Modoc County Office of Education

• Distribution, dispensing, possession, or being under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or controlled substance is prohibited.
• Use of any tobacco product while on school grounds is prohibited.
• Prescription medication requires the employee to take precaution and use good judgment in determining if s/he can function properly at work while on such medication.

• Reasonable suspicion of child/student abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, etc.) requires the employee to report ASAP by phone to Child Protective Service (and) within 36 hours of reporting the alleged abuse, complete and send in written report form (consult school secretaries for the form). Failure to report suspected abuse accrues substantial liabilities. Important phone contacts are provided below.

• DO NOT vocalize any statement(s)/comment(s), posture any stance via gesturing, or display any material(s) that could be perceived (to a degree) by another individual as harassment.

• The extent/degree of a work-related injury (as reported by employee) will be determined by the attending physician or nurse practitioner.

• Definition: Any injury/illness occurring at or caused on-the-job.
• When to Report: Immediately: Contact your supervisor then call Company Nurse, followed by a call to MCOE Human Resource Administrative Assistant at 530-233-7103 and complete the necessary forms as indicated.
• Possible Benefits: Medical care, replace lost wages (generally 2/3 of average weekly wage), permanent disability, rehabilitation service, death benefits.

• Any employee may file a written complaint with the Superintendent designee. The complaint should be submitted ASAP but no later than 6 months from the alleged occurrence. The Superintendent Designee will investigate and respond within 60 days of receipt of complaint.

• All MCOE classroom volunteers must first be fingerprinted before clearance can be obtained to serve as either a teaching volunteer of an instructional assistant volunteer. A record check will be made by local law enforcement and/or DOJ.

• MCTA: Employees who are new hires or who have worked less than two (2) consecutive years for MCOE will be evaluated each year. Employees who have worked consecutively for MCOE for two (2) years will be evaluated every other year. Employees who have been employed for eight (8) continuous years may request to be evaluated every five (5) years.
• CSEA: Probationary employees shall be evaluated at least once during their probationary period. Permanent employees with fewer than 3 years of service shall be evaluated at least once per school year. Permanent employees with 3 years of service, but fewer than 8 years of service shall be evaluated at least once every other school year. Permanent employees with 8 or more years of service shall be evaluated at least once every 5 school years. Nothing shall prevent additional evaluations for all employees, as deemed necessary by management.
• Central Office Staff: Evaluations are conducted annually.

• All MCOE employees are required insurance broker, Keenan, to complete yearly assigned computer modules for employee awareness of safety and wellness while at work. The modules are located via the website: http://modoccoe.keenan.safeschools.com/login
• Your username and password are the last 4 digits of your social security number followed by a capital first letter of your last name (e.g., 1234H).
• The employee will listen to the presentation of each module, take and pass the quiz associated with the module.
• Modules: Slips, trips and falls= 29 minutes; Bloodborne Pathogens = 21 minutes; Mandated Reporter = 36 minutes; Coronavirus Awareness = 18 minutes; Cybersecurity Overview = 15 minutes; Sexual Harassment= 35 minutes (120 minutes for Directors) Completion of these modules is required by December 31, 2022. **Mandated Reporter is due by September 30, 2022.

• MCOE employees, who interface with the public, should give extra consideration to the appropriateness of their appearance and overall apparel when reporting to work. Appearance and attire should make a proper impression to the public. Neatness and cleanliness are expected. Apparel worn must not cause a distraction to others or create an unsafe situation; applying common sense is mandatory in all job classifications.

• As an MCOE employee you are expected to be reliable & punctual, illustrate professional etiquette at all times, follow rules of proper conduct without deviation, and be determined to meet every objective/directive of your immediate supervisor. Inappropriate and/or unprofessional behavior will result in disciplinary procedures as delineated in the Educational Code 44932, 44933, 45116, and/or Superintendent Policy 4217/4317.

• Two types of minimum days exist for employees working within school districts/sites. 1) A minimum school day that precedes a major holiday which is observed by your school district or site: Employees are dismissed when students and teachers leave and are not required to make up the time. 2) A minimum day observed by your school district or site for the purpose of teacher parent conference dates: Employees are required to complete their assigned work hours either on that day or make up the hours with their supervising the teacher no later than two weeks from the date of the teacher-parent conference.

• The Injury/Illness Prevention Program is designed to cultivate and maintain a culture of safety for all COE employees. It is intended to 1) Ensure a safe working environment for employees via semi-annual supervision inspections, 2) Decrease potential disease, illness, injury and harmful exposures while at work, 3) Reduce workers’ compensation claims, and 4) Circumvent costly penalties associated with non-compliance of Health and Safety Codes.

• The Bloodborne Pathogen Program seeks to inform employees of the risks of Occupational Exposure (i.e., contact with blood or Other Potential Infectious Materials -OPIM). All bodily fluids are to be considered infectious, and therefore precautionary measures (i.e., wearing gloves, using disinfectant wipes, using a face shield, accessing bloodborne kits to clean up the fluids/materials) are required of COE employees when encountering such fluids/materials. Employees who have endured an exposure incident (i.e., where blood of OPIM have entered the employee through a cut in the skin, in their eye, through their mucous membrane, etc.) must report the incident to their supervisor or MCOE ASAP, seek medical treatment ASAP, and complete Post Exposure Follow-Up Report (accessible via HR quick links under employee safety ) and submit to the HR Department.

• The Hazard Communication Program provides awareness and detailed information to employees concerning specific chemicals used or contained within their working environment. Modoc COE Hazardous Materials Inventory are site/location specific.

To:        MCTA/CSEA Unit Members & Central Office Staff

From:    Tim Hoff, HR Director (233-7168) thoff@modoccoe.k12.ca.us

              

 

 

The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) defines sexual harassment as harassment based on sex or of a sexual nature; gender harassment; and harassment based on pregnan­cy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The definition of sexual harassment includes many forms of offensive behavior, including harassment of a person of the same gender as the harasser. The following is a partial list of types of sexual harassment:

 

 

All employers must take the following actions against harassment:

 

 

All employers, regardless of the number of employees, are covered by the harassment section of the FEHA. Employers are generally liable for harassment by their supervisors or agents. Harassers, including both supervisory and non-supervisory personnel, may be held personally liable for harassing an employee or coworker or for aiding and abetting harassment.

 

Additionally, the law requires employers to take "all reasonable steps to prevent harassment from occurring." If an employer has failed to take such preventive measures, that employer can be held li­able for the harassment. A victim may be entitled to damages, even though no employment opportunity has been denied and there is no actual loss of pay or benefits.

 

In addition, if an employer knows or should have known that a non-employee (e.g. client or custom­er) has sexually harassed an employee, applicant, or person providing services for the employer and fails to take immediate and appropriate corrective ac­tion, the employer may be held liable for the actions of the non-employee.

 

An employer might avoid liability if

 

Employees or job applicants who believe that they have been sexually harassed may file a complaint of discrimination with DFEH within one year of the harassment.

DFEH serves as a neutral fact-finder and attempts to help the parties voluntarily resolve disputes.

 

If DFEH finds sufficient evidence to establish that dis­crimination occurred and settlement efforts fail, the Department may file a formal accusation. The accusa­tion will lead to either a public hearing before the Fair Employment and Housing Commission or a lawsuit filed by DFEH on behalf of the complaining party.

 

If the Commission finds that discrimination has oc­curred, it can order remedies including:

 

Employees can also pursue the matter through a private lawsuit in civil court after a complaint has been filed with DFEH and a Right-to-Sue Notice has been issued.

For more information, see publication DFEH-159 "Guide for Complainants and Respondents."

  

For more information, contact DFEH toll free at (800) 884-1684

Sacramento area & out-of-state at (916) 478-7200

TTY number at (800) 700-2320 or visit our Web site at www.dfeh.ca.gov

 

In accordance with the California Government Code and ADA requirements, this publication can be made available in Braille, large print. computer disk, or tape cassette as a disability-related reasonable accommodation for an individual with a disability. To discuss how to receive a copy of this publication in an alternative format, please contact DFEH at the numbers above.

 

Department of Fair Employment & Housing