Kevin Stone

It is the policy of New Song Church (NSC) that all employees are expected to comply with the standards of behavior and performance and that any noncompliance with these standards must be remedied. Employees exhibiting noncompliance may be subject to progressive corrective action up to and including termination of employment.

NSC reserves the right to terminate an employee at any time for any reason with or without prior corrective counseling or notice. Nothing in this handbook or any other NSC document is intended to modify this “at-will” employment policy, promise progressive corrective action or counseling, promise notice in circumstances where NSC considers immediate termination or corrective action to be appropriate.

This procedure leaves substantial leeway for church leadership (Elders, LP, XP) to provide a corrective action plan that matches the individual needs that arise in supervising behavior issues. These guidelines provide the basis for corrective action, with details worked out in the context of each individual case.

Corrective Action Process

The following steps are generally taken to communicate and resolve employee performance and behavioral problems: This is currently written with different managers in charge of teams. As it sits currently (Nov 2023) the Executive Pastor will be first line in corrective behavior correspondence.

Verbal Warning (Between XP and Employee)

If an employee is not meeting standards of behavior or performance, the employee’s supervisor should take the following action:

1. Meet with the employee to discuss the matter.
2. Inform the employee of the nature of the problem, the action necessary to correct it, target dates for review of resolution and potential results if the problem is not resolved by the established target date or if the problem worsens; and,
3. Prepare documentation summarizing the discussion with the employee. The supervisor will send the employee this documentation. The documentation should be maintained by the supervisor, via the Human Resource employee files kept currently by the Executive Pastor. If the parties to the documentation cannot reach consensus on the summary of the situation, the supervisor and employee can document their views, and that will be documented with the original documentation written.

If the problem is not favorably resolved, documentation regarding this discussion will be made part of the next step of correction.

Written Warning (Between XP and Employee – LP Signature)

If there is a second incident of noncompliance or an unrelated problem involving job performance or behavior, termination may result. However, if the supervisor believes further disciplinary is appropriate to resolve the problem(s), the following actions should be taken:

1. Prepare a document of written warning to the employee including specific deficiencies, actions needed to correct the problem, the period given for review of problem resolution, and consequences if stated expectations are not met.
2. Prior to delivery of the written warning, submit the documentation to the Executive Pastor (or Lead Pastor if the XP is giving the warning) for review and signature.
3. Issue the written warning to the employee for review and signature. Employee signature indicates that the warning has been issued and read and does not necessarily indicate full agreement with what the warning contains.

A copy of the written notice will be placed in the employee’s human resource file. If there are recurrences or other problems thereafter, termination may occur.

This written step may take place at the same time as the above verbal warning, depending on the severity of the performance issue.

Final Warning, Probation or Discharge (Between XP and Employee – LP/Elder Approval)

If an employee fails to correct a problem after a written warning, the employee may either be terminated or given a final probationary warning, depending on the supervisor’s determination of the appropriate action under the circumstances. The employee may be placed on probation for up to, but not to exceed, three (3) months. The supervisor will determine the length of the probationary period in consultation with the Elder Board. The employee will be notified in writing of the specific performance or behavior deficiencies, the length of the probation period, specific performance or behavior goals, and consequences if stated goals are not met. During the probation period:

1. Additional related or unrelated occurrences of noncompliance may result in immediate termination.
2. The employee is not eligible for performance assessments or pay increases.
3. The employee may not apply for internal transfers; and
4. The employee will remain eligible for paid holidays but may not use vacation hours.

At the end of the probationary period, the supervisor should prepare a written statement of satisfactory or unsatisfactory performance or behavior and resulting actions. This statement should be signed by both parties and submitted to the Executive Pastor for inclusion in the employee’s human resource file.

All the above steps may not be followed in some instances. New Song Church reserves the right to exercise discretion in discipline based on the nature of the problem, the potential for appropriate resolution and any other pertinent considerations. Prior probation or termination warning is not a requirement for termination.

Employees who believe that they have been disciplined too severely or without good cause are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the Executive Pastor or Lead Pastor. If they were directly involved in the discipline, then they can call a meeting with the Elder Board. The Elder Team may be used to consult and rule on a given employee concern.

Termination Process Overview

While every termination of employment is subject to various factors that may impact the process, there are common elements that every employee should expect when staff roles are ended. This policy is intended to ensure consistency and transparency in the event of an employee termination. Key steps involved in employment termination may include, but are not limited to:

• Notification – The employee will be notified of the details related to their termination and given a specific time to leave their work location for the final time. The employee’s supervisor and/or a member of the executive team will be present during this process.
• Return of Property – The employee must immediately return all New Song Church property, including but not limited to keys, office equipment, and computers to the department supervisor or their designer upon termination. All assets of New Song Church held by the employee are to be immediately returned to the department supervisor or their designer upon termination.
• Personal Items – The employee is responsible for removing all personal items from their desk area, including but not limited to photographs, personal files, and personal items. The employee, in communication with their supervisor / manager, may arrange an alternative time to remove personal items from church property.
• Security and Access – The employees’ access to systems, databases, and physical premises will be terminated on their last day of work.
  • Department Supervisor/XP will communicate IT to help facilitate this.
• Final Paycheck – The employees will receive their final paycheck as normally scheduled unless other arrangements are made as part of the termination process.
• Staff Notification – Staff will be notified either at an immediate staff meeting or individually by the Executive Pastor to make sure everyone is on the same page moving forward.