Rules of Conduct and Disciplinary Action

The Operations Department shall be consulted regarding the consistency of rule interpretation and appropriateness of the penalty being applied for violation of any of the following Rules of Conduct.

Section I

For violation of any of the following rules, an employee shall be subject to penalties ranging from a formal written warning notice up to, and including, discharge.

• Neglect of duty.
• Insubordination or refusal to comply with employer's instructions, unless such instructions are injurious to the employee's safety and health.

• 1. Immoral or indecent conduct;

  2. Conviction of a felony;

  3. Conviction of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude while an employee of Northeast Data; or

  4. Violation of local, state, or federal law, which causes unfavorable publicity to Northeast Data, impairs the credibility of the employee to perform the employee's job, or is otherwise connected to Northeast Data employment.

• Intentional falsification of personnel records, payroll reports, or other Northeast Data records.
• Theft, intentional destruction, or defacing of Northeast Data , or employee property.
• Deliberate or careless conduct endangering the safety of self or other employees, including the provocation or instigation of violence.
• Consuming alcoholic beverages while on duty, except at approved Northeast Data functions, or the possession or consumption of illegal drugs.
• Abusive, threatening, or coercive treatment of another employee, or member of the public.
• Reporting for work in an unsafe condition, which includes but is not limited to, being under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs. An employee who so reports shall be sent home with out pay pending investigation.
• Knowingly admitting an unauthorized person or persons into any locked or restricted building or customer site area.
• For other offenses of equal magnitude to the above

When an employee engages in conduct in violation of the above rules and the conduct is committed off-duty and not on Northeast Data property, Northeast Data may discipline the employee, up to and including discharge, whenever the conduct causes unfavorable publicity to Northeast Data, impairs the credibility of the employee to perform the employee's job, or is otherwise connected to employment at Northeast Data.

Conduct that is off-duty but on Northeast Data property or that is directed toward Northeast Data employees, representatives, or property is always connected to employment at Northeast Data. Likewise, conduct that is on duty but off Northeast Data property is always connected to employment at Northeast Data.

Section II

For the commission of any of the following offenses, an employee shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including discharge. Disciplinary action for the same or different offenses shall progress in the following manner: Managers must complete the disciplinary form by Clicking Here

• Verbal Warning—Verbal statement to employee that he/she has violated a rule and/or regulation and that such violation may not continue.
• Written Reprimand—Formal notification in writing to employee that he/she has violated a rule and/or regulation.
• Suspension—Loss of work and wages for a specific number of hours or days, but not for more than one (1) workweek, depending on the severity of the offense. Notice of suspension is provided to the employee in writing.
• Discharge—The employer/employee relationship is severed

If an employee receives four written warning notices for the same or different offenses within a period of six consecutive months, the employee shall, at the time of the issuance of the fourth such notice, be subject to discharge.

• Excessive absenteeism.
• Excessive tardiness.
• Inattentiveness to work, including but not limited to, failure to start work at the designated time, quitting work before proper time, or leaving assigned work area, building, or project during working hours without authorization from appropriate supervisor.
• Posting unauthorized materials on walls or bulletin boards; defacing or removing authorized material from bulletin boards.
• Violation of a safety rule or safety practice.
• Smoking in prohibited areas.
• Failure to report for work without giving the supervisor or department head notice of absence within two (2) hours after the beginning of the scheduled workday.
• Vending, soliciting, or collecting contributions on Northeast Data’s time or premises without prior appropriate authorization from Northeast Data.
• Gambling, lottery, or any other game of chance on the employer's premises during working hours.
• Any other offense of equal magnitude to the above.

Note: It will be up to the immediate manager to invoke the immediate termination policy instead of following the progressive discipline policy if the employee’s conduct warrants it.