Staff management

ongoing employment requirements

Employees are required to renew certain documents and certifications as part of their employment at First Circle, and fulfill specific health requirements. These requirements are:

HEALTH ASSESSMENT

Every employee needs an updated health assessment with a healthcare provider every 2 years.

PQ REGISTRY

Each educator must register annually with the EEC Professional Qualifications Registry. You must enter your information online, update it  regularly, and provide a printed confirmation to the Director. Please go to eec.state.ma.us/PQRegistry/ to complete the required forms and print your confirmation. You may use the computer in the staff room or complete it at home.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and TRAINING

We value education and learning at First Circle, and believe that process begins with staff. We provide you with many opportunities and resources for growth and enhancement of your professional skills. Some workshops and training sessions are mandatory, some are optional.

Required Training Hours

State licensing requires us to provide a specific amount of training for all staff members throughout the year. You are required to complete this training. This includes the “EEC Essentials” training, 12 modules on topics that early education staff need to know about, such as health, safety, and child development. Training hours are calculated from January to December of each year. EEC requires that staff members attend the following amount of training hours (including online training required by EEC):

• Educators working fewer than 10 hours per week: 5 hours per year, a minimum of 2 of those hours must address Diverse Learners.
• Educators working between 10- 20 hours per week: 12 hours per year, a minimum of 4 of those hours must address Diverse Learners.
• Educators working 20 or more hours per week:  20 hours per year, a minimum of 7 of those must address Diverse Learners.

Staff Meetings

Staff meetings are mandatory and are held every month on a Tuesday, immediately following the workday. Dinner is provided by First Circle. You must attend staff meetings unless the director approves your absence. All staff are paid for staff meeting time at their regular hourly rate.

Staff Training Days

We have mandatory staff training days during the year when the center is closed (see Benefits Handbook). Staff training days are important and cannot be missed unless approved by the director. All staff are paid at their hourly rate for time in staff training.

First Aid/CPR Certification

Each employee is responsible for maintaining a current First Aid certificate to be renewed every 3 years. All teachers must maintain a current CPR certificate to be renewed either every year or based on the date indicated on the card. Group First Aid/CPR training sessions will be conducted by First Circle on a yearly basis; employees needing certification or recertification are expected to attend. First Circle pays for 100% of employee First Aid/CPR and compensates employees for their time at their hourly rate of pay. If current employees do not attend the provided, scheduled First Aid/CPR training, they are responsible for arranging and financing alternate training within 30 days.

If an employee begins employment at First Circle before the annual First Aid/CPR training session and can’t provide current certification, we may ask that they arrange for certification on their own. First Circle will reimburse the employee for the cost of the First Aid/CPR training session and compensate the employee for their time if the training has been pre-approved.

personnel files

Personnel files are maintained for each employee, containing the following, as applicable:

• employment application including general information, employment history, written references, notes from conversations with telephone references, resume, school records, EEC certification documentation and/or information, and First Aid/CPR training information and/or certification
• medical information and W4 form
• working interview review, written performance reviews and observations, letters of promotion, notices of counseling or disciplinary action
• documentation of training, professional growth and development, and continuing education
• records of time off and schedule change requests and unscheduled absence forms (these forms are kept in a separate locked file cabinet)
• salary rate, raises, etc.

We maintain an additional separate, confidential, and locked file in a secure place, containing employees’ I-9 forms and current BRC information. Employees have the right to review their personnel and confidential files upon request at any time during their employment. Files will be made available to the employee within 24 hours of the request.

letters of reference

Requests for letters of reference for school applications, scholarships, and other non-employment related activities should be referred to the director. Please allow enough time for the processing of the letter of recommendation.

employment verification

Requests for employment verification from other employers regarding a former employee’s employment history should be directed to the HR manager.

staff departure

If you decide to leave your employment with us, we ask you to give at least 2 weeks’ written notice. Your respect is appreciated and will be noted favorably should you ever wish to reapply for employment with First Circle and when giving a reference to future employers.

Before departure, you will receive information about the balance of benefits you are owed, available C.O.B.R.A. benefits [see Compensation section], and the procedure for final paycheck(s). You will be asked to turn in any keys, books, or items belonging to First Circle. The Director and Administration may also ask optional confidential questions regarding your employment at First Circle towards the goal of improving operations and gaining insight about others’ performance.