Open Door Policy: Misunderstandings or conflicts may arise in any organization. To ensure effective working relations, it is important that such matters be resolved before serious problems develop. If a situation persists that you believe is detrimental to you or to Cornett, we encourage free discussion with Human Resources, your immediate supervisor, or another member of the agency leadership you feel comfortable discussing the issue with. These individuals will endeavor to work out a satisfactory solution to the problem.
Disciplinary Action Policy: Disciplinary action is sometimes required in order to correct performance or behavior issues. Disciplinary action may entail verbal, written, final warnings, suspension, or termination. Not all instances will require multiple (or any) disciplinary steps; Cornett reserves the right to exercise discretion in discipline and prior warning is not a requirement for termination.
If you are disciplined in writing, copies of the written notice are placed in your personnel file.
Cornett reserves the right to take any disciplinary action it considers appropriate, including termination, at any time. In addition to those situations discussed elsewhere in this handbook, listed below are some other examples where immediate termination could result. This list is general in nature and is not intended to be all-inclusive:
Discourtesy to a customer, provider, or the general public resulting in a complaint or loss of goodwill
Refusal or failure to follow directives from the appropriate supervisor, manager, or member of leadership
Violation of confidentiality or other employment policies including, but not limited to, confidentiality, security, conflict of interest, or code of conduct.
Altering, damaging, or destroying Company property or records, or another employee’s property
Dishonesty
Providing false or misleading information to any Cornett representative or on any Cornett records
Fighting or engaging in disorderly conduct on Cornett’s or client’s premises
Conduct or performance issues of a serious nature
Cornett is an at-will employer and reserves the right to terminate an employee at any time for any lawful reason with or without prior disciplinary counseling or notice.
Nothing in our Handbook or any other Cornett document is intended to:
Modify this “at-will” employment
Promise progressive discipline or disciplinary counseling
Promise notice in circumstances where Cornett considers immediate termination or discipline to be appropriate.
Drug-Free Workplace Policy: We recognize alcohol and drug abuse as potential health, safety, and security problems. It is expected that all employees will assist in maintaining a work environment free from the effects of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicating substances. Compliance with this substance abuse policy is made a condition of employment.
Employees are prohibited from the following when reporting for work, while on the job, on Company or customer premises or surrounding areas, or in any vehicle used for Company business:
The unlawful use, possession, transportation, manufacture, sale, dispensation or other distribution of an illegal or controlled substance or drug paraphernalia;
The unauthorized use, possession, transportation, manufacture, sale, dispensation or other distribution of alcohol; and
Employees who are requested to and who attend special events on behalf of Cornett may consume alcohol at the special event but must not exceed the legal limit for blood-alcohol content (BAC), which is .08 percent.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, authorized Employees may from time to time consume alcohol after hours on premise but must not exceed the legal limit for blood-alcohol content (BAC), which is .08 percent.
As a team, all members of Cornett are encouraged and empowered to help each other be safe and accountable in regards to alcohol consumption.
Any employee violating these prohibitions will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Any employee convicted under any criminal drug statute for a violation occurring while on the job, on Company or customer premises, or in any vehicle used for Company business must notify the Company no later than 5 days after such a conviction. A conviction includes any finding of guilt or plea of no contest and/or imposition of a fine, jail sentence, or other penalty.
Drug and alcohol testing will be carried out in compliance with any applicable state and federal laws and regulations.
We recognize that employees suffering from alcohol or drug dependence can be treated. We encourage any employee to seek professional care and counseling prior to any violation of this policy.
Special Events Policy: From time to time, employees will be invited and/or expected to participate in Cornett functions held outside the office, during other than normal working hours, or during business hours.
Cornett works to facilitate employee attendance at events as possible/appropriate, but employees may also need to make adjustments to their schedules or plan ahead in regards to other logistical concerns in order to ensure work gets completed and attendance is possible.
Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional, businesslike manner whenever called upon to represent Cornett, and as alcohol may be served at these events, it is important to be mindful of alcohol consumption and the expectations Cornett still has for your behavior.
If you are scheduled to work during a Cornett Special Event: All organizational policies relating to conduct are applicable while the employee is scheduled to work at the Cornett event.
If you are attending a Cornett-sponsored event voluntarily: We ask that you still use good judgement in your conduct because you are still a representative of Cornett. Ways to respectfully acknowledge your association with Cornett include:
Keeping the consumption of alcoholic beverages to a level that does not impair judgement;
Considering the impact of posting photos or videos from an event on social media;
Ensuring confidentiality continues to be practiced regarding any information that could be considered sensitive or confidential relating to Cornett’s network, partners, or vendors.
As with the social media policy, keep in mind that any conduct that adversely affects your job performance, the job performance of others, or otherwise adversely affects Cornett’s operations may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
As a team, all members of Cornett are encouraged and empowered to help each other be safe and accountable in regards to alcohol consumption.
Violence-Free Workplace: It is Cornett’s policy to provide a workplace that is safe and free from all threatening and intimidating conduct. Therefore, Cornett will not tolerate violence or threats of violence of any form in the workplace, at work-related functions, or outside of work if it affects the workplace. This policy applies to Cornett employees, clients, customers, guests, vendors, and persons doing business with Cornett.
It will be a violation of this policy for any individual to engage in any conduct, verbal or physical, which intimidates, endangers, or creates the perception of intent to harm persons or property. Examples include but are not limited to:
Physical assaults or threats of physical assault, whether made in person or by other means (i.e., in writing, by phone, fax, or e-mail)
Verbal conduct that is intimidating and has the purpose or effect of threatening the health or safety of a co-worker.
Possession of firearms or any other lethal weapon on Company property, in a vehicle being used on Company business, in any Company owned or leased parking facility, or at a work-related function.
Any other conduct or acts which management believes represents an imminent or potential danger to workplace safety/security.
Anyone with questions or complaints about workplace behaviors which fall under this policy may discuss them with a supervisor or a Human Resources representative. Cornett will promptly and thoroughly investigate any reported occurrences or threats of violence. Violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination of employees. Where such actions involve non-employees, Cornett will take action appropriate for the circumstances. Where appropriate and/or necessary, Cornett will also take whatever legal actions are available and necessary to stop the conduct and protect Cornett employees and property.
Workplace Harassment Policy: Cornett’s policy is to provide a safe and productive work environment that is free from unwelcome conduct such as harassment. Therefore, Cornett will not tolerate harassment based on age, race, color, national origin, religion, gender (including pregnancy), age, disability, health status and genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and other characteristics protected under state, federal, or local law or Cornett policy.
Such conduct is prohibited in any form in the workplace, at work-related functions, or outside of work if it affects the workplace. This policy applies to Cornett employees at all levels of the organization, clients, customers, guests, vendors, and persons doing business with Cornett.
Harassment is a verbal action, nonverbal action, physical action, or any other conduct that relates to an individual’s age, race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, health status, genetic information or disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression, and that is offensive. Sexual harassment may include, but not be limited to, unwelcome explicit or insinuated sexual advances or flirtations, requests or propositions for sexual favors, leers, unsolicited and non-accidental touches or caresses, references to sexual preference or stereotype, the display in the workplace of sexually suggestive objects or pictures, or other sexual, verbal or physical conduct of an offensive nature.
While this policy cannot list all possible examples of prohibited conduct, some examples are listed below:
Racial or ethnic slurs, epithets, and any other offensive remarks
Unwelcome touching, such as rubbing or massaging someone’s neck or shoulders, stroking someone’s hair, or brushing against another’s body
Sexually suggestive touching
Violating someone’s “personal space”
Whistling
Lewd, off-color, sexually oriented, or racial comments or jokes
Foul or obscene language
Leering, staring, or stalking
Threats, intimidation, and other menacing behavior
Suggestive or sexually explicit posters, calendars, photographs, graffiti, or cartoons
Unwanted or offensive letters or writings
Sitting or gesturing sexually
Offensive, threatening, or harassing e-mail, voicemail, or text messages
Sexually oriented or explicit remarks, including written or oral references to sexual conduct
Gossip regarding one’s sex life, body, sexual activities, deficiencies, or prowess
Repeated requests for dates
Sexual favors in return for employment rewards, or threats if sexual favors are not provided
Sexual assault or rape
Abusive or malicious conduct that someone might find hostile, offensive, and unrelated to the Company’s legitimate business interests
Intentional or persistent refusal to respect an employee’s gender identity
Hate-related behavior toward any person or group because of characteristics protected by Cornett’s Harassment policy
Any other conduct or behavior deemed inappropriate by the Company
It is important to note that inappropriate or unprofessional remarks or conduct may still be a reason for intervention and/or discipline, even if they do not rise to the level of harassment.
If you feel that you are being subjected to workplace harassment, you should:
1. Tell the harasser that his or her actions are not welcome and they must stop, if you feel comfortable to do so.
2. Report the incident immediately to your supervisor/manager, the HR representative, or any member of the leadership team you feel comfortable approaching.
3. Report any additional incidents or retaliation that may occur to the same/one of the above sources.
Reports can be verbal or in writing, and employees are encouraged to report conduct that they believe may be prohibited harassment (or that, if left unchecked, may rise to the level of prohibited harassment), even if they are not sure that the conduct violates the policy. Employees who witness harassing or inappropriate conduct towards another employee should also report such conduct to the Company.
Complaints and actions taken to resolve complaints will be kept confidential to the extent possible and permitted by law, consistent with a thorough and impartial investigation. Employees are encouraged to respond to questions or to otherwise participate in investigations regarding alleged harassment. Appropriate actions will be taken by Cornett to stop and remedy any and all such conduct, including interim measures during a period of investigation. Information obtained during an investigation will be kept confidential to the extent consistent with a thorough and impartial investigation and permitted by law.
Retaliation of any kind or discriminating against an employee who reports a suspected incident of harassment or who cooperates in an investigation is prohibited. An employee who violates this policy or retaliates against an employee in any way will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Employee Benefits
Maternity Leave: Cornett understands the physical toll giving birth to a child can have, and so would like to aid its employees in their recovery by implementing a paid maternity leave policy. This policy will run concurrently with FMLA (as applicable) and will be reduced by pay received by short term disability insurance or pay an employee would have received had short term disability been elected. Maternity Pay Coordination: Full-time, regular employees who give birth to a child will receive 100% of their pay, reduced by pay received by short term disability insurance or pay an employee would have received had short term disability been elected, based on the schedule below immediately following the birth of their child. Employees who are not eligible for FMLA are still eligible for paid maternity leave through this policy if they give birth to a child while working for Cornett full time.
For Regular Birth:
1 week elimination period
5 weeks of pay
For Caesarean Birth:
1 week elimination period
7 weeks of pay
Proof of type of birth (i.e., caesarean or regular) may be required.
Requesting Maternity Leave: The employee will provide his or her supervisor and human resources with notice of the request for leave at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of the leave (or, if the leave was not foreseeable, as soon as possible). The employee must complete the necessary HR forms and provide all documentation as required by the HR department to substantiate the request. Additional forms will be required for FMLA leave, if applicable.
Pay and Benefits
At no time during this paid leave will an employee earn more than 100% of their regular base salary.
The expectation is that employees will continue to have their benefits deduction taken from their paycheck during the period when they are on paid leave under this policy, but if this paid maternity leave is used in conjunction with other types of leaves, Cornett will work with you to make a customized plan for addressing benefits costs.
Paid Time Off in Bank at Time of Leave
Employees are required to use PTO as dictated by the Substituting Paid Leave for Unpaid Leave Chart below or, if paid time off is not available, take unpaid time off during the elimination period.
PTO Utilization Required
Less than 5 days
None
5 - 8 days
3 days
9 - 12 days
5 days
FMLA/Coordination with Other Types of Leave: Designation of additional or concurrent leave as Family Medical Leave, Personal Leave, or any other designation is separate from this maternity pay policy. Please refer to the Family and Medical Leave Policy for further guidance on the FMLA.
Parental Leave: Cornett understands that all families are different and that the welcoming of a new child into a family may require some time for adjustment and bonding. Because of this, Cornett offers one week (5 days) of paid Parental Leave to anyone who is welcoming a new child into their family but does not qualify for or utilize the Maternity Leave policy. This is available for up to 6 months following the arrival of the new child in the home and will run concurrently with Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, as applicable. This leave cannot be used intermittently.
To be eligible, an employee must:
Be a regular, full-time employee of Cornett, and
Be a spouse or legal partner of a woman who has given birth to a child, or
Have adopted a child or been placed with a foster child (the child must be 17 years old or younger), or
Have given birth to a child but chosen not to utilize the Maternity Leave Policy.
Documentation may be required to substantiate the familial relationship.
Amount, Time Frame, and Duration
Any eligible employee can receive up to one-week of paid leave. The fact that a multiple birth, adoption, or placement occurs does not increase the amount of leave.
Parental Leave is only available once per calendar year, regardless of whether more than one birth, adoption, or foster care placement event occurs within that 12-month time frame.
The week is compensated at 100% of the employee’s regular, straight-time weekly pay. Leave will be paid through payroll on the regularly scheduled pay dates.
Paid parental leave, once approved, may be taken at any approved time during the six-month period immediately following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child with the employee. Paid parental leave may not be used or extended beyond this six-month time frame.
Coordination of the need for leave must take place with at least 30-days’ notice, or if the situation was not foreseeable, as soon as is reasonably possible.
Employees must take paid parental leave in one continuous period of leave and within the six-month time frame indicated above. Any unused paid parental leave will be forfeited at the end of the six-month time frame.
Upon termination of the individual’s employment at the company, he or she will not be paid for any unused paid parental leave for which he or she was eligible.
Coordination with Other Policies
Paid parental leave taken under this policy will run concurrently with leave under the FMLA, if applicable. Employees who are not eligible for FMLA are still eligible for paid parental leave through this policy if they meet the eligibility requirements above while working full time for Cornett.
An employee on parental leave will continue to have their benefits deduction taken from their paycheck during the period when they are on paid leave under this policy.
If a company holiday or other company-wide paid day off occurs while the employee is on paid parental leave, the employee will receive their regular pay for that day; however, it will not extend the total paid parental leave entitlement.
Requests for Paid Parental Leave
The employee will provide his or her supervisor and the human resource department with notice of the request for leave at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of the leave (or if the leave was not foreseeable, as soon as possible). The employee must complete the necessary HR forms and provide all documentation as required by the HR department to substantiate the request. Additional forms will be required for FMLA leave, if applicable.
Please refer to the Family and Medical Leave Policy for further guidance on the FMLA.
Bereavement Leave Policy: Cornett has taken into consideration the personal needs that may arise from the death of someone close to an employee. All regular, full-time employees will be allowed at least one day of bereavement leave with full pay, and additional leave may be granted with the approval of your manager and the President.
Bereavement leave will not be granted to employees attending a funeral during periods when, for other reasons, they are not at work, such as while using PTO for other reasons, during paid holidays, or while on leave status.
Jury Duty: While it is the duty of every citizen to serve on a jury when called, Cornett recognizes that this often means the loss of income. Cornett pays the difference between the jury pay and regular wages for days when you are unable to report to work because of jury service.
The above statement applies provided that you:
Show your supervisor your summons to serve on a jury prior to the time that you are scheduled to serve.
Furnish your supervisor with evidence of having served on a jury for the time claimed.
Jury absence should be noted in Advantage and on your timesheet (if applicable). Time spent on jury duty will not be counted as hours worked for the purpose of computing overtime pay. Regular wages are paid until jury pay is received. Jury pay is then deducted from your regular wages.
This benefit cannot be applied to any court appearance other than jury duty unless such appearance is related to your employment.
Lunch and Rest Periods:
Lunch Periods: Employees are encouraged to take an hour lunch break. Non-exempt salaried, hourly and part-time employees must “clock-out” during lunch break
Rest Periods: Employees are encouraged to take two additional rest periods of at least 15 minutes each per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Military Leave Policy:
Leave for Annual Training
Employees who are members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard reserves or the National Guard may be granted leaves of absence for the purpose of participating in reserve or National Guard training programs.
Employees shall be granted the minimum amount of leave needed to meet the minimum training requirements of their units. No employee will be required to use vacation time for military duty, but employees who do elect to schedule their vacations to coincide with military duty will receive their full regular vacation pay in addition to any pay from the military.
In recognition of the public service performed by reservists and members of the National Guard, employees shall receive the difference between their regular pay and their service pay, excluding any military subsistence allowance or other expense allowances during the training period.
Leave for Active Reserve or National Guard Duty
Permanent employees who are members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard reserves or the National Guard may be granted leaves of absence for the purpose of participating in active-duty tours.
Employees will be granted leave as required to complete the tour of duty, for up to five (5) years of cumulative uniformed service-related absences. There are some exceptions that may apply that are exempt from counting towards this five-year accumulation.
Employees with leaves of less than 31 days must report back to work by the beginning of the first regularly scheduled work period after the end of the last calendar day of duty, plus the time required to return home safely and have an eight-hour rest period.
Employees with leaves between 31 and 180 days must apply for re-employment no later than fourteen (14) days after completion of uniformed service. Employees with leaves longer than 180 days must apply for re-employment no later than ninety (90) days after completion of uniformed service.
Time spent in the reserves or the National Guard will be credited to all employees toward meeting length of service requirements for eligibility for retirement benefits and vacation entitlement. Employer pension contributions, however, may be suspended during military service because the employee is not in pay status, and employees will not accrue vacation while on military leave.
Paid Holidays: Cornett recognizes the need to be with family during holidays throughout the year.
Cornett employees receive the following paid holidays:
New Years Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Friday
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Paid Time Off: Cornett believes that employees should have the opportunity to enjoy time away from work to help balance their lives. For this reason, we provide a program of Paid Time Off (PTO) to all full-time employees. PTO is a time-off-with-pay program to provide employees the freedom to decide how to utilize their time off. Cornett believes this program offers more flexibility than traditional sick, vacation, and personal time packages.
PTO Eligibility: All regular, full-time employees are eligible for paid time off. Full time, regular employees are defined as employees who work more than 32 hours per workweek and are considered to be employed on a regular basis.
Employees classified as part time (scheduled for less than 32 hours per week), temporary, seasonal, interim, intern, contractors, or any other designation that is not full time, regular, are not eligible for PTO.
PTO Definition: PTO combines all days off for reasons other than those specified elsewhere in the handbook (Holidays, Jury Duty, Bereavement, et. al.) into one category. You can use your PTO days for vacation, sick days, or personal days as you choose, and any full or half days away from work that are not approved to fall into one of the other leave categories falls into the category of PTO. PTO is taken on a full day (8 hour) or half day (4 hour) basis; smaller increments of PTO are not permitted.
PTO Calculation: Employees begin to accrue PTO immediately upon hire on a per pay-period basis, with their first accrual being prorated to reflect their start date. Except in the case of illness or emergency, PTO must be scheduled in advance and is subject to approval by your manager.
You can take up to your maximum PTO that will accrue in a year at any time during that calendar year, within reason, even if the hours have not yet been added to your bank. For example, if your maximum PTO per year is 15 days (120 hours), you may take a 3-week (120 hour) vacation in August, even if you only have 80 hours in your bank. However, if you leave Cornett prior to accruing hours that you have used, Cornett reserves the right to deduct the cost of the equivalent hours from your final paycheck, within the guidelines of the FLSA.
PTO is not earned during any unpaid leaves of absence. Accrual will recommence with the first pay period employees are paid following their return to work. PTO accrual during paid leaves may vary based on the circumstances/type of leave utilized.
PTO accrues according to the following table:
Years of Service
Annual Total
Accrual Per Pay Period
0-3 Years
Up to 15 days (120 hours)
5 hours
4 – 7 Years
Up to 20 days (160 hours)
Approx. 6.67 hours
8+ Years
Up to 25 days (200 hours)
Approx. 8.33 hours
10+ Years
Up to 25 days (200 hours) + A One-Time, Paid 2-week sabbatical!
Approx. 8.33 hours
Years of Service Definition: Employees receive paid time off based on the Years of Service tier on their anniversary date each year.
Unused PTO Carryover: We encourage employees to utilize their PTO throughout the year in order to spread out their breaks from work and provide some balance. However, unused PTO can remain in your bank and carry over from year to year with no cap in order to allow more flexibility.
Limitations:
When an employee terminates full-time employment with Cornett in good standing, they will be paid for earned but unused PTO, up to a maximum of 80 hours (two weeks) of vacation. Any accrued PTO over 80 hours will be forfeited.
If at termination the PTO taken by the employee exceeds the PTO accrued, including carryover PTO, payment for the used but unearned PTO will be deducted from the final paycheck, within the guidelines of the FLSA.
No payment for unused PTO will be made to employees who terminate for violation of Cornett’s policies or regulations, to employees who resign without sufficient notice, or to employees who resign or terminate within 6 months of hire.
Approval Process: If an employee wishes to use PTO for a pre-planned absence, the employee should submit a PTO request to their manager through ADP Workforce Now. Once approved, the absence will be entered onto the company-wide Vacations calendar. Managers or Cornett leadership have the discretion to deny requests for PTO use if the request is unreasonable or if timing interferes with business needs or operations.
Once approved, please add the absence to your own calendar as well as ensure the absence is properly reflected in Advantage.
If an unexpected occurrence requires the use of PTO, please email your manager, HR, and the Creative Resource Manager as soon as reasonable so we can add your absence to the calendar.
Commit to Change Learning, Growth, and Impact PTO: As a part of Cornett’s Commit to Change (CTC) efforts, we are offering up to three (3) additional PTO days for all full-time employees. This is in an effort to provide time, space and support for personal growth, learning and impact in racial equity and anti-racism.
Newly hired employees will be eligible for CTC leave after they have been with Cornett for 90 days, and the amount of hours available will be prorated based on hire date for 32 the first year. All full-time employees who have satisfied the 90 day period will receive 24 hours in their CTC bank effective 1/1 of each year.
In order to request one of these days, employees can utilize ADP and request the time off from the CTC bank of time. Please enter the reason for the leave request/how you plan to utilize the time off in order to facilitate approval. Managers can then approve or deny the request as appropriate. Please make an effort to make any of these requests at least a week in advance whenever possible. These PTO days can also be split into half day requests if desired. These PTO days do not carry over year-to-year and are not paid out if not used.
A new Advantage code is now available as well for use in logging Commit to Change PTO days.
Some examples would include:
Attending a workshop, seminar or webinar dedicated to racial equity, allyship, anti-racism or related topics
Volunteering for projects, causes or organizations dedicated to racial equity or supporting BIPOC
Dedicating time to a personal project (art, writing, community engagement, etc.) related to racial equity or supporting BIPOC
Making an educational trip to a museum or historical site of significance for BIPOC and racial equity
Other efforts can be approved on a case-by-case basis. Please work with your manager directly on approval if you have an idea or opportunity that isn’t included in the categories above.
In an effort to track and report the time, talent and effort CORNETT collective contributes to BIPOC causes and initiatives, we also ask that you log your efforts to this Google Sheet, noting the cause (where applicable) and hours devoted. Our hope is to share an overview of our efforts as part of an Annual Giving Report to demonstrate our impact and keep ourselves accountable for ongoing growth.
Commit to Change Learning, Growth, and Impact PTO: As a part of Cornett’s Commit to Change (CTC) efforts, we are offering up to three (3) additional PTO days for all full-time employees. This is in an effort to provide time, space and support for personal growth, learning and impact in racial equity and anti-racism.
Newly hired employees will be eligible for CTC leave after they have been with Cornett for 90 days, and the amount of hours available will be prorated based on hire date for 32 the first year. All full-time employees who have satisfied the 90 day period will receive 24 hours in their CTC bank effective 1/1 of each year.
In order to request one of these days, employees can utilize ADP and request the time off from the CTC bank of time. Please enter the reason for the leave request/how you plan to utilize the time off in order to facilitate approval. Managers can then approve or deny the request as appropriate. Please make an effort to make any of these requests at least a week in advance whenever possible. These PTO days can also be split into half day requests if desired. These PTO days do not carry over year-to-year and are not paid out if not used.
A new Advantage code is now available as well for use in logging Commit to Change PTO days.
Some examples would include:
Attending a workshop, seminar or webinar dedicated to racial equity, allyship, anti-racism or related topics
Volunteering for projects, causes or organizations dedicated to racial equity or supporting BIPOC
Dedicating time to a personal project (art, writing, community engagement, etc.) related to racial equity or supporting BIPOC
Making an educational trip to a museum or historical site of significance for BIPOC and racial equity
Other efforts can be approved on a case-by-case basis. Please work with your manager directly on approval if you have an idea or opportunity that isn’t included in the categories above.
In an effort to track and report the time, talent and effort CORNETT collective contributes to BIPOC causes and initiatives, we also ask that you log your efforts to this Google Sheet, noting the cause (where applicable) and hours devoted. Our hope is to share an overview of our efforts as part of an Annual Giving Report to demonstrate our impact and keep ourselves accountable for ongoing growth.
Religious Observances: Cornett respects the religious beliefs and practices of all employees and will make, on request, reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs and/or observances when an accommodation is available that does not create an undue hardship on the company.
An accommodation is a temporary change to how, when, or where an employee works, and may include things like additional leave, exceptions to the dress code, or policy changes.
Requested accommodations will be determined and evaluated to assess the impact or potential hardship to the company on a case-by-case basis. Evaluation criteria will include the nature of the accommodation, business needs of the company and its clients, the needs of other employees, and the company’s operations and/or resources.
Time Off To Vote: Cornett encourages all employees to vote. It is the policy of Cornett to comply with all state election law requirements with respect to providing employees, where necessary, with time off to vote.
If you plan on voting, please plan ahead by knowing your voting location. Hours for voting locations in Kentucky are 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
Information & office security
Emergency Action Plan: We recognize that our people drive our business. As our most critical resource, employees are safeguarded through training, provision of appropriate work surroundings, and procedures that foster protection of health and safety. No duty, no matter what its perceived result, is more important than employee health and safety.
General Guidelines in an Emergency
Stay calm and think through your actions.
Know important emergency numbers
Fire/Police/Ambulance (9) 9-1-1
Human Resources (859) 406-4304
Technology Manager (907) 947-2178
Chief Operations Officer (404) 909-5278
Project Manager (270) 314-7042
Be aware of your surroundings
Know where stairwell exits are located. There are two stairwell exits on each floor located on the east side of the building.
Fire extinguishers are located by the two stairwell exits.
In the event of any emergency, do not take elevators, use only stairs.
Do not hesitate to call/alert others if you believe that an emergency is occurring.
Fire Evacuation
Employees are notified of a fire by either the fire alarm system or paged announcement.
Upon hearing the alarm, immediately evacuate the building using the closest stairwell exit, do not use the elevators. Do not delay evacuation to get your coat, personal belongings, finish a phone call, or wait for friends.
Notify Emergency Floor Leaders or their backups.
Floor Leaders/Backups
The Technology Manager, the Chief Operations Officer, and the Project Manager will be the Emergency Floor Leaders for floors 2, 3 and 4.
Emergency Floor Leaders should be the last persons to leave the area.
Floor Leaders should check in conference rooms, lavatories, and offices to be sure all employees have evacuated.
All doors should be closed after the Floor Leader clears an area.
Any employee having mobility, visual, hearing, or other conditions that may hinder them from becoming aware of an emergency or evacuation, should disclose their condition to Human Resources at the time of hire so that special assistance can be rendered at time of emergency.
Upon exiting the building, report to the Emergency Floor Leaders for headcount confirmation.
If any employee or known guest/visitor is missing, immediately report the missing person’s name to an Emergency Floor Leader who will in turn report it to the proper company and civil authorities.
All employees who are not members of a response team should stay together in the location deemed appropriate, so periodic updates on the situation can be communicated. Do not go home, wait in your car, return to the building, or go to another building unless directed by an Emergency Floor Leader to do so.
If you discover a fire
Alert other persons in the immediate hazard area.
Activate the nearest fire alarm, call 911, notify the front desk, and/or page an emergency announcement.
If you have been trained to use a fire extinguisher, following these instructions:
Pull the safety package in
Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire
Squeeze the operating lever
Sweep side to side, covering the base of the fire
When using a fire extinguisher, always stay between the fire and an exit. Never feel that using a fire extinguisher is required. If the fire is too hot, too smoky, or you are frightened, evacuate immediately.
Medical Emergency
Upon discovering a medical emergency, call (9) 9-1-1.
Call the front desk or page an emergency announcement.
Stay with the ill/injured person. Be careful not to come into contact with any bodily fluids unless properly trained and protected.
Send one person to alert Human Resources so they can notify family members of the ill/injured person if appropriate.
Employees in the immediate vicinity of the emergency, but not involved in the emergency effort, should leave the area.
Severe Weather
In the event severe weather conditions occur at a time when you have not yet reported to work (or are not at work), you should report to work unless otherwise notified, if able to do so safely.
Executive Agency Leadership will monitor the weather online. If a severe weather warning is issued, (s)he will immediately page an announcement:
Employees should immediately seek shelter in the main hallways or exit stairways away from all windows.
When the severe weather warning is cancelled, the Emergency Floor Leaders will advise that it is safe to return to office areas. The receptionist will also make a general announcement over the paging system.
Inclement Weather
In cases of inclement weather where Cornett is still open for business, Cornett understands unforeseen issues may arise that prevent employees from coming in to work. These situations could include, but are not limited to:
Unsafe road conditions
Loss of transportation
Inability to secure care for dependent(s)
Employee safety is top priority in cases of inclement weather, always, so if you feel that you are unable to come in to work due to inclement weather, please reach out to your manager to either request to work from home or, if you are not able to work the majority of your regular work hours due to your situation, request a PTO day.
Managers can approve or deny a request to work from home based on the position, equipment required, and current workload. If a manager denies a request to work from home but the employee feels conditions warrant staying home, use of a PTO day may be required. 42
Other possible accommodations to ensure safety in inclement weather may include a later start time or leaving earlier in the workday. Again, please reach out to your manager to make arrangements that work for your situation.
Workplace Violence
Any employee who feels that (s)he has been threatened should immediately report their concern to their manager and Human Resources.
If you observe anyone exhibiting threatening behavior or making threatening statements, warn others in the area and immediately notify Human Resources. Stay away from the person exhibiting the threatening behavior.
Depending upon the level of concern, (9) 9-1-1 may be called immediately.
Never attempt to confront any person exhibiting threatening behavior.
If you have reason to believe that events in your personal life could result in acts of violence occurring at work, you are strongly urged to confidentially discuss the issue with Human Resources so that a prevention plan can be developed.
Facility Access & Visitors: We want to ensure that everyone and everything is safe and secure at a minimum inconvenience to you. All entry doors to our office are to remain locked all day with the exception of the main entry door to each suite. Main entries to each suite are open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. All employees will receive a key to these doors. Employees have access to all floors during working hours. Outside of working hours, employees have access to the floor on which they reside. The main entryway to the building is accessible to the employee by use of a keycard.
All visitors are to be escorted by authorized personnel to ensure proper client confidentiality. Please do not allow visitors to roam the premises unattended.
General Computer and Equipment Usage Policy:
General Usage
Cornett requires a General Computer and Equipment Usage Policy to accomplish its business objectives in a secure and timely manner. Instituting such a policy demonstrates the commitment Cornett must safeguard corporate information assets. That commitment must extend from every individual involved in business operations.
Employees are required to perform all work for Cornett on Cornett-issued computers. Personal computers are not to be used for completing, storing, or transporting company projects or data.
Employees are required to store all Cornett data on Cornett-issued equipment, or cloud-based storage systems. Personal storage devices and systems are not to be used for company projects or data.
All data on information systems at Cornett is classified as Company proprietary information.
Any attempt to circumvent Cornett’s security procedures is strictly prohibited.
Unauthorized use, destruction, modification, and/or distribution of Cornett’s information or information systems is strictly prohibited.
All Cornett’s information systems will be subject to monitoring and auditing at all times. Users acknowledge that they have no expectation of privacy with regard to their activity on Cornett’s information systems.
Use of any Cornett information systems or dissemination of information in a manner bringing disrepute, damage, or ill- will against Cornett is not authorized.
Individual passwords will be kept strictly confidential. Only the IT manager and employer supervisor should have access to employee passwords.
Misuse, as defined in this policy, will be handled directly with the offender and could include disciplinary and/or legal action up to and including discharge.
Internet Usage: Internet usage is provided to Cornett employees to conduct work-related business. Incidental and occasional personal use is permitted. This privilege should not be abused and must not affect a user’s performance of employment related activities.
Equipment Usage: In the normal course of business, employees may have need to check out equipment from Cornett in order to complete work offsite. This may include, but is not limited to, cameras, desks, keyboards, laptops, second screens, et. al. Please use the Equipment Check-Out procedure in order to properly document any items before removing from the premises. The proper procedure can be found [where do we want it to live? in the addendum, or by reaching out to the IT Manager, or on the intranet somewhere?]
Saving Company Data: Data related to Cornett’s clients, projects, employees, or any other business-related data is the property of Cornett. As such, all data should be saved to Cornett’s data storage systems, as appropriate. Guidelines for uploading information to these systems may vary by project or department, so please reach out to your manager or IT manager with questions.
Sharing Company Data: Accounts on various platforms are provided to Cornett employees to conduct work-related business. While this resource is to be used primarily for business, the Company realizes that employees may occasionally use this privilege for personal matters, and therefore permits limited personal interactions during non-business hours (including but not limited to: email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc…).
All data on the various platforms used within the Cornett information systems and its workflow is the property of Cornett. As such, all accounts and data may be periodically monitored. Unauthorized sharing and\or distribution of ANY company data is strictly prohibited. Violations of this may result in disciplinary and/or legal action, up to and including termination of employment.
Desktop Services: Cornett understands that there are times when software needs to be downloaded from the Internet. Because of the significant risk of infecting the Company systems with a virus and the unreliability of such downloaded software, when the need arises to download software, please reach out to the IT Manager for approval prior to downloading. All Cornett’s information systems will be subject to periodic inventory and inspection for compliance.
Clean Desk Policy: To improve the security and confidentiality of agency and client data, Cornett has adopted a Clean Desk Policy for workspaces. This ensures that all sensitive and confidential information, whether on paper, storage media, or hardware is properly secured and protected from unauthorized viewing. This policy reduces the risk of unauthorized access, loss and damage to information during and outside of normal business hours or when workstations are left unattended. A Clean Desk Policy is an important security and privacy control.
Below are the actions that employees should take with regards to the Clean Desk Policy:
Users must ensure that all Restricted or Controlled data in hard copy or electronic form is removed from their workspace and secured in a drawer when the desk is unoccupied at the end of the workday. Any breach of this type of data must be reported to the IT Manager and the Pillar Lead.
Computer workstations must be locked when the workspace is unoccupied
Computer workstations must be shut down at the end of the workday unless receiving updates during off hours
File cabinets containing Restricted or Controlled information must be kept closed and locked when not in use or when left unattended
Passwords may not be written down in an accessible location.
Printouts containing Restricted or Controlled information should be immediately removed from the printer.
Restricted or Controlled documents must be shredded upon disposal.
Whiteboards containing Restricted or Controlled data must be thoroughly erased.
Keys used to access Restricted or Controlled data must be secured in a locked desk.
Supervisors must verify compliance with this policy through various methods including periodic walk-throughs of work areas.
Data Classifications: Restricted (Highest Level)
Controlled (Medium Level)
Public (Lowest Level)
Data that has been limited to a set of people within Cornett and is very sensitive
Internal Use only, data that is not publicly available and can only be seen by Cornett and associated affiliates
Data that is not restricted and is generally available to the public
These Three Levels can be looked at like this:
Restricted (Highest Level): This is highly sensitive data that if compromised or destroyed by unauthorized actions would have catastrophic negative impact on our organization, individuals, our clients, and/or affiliates. For example: Unreleased, unannounced product information, Sensitive Personally Identifiable Info, social security numbers, financial records, intellectual property, authentication data, etc.
Controlled (Medium Level): Generally Intended for internal use only, but if compromised or destroyed, would not have a catastrophic impact on the organization, individuals, our clients, and/or affiliates. For example: Personally Identifiable Info, emails, addresses, documents with no restricted, confidential data.
Public (Lowest Level): Intended for public use. Little to no impact if data is destroyed or compromised. For example: Public website content.