On behalf of the AO1 Foundation, we welcome you and look forward to serving alongside you in order to make an eternal impact on our world!
As either a part-time or full-time employee of The Audience of One Foundation (AO1), you represent Jesus Christ in all aspects of both your public and personal life. Our desire for and expectation of you is that you would be committed to the pursuit of integrity in all facets of life. We encourage you to strive toward living a lifestyle, which reflects all attributes paramount to the vision of AO1.
1. INTRODUCTION
AO1 is committed to supportive relationships between AO1 and its employees. The personnel policies of AO1 have been established in order to provide a guide as to the personnel practices of AO1 and to ensure consistency of personnel decisions. It is the intention of AO1 to administer the personnel practices in a manner which complies with the letter and spirit of all applicable federal, state and local regulations. This document is designed to provide guidance to employees at AO1. It is not a part of any contract, agreement, or at-will terms and conditions offer between AO1 and its employees. It is only a set of informal guidelines for personnel practices. Notwithstanding the provisions of the personnel policies, all employees are "at will employees" which means that they may be terminated at any time with or without cause.
2. CULTURE
AO1 is committed to upholding Christian values and principles. We desire to have a culture that aligns with “Kingdom Culture.” We desire to put Jesus and His mission first in everything we do. As we serve His purpose, we seek to live our lives in a way that reflects Biblical teaching. This includes our personal relationships, language, financial decision-making and all aspects of personal life.
Mission:
We exist to uplift individuals and communities around the world by demonstrating God’s love for His people.
Vision:
We carry out our mission through our three primary ministries:
- Outdoor Ministry
The Outdoor Ministry aims to serve children with physical challenges, life-threatening illnesses (past and present) and the underserved in order to foster a genuine passion for outdoor activities and bring people closer to God through discipleship.
Through our two programs, Camp Conquerors and Mountain Movers, we aim to create discipleship and mentorship opportunities. We also desire to create a community of support and encouragement for every child in our program and their families.
- Thy Kingdom Crumb
Thy Kingdom Crumb (TKC) exists to demonstrate the love of God and to infuse His hope by feeding all people and uplifting communities.
It is our goal to help all people experience the unconditional love of God in a tangible manner by distributing quality food with excellence, through community outreach and the formation of Kingdom relationships.
- Haiti Sports Complex
Serving alongside Mission of Hope, the Haiti Sports Complex is a partnership to bring hope to a nation through sport.
This facility will impact 15,000 children per year by providing them an opportunity to develop physical abilities, foster teamwork, learn interpersonal skills, cope with stress and grow in responsibility to become men and women of integrity.
Core Values:
Our core values help define who we are. We believe that who we are will pave the way for what we do. As we embody these values, we will more effectively fulfill our mission. As an organization; we hire, fire, promote and reward based on our values.
- Christ-Centered
We keep Jesus at the center of everything we do.
- Significance over Statistics
We don’t just do things, we do things well.
Individuals matter more than big numbers.
- Legacy that Lasts
We aim to influence eternity and the next 50 years.
- Ethical and Trustworthy
We are good stewards of every dollar, every soul and every opportunity.
- Highly Motivated and Hardworking
We are highly motivated to do what we do and passionate about why we do it.
- Healthy Balance
We stay fresh by living healthy lives.
We are better at home than we are at work.
- Team Focused
We bring our unique best every day and always fight for we over me.
History:
As a college student at North Dakota State University, our founder, Carson Wentz, experienced God in a powerful way and began growing in his faith immensely. As a constant reminder of staying the course with his faith, Carson had “AO1” tattooed on the underside of his right wrist, which stands for “Audience of One.”
“It was a motto I picked up early in my career, and I finally put it on my body as a constant reminder to live with the Lord as my only audience. Whether I’m playing football or whatever I’m doing, I do it with the Lord as my audience.” - Carson Wentz
Following his first season in the NFL, Carson felt a calling and he knew he wanted to give back to the community. He knew he had been blessed with a platform that few ever experience.
The AO1 Foundation was launched in July of 2017.
Code of Ethics:
- Dress Code:
Employees are prohibited from wearing any offensive or inappropriate clothing while at work or at any external event in which they are representing AO1. Employees are expected to dress accordingly to the event/occasion.
- Grooming:
Look presentable.
3. EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION
All employees are classified as either full-time or part-time. Full-time employees are employees who work an average of 40 hours per week for AO1. Part-time employees are employed on a case-by-case basis of more than 5 hours but less than 40 hours per week for AO1.
4. WORK SCHEDULE
Not all employees have a uniform work structure, however, full-time employees work approximately 40 hours per week, which includes required attendance at all pertinent meetings and events.
Employees are expected to report to work/events in a timely fashion. Lateness or absence is considered excused only when the employee calls ahead of time and the lateness or absence is for a compelling reason.
5. HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Due to the nature of AO1, some events may affect holiday seasons, however AO1 observes the following holidays for which all employees will receive regular pay:
- New Year's Day
- Martin Luther King Day
- Presidents Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day After Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day
- Day After Christmas Day
Holidays that fall on a scheduled vacation day or during an employee’s sick leave (as defined below) will be recorded as holiday time. Additional time off may be gifted to employees throughout the year as the Director sees fit, including a summer break following the primary event season in North Dakota.
6. COMPENSATION
Employees of AO1 will negotiate a salary at the time of recruitment. At the time of hire, new employees will receive a job description, a letter of at-will employment with salary and benefit details, an NDA, and a copy of the personnel policies (this Employee Handbook). The full scope of responsibility for the position will be discussed at the time of hire. Due to the nature of this endeavor, your position will continue to change, shift, and evolve as needed so flexibility with this fluid position is required. Employees may be eligible for a salary review upon yearly anniversaries of employment. The Board of Directors of AO1 will determine employee salaries. Employees may be required to work beyond their regular schedules, depending upon the needs of their responsibilities. Employees are not compensated for overtime hours and are paid twice per month.
7. BENEFITS
AO1 offers an option for medical coverage for full-time employees. The AO1 Foundation reserves the right, in its discretion, however, to change the nature of the benefits offered to employees, or to change insurance carriers, deductibles, premiums, or other features of any benefit. In addition, The AO1 Foundation may decide to discontinue one or more benefits. Covered employees will be notified of such changes or discontinuations as soon as practicable. Employees may be subject to a 2 (two) month waiting period before benefits take effect. Please contact The AO1 Foundation’s Executive Director to determine when open enrollment begins each year.
Employees of The AO1 Foundation who lose group coverage because of a reduction in hours or because of termination of employment are not eligible for coverage continuation beyond the date of termination/reduction in hours.
8. WORKER’S COMPENSATION INSURANCE
AO1 maintains Worker’s Compensation coverage in compliance with applicable law. Any employee who suffers any work-related injury or illness should report said injury/illness to the Director of Operations or Executive Director within 48 hours of the incident as soon as possible.
9. YEAR IN RETROSPECT ASSESSMENT
Each employee’s direct report at AO1 will conduct an annual “year in review” assessment near the anniversary mark of employment. This collaborative discussion will be multifaceted and include welcomed feedback, ideas, and growth goals for the upcoming year. This “year in review" is intended to provide meaningful, useful feedback regarding executed vision, achieved impact within various arenas of ministry, and significant development and fulfillment of both personal growth goals, and vision-centric goals specific to AO1.
10. ABSENCES GRANTED
AO1 tracks all vacation and other time off using the Time-Off Platform. AO1 allows the following types of leaves for its employees:
Vacation Leave
Full-time employees will be given vacation on their anniversary date based on their length of continuous employment with AO1, as follows:
First 3 (Three) Years of Employment with AO1 - 14 Business Days, with a maximum of 10 business days taken off consecutively.
Fourth (4) Year And Beyond - 21 Business Days, with a maximum of 10 business days taken off consecutively.
Requests for vacation time must be submitted to the employee’s direct report via Time-Off at least 2 (two) months in advance for vacations of five (5) days or longer. Shorter notice may be allowed for vacations of 4 (four) days or less, provided it does not interfere with scheduled duties or events.
Employees are encouraged to use all their vacation time as a means of rest and recuperation. A maximum of 5 (five) days of unused vacation can be carried-over into the following year with a maximum accumulation of vacation days set to 26 (twenty-six).
Part-time employees are granted 7 (seven) vacation days with a maximum of 5 (five) days of unused vacation being eligible to be carried-over into the following year with a maximum accumulation of vacation days set to 18 (eighteen) days.
Employees will not be paid for any vacation days taken beyond the above allowances.
Family Leave
AO1 desires to assist new parents in balancing the demands of caring for children. AO1 will provide up to 8 weeks of paid family leave to any female employee for the birth or adoption of a child and 4 weeks of paid family leave to any male employee for the birth or adoption of a child. Leave must be initiated within six weeks of the birth or adoption of the child, unless otherwise approved by the Director.
Special Leave
Special leaves of absence with or without pay may be granted to an employee at the discretion of the President and Director.
Sick Leave
AO1 will provide up to 5 (five) working days per employment year to each employee to be utilized for purposes of addressing health needs. Sick leave is granted for sickness or appointments of the individual employee, his or her spouse/partner, children, or other immediate family members. Sick leave may be accumulated from year-to-year with the maximum accumulation set to 25 days.
Part-time employees are granted 3 (three) days per employment year for purposes addressing health needs. Sick leave may be accumulated from year-to-year for part-time employees with the maximum accumulation set to 10 days.
Funeral Leave
AO1 provides paid leave for employees to attend the funeral of an immediate family member. The length of time allowed for the funeral leave is up to 3 (three) days, but may vary as determined by the Director, depending on variables such as travel distance and assumed responsibilities. The total leave cannot exceed 3 (three) consecutive business days.
For purposes of this personnel policy, immediate family is defined to include the following: mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister, brother, child, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, grandmother, or grandfather.
11. JURY DUTY
AO1 will pay all employees normal pay for up to two weeks of jury duty.
12. HARASSMENT POLICY
The rights of all employees must be respected. All employees of AO1 must understand its position on harassment. By definition, harassment is any unwanted attention or action prohibited by law by someone in the workplace that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment, including sexual harassment. The procedure for reporting and dealing with this very sensitive issue is as follows:
- If a person's behavior makes an employee uncomfortable, the employee should feel free to immediately advise the person that, in the employee's opinion, the behavior is inappropriate and that the employee would like it stopped.
- If the employee is not comfortable discussing the issue with the person, or if the person fails to respect an employee's request, the employee should report the incident to his/her direct report. In the event that the incident involves an employee’s direct report the employee should bring the matter to the attention of the President or Executive Director.
In all instances, a prompt, thorough, and fair investigation will take place, giving careful consideration to protect the rights and dignity of all people involved. AO1 will take the steps it feels necessary to resolve the problem, which may include verbal or written reprimand, suspension, and/or termination.
No retaliation of any nature will occur because an employee has, in good faith, reported an incident of suspected harassment. The direct report to whom the complaint was made will work to establish mutually agreed upon safeguards against retaliation while attempting to mediate any sexual harassment complaint.
13. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
AO1 is in full agreement with the intent of the Civil Rights Laws. It is our firm belief that the basis of employee selection for hiring, promotion, transfer, training, job assignment, hours of work, rate of pay, and working conditions should be according to ability, not age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, disability, or any other factors not considered pertinent to performance.
Because AO1 is a Christ-centered organization, all positions require extensive understanding of and commitment to the Biblical views held by AO1. Therefore, it is necessary for us to seek out individuals with specific religious belief systems and/or Biblical views. To the extent allowed by State Law, AO1 may make a Biblical determination in hiring on the basis of one’s spiritual beliefs and spiritual maturity.
14. UNDER THE INFLUENCE POLICY
The use, sale, transfer, possession, or being "under the influence" of alcohol, illegal drugs, or illegal controlled substances when working, attending meetings, functions and/or events, on property, or in any AO1 vehicles is prohibited. In addition, all conduct that may adversely affect the reputation or interests of AO1 is prohibited and grounds for termination.
15. WORKPLACE SAFETY
AO1 is committed to providing a safe environment for employees and visitors. In order to provide a safe workplace, access to our facilities, both mobile and permanent, may be limited to those with a legitimate and sincere interest. If at any time you believe your safety might be in danger, dial 9-1-1.
16. PERSONNEL RECORDS
To ensure prompt and proper record keeping, employees are responsible for notifying one’s direct report, in writing, of any change in status: name, address, telephone, marital and family status, emergency contact information, etc.
17. NON-PRIVACY
Employees who utilize any AO1-owned cell phones/cell phone plans, computers, or any other electronic devices are subject to AO1 acquiring such equipment as well as any correspondence made through such equipment. All files, documents, and correspondence transmitted on any AO1-owned devices are the property of AO1. Any and all correspondence made on AO1-owned devices or transmitted over any AO1 servers are available to management to read for any reason. Likewise, all communications made through e-mail accounts or any apps utilized for communication are able to be viewed at any time by the management of AO1.
18. TERMINATION
Resignation
Any employee of AO1 may resign by submitting a letter of resignation to the Director at least twenty (20) business days prior to the effective date of the resignation. At the time of the effective date of the resignation, the employee shall be able to use any accrued annual leave. If the employee has used all annual leave due prior to resignation, all hours used in excess of those earned shall be deducted from the employee's final paycheck at the rate of salary paid at the time of resignation. No employee shall be compensated for any unused sick leave at the time of resignation.
Other Discharges
Discipline and/or discharge may result for many reasons including, but not limited to, inappropriate behavior and/or unsatisfactory performance.
Inappropriate behavior is defined as including, but not limited to, misbehavior on the job, refusal to do work reasonably expected, wrongful use of or taking of property, conviction of a felony, or any other moral wrongdoing based on Biblical and sacred determinations (e.g. financial impropriety, abusive language or action, etc.).
Discipline Policy
Unless it is a severe offense that requires immediate suspension or termination, we adhere to the following process for actions and behaviors that require disciplinary action:
- First Offense: Meet with direct report to discuss the offense. This is primarily a verbal warning.
- Second Offense: Meet with the Executive Director to discuss the offense and create a written plan of correction. Employee is expected to adhere to the written plan of correction.
- Third Offense: Meet with the President and Executive Director to discuss the pattern of offenses. The President and Executive Director will make a decision on the next steps -- including potential termination, suspension, probation, or “Last Chance” directive.
- Fourth Offense: Termination
19. SPENDING POLICIES
Full-time employees are permitted to keep possession of their AO1 credit card at all times. Full-time employees are expected to use discretion in using AO1 funds to make AO1-related purchases. All employees are expected to submit a formal spending request prior to making purchases greater than $500.
Expense Reporting
Employees are expected to use Expensify to track and categorize all AO1-related expenses. At the end of the week, Expensify automatically submits an expense report for review.
Travel Expenses
Employees must request written permission from their direct report before booking an AO1-related trip. If the trip is approved and it’s primary focus is AO1-related, the employee can use their AO1 credit card to pay for all travel-related expenses. Employees are expected to use discretion and wise judgment with AO1 funds while traveling.
20. WORK PRODUCTS AND FILES
All supplies, materials, and work products utilized by an employee, if purchased with AO1 funds, shall remain the property of AO1 after resignation or discharge of that employee. The employee may retain any personal files. Work files and other papers shall remain with AO1.
21. NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT
During the course of employment an employee may learn confidential and restricted information regarding Carson Wentz and AO1. Such information can only be discussed with others on a need-to-know basis when absolutely necessary for job performance. It may never be discussed with any unauthorized person either inside or outside the organization (either during or post employment). Revealing any such information can be considered grounds for dismissal, or, in the case of post-employment, grounds for legal action. If an employee is uncertain about the potential disclosure of confidential information, he/she should immediately contact his/her direct report. All employees are required to sign a Non-disclosure agreement.
EMPLOYEE STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I have received a copy of the AO1 Foundation’s Employee Handbook and have read or had it read to me carefully. I further understand all matters set forth in the Employee Handbook and agree to abide by and adhere to AO1’s policies during my employment with AO1, even as they may be modified from time to time. I further understand and agree that any provision of the Employee Handbook may be amended, revised, or eliminated at any time by AO1.
I understand that my employment with AO1 is not for a specified length of time. Rather, I understand and agree that my employment is terminable at will so that both AO1 and I remain free to choose to end our work relationship at any time, with or without cause.
I understand that it is my responsibility to maintain and keep my handbook updated as new policies are created and distributed and/or policies are deleted or changed.
I hereby acknowledge receipt of the AO1 Foundation’s Employee Handbook.