorts of any kind

•Skorts, capris, skirts, dresses                                                       •Pajama pants or pants that                        *dress leggings under dresses is acceptable*                           resemble pajamas

 
Shirts

             Appropriate                                                                                          Inappropriate   

•Uniform CDL T-shirts and sweatshirts free                                 •Beachwear

  from cuts, tears, and holes for assigned service                       •Exercise wear, sweatshirts

  divisions                                                                                        •Crop tops, clothing showing

•Polos (collar knit or golf shirts)                                                      midriffs, spaghetti straps

•Blouses and button shirts (long/short sleeved)                        •T-shirts- logo's, graphic, 
•Sweaters                                                                                         inappropriate pictures/competitor
•Blazers/style jackets                                                                    •Indoor jackets/winter wear *inside

                                                                                                           of office*

Shoes

            Appropriate                                                                                          Inappropriate   

•Field Workers: Lace Up Steel                                                              •Flip-flops of any kind

  or Lace Up composite toe boots,                                             •Slippers

  6 inches in height with ½ inch heel                                           •Any shoe that may interfere with

•Office Staff: Closed toe shoes, open toe shoes                         safe working conditions

  that only expose toes and partial heel                                     •Shoes/Boots in a state of disrepair/dirty.

  (80% of foot is covered), Clean tennis shoes,                                     

  appropriate boots

* CDL (or affiliate Serrmi, JA, Thorco) branded hats are acceptable in good, clean condition for office
wear*

An environment of cooperation, respect, and fair and consistent treatment for all employees is the
company’s goal. Nonetheless, the company is legally responsible for ensuring that no employees are
subject to harassment or a hostile work environment. As an initial step toward resolution of any
complaint or offense under this policy, supervisors and managers will be responsible for explaining the policy and answering employee questions. If an agreeable solution cannot be reached at that stage, the Human Resources Director will follow company procedures to resolve the issue.

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CDL Work Apparel

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Each division will determine what their techs will wear at work. Work apparel will be available to all Service Technicians and staff who service the public. Each new hire will be given a new hire packet of 3 shirts. Extra apparel can be ordered through your division director. All Service Technicians will be responsible for maintaining their own Work Wear. All divisions except Railroad and Electrical will be issued gray CDL shirts. Railroad and Electrical will be issued orange CDL shirts.

                                                                         

                                                                    

 

Social Media Acceptable Use

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CDL encourages employees to share information with co-workers and with those outside the company for the purposes of gathering information, generating new ideas, and learning from the work of others. Social media provides inexpensive, informal, and timely ways to participate in an exchange of ideas and information. However, information posted on a website is available to the public and, therefore, the company has established the following guidelines for employee participation in social media.

Note: As used in this policy, “social media” refers to blogs, forums, and social networking sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat, among others.

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Off-duty use of social media.

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Employees may maintain personal websites or weblogs on their own time using their own facilities. Employees must ensure that social media activity does not interfere with their work. In general, the company considers social media activities to be personal endeavors, and employees may use them to express their thoughts or promote their ideas.

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On-duty use of social media.

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Employees should not access personal websites, weblogs or other social media sites while clocked in or on-duty unless it is directly related to his/her job duties.

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Respect.

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Demonstrate respect for the dignity of the company, its owners, its customers, its vendors, and its employees. A social media site is a public place, and employees should avoid inappropriate comments. For example, employees should not divulge CDL confidential information such as trade secrets, client lists, or information restricted from disclosure by law on social media sites.  Similarly, employees should not engage in harassing or discriminatory behavior that targets other employees or individuals because of their protected class status or make defamatory comments.  Even if a message is posted anonymously, it may be possible to trace it back to the sender.

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Post disclaimers.

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If an employee identifies himself or herself as a company employee or discusses matters related to the company on a social media site, the site must include a disclaimer on the front page stating that it does not express the views of the company and that the employee is expressing only his or her personal views. For example: “The views expressed on this website/Weblog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.” Place the disclaimer in a prominent position and repeat it for each posting expressing an opinion related to the company or the company’s business. Employees must keep in mind that if they post information on a social media site that is in violation of company policy and/or federal, state, or local law, the disclaimer will not shield them from disciplinary action.

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Competition.

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Employees should not use social media to criticize the company’s competition and should not use it to compete with the company.

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Confidentiality.

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Do not identify or reference company clients, customers, or vendors without express permission. If in doubt, ask before publishing.

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New ideas.

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Please remember that new ideas related to work, or the company’s business belong to the company. Do not post them on a social media site without the company’s permission.

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Trademarks and copyrights.

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Do not use the company’s or others’ trademarks on a social media site or reproduce the company’s or others’ material without first obtaining permission.

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Legal.

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Employees are expected to comply with all applicable laws, including but not limited to, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines, copyright, trademark, and harassment laws.

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Violations of this policy may result in discipline up to and including immediate termination of employment.

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Note: Nothing in this policy is meant to, nor should it be interpreted to, in any way limit your rights under any applicable federal, state, or local laws, including your rights under the National Labor Relations Act to engage in protected concerted activities with other employees to improve or discuss terms and conditions of employment, such as wages, working conditions, and benefits.

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Bulletin Boards

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All required governmental postings are posted on the boards located in the break room. These boards may also contain general announcements.

Employees may submit to Human Resources notices of general interest, such as for-sale notices; recreational-type announcements and/or club functions (e-mail should not be used for the aforementioned); postcards; expressions of gratitude or sympathy; and notices looking for/offering carpools, tickets, roommates, or pets. Human Resources approves, posts, and takes down all notices. All notices posted by employees will be removed after 2 weeks unless otherwise stipulated.  The company reserves the right to refuse permission to post or to take down any announcement. 

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Gifts

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Employees shall not solicit for personal benefit directly or indirectly any gift, loan, discount, or any item of monetary value from any person or company that is seeking to conduct or is currently conducting business with CDL.

Employees are allowed to receive gifts, merchandise, or any item of monetary value up to $25 if it was not solicited. Example of such items: a hat, koozie, t-shirt, etc. Any items received above $25 should be given to the COO who will determine how to distribute the items. Any employee found violating this policy will be subject to CDL Electric Company, Inc.’s disciplinary policy.

 

Computers, Internet, Email, and Other Resources

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Employee Responsibility.

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It is the employee’s responsibility to take care of all company issued equipment including, but not limited to phone, computer, vehicle, tools, and personal protective equipment. If determined that negligence has occurred, it could lead to disciplinary action up to and including loss of pay to replace items and/or termination.

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CDL recognizes that use of the Internet and e-mail is necessary in the workplace, and employees are encouraged to use the Internet and e-mail systems responsibly, as unacceptable use can place a company and others at risk. This policy outlines the guidelines for acceptable use of CDL Electric Company, Inc.’s technology systems. Questions regarding the appropriate use of the company’s electronic communications equipment or systems, including e-mail and the Internet, should be directed to your supervisor or the information technology (IT) department.

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Confidentiality and Monitoring.

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All technology provided by CDL, including computer systems, communication networks, company-related work records and other information stored electronically, is the property of CDL Electric Company, Inc. and not the employees. In general, use of the company’s technology systems and electronic communications should be job-related and not for personal convenience. CDL reserves the right to examine, monitor and regulate e-mail and other electronic communications, directories, files, and all other content, including Internet use, transmitted by or stored in its technology systems, whether onsite or offsite.

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Internal and external e-mail, voice mail, text messages and other electronic communications are considered business records and may be subject to discovery in the event of litigation. Employees must be aware of this possibility when communicating electronically within and outside the company.

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Office telephones are for business purposes. While the company recognizes that some personal calls are necessary, these should be kept as brief as possible and to a minimum. Personal use of the company’s cell phones, long-distance account, or toll-free numbers is strictly prohibited. Abuse of these privileges is subject to corrective action up to and including termination.

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The company reserves the right to monitor customer calls to ensure employees abide by company quality guidelines and provide appropriate levels of customer service. Employees working in sales and customer service will be subject to telephone monitoring. Should an employee need to make or receive a personal call during work hours, a telephone designated for that purpose should be used. Should the subject matter of the conversation become personal while monitoring is taking place, monitoring of the call will immediately be discontinued.

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Appropriate Use.

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CDL Electric Company, Inc. employees are expected to use technology responsibly and productively as necessary for their jobs. Internet access and e-mail use is for job-related activities; however, minimal personal use is acceptable.

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Employees may not use the company’s internet, e-mail, or other electronic communications to transmit, retrieve or store any communications or other content of a defamatory, discriminatory, harassing, or pornographic nature. No messages with derogatory or inflammatory remarks about an individual’s race, age, disability, religion, national origin, physical attributes, or sexual preference may be transmitted. Harassment of any kind is prohibited.

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Disparaging, abusive, profane, or offensive language and any illegal activities—including piracy, cracking, extortion, blackmail, copyright infringement and unauthorized access to any computers on the Internet or e-mail—are forbidden.

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Copyrighted materials belonging to entities other than CDL Electric Company, Inc. may not be transmitted by employees on the company’s network without the permission of the copyright holder.

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Employees may not use the company’s computer systems in a way that disrupts its use by others. This includes sending or receiving excessive numbers of large files and spamming (sending unsolicited e-mail to thousands of users).

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Employees are prohibited from downloading software or other program files or online services from the Internet without prior approval from the IT department. All files or software should be passed through virus-protection programs prior to use. Failure to detect viruses could result in corruption or damage to files or unauthorized entry into company systems and networks.

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It is also against company policy to turn off antivirus protection software or make unauthorized changes to system configurations installed on company computers. Violations of this policy may result in termination for a first offense.

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Users are assigned User IDs and passwords to gain access to the Company’s computer systems and networks. User IDs and passwords identify the User to the system and actions taken on the system by the User may be recorded.  Each User is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the password. Passwords are not to be shared or disclosed. Users are responsible for actions taken using their User ID and password. Users may not mask their identity or represent themselves as someone else.

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Nothing in this policy is designed to interfere with, restrain, or prevent employee communications regarding wages, hours, or other terms and conditions of employment as protected under the National Labor Relations Act.  Employees have the right to engage in or refrain from such activities.

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Employee Behavior and Discipline Procedure

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Employee Behavior

Whenever people work together, some rules and guidelines for conduct are necessary. We have attempted to list some of these general rules and guidelines in the paragraphs which follow. However, since most situations which require discipline are unique, it is impossible to write a comprehensive guide to employee programs which may result in discipline. Therefore, the following discipline policies cannot cover all circumstances which might arise in the employment relationship. Additional reasons for disciplinary action may be necessary depending on circumstances. In all cases of discipline, you should remember you are employed -at -will and may be terminated at any time with or without cause.

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CDL employees are required to conduct themselves in a professional, business-like manner whenever they are able to represent CDL, whether actually on the job, traveling for CDL business, or even off the clock by representing CDL. CDL expects each employee to treat everyone they encounter with respect and courtesy.

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CDL's own best interest is in ensuring that any disciplinary actions taken are fair, prompt, and impartial. The major purpose of any disciplinary action is to correct the problem. How CDL chooses to correct any given problem is entirely in CDL's discretion.

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CDL recognizes there are certain types of employee problems which are serious enough to justify immediate termination of employment. As stated above, while every such problem cannot be anticipated nor listed in an employee handbook, the following are some examples of behavior which will lead to disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination:

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• stealing

• willful destruction of property

• fighting or attempting to cause bodily injury to another employee, customer, or co-worker.

• using threatening or abusive language toward a fellow employee, customer, co-worker, or other person

• engaging in horseplay or disorderly or immoral conduct

• falsifying any timecard or timekeeping record, or intentionally giving false information to anyone whose duty it is to make such records.

• falsifying an employment application or other CDL document or record

• falsifying expense reports

• divulging confidential information

• working overtime hours without approval

• dishonesty

• failure to represent the company in a professional manner.

• failing to carry out any reasonable order by a management representative.

• disobedience and insubordination

• excessive tardiness or absence from work without permission

• unauthorized purchase of tools, equipment, or supplies outside of company operations policy.

• repeated negligence resulting in excessive scrap or inferior or dangerous work, or in breakage of tools, or wasting of materials or supplies.

• possession of prohibited items on company premises, such as firearms or other weapons

• sexual or other harassment or other unlawful discrimination

• failing to comply with safety rules.

• violating CDL's policy on alcohol and drugs

• engaging in unlawful activities

• any other circumstances or conduct for which the company believes disciplinary action may be warranted. This list is intended to represent some of the types of conduct which may result in disciplinary action. You may be subject to discipline for any conduct CDL determines is contrary to the company's interests. Such conduct may occur on company property, while traveling on company business, or while otherwise on company time.

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The above list is not intended to be a complete list of conduct which may result in discipline, and in no way does the above list alter the employment-at-will relationship between you and CDL. Employment with CDL is based on mutual consent and both you and CDL have the right to terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or advance notice. CDL will employ whatever discipline it feels necessary in each situation based wholly on its own discretion and its own evaluation of the situation.

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Disciplinary Procedure (Unless otherwise stated with individual policy)

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Under normal circumstances, the Company endorses a policy of progressive discipline in which it attempts to provide employees with notice of deficiencies and an opportunity to improve.   However, CDL retains the right to administer discipline in any manner including immediate termination for cause.

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The following steps are suggested in the discipline procedure. All steps should be documented in the employee’s personnel file.

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Step 1: Informal Discussion (Verbal Warning)

When a performance problem is first identified, the nature of the problem and the action necessary to correct it should be thoroughly discussed with the employee.

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Step 2: Counseling (Written Warning)

If a private informal discussion with the employee has not resulted in corrective action, following a thorough investigation, the supervisor should meet with the employee and (a) review the problem, (b) permit the employee to present his or her views on the problem, (c) advise the employee that the problem must be corrected, (d) inform the employee that failure to correct the problem will result in further disciplinary action which may include discharge, and (e) issue a counseling notice to the employee.

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Step 3: Reprimand/Suspension

If satisfactory performance and corrective action are not achieved under Steps l and 2, the supervisor and his or her superior should meet with the employee in private, again. Supervisors have the authority to temporarily remove employees from the workplace, with or without pay, if approved in advance by the department director and the Senior Director of Human Resources. An exempt employee generally may not be suspended without pay for less than a full day, and the suspension must be related to written workplace conduct rules applicable to all employees, e.g., such as a written policy prohibiting sexual harassment or workplace violence.

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Step 4: Failure to improve

Failure to improve performance or behavior after the written warning or suspension can result in termination.

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The progressive disciplinary procedures described above also may be applied to an employee who is experiencing a series of unrelated problems involving job performance or behavior.

In cases involving serious misconduct, or any time the supervisor determines it is necessary, such as a major breach of policy or violation of law, the procedures contained above may be disregarded.  Typically, the supervisor should suspend the employee immediately (with or without pay) and an investigation of the incidents leading up to the suspension should be conducted to determine if any further action, such as termination, should be taken. Refer Termination Policy for more details.

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