Employee Handbook

Eligible employees may participate in the Colman Engineering retirement plan after completing any applicable waiting period as defined in the plan. Refer to your Summary Plan Description (SPD) for specific information.

The Company will notify you if you are eligible to participate in the plan. Contact Human Resources to understand your eligibility requirements. This benefit may be canceled or changed at the discretion of the Company, unless otherwise required by law.

All regular full-time employees who have completed the plan's defined waiting period at Colman Engineering are eligible for the Company's employer-sponsored insurance coverage options, such as dental, vision, life, disability, and critical illness insurance. Benefits are described in detail in the Summary Plan Description (SPD).

Workers' compensation is a no-fault system designed to provide benefits to all employees for work-related injuries. Workers' compensation insurance coverage is paid for by employers and governed by state law. 

The workers' compensation system provides for coverage of medical treatment and expenses, occupational disability leave, and rehabilitation services, as well as payment for lost wages due to work-related injuries. If you are injured on the job while working at Colman Engineering, no matter how slightly, you are to report the incident immediately to your Manager. Consistent with applicable state law, failure to report an injury within a reasonable period of time could jeopardize your claim for benefits.

To receive workers' compensation benefits, notify your Manager immediately of your claim. If your injury is the result of an on-the-job accident, you must fill out an accident report. You will be required to submit a medical release before you can return to work.

Colman Engineering provides eligible full-time employees with the opportunity to take time off with pay. Beginning on January 1 of each year, full-time employees receive a front-loaded grant of Personal Time Off (PTO) hours to be used for any purpose (such as personal appointments, vacations, illnesses, religious observances, and personal days).

At the same time, we understand that life includes dental cleanings, doctor visits, and the occasional midday errand. With your Manager's approval, you do not need to use PTO for those kinds of things. Please also see our Flex Time policy.

PTO does not roll over (you must use it or lose it) and is not paid out to employees upon termination unless otherwise required by law.

New employees will receive PTO on a pro-rata basis based upon the month in which they are hired.

Employees must obtain approval from their supervisor before taking PTO. To be sure we are properly staffed to meet our clients’ needs, Colman Engineering reserves the right to limit the number of employees taking PTO at any time.

There may be occasions, such as sudden illness, when you cannot notify your supervisor in advance. In those situations, you must inform your supervisor of your circumstances as soon as possible.

Colman Engineering understands that employees occasionally need time during the regular workday to attend to personal matters. With prior approval from your manager, employees may “flex” their work hours to accommodate these needs without using paid time off (PTO).

Flex time allows employees to make up time missed during the workday by adjusting their schedule—for example, by arriving early or staying late on the same day or within the same pay period. 

Flex time is intended for occasional use and does not constitute a permanent change in work schedule.

Colman Engineering offers the following paid holidays each year: 

• New Year’s Day

• Memorial Day

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Thanksgiving Day

• Day After Thanksgiving

• Christmas Eve 

• Christmas Day

When a holiday falls on a Saturday, it will be observed the preceding Friday. Holidays falling on a Sunday will be observed the following Monday.

If a holiday falls on your regular day off, ask your Manager how it affects you.

You will be compensated for holidays in accordance with federal and state law.

Colman Engineering recognizes the importance of taking leave when there is a death in the family. Where bereavement leave is not required by law, the Company will provide bereavement leave as follows:

• Full-time employees are eligible for 3 days of paid bereavement leave for the death of an immediate family member.

• Part-time employees are eligible for up to three days of paid bereavement leave for the death of an immediate family member. The amount of leave is prorated based on their regular work schedule. For example, a part-time employee who works 20 hours per week (half of a full-time schedule) would receive 1.5 days of bereavement leave instead of the full three days.

You may use accrued but unused PTO if additional time is needed. Additional unpaid time off may be granted at the discretion of the Company on a case-by-case basis.

For purposes of this policy, immediate family member includes the following and applies both to the family of the employee and the employee's spouse: spouse (including domestic partners), children (including stepchildren and foster children), parents (including stepparents and foster parents), grandparents, grandchildren, siblings (including step-siblings and in-laws), aunts and uncles, and cousins. 

You must provide notice of your need for bereavement leave as soon as possible. The Company may require documentation supporting your need for bereavement leave.

If your work schedule prevents you from voting on Election Day, Colman Engineering will allow you a reasonable time off to vote. The time when you can go to vote will be at the discretion of your Manager, consistent with applicable legal requirements.

Colman Engineering encourages employees to fulfill their civic duties related to jury duty. If you are summoned for jury duty, notify your Manager as soon as possible to make scheduling arrangements.

If you are classified as exempt, you will not incur any deduction in pay for a partial week's absence due to jury duty. If you are classified as nonexempt, you will not be compensated for time spent on jury duty. You may opt to use PTO in place of unpaid leave.

The Company reserves the right to require employees to provide proof of jury duty service to the extent authorized by law.

The Company will not retaliate against employees who request or take leave in accordance with this policy.

Colman Engineering encourages employees to fulfill their civic duties related to federal jury duty service. If you are summoned for federal jury duty, notify your Manager as soon as possible to make scheduling arrangements.

Time spent for federal jury duty service is unpaid; however, if you are classified as exempt, you will not incur any deduction in pay for a partial week’s absence due to jury duty. You may opt to use PTO in place of unpaid leave.

The Company will not discriminate or retaliate against employees for missing work due to federal jury service. Upon return to work, you will be reinstated to your prior position without loss of seniority and will be treated as if you have been on a leave of absence or furlough.

Colman Engineering will provide employees who are election workers with unpaid leave to:

• Serve at a polling place on Election Day; or

• Serve at a meeting of the electoral board following the election to determine the results of such election.

Election worker means a member of a local electoral board, a deputy general registrar, or an officer of election.

You must provide reasonable notice of your need to take leave.

If you serve four or more hours (including travel time), you will not be required to start any work shift that begins on or after 5 p.m. on the day of your service or begins before 3 a.m. on the day following your service.

The Company will not retaliate or discriminate against employees who request or take leave in accordance with this policy.

Colman Engineering realizes that, on occasion, you may be summoned or subpoenaed to appear as a witness in a civil or criminal proceeding. In such cases, you will be provided unpaid leave to attend. Notify your Manager as soon as possible to make scheduling arrangements. You may opt to use PTO in place of unpaid leave.

The Company reserves the right to require you to provide proof of the need for leave to the extent authorized by law.

This policy does not apply to employees seeking leave because they are a defendant in a criminal case.

The Company will not retaliate against employees who request or take leave in accordance with this policy.

Colman Engineering will provide unpaid leave to employees who are members of the Civil Air Patrol to engage in training for emergency missions with the Civil Air Patrol or to respond to an emergency mission as a Civil Air Patrol volunteer.

Duration of Leave

Leave used for training is limited to 10 workdays per federal fiscal year. Leave used to respond to an emergency mission is limited to 30 workdays per federal fiscal year.

You will not be required to exhaust any other leave to which you are entitled prior to taking Civil Air Patrol leave.

Notice

Provide as much notice as possible of your intent to take leave. You must provide:

• Certification that you have been authorized by the U.S. Air Force, the governor, or a department, division, agency, or political subdivision of the state to respond to or train for an emergency mission; and

• Verification from the Civil Air Patrol of the emergency need of your volunteer service.

Retaliation

The Company will not retaliate or discriminate against employees who request or take leave in accordance with this policy.

Colman Engineering complies with applicable federal and state law regarding military leave and re-employment rights. A military leave of absence will be granted to members of the uniformed services in accordance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA, with amendments) and all applicable state laws. 

You must submit documentation of the need for leave to Human Resources. When returning from military leave of absence, you will be reinstated to your previous position or a similar position, in accordance with state and federal law. 

You must notify your Manager of your intent to return to employment based on requirements of the law. For more information regarding status, compensation, benefits, and reinstatement upon return from military leave, contact Human Resources.

Colman Engineering will provide employees who are victims of a crime leave from work to attend any criminal proceedings. Criminal proceedings are proceedings at which the victim has the right or opportunity to appear involving a crime against the victim, including all of the following:

• The initial appearance of the person suspected of committing the criminal offense against the victim.

• Any proceeding in which the court considers the post-arrest release of the person accused of committing a criminal offense against the victim or the conditions of that release.

• Any proceeding in which a negotiated plea for the person accused of committing the criminal offense against the victim will be presented to the court.

• Any sentencing proceeding.

• Any proceeding in which post-conviction release from confinement is considered.

• Any probation revocation disposition proceeding or any proceeding in which the court is requested to terminate the probation of a person who is convicted of committing a criminal offense against the victim.

• Any proceeding in which the court is requested to modify the terms of probation or intensive probation of a person if the modification will substantially affect the person's contact with or safety of the victim or if the modification involves restitution or incarceration status.

You are eligible for leave under this policy if:

• You have suffered physical, psychological, or economic harm as a direct result of the commission of a felony or of assault and battery, stalking, sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, maiming or driving while intoxicated;

• You are a spouse or child of the victim;

• The victim is a minor and you are the victim's parent or legal guardian; or

• The victim is physically or mentally incapacitated or was a homicide victim and you are the victim's spouse, parent, sibling, or legal guardian.

You are not eligible for leave if you are the person who committed the crime or the relative or guardian of an individual who committed the crime.

Prior to taking leave, provide your Manager with a copy of the form provided to you by the applicable law enforcement agency and, if applicable, provide a copy of the notice of each scheduled criminal proceeding that is provided to you as victim.

The Company may limit the leave provided under this policy if the leave creates an undue hardship.

Leave under this policy is without pay; however, the wages of exempt employees will not be reduced for a partial week's absence. You may elect to use accrued paid vacation, personal leave, or sick leave.

The Company will not retaliate against employees who request or take leave in accordance with this policy.