The employee handbook provides an employee with the information on company’s policies, provided benefits, and describes the responsibilities of the employee. Although the employee handbook does not create any legally enforceable obligations, it usually covers employment-at-will relationships. The given report is an overview of the employee handbook prepared by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The employee handbook mentioned above includes detailed clauses dealing with equal employment and employment-at-will. It also describes hours of work, paid and unpaid leaves, holidays, wages, medical and insurance benefits, training, upgrading, as well as other benefits the employee receives.
Equal employment opportunity clause ensures that the hospital shall not discriminate against or in favor of a certain employee on account of color, race, sex, age, sexual orientation or national origin, creed and political belief. All the details of equal employment are thoroughly described in the given clause of the employee handbook protecting civil rights of the employees.
The hospital has the right not to notify the employment service of the job vacancy if it must be filled quickly to meet an emergency or to safeguard the health of the patients. Still, if the hospital uses such service, it is agreed that the hospital shall not discriminate in hiring against an applicant for any reason described in “No Discrimination” clause of the given employment handbook. It is also agreed that the hospital can hire such applicants if they are found qualified enough for the provided position.
This employee handbook is also dealing with at-will employment which is a term used in the labor law of the United States to define contractual relationships. Such relationships mean that an employer is free to dismiss an employee for any reason or change an employee’s position at any time without warning. Since the hospital deals with probationary employees, there is a separate clause describing the period of probation and emphasizing the right of the hospital to discharge, discipline or layoff the probationary employee at will during or at the end of the probation period. In the case of discharging because of the poor performance, the hospital is expected to make efforts to discuss the situation. The hospital might also extend the probation period if it is necessary. The hospital also has the right to discipline or discharge any employee without warning.
According to the employee handbook, the hospital makes available training opportunities for the employees to give them a chance to advance themselves and make a career within the hospital. There are clinical scholarship programs which are offered to hospital employees. The employees also can participate in the Hospital Employee Benefit Program. All the employees who are hired by the hospital become members of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees no later than the sixtieth day after the beginning of their employment.
The employee handbook also describes precise hours of work and shifts for regular full-time employees and part-time employees. It is stated that the employees might be required to work overtime if requested. Still, an employee cannot be required to work more than sixteen hours.
It is certain that the described employee handbook covers almost every nuance of employment in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia providing new employees with detailed information about the conditions of their job, their rights, responsibilities, as well as of the possible benefits.