Employee Handbook This Employee Handbook is a living document, chronicling the ways in which punctum books as a company operates vis-à-vis its employees. Employment Basics Employment contract types Full-time employees work 1 fte = 40 hours per week on average. Part-time employees are those who work less than 1 fte per week. Full-time and part-time employees can have either temporary or indefinite duration contracts. Both full-time and part-time employees are eligible for our benefits package. punctum books does not employ unpaid interns. Equal opportunity employment punctum books is a queer opportunity employer. Beyond the fact that we don’t tolerate discrimination against protected characteristics (gender, age, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, veteran status), we intend to foster a workplace that is queer-friendly, embracing of emotional and neuro-diversity, and accommodating to a wide variety of relationship styles. Discriminatory, offensive, or inappropriate behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. At the same time, we do not reinscribe the disciplinary structures of the state into our company's organization. All complaints will be discussed at a dedicated staff meeting, if necessary facilitated by an external impartial mediator. Issues between two or more employees are issues of the entire company. [ Hire and promote people based on skills, experience or potential and try to reduce bias in every process (e.g. through structured interviews.) ] [ Make accommodations to help people with disabilities move about safely on our premises and use our products, services and equipment .] [ Use inclusive, diversity-sensitive language in all official documents, signs and job ads .] [ Conduct diversity and communication training .] Recruitment and selection process Considering the small size of the our company, recruitment and hiring is managed by the Directors. In general, potential new hires will be slowly introduced to the company on a freelance basis with the prospect of a fixed contract. New employees are vetted on their capabilities of operating independently within a small organization, their ability to take initiative, contribute to the scholarly and queer profile of the press, and have an excellent taste in music. We do not run any background checks. Onboarding New employees are given logins and access to punctum's various production platforms, as required by their function. They will be issued logins and passwords. See further Confidentiality and Data Protection . Terms of Address, Accounts, and Identification An employee has the right to be addressed by the name, pronouns, and title they request at all times, this includes non-binary/neo-pronouns and titles. This will be reflected in logins, email addresses, email signatures, and directories with the employee's correct name and title. For legal purposes, some systems (such as the payroll and health care) may require the employee's legal name. These should be considered an exception. The intentional or persistent refusal to respect an employee’s gender identity (for example, intentionally referring to the employee by a name or pronoun that does not correspond to the employee’s wishes) can constitute harassment. Attendance Employees are autonomous in the organization of their working hours, as long as they are able to attend the weekly staff meeting and any other meetings with other employees and Directors that may be necessary for the satisfactory fulfillment of their task. Weekly Staff Meeting and Other Meetings punctum books does not have a central office space. As a result, the weekly online staff meeting, attended by the Directors and all employees has a core function in regulating the workflows within our company. The staff meeting starts with a check-in with everyone present, providing an overview of current tasks, ongoing production, and current or potential problems. Staff meetings will also present an opportunity for anyone to bring in new ideas, air grievances, or make proposals. Other meetings between Directors and employees may be organized on a regular or ad-hoc basis, according to the exigencies of the production pipeline. Preface punctum books’s employee handbook is a document that has been crafted with the help of our very own team members. This handbook is a flexible living document that will be endlessly iterated upon and improved over time. W e have made all decisions regarding the content of this handbook collectively. We recognize that our team is made up of individuals with unique needs and perspectives and we will continue to revise and edit this handbook, to ensure that it remains relevant and useful to everyone as punctum continues togrow and flourish. We will check in with everyone annually to ensure that the handbook is meeting our needs, and if any limit cases arise, we will come together as a consensus-based assembly to find a solution. Thank you for your contributions to this handbook. We believe that it is a reflection of our shared values and a guide for us all as we continue to work towards our collective goals. Code of Conduct All staff of punctum books is expected to abide by our general Code of Conduct . Furthermore, there are the following considerations. Dress code punctum books is a sartorial powerhouse. We expect staff to have a well-honed personal fashion style that is coherent, remarkable, and individual. We are not interested in "business casual," any variety of standard academic attire, and scoff at minimalism. Extravagance in any way, including understatedness, is strongly supported. External Communication There are several ways in which punctum books communicates with the outside world, including email and social media. Email When using punctum email, make sure to abide by the principles as laid out in the Code of Conduct. Treat anyone you email as a (future) member of the broader punctum community. We are known for our communicative style and this highly valued by the authors and editors we work with. We are flexible on deadlines, prompt in our answers, and generous in our advice. Make sure that you have a footer in your email stating at least your name, preferred pronouns, business email address, social media handles (business and optionally personal). When you are away from your computer for more than a day, set an out of office message with emails of other staff or the Directors so emails are not falling into a black hole. Social media On your personal social media you should be able to express your own opinions. We don't ask you to say "my tweets are on a personal title" since that's the whole point of having a personal account. If you've been with us for while, your personal views, in any case, are most likely pretty close to what we believe collectively as a company. So post away and don't forget to tag us! Also, do repost our punctum social media posts if you feel so inclined. Gender Neutral Language External communications should make use of gender neutral language where applicable. For example, when referring to an unknown individual the singular “they” should be used, rather than “he/she." Conflict of Interest Let's discuss before employing relatives. Employee Relationships While not prohibited, romantic and/or sexual relations between staff members are not encouraged. Besides the inevitable power dynamic at play in such relations and the messy entanglement of professional and private life, such relations and the resulotion of their potential difficulties on the short and medium term, tend to take up a lot of mental space within the organization, as everyone is grappling with new emotional balances. At the same time, such relations do happen and they are human. Let's treat them as humans. Workplace Visitors Although we don't have a set "workplace," wherever we happen to work cute animals are welcome and small dogs are promoted. We welcome visitations of extraterrestrials. Spirituality  Even though punctum books has no set company religion, it venerates St. Barbara, the patron saint of those work with material and scholarly combustion. The name day of St. Barbara (December 4) is celebrated as a company-wide holiday. This, however, should not be construed as a sign of support for Christianity of any specific denomination or, indeed, of whichever other religious conviction. (Non-)Working Hours Working Hours Working hours are a standard 40 hours per week. Staff is allowed to organize these hours throughout the week as they see fit, as long as this allows them to attend any necessary (online) meetings. Personal Time Off (PTO) Staff has 20 days working days PTO, to be used anytime during the year. Please inform everyone when you intend to take some time off. In the event that an employee expects an extended absence for longer than two weeks (e.g., long-term care of a loved one), and a full-time workload is not possible, the employee will bring this into discussion with the Directors. A solution regarding pay and full- or part-time workload will be reached and agreed upon by the Directors and the employee. Sick Days Sick days do not count as PTO and will be paid. However, if you feel you will be absent from work for longer than 2 weeks we'll have to talk about how to deal with that. Longer illness-related absences will be discussed with the Directors and a solution regarding pay and full- or part-time workload will be reached and agreed upon by the Directors and the employee. Holidays No national holidays, such as President's Day or C*lumbus Day are observed. For the months February–November, staff collectively designates a Friday as holiday in that month to celebrate. In April, we celebrate the founding of punctum books on April Fools Day. In December, we celebrate the name day of St Barbara on the 14th. Previous Holidays 2023 February 17: International Cabbage Day March 24: National Cocktail Day April 9: National Unicorn Day Compensation and Benefits Compensation Baseline salaries are inflation-adjusted on an annual basis. An annual bonus is determined around December 1 based on the overall performance of the company, at the discretion of the Directors. Employees are never required to work overtime but may do so at their own discretion. Continuous overtime work should be brought up in the weekly staff meeting, as it can lead to burnout. Payroll automatically runs on the first of each month for the preceding month. Healthcare  Employees under both full-time and part-time contracts are eligible for healthcare coverage. We currently offer a UnitedHealthcare CV45/K35Y package with 20% employee copay. Pension punctum books currently doesn't offer a pension plan. The possibilities for instituting this will be researched in 2024. Remote Working As punctum books has no central office locations, all its employees work from home or remotely. For each employee, an assessment will be made with regards to their hardware and software needs, as well as any subscriptions to online services and database credentials that may be necessary. These will be covered by punctum. Employees are encouraged to be proactive in requesting any additional equipment that may make their work from home more efficient. Any hardware provided by punctum under this arrangement remains its property and should be returned upon termination of a contract. Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check .] Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check .] All employees receive a set of punctum books business cards. Employee Expenses There are some expenses that we will pay directly on your behalf (e.g. hotel rooms for work-related travel.) But, we ask you to keep track and report on those reimbursable expenses that you pay yourself. We reimburse employee expenses that are related to lodging and travel costs for conferences and other punctum-related gatherings. Please keep receipts of reimbursable expenses. These can be submitted up to three months after the expense was incurred to the CFO and will be reimbursed within in two working days via bank transfer. Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check .] Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check .] Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check .] Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check .] Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check . Professional development  punctum books is committed to the continued professional development of its staff. The Directors will discuss with individual staff members what their short- and medium-term professional goals are and how punctum books can help their realization. This may mean reduced work hours to go back to school or contributions to attend courses or conferences. Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check .] Please keep receipts for all reimbursable expenses. You can submit them to your manager [ through our expense software ] within [ three months ] after the date of each expense. If your manager approves your expenses, you will receive your reimbursement within [ two ] pay periods [ by check .] [ Business travel ] [ Relocation ] [ Education and training ] [ Upon approval, outings with business partners or colleagues ] Confidentiality and Data Protection Personal Data punctum books is the data controller of personal data of the following groups: Staff Authors, editors, and other contributors to book projects Donors/Subscribers Library supporters Bookstores, vendors, and other commercial partners All personal data stored in emails, Wordpress, Nextcloud, and InvoiceNinja are stored on encrypted servers managed by Cloud68. None of these data may be disclosed to the public without explicit authorization from the co-directors. Staff records Staff records for the purpose of payroll are held within Quickbooks. Banking information is only accessible to the employees themselves via their own login. Payroll management is only accessible to the co-directors. Staff records are stored on NextCloud and Bookstack and only accessible to the co-directors. Contributor records Personal information of authors, editors, and other contributors to book projects is provided by them throughout the book production process. At the point of manuscript submission, contributors provide their name, biography, ORCiD, and social media handles for outreach and metadata purposes. When the book is published, contributors provide their address information for the purpose of receiving author copies. This address information is recorded within KDP, from where it is automatically deleted after some time. When contributors order extra author copies, their address information is recorded in InvoiceNinja for the purpose of invoice generation. Subscriber records When new donors or subscribers decide to support punctum books, their personal and credit card are managed by Stripe, but the co-directors have access to a subset of these data via the Stripe dashboard. There are legacy data in the Wordpress website of subscribers that supported punctum books through two different Wordpress plugins. As these subscriber resubscribe or cancel, there will be increasingly less personal data of from subscribers accessible through the Wordpress backend. Library Supporter records Contact information of Library Supporters is kept in Trello and several Google Sheets. For invoicing purposes we also store these data in InvoiceNinja. Vendor records Bookstores, vendors, and other commercial partners of punctum may provide address information for the purposes of shipping books and invoicing. These data are stored in KDP and InvoiceNinja. Financial Data punctum books is a public benefit corporation and as such publishes a yearly activity and financial report . Bank account information, tax identifiers, and login info for online payment systems Stripe and Paypal are held on Bookstack (only accessible to codirectors) as well as an encrypted password vault. Tax and other financial documents are held in the Punctum Accounting folder on Nextcloud, only accessible to co-directors and the accountant. Accounting and tax management is done through Quickbooks, to which the CFO and the accountant have access. The CFO keeps a spreadsheed in Google Docs with quarterly and annual financial forecasts. Except those published in the annual report, none of these data may be disclosed to the public without explicit authorization from the co-directors. Device Security All devices that you use for punctum business or to access punctum platforms or accounts should be secure. Keep all devices password-protected and use a password manager such as KeePassX to generate strong passwords; Do not leave devices unattended; Install security updates for browsers and other systems as soon as updates are available. Install security and software updates as soon as they are available; Log in to company platforms and account only via safe (wifi) networks. Use a VPN when on public wifi, such as ProtonVPN . Emergency Protocols  All essential punctum passwords and logins are stored in an encrypted KeePassX password vault. This is the file punctum4.kdbx. The password to this file is stored in a red box in the CFO's bedroom, to which his partner has access. True story! Employee Onboarding Accounts Website For the website a photo, short bio, and key interest fields are needed. The info is added to the Organization page on the website. Email A new account will be requested [first name]@punctumbooks.com via Cloud68. This needs to be done first so all account invites can go there. Mattermost A new account can be set up by the new employee via the signup page . Trello If the new employee is involved in production, they get access to one or more Trello boards. Users are added by selecting Members in the lefthand menu in the app and then click "Invite Workspace members." Nextcloud New employees are added in Nextcloud via the Users menu item. They are added to the group "punctum" and get unlimited storage space. Payroll and Insurance New employees will be to the Quickbooks accounting system on Payroll. Employee Resignation and Termination Resignation You resign when you voluntarily inform the Directors that you will stop working for punctum books. We also consider you resigned if you stop responding to emails, Mattermost messages, or other attempts to get in touch for a week. You are not legally obliged to give us advance notice before resigning. But we appreciate it if you give us a month's notice, if possible. We accept verbal resignations, but we prefer that you submit a written and signed notice of resignation. We will reply with an acceptance of resignation letter within two days. Whether you want to annouce your resignation to the other employees is up to you. Termination We are a small company where everyone is working closely together. We are committed to being accepting of different working styles and rhythms, but at the end of the day we need to publish books. If books no longer are being published, we have a problem and that problem demands to be addressed. We do not have a strict disciplinary system in place like other companies, but Directors will indicate when the work delivered is a below what we expect from our employees. Every employee is responsible for their own targets, and the most important thing is that there is clarity on expectations on all sides. We need to be able to depend on each other, and this is what the weekly staff meetings are there for to coordinate. When the Directors feel that an employee is no longer functioning will within the company, there will be a private, informal conversation in which these concerns are explained and solutions are developed communally. If these solutions fail to materialize or provide the desired results, additional sessions may be held to address the dysfunction, but at a certain point, a point that is to be determined by the Directors, there are no viable alternatives except termination of contract. Punctum directors will provide a written notice of termination of contract in general one month in advance, but depending on the situation termination may also be immediate. Employees have the right to one month of severance pay after working for longer than 12 months at punctum. Whether an employee either resigns or has their contract terminated, the following steps are undertaken: Any devices purchased by punctum books for the employee will need to be returned or to be acquired for a pro-rated price; The employee's email address will be canceled by the date of severance and rerouted to the general email address. An out of office message will be installed indicating the date of severance and alternative email addresses; Cancellation of any debit cards issued; The employee's access to Nextcloud folders and Mattermost channels, punctum social media, and other relevant accounts will be terminated by the date of severance. General Nextcloud access will be granted if the employee needs time to move personal files.