BL Companies | Employee Handbook | 2024

retaliation does not include immunity for any personal wrongdoing that is alleged and investigated. Employees with any questions regarding this policy should contact the Director of Human Resources or the General Counsel. ADHERENCE TO POLICIES Disciplinary Steps Program BL Companies operates under the principal of AT-WILL employment. This means that neither the employee nor BL Companies has entered into a contract regarding the duration of employment. The employee is free to terminate employment with the Company at any time, with or without reason. Likewise, BL Companies has the right to terminate employment at any time at its sole discretion. Below please find some guidelines related to Employee conduct and appropriate disciplinary steps. Responsibilities of Employees It is the duty and the responsibility of every Employee at BL Companies to be aware of and to abide by existing policies and practices outlined in the Employee Handbook. It is also the responsibility of Employees to perform their jobs to the best of their ability and to the standards set forth in their job descriptions or as otherwise established. Employees are encouraged to take advantage of all learning opportunities available and to request additional instruction when needed. Responsibilities of Supervisors The immediate Supervisor should approach corrective measures in an objective manner. If the Employee’s performance of assigned tasks is the issue, the Supervisor should confirm that proper orientation, instructions,

and training have been given and that the Employee is aware of job expectations. Both single incidents and patterns of poor performance should be of concern. If the Employee is not following stated policies in the Employee Handbook, the Supervisor should take steps to ensure that the Employee is aware of the Company’s policies and regulations regarding employee conduct. If, in either case, appropriate instruction or information was not communicated, the Supervisor should immediately develop a plan for delivering such instruction or information and should review the content with the Employee. Employees may be referred to the Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”) on an individual basis to help them identify and resolve personal concerns that may affect job performance. Supervisors should contact the Human Resources Department if they think an Employee would benefit from EAP to BL Companies supports the use of critical feedback to address issues such as poor work performance or the failure to comply with Company policies to encourage Employees to become more productive and adapt their behavior to Company standards and expectations. Generally, a Supervisor gives a warning to an Employee to explain behavior that the Supervisor has found unacceptable. There are two types of warnings: verbal and written. A verbal warning occurs when a Supervisor verbally counsels an Employee about an issue of concern. A written record of the discussion, noting the date, event and recommended action, may be placed in the Employee’s personnel file for future reference. A Performance Improvement Plan is used for behavior or performance that help their performance. Critical Feedback Process

Employee Handbook

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