Guide to Personal Conduct

Common sense and respect for other people form the basis of most work rules and personal conduct.

MSI’s branch office is an English-only environment, except when speaking to patients that speak languages other than English. This includes all areas including the break area. This is enforceable at all times whether you are on the clock or not.

MSI branch office is a paperless office. All paper copies of patient information will be stored at the main office. All server data will be stored at the main office as well. No duplication, copying or recording of any patient data is allowed whether digital or on paper.

PERSONAL CONDUCT. MSI promotes a respectful, considerate and safe working,environment. As an employee you are responsible to conduct yourself in a professional business manner. Gossip, negative personal comments, distraction of other employees from their work, disruptive, antagonistic, or inconsiderate behaviour is considered misconduct. This behaviour is disruptive to the work place and a detriment to an effective workplace environment.

Do not engage in extended or excessive non-work related conversations during work hours. These conversations distract co-workers from their job. It affects your efficiency and accuracy as well as the efficiency and accuracy of your co-workers. There is always something to do. If you find yourself without work for some reason, computers problems, inability to get responses from clients, etc., then you are expect to tell your supervisor or MSI management for additional assignments. This is one demonstration of initiative and is reflective of a positive work ethic.

Common decency is expected and required. Foul language, religious or ethnic slurs, sexually offensive language or conversations, bigotry, etc., will not be tolerated. It is not being “politically correct;” it is being respectful, polite and considerate of others.

Communications with clients / patients, vendors, care managers, co-workers and anyone else to whom you are afforded the opportunity to speak must be treated with dignity, respect, kindness and consideration. There are not exceptions to this requirement.

By way of example, the specific behaviours are listed here are considered misconduct:

  1. Sharing too much detail about your personal life or medical issues
  2. Talking about co-workers, clients/patients, referral agencies, vendors, team leaders, management, or our company in a negative manner with respect to both their professional and personal characteristics
  3. Loud, consistent and distracting conversation that is not related to work
  4. Playing music, talk radio, or any medium that is too loud or offensive
  5. Refusing to respond to a co-worker’s request to change behaviours that interfere with their work
  6. Gossip that is negative or harmful

Obviously, this list does not include all behaviors that are considered to be misconduct. Suggested alternative behaviors are:

  1. For complaints about your co-workers, company, team leader or management, etc., please use our open door policy by addressing any personal, process, and procedural, efficiency, or effectiveness issues with management directly. It is preferred that we document these issues with email, but if that is not possible please communicate in a private manner to management.

When coordinating work with you co-workers, stay focused on the business issue. You certainly can point out problems; do not assign blame to individuals. Can and determine the root cause of the issue and make the needed improvements.

  1. Communicate with respect, politeness and courtesy.
  2. Speak in positive terms about your co-workers. Do not address their personal characteristics, their personal life or their job performance to them or to others. If you have business related issues, then see #1 above.
  3. Negative Gossip will no longer be permitted on the job. It will be considered misconduct. That includes public, negative statements about clients/patients, co-workers, vendors, lunch delivery personnel, etc. If you must gossip then spread good news about your co-workers. Rumours about their positive characteristics and work are welcome. If you have an issue with any MSI stakeholder that is beyond your ability to positively and constructively resolve then ask for help. We will obtain resources needed to solve the problem. If you gossip negatively about others, then your behaviour becomes a problem as well.

Occasionally it becomes necessary to use disciplinary measures when an employee’s conduct is contrary to the best interest of other employees and of MSI. Please see the Reporting a Complaint section in this handbook.

The following actions on the part of an employee will be cause for discharge upon first offense:

  1. Stealing private, customer, or company property, including removal of articles from company premises such as office supplies, coffee and lunch room supplies, or any products sold by MSI, regardless of value.
  2. Wilful refusal to obey orders of company management during working hours.
  3. Deliberate destruction or abuse of company, co-workers, or customer property.
  4. Possession on company property or in any vehicle parked on company property, of any drugs, explosives, fireworks, pornographic materials, or opened alcohol.
  5. Possession on company property or in any vehicle parked on company property, of any weapons or knives except by police or law enforcement or by special written permission from MSI management.
  6. Working while “under the influence” of alcoholic beverage or illegal drugs. MSI must be advised by your physician of your workplace precautions if you are on prescription drugs that may affect your ability to work safely. Failure to inform MSI if you are taking any prescription medicine that affects your safety will result in termination.
  7. Engaging in company sabotage or the unauthorized disclosure of business information.
  8. Engaging in illegal or indecent conduct on company premises.
  9. Competing with the company.
  10. Falsification, unauthorized destruction or deletion, or misuse of records and medical records for patients, physicians, or any other records owned by MSI; submitting false information or omitting pertinent information on employment application; falsification , unauthorized destruction or deletion, or misuse of expense records and/or false records for drivers.
  11. Physical or verbal fighting on company property or threats made on company property of physical violence, or threats made anywhere or anytime to a company employee, customer, supervisor, manager, or officer of the company.
  12. Intentionally restricting production or output of work.
  13. Temporarily or permanently removing from the company premises company books, records, correspondence, or other documents of any kind without the written permission of management.
  14. Suspension of driver’s license if the employee’s work requires driving.
  15. Disloyalty, including, but not limited to, the making of derogatory comments, demeaning statements, or giving information which otherwise casts discredit upon the company, its products and/or services, its officers, and its employees. No comments, regardless of nature, may be made to news media, outside agencies, companies, or general public without consent of the president or CEO.
  16. Sleeping while clocked in.
  17. Insubordination or wilful disobedience.
  18. Failure to have either a sales invoice from company or written delivery instructions from company for any Company property in the employee’s possession off company premises, or consumes or uses while on company property for non-work related purposes.
  19. Failure to report or enter on company records all cash and other rental and sales transactions.
  20. Use of company vehicles or equipment, without permission, for any unauthorized purpose.
  21. Punching another employee’s time card or having one’s time card punched by another.
  22. Conduct at work which is dangerous to others, including horseplay, and results in the injury of another employee
  23. Unethical behaviour, fraud, forgery or related crimes that indicate a propensity for dishonesty.
  24. Deliberate failure to comply with compliance program, HIPAA regulations, or in any way attempt to defraud any MSI stakeholder either for personal or company gain.
  25. Disregard of a reasonable standard of behaviour.

The following actions on the part of an employee will fall under the progressive disciplinary policy. Items in this list are cumulative, where any two separate actions will count as a two violations:

  1. Failure of employee to carry driver’s license while operating company vehicles.
  2. Unintentional or accidental violation of compliance rules, HIPAA regulations or accidental misapplication of funds for personal, company benefit, or any reason as long as error is acknowledged and restitution is made when error is found.
  3. Traffic violations while the employee is driving company vehicles.
  4. Company vehicle or equipment accidents. Avoidable accidents have been categorized as those accidents in which the driver failed to do everything he reasonably could to prevent the accident.
  5. Personal work performed on company time or on company premises, including telephone calls, cell phone policy described above, and internet policy described above.
  6. Originating, perpetuating, or publicizing that, which in the company’s reasonable opinion, is malicious gossip, slander, or libel concerning fellow employees.
  7. Conduct that is hostile, verbally offensive, disrupts the work environment or is intimidating or undermining to co-workers. This includes but is not limited to loud or extended conversations that distract others from their work; profanity; racial, ethnic, religious slurs; and negative or malicious gossip.
  8. Smoking in an area designated “No Smoking” or smoking within 40 feet of any office door or window.
  9. Throwing litter on company property, including cigarette butts.
  10. Improper or negligent work after attention has been called to same.
  11. Violation of company break, time clock, attendance, no-call, or any other policy described above.
  12. Conduct at work, which is dangerous to others, including horseplay.
  13. Failure to report all accidents promptly, including vehicle and work-related accidents.
  14. Failure to punch your own time card.
  15. Sloppy or dirty dress or appearance.

Progressive Disciplinary Guidelines

Each incident covered by this guideline will result in the employee being notified in writing and placed on a probationary period up to 12 months depending on the nature of the incident, this probation is extended to 12 months beyond the last incident for subsequent violations.

If the employee violates any policy in this handbook, unless otherwise stated, will receive:

  • First incident – Written warning and placed on probation
  • Second incident of the same or any other policy described herein –1 day suspension and extension of disciplinary probation period.
  • Third incident of the same or any other policy described herein – termination.

If an employee completes his or her disciplinary probation period, without further incidents, the number of incidents will be returned to zero.

All disciplinary suspensions will be scheduled, at MSI’s convenience, within one week of the employee’s return to work. The employee must return to work before the suspension begins, and may not assume that he/she is suspended without reporting to MSI. You may accrue 3 violations and be terminated without notice if you do not return to work between committing these violations, if you commit 3 violations in a short period of time, or if MSI management becomes aware of all three incidences at the same time.

Rights of Management

MSI retains inherent rights to manage, including, but not limited to, the right to determine the number, location, and manner of operations, number of employees, and assignment of work; transfer, promote, demote, lay off, or terminate for lack of work or other reasons related to the overall welfare of MSI and its staff of employees; to set rules, suspend, discharge or take disciplinary measures as herein stated.