HR Forms & Guidelines

Center For Family Services offers excellent paid leave time benefits to staff, including holiday leave time for all full-time staff.

• Paid time-off benefits for full-time staff: holiday, vacation, personal, and sick leave time. 
• Paid time-off benefits for part-time staff: personal and sick leave time.

Click the links below to download the 2024 Holiday Schedules. 
 

2024 Holiday Schedule - Addendums 1 & 5

New Year’s Day - Monday, January 1, 2024
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -  Monday, January 15, 2024
President’s Day - Monday, February 19, 2024
Good Friday - Friday, March 29, 2024
Memorial Day - Monday, May 27, 2024
Juneteenth (Observed) - Friday, June 21, 2024
Independence Day - Thursday, July 4, 2024
Labor Day - Monday, September 2, 2024
Veteran’s Day - Monday, November 11, 2024
Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 28, 2024
Day After Thanksgiving - Friday, November 29, 2024
Christmas Day - Wednesday, December 25, 2024

2024 Holiday Schedule - Addendum 3

New Year’s Day - Monday, January 1, 2024
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -  Monday, January 15, 2024
Easter Sunday - Sunday, March 31, 2024
Memorial Day - Monday, May 27, 2024
Juneteenth (Observed) - Friday, June 21, 2024
Independence Day - Thursday, July 4, 2024
Labor Day - Monday, September 2, 2024
Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 28, 2024
Christmas Day - Wednesday, December 25, 2024

All employees are required to fill out a Conflict of Interest form at both their time of hire and annually during performance reviews. If your conflict of interest changes at any time please notify the Human Resources Department immediately with a detailed description of the situation.

To place an order for business cards, please complete this form and forward to your supervisor for signature approval. Submit the approved form to Human Resources.

If you are submitting a business card re-order, you are required to attach your current business card along with this form.

Business cards will be available for pick up at the Center For Family Services office located at 1 Alpha Ave., Voorhees, NJ.

Center For Family Services' Commitment to Intercultural Competence and Awareness

• Complete the educational assistance application and attach descriptive information regarding the course(s) or degree program you wish to enter.
• Meet with your department manager to discuss your educational assistance request. If it is agreed your request meets policy guidelines, the application can be submitted to HR.
• Submit the original, signed form to the Human Resources Department for final review.
• If the application is approved, a preliminary approval letter will be sent.
• Upon completion of the course, submit a copy of your grade report and receipt to HR.
• If the course was successfully completed, your approved tuition amount will be reimbursed to you.
• Applications can be submitted to hrteam@centerffs.org
• Policy of $1,000 annual maximum per calendar year, with a maximum of up to $500 per course.

*To access Disciplinary Forms, please scroll to the bottom of this page*

Chapter 11 of the CFS Personnel Handbook addresses Discipline, Discharge, and Resignation of Employment.  Section 11.10 addresses Discipline and Discharge, and is reprinted at the end of this document. 

Disciplinary action taken by management is intended to encourage compliance with organizational requirements and to ensure effective job performance. Effective disciplinary action is designed to correct infractions of CFS policies or organizational requirements and to prevent such infractions in the future.  Fair and consistent disciplinary procedures are essential to maintain harmonious relations within Center For Family Services.  A formal disciplinary system can reduce arbitrary supervisory action and help ensure that management will have adequate documentation if a discipline decision is challenged.

Characteristics of a Good Progressive Discipline System

• Specific rules and expectations, so there can be no doubt about when they have been violated
• Job relatedness – rules that are reasonably related to the employee’s work or to some other legitimate organizational objective
• Clearly stated consequences, so there can be no doubt of the result of violating the rules
• Discipline that fits the infraction.
• Careful investigation, to be sure that the rules were really violated
• Prompt enforcement
• Consistent enforcement
• Documentation of all observed rule violations and the disciplinary actions taken
• Specific statement of the infringement in communications with the employee at the oral and written warning steps
• Discussion confined to the problem at hand without calling the employee’s overall worth into question
• Effective communication of the rules and consequences of rule violations.
• Advance warning of any change in the rules
• An appeals process 

There are 3 stages to the disciplinary process:

Stage One: Oral Warning

An oral warning is given for violation of specific requirements regarding conduct, attendance and work expectations.  During a meeting the first warning is given orally by the supervisor (the employee delegated supervisory authority and responsibility for the employee to be disciplined) to the employee.  At the time of this meeting the supervisor  will ensure that there is a mutual understanding of the performance issues and agree on a corrective action plan.  The supervisor will maintain written documentation of this meeting in the employee’s supervision file.

An oral warning directs an employee’s attention to a work performance deficiency or other work-related problem by giving the staff member specific information about the nature of the problem.  The discussion must specify the rule, policy or procedure violated and why the staff member’s behavior was inappropriate, the improvement needed, a specific time period within which measurable progress shall be made toward correcting the performance problem for future review, and the consequences of continued unsatisfactory performance.

The supervisor shall deliver the oral correction or warning as soon as possible after the occurrence that necessitated the action.  Included in the written record of the oral warning meeting will be the time and date, the reason it was given, corrective discipline to be taken and the date of the incident.  The supervisor is responsible to keep their program director and/or supervisor informed of actions taken.

Stage Two: Written Warning

If there is not satisfactory improvement or the employee repeats the offense within a specified and appropriate time period, a written warning will be issued.  Where continued problems require action beyond oral warnings, a written warning will be issued to the staff member which documents:

• The extent of the problem
• The violated rule, policy or procedure
• Required courses of action
• The past work record that includes relevant counseling or disciplinary action taken
• A statement of consequences in the absence of improvement
• Any follow-up action to be taken 

This step is undertaken only after the supervisor has discussed the performance issue with his or her program director, and the Vice President.  The written warning is given to the employee following a meeting between the employee and the supervisor.  The supervisor/program director will issue and sign the written warning and the employee will also sign the written warning to acknowledge that it was received and read. The supervisor or employee may sign a note of refusal or hesitancy to sign the written warning in order to acknowledge notification.  A copy of the written warning should be filed with the Vice President of that division and Human Resources to be placed in the personnel file and the employee should be so advised.  This written warning will remain in the personnel file for two years.  The employee should also receive a copy of the warning.

Depending on the seriousness of the infraction, a written warning may be issued without prior verbal warning.

Stage Three: Probation

A probation period of ninety days or more and initiation of dismissal procedures may be imposed by the supervisor if the staff member does not respond to oral or written warnings to improve work performance. If the staff member has committed a serious violation of CFS policy, the nature of the infringement will determine the consequence up to and including probation and termination.  This step is undertaken only after the manager has discussed the performance issue with his or her supervisor, and Vice President, who will contact the President before termination. 

Following a meeting between the supervisor and the employee, the employee will receive written notification specifying the performance standards to be met and methods to achieve them, the duration of the probationary period and the consequences of failure to improve. The manager will issue and sign the Disciplinary Probation Notice and the employee will also sign the Disciplinary Probation Notice to acknowledge that it was received and read.  The manager or employee may sign a note of refusal or hesitancy to sign notice in order to acknowledge notification.  A copy of the Disciplinary Probation Notice should be filed with the Vice President and Human Resources to be placed in the personnel file and the employee should be so advised.  This Disciplinary Probation Notice will remain in the personnel file for three years.   The employee should also receive a copy of the notice 

The progress of the employee will be supervised closely during the probationary period.  The manager will meet regularly and formally with the employee during the disciplinary period and discuss and document the employee’s progress or lack of progress toward correction of the stated problem(s).

At the end of the disciplinary probation, if the performance issues have been satisfactorily corrected, a written statement is to be completed advising the employee of satisfactory performance, of performance objectives achieved and of removal from this particular disciplinary probation. A copy of the communication of the ending of the probationary period is included in the employee’s file.  Salary increases will not be approved for employees who are on probation and will not be granted retroactively.

Suspension    

In certain serious situations, it may be appropriate to utilize suspension as an option in the disciplinary action.   Suspension can occur at any point in the disciplinary process, and need not be preceded by oral or written warnings, or probation.

See Personnel Handbook for more information.

Termination

The preceding process is followed under normal circumstances.  However, there may be reason for immediate dismissal, in which case the procedure is not followed.  Reasons for immediate dismissal include but are not limited to one or more of the following:

• Stealing or destruction of property or funds
• Neglect or abuse of a client
• Coming to work under the influence of substances
• Violation of confidentiality
• Insubordination
• Absenteeism and Tardiness
• Conduct contrary to, inconsistent with, or detrimental to the vision, mission or goals of Center For Family Services.

At any point during the disciplinary probation, involuntary separation may occur if progress toward measurable improvement or correction of the stated problem is not being achieved.  Approval from the Vice President in conjunction with the President is required to proceed with termination.

Employees who fail to improve their performance during a probationary period normally are terminated.   If the employee is terminated, ordinarily there shall be presented in advance a written notice of the reasons for termination. The manager will issue and sign the Termination Notice and the employee will also sign the Termination Notice to acknowledge that it was received and read.  If the employee refuses to sign the Termination Notice, the employee or the manager may note the refusal in order to document notification.  A copy of the Termination Notice should be filed with the Vice President and the Human Resources Director to be placed in the personnel file and the employee should be so advised.

The following is re-printed from the CFS Personnel Handbook 8/8/07 revision:

11.10Discipline / Discharge

CFS generally follows a policy of progressive discipline.  Employees may be reprimanded orally or in writing for such problems as rule violations and unsatisfactory conduct or performance.  However, progressive discipline is not appropriate in all cases and the Agency will review each case on its own facts.  As explained earlier in this handbook, every employee is at-will and can be terminated at any time with or without notice or cause.

The following is an example of the types of offenses which may be sufficient grounds for disciplinary action, ranging from reprimand, probation, or to immediate discharge, depending upon the seriousness and frequency of the offense.  This list is not all-inclusive and is meant to be illustrative only.   CFS expressly reserves the right to discipline and / or discharge employees for other offenses or actions, or for violations of policies herein, as CFS in its sole discretion sees fit.

1. Unexcused or excessive absenteeism;
2. Tardiness;
3. Possessing, consuming, using or being under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substances on CFS premises or on CFS work time;
4. Refusal to follow instructions from supervisors or other proper authority;
5. Theft or misappropriation of property;
6. Failing to behave in a professional manner;
7. Violation of the confidentiality policies of CFS;
8. Altering, removing, or destroying records or property;
9. Inefficient or careless performance of duties;
10. Falsifying CFS records or providing misleading or incorrect information the agency; and
11. Fighting or threatening violence in the workplace or on work time.

In the event of a work related injury, employees are covered under SynergyComp Workers' Compensation Insurance for injuries that occur in the course of employment.

Employees are required to complete an Employee Injury Reporting Form and fax it to Human Resources at 856-964-3702 as soon as possible following an employee injury.  You must also forward the form to your Supervisor and/or Associate Vice President. All staff injuries must be reported immediately to the Supervisor on duty.

Supervisors are required to complete a Supervisor Injury Reporting packet and forward that to Human Resources at the same time as the injury report from the employee.

Under New Jersey's workers' compensation law, Center For Family Services or our insurer, SynergyComp, can select the health care provider(s) to treat injured workers for work related injuries.  In the event of a work related injury, employees are required to go to one of our Panel Physicians (see below, broken up by county) for initial treatment unless directed otherwise by Human Resources or SynergyComp. Subsequent treatment must be authorized by SynergyComp.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please reach out to the Human Resources department at hrteam@centerffs.org

Employee Exit Procdeures and Information

When an employee reaches the end of employment for any number of reasons, both voluntary and involuntary, supervisors are responsible for managing the off boarding process for a smooth transition.

The supervisor should do an assessment of what is needed to conduct the off boarding process.

Supervisors should account for:  

Notice – Staff are required to give resignation notice in advance. Please refer to the Personnel Handbook for resignation notice procedure. The purpose of advance notice is to allow for an orderly transfer of clients and other responsibilities. Therefore, days should be interpreted as working days, not accrued vacation or personal days.

Exit Checklist - The following procedures should be followed when an employee ends employment with Center For Family Services.

• During the last days of employment, the immediate supervisor will complete the Exit Checklist with the resignee.  
• Supervisor will also contact the Finance Department to determine that outstanding program and cash advances have been reconciled and that travel/expense reports have been submitted. 
• Supervisor should assess any and all access to voicemail, external and internal agency accounts including but not limited to email, AWARDS, and federal and state systems, and ensure timely transition of access. 
• In order to maintain a smooth change in operations, please be sure to notify all need to know external and internal persons about the staffing change. 

This completed checklist and accompanying documents is to be forwarded to the Associate Vice President and Senior Executive who will then forward to Human Resources. 

Exit Interview - Once the employee has submitted the Notice of Resignation, an Exit Interview will be scheduled between the employee and their supervisor’s supervisor. The interviewer will be responsible for scheduling the Exit Interview. Interviewer should complete the Employee Exit Interview Form with the interviewee.

The resigning staff person may request that the Exit Interview be conducted by a Senior Executive.

Given the format of the Employee Exit Interview Form, the interviewer may ask all the questions, or give the form to the interviewee to complete, and then review the form together.

If it is impossible to schedule a face to face interview, this form could be used by mail or over the phone, although this would not be the preferred method.

The completed form should be signed by the employee and the interviewer and dated.

Responses on the form will be disseminated only on a “need-to-know” basis and for the constructive improvement of the organization.  

e3 Status Change - The Supervisor should update the staff person's statusin e3 to include a termination date.

The supervisor should also send the completed exit paperwork, resignation notice and completed exit checklist to their AVP and senior exec for reviw and signature. The packet should then be forwarded to HR. 

The completed packet of information including resignation notice, completed exit checklist, completed Exit Interview, should be forwarded to the Associate Vice President and Senior Executive for review and signature, then forwarded to Human Resources.

Human Resources will mail out a separation packet to the newly separated employee; this packet includes information relating to CFS benefits, unemployment and other pertinent separation information.  

Center For Family Services is hiring for a number of positions, and we are offering an incentive program for staff to help fill open positions.

Center For Family Services has been recognized as a top workplace for 11 consecutive years. We are currently hiring and offering a $300 incentive to staff who refer a candidate who is hired and remains employed with us for 120 days or more.

Your participation in our Staff Referral Program will be a help as we work to identify excellent candidates to fill employment positions at Center For Family Services. 

1. To refer a potential employee, download the Staff Referral Form and return it along with a copy of the prospective candidate's resume to the HR department. The form must be received prior to the candidate starting. 

2. You are eligible for a referral award if you have been employeed beyond your orientation period (120 days).

3. If the candidate you refer is hired, you will receive a referral award of $300 after the new employee has completed their orientation period (120 days).

4.  Employees involved in the hiring decision for a particular position are not eligible.

5. Only one referral award can be given per candidate. If a candidate is referred by more than one employee, the first referral received will be the one rewarded if the candidate is hired.

6. Only your referral for an external candidate qualifies for this award.

7. The referral award is paid with your regular, bi-weekly pay.
 

Download, complete and submit the Staff Referral Form to make a referral.

 Staff Referral Form

Supervisors should conduct monthly (and sometimes weekly) supervision meetings with their staff. Both supervisors and staff should consider this meeting a professional development training opportunity. Supervision is an opportunity to ensure the supervisee is always aware of needed attention or improvement
Supervisors and staff should take this time to review the following:

• Clarify expectations
• Set & review goals including levels of service
• Asses training needs
• Address problems or concerns
• Any other issues concerning either party

Allowing time for these meetings will provide a forum for open communication between the Supervisor and Supervisee. It will allow supervisors to track staff performance in an organized way that should be used and considered during annual review process. It can also open the door for additional training needs and provide opportunities for staff growth.

If you need to make changes to your tax withholdings, please update information in e3.

The way we communicate and correspond with the individuals we serve, our community partners, and each other is vital to our success and growth as an organization.

Written documentation and correspondence is viewed as an important vehicle for agency representation and is critical to the success of Center For Family Services. All written documentation and correspondence should be written with the understanding that the writing can be viewed at any time. All written correspondence, verbal communication, and documentation should be polite, professional, accurate, and neat. Staff should be clear about what forms of writing they are required to and privileged to write.

Confidentiality is our number one priority. It is expected that employees take the appropriate steps to keep client and agency documentation, communication, and correspondence confidential. 

The following foundation guidelines have been set in place to guide you through Center For Family Services expectations of you regarding written communication, verbal correspondence and documentation. Please note that the following guidelines also apply to email correspondence.

This policy highlights best practices – it is not a comprehensive document. Please refer to Center For Family Services Code of Ethics, Goals and Values, and other policies and guidelines for additional expectations on communication and written documentation. 

Written Correspondence

All outgoing correspondence must be on agency letterhead or sent from an agency email address. Both forms of communication should include the senders contact information.

Appropriate use of agency approved stationary such as letterhead is required by all staff. Center For Family Services approved letterhead is a primary means of communication with donors, funders, employees, and community partners. It is essential that the use of it positively reflects the mission and vision of the organization. Our letterhead plays an important role in communicating our brand image.

Center For Family Services letterhead should only be used for letters, any other usage is strictly prohibited.

The following outgoing correspondence may only be sent by Center For Family Services’ President/CEO, COO or Senior Vice President:

• Letters to funding sources
• Grant applications and contracts
• Letters to public officials
• Letters or any kind of correspondence with attorneys
• Any correspondence with Center For Family Services insurance companies
• Any correspondence regarding client incidents
• Leases, agreements of sale, or documents which ask for a signature from an agency authorized representative or owner

The following outgoing correspondence may be sent by an Associate Vice President but COO’s, Senior Vice President’s, and President/CEO must be informed:

• Letters to client’s terminating services
• Any correspondence regarding client incidents
• Letters or memos to staff regarding requests for leave, discipline, or termination issues

Contact with the press and media is handled by the Public Relations Department. Staff should never contact members of the press/media. As per the Communications, Fundraising, and Development Manual, staff should not solicit community members and local businesses for donations or sponsorships without first contacting the Public Relations Department.

Emails

Email is the primary means of communication at Center For Family Services. All staff must regularly check emails and respond to them accordingly. All staff are required to use a standard Center For Family Services signature line in their emails. The standard signature may be found by visiting the staff section of centerffs.org.

Verbal Communication

Center For Family Services values its employees as its greatest resource. Employees are expected to treat each other with professional and kind actions and words. When verbally communicating with other employees, be mindful of the following:

• All correspondence is to be polite and professional.
• It is never acceptable to negatively label a coworker.
• Consider utilizing both email and phone communication when trying to reach an employee.
• Be respectful to other employee’s ideas, requests, suggestions, etc. 

Correspondence Regarding Clients

Client records

Center For Family Services follows the law and protects confidential client information. Center For Family Services realizes that individuals and families trust their personal information with us. Clients and their families have a right to have their information safeguarded. They also have the right to request to review the information in their file. Therefore, Center For Family Services staff are expected to be very careful and respectful with any written information concerning clients. In addition, files are to be in good condition, allowing for someone else to service the client in the event that a new staff person needs to assist the client.

1. All written documentation is to be professional, legible and neat
2. Files must include signed HIPPA forms
3. Release of information forms must include date, signatures and to whom the information can be released. Release of information forms must have an expiration date and must be renewed every three months at a minimum or 12 months where applicable.
4. File forms should be filled out legibly and completely
5. Progress notes must be dated and signed.
6. Proper grammar and complete sentences should be used.
7. Documentation must be signed and printed with employee’s proper name and title.
8. Supervisors are to review and sign off on files or have a system in place for file review on a regular basis, not less than every three months. 
9. Records are to be kept in a secure locked location and may not be removed from these locations without the expressed permission of the supervisor. 

Correspondence to clients

1. We must have the client’s permission to send information to them through mail or email.
2. The program supervisor must approve correspondence to clients and their families. (note requirements above regarding need for executive approval.)
3. Professional correspondence should be clear and factual without any judgments.
4. Correspondence concerning a client’s termination of services should be kind and respectful, and when possible leaving an opportunity for the client to reapply for services in the future or to access another CFS program. 

Correspondence concerning a client

Center For Family Services only releases information when necessary and in the best interest of the client. Center For Family Services must have a signed release form by the client or their legal guardian to send correspondence about the services they receive through CFS. Request from the courts, attorneys etc. must be reviewed to be certain that the release of client information is actually required. Center For Family Services follows the law. Questions concerning release forms should be submitted to the Senior Vice President of Administration.

1. All written correspondence regarding a client should be released on a “need to know” basis. For example, if a referring agent needs to know if a client is attending sessions, this is much different from knowing what the client is sharing during the sessions. Staff should be sure to know the details of the release form.
2. Written correspondence should only include specific information requested and allowed for.

Transfer Guidelines

If you are a current employee of Center For Family Services, the following are the guidelines for transferring positions within the organization: