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Policies and Guidelines for LCWP |
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(ADMINISTRATIVE) POLICIES AND GUIDELINES FOR LAY CHURCH WORKERS AND PERSONNEL IN THE DIOCESE OF MARBEL
TITLE 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1: Title This Manual shall be known as Administrative Manual of Policies and Guidelines for Lay Church Workers and Personnel in the Diocese of Marbel. Section 2: Coverage This Manual shall apply to all parish and diocesan lay Church Workers and lay personnel who are hired either as full-time or part-time workers and receive compensation according to law or as agreed upon. This Manual does not apply to non-church workers or lay volunteers who render service gratis et amore. Section 3: Background and Rationale Last November 7-10, 2005 during the Annual Presbyterium, a decision was made to develop a Diocesan Manual of Policies for Lay Personnel specifically on the Recruitment and Termination. Since the diocese as well as the parish, is composed of individuals, each with different interest, character and value system. In this regard too, the Diocese must have a common framework in which the efforts and behavior of everyone are oriented toward the fulfillment of the Vision-Mission and Thrust of the diocese while respecting the rights of the lay personnel.
TITLE 2 PARISH PERSONNEL
Article 1: Parish Lay Personnel Section 1: Classification of Parish Lay Workers Parish lay workers are classified into four (4) categories[1]: (3 categories?)
Section 2: General Policy on Recruitment[2] As a general rule, the process of recruitment of lay personnel starts with the filing of an application duly supported with credentials; undergoing interview and submitting to medical examinations. A job demonstration is required of the applicant. During demonstration at least five (5) should be present: the Parish Priest, PPC and PEC Presidents and two (2) other appointed by the Parish Priest. All job applicants must direct their application to the Office of the Parish Priest. 2.1. Requirements Generally, each applicant must also present/undergo the following requirements:
2.1.1 Transcript of Records The medical examinations shall cover the following:
2.1.9 Complete Blood Chemistry Other documents to be submitted also are the following:
2.1.14 Training/Seminar Certificates 2.2. Qualifications Following the norms set by the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP-II) on the role of the lay faithful as workers of renewal[3] by which they are called to service and evangelization as well as by the First Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA-I),[4] the following criteria should be considered in the hiring of lay personnel in every parish. 2.2.1. Religious Qualifications
2.2.1.1 A witnessing Catholic; 2.2.2. Educational Qualifications (for Office Personnel only)
2.2.2.1 Preferably, college level or has college degree 2.2.3. Emotional Qualifications
2.2.3.1 Wholesome attitude towards life 2.3. Disqualifications The following are not accepted as Parish lay personnel:
2.3.1 Drug abusers 2.4.1 Study the Different Jobs in the Parish and write Job Descriptions and Specifications The Parish Priest must know the following: nature of the job; primary duties and responsibilities; steps taken to perform those duties and responsibilities; working conditions under which the specific job is performed; amount of authority delegated to job incumbent; supervision involved in the job; requirement of the job such as education, skill and physical demands; and environment of the job. 2.4.2 Requisition for New Lay Personnel The Parish Priest shall inform the Bishop through writing indicating the particulars needed and as the time when the employee/s is/are needed. The Parish Priest, shall inform too the PPC and PEC members about the existence of the vacancy to be filled. Post the vacant job/s in designated places and announce it/them in Masses, gatherings, assemblies, radios, televisions, etc. 2.4.3 Recruit Qualified Applicants The Parish Priest continually looks for prospective applicants. It can be done by: sending recruitment letters to colleges and universities, newspaper and advertisements, placement offices; direct contact with applicants and recommendations from present and former employees. 2.4.4 Sight-screen Applicants To eliminate some applicants do a “preliminary screening” or “sight-screening” on the basis of rapid appraisal of their apparent characteristics such as age, height, years of experience, physical condition, educational attainment, etc. 2.4.5 Have Application Form filled out Those who undergo further interviews shall fill out, in the applicant’s own handwriting, an application form (For sample, see Appendix F). This is important because: it gives vital information about the applicant which is relevant to the job for which he/she has applied; as a guide when interviewing an applicant; as a basis for eliminating applicants with unfavorable personal data; for matching the qualifications of the applicant with the job requirements; for checking on the applicant’s school records, references and former employers and as part of the employee’s permanent record and for communicating with the employee or his/her family. 2.4.6 Select those who will undergo Testing The initially screened applicants shall be notified to take the employment tests administered by the Parish Priest his designated person. 2.4.7 Check the Applicant’s Work Experiences, School Records and Personal References The applicant’s consent to being checked with respect to his references or previous employers is usually obtained in the application form filled out. It is not advisable to contact the applicant’s present employer as this may prejudice the applicant’s current employment status. 2.4.8 Interview Interview is done to find out how well-qualified the applicant; to give the applicant the information he/she needs to decide whether or not he/she will take the job if offered to him/her and to know the impressions created by the applicants during interview. Use a blank application form and records of previous employment and other background information. Written comments are helpful in comparing that of the applicants. Ask information about: background of the applicant, habits and character traits by reviewing in detail his/her activities in the past – his patterns of behavior during his/her schooling, home background, work record, recreational activities, handling of his/her finances and domestic problems, in order to know and predict his/her performance on the job. Ask questions too like: “Tell me about…”; “How do you like…”; “”Why did you…” and others. The Parish Priest takes note of the following:
2.4.9 Match the Applicant with the Job Match the qualifications of the applicant with the job description and job specifications to enable to determine if the applicant can perform the job satisfactorily. 2.4.10 Do the Final Selection of the Best Qualified The parish priest shall decide as to which of the applicants (the three best qualified) would best fit the job and therefore maybe hired. The Parish priest then interviews, which serves as the decisive phase in the selection process, the three and makes his final choice from among them, himself. 2.4.11 Have Applicants Undertake Physical Examinations The selected applicant is required to submit a medical certificate of his/her physical examination as to the status of his/her health. 2.4.12 Hire the Chosen Applicant The chosen applicant has to sign a contract indicating: the conditions for employing him/her whether probationary, temporary, contractual, etc. If other than regular, the period of employment and the termination date should be indicated in the contract. The other terms and conditions of employment such as salary, promotion, vacation and sick leave, etc. are also included in the employment contract. The parish priest is responsible in confirming the appointment and submits to the Bishop for final approval. After completing the paper requirements, the newly-hired lay personnel must be ready to undergo the orientation. 2.4.13 Induction and Orientation of New Employees[6] New employees are oriented about the Diocesan and Parish organizational structure and its programs and projects as well as their specific jobs. This is conducted by the Parish Priest or his designated person to welcome them into the folds of the organization, and for them to be familiar with their new jobs and co-employees. Section 3: General Policy on Termination of Employment Termination of employment can result from layoff, retirement, voluntary resignation or dismissal for just cause and end of specified contracts. Termination of employment can also result from non-renewal of contract. The Diocese of Marbel follows the provisions of the Labor Code of the Philippines as well as its implementing rules in all cases. 3.1. Layoff[7] Layoff means the separation of an employee initiated by the Parish due to the introduction of labor-saving devices or the reduction in the demand for particular manpower skills. But when future conditions would require the re-hiring of lay personnel of a certain job the previously separated employee maybe employed again by the Parish. 3.2. Resignation and its Requirements Resignation occurs when employees voluntarily decide to end his/her employment with the parish. Reasons for resignations could be: lack of opportunities, unsatisfactory working conditions, poor health, migration to other place and personal. Without any valid reason, any lay personnel may resign by giving the Parish Priest a notice of his/her resignation at least one month in advance. Without serving a notice of his/her resignation to the Parish Priest, this lay personnel maybe held liable for damages. Notice of resignation or termination of employment by the lay personnel to the parish priest is not required when any of the following are the causes of termination[8]:
Schedule an exit interview before they leave to get their candid and honest reactions to policies, systems, management, and overall working conditions. The parish priest discusses about the employee's reasons for leaving and how the employee feels about the job and supervision. Ask for specific suggestions the employee may have. 3.3. Retirement Retirement occurs when employees after having satisfied certain conditions under existing laws are separated from employment with entitlement to retirement benefits. An employee may retire when he/she reach sixty (60) years old[9] for optional and sixty five (65) for force retirement. He/she shall be entitled to a retirement pay equivalent to at least one-half (½) month salary for every year of service, a fraction of at least six (6) months being considered as one whole year. The term one-half (½) month salary shall mean fifteen (15) days plus one-twelfth (1/12) of the 13th month pay plus the cash equivalent of not more than five (5) days of service incentive leave. The formula is: 15-day salary + 1/12 of 13th month pay + 5-day cash incentives = 22.5 days or ADR (Applicable Daily Wage Rate) 22.5 days or ADR x number of years of service = Total amount of retirement benefits. 3.4. Expiration of Contract of Employment Expiration of Contract of Employment is applied to employee on temporary, casual, contractual and employee-substitute basis. Employment terminates on the date agreed. In the case of the salary of an employee-substitute, he/she is not given the same salary of the incumbent but like the salary of a newly-hired employee. 3.5. Dismissal Dismissal usually means the practice of putting an end to the employer-employee relationship initiated by the employer. Generally, the employer will give two written warnings. However, for certain very serious offenses, like immorality and abandonment of post, such warning is not requisite for termination. Lay personnel’s services may not be terminated except for following just and authorized causes,[10] Just causes are: Serious misconduct or willful disobedience by the lay personnel of the lawful orders of his/her parish priest or representative in connection with hisher work; Gross and habitual neglect of his/her duties; Fraud or willful breach of the trust reposed in him/her by his/her parish priest or duly authorized representative; Commission of a crime or offense by him/her against the parish priest or any immediate member of his family or his duly authorized representatives; [11] Authorized causes are: 1.) installation of labor-saving devices, redundancy, retrenchment to prevent losses or the closing or cessation of operation of the establishment or undertaking unless the closing is for the purpose of circumventing the provisions of this Title, by serving a written notice on the workers and the Department of Labor and Employment at least one (1) month before the intended date thereof; 2.) Disease as ground for termination whose continued employment is prohibited by law or is prejudicial to his health as well as to the health of his co-employees; 3.) Other causes analogous to the foregoing.” [12] 3.5.1. Standard of Due Process Procedural due process[13] requires the following: 1. Notice of dismissal. Any parish priest who seeks to dismiss a worker shall furnish him/her a written notice stating the particular acts or omissions constituting the grounds for his/her dismissal. In case of abandonment of work, the notice shall be served at the worker’s last known address. 2. The law requires[14] that the parish priest as employer must furnish the lay personnel sought to be dismissed with two (2) written notices before termination of employment can be legally effected: a. Notice which apprises the employee of the particular acts or omissions for which his dismissal is sought; and b. The subsequent notice which informs the employee of the employer’s decision to dismiss him/her. The Parish priest may place the worker concerned under preventive suspension of not more than 30 days if his/her continued employment poses a serious and imminent threat to the life or property of the employer or of his co-workers.[15] He may extent the period of suspension provided he pays the wages and other benefits due to the lay personnel.[16] 3. Answer and hearing. The lay personnel may answer the allegations stated against him/her in the notice of dismissal within a reasonable period from receipt of such notice. The parish priest shall afford the lay personnel ample opportunity to be heard and to defend himself/herself with the assistance of his/her representative, if he/she so desires. 4. Decision to dismiss. The parish priest shall immediately notify the lay personnel in writing of the decision to dismiss him/her, clearly stating the reasons therefore. 5. Right to contest dismissal. Any decision taken by the parish priest shall be without prejudice to the right of the lay personnel to contest the validity or legality of his/her dismissal by filing a complaint with the Regional Branch of the National Labor Relations Commission. 6. Period to decide. Cases involving the dismissal of the lay personnel shall be decided by the Labor Arbiter within 20 working days from date of submission of such cases for decision. 7. Report on dismissal. The parish priest shall submit a monthly report to the Regional Office of DOLE having jurisdiction over the place of the work, dismissals effected by him, during the month(due process shall be deemed complied with upon service of a written notice to the personnel and the appropriate Regional Office of DOLE at 30 days before the effectivity of the termination, specifying the ground or grounds for termination.[17]), specifying therein the names of the dismissed lay personnel, the reasons for his/her dismissal, the dates of commencement and termination of employment, the positions last held by him/her and such other information as maybe required by the Department for policy guidance and statistical purposes. A dismissed lay personnel shall be entitled to receive, on request, a certificate from the parish priest specifying the dates of his/her employment and termination of his/her employment and the type or types of work on which he/she is employed. 3.5.2. Termination of Employment When Hearing (or Procedural Due Process) Is Not Required They are the following:
1.
Dismissal of an employee due to authorized causes under Article 283 of
the Labor Code. 3.5.3. Notice of Termination The parish priest may terminate the employment of any lay personnel due to installation of labor saving devices and others[20], by serving a written notice on the workers and the DOLE through the regional office at least one month before the intended date thereof. 3.5.4. How is Termination Pay Computed and Paid? In case of termination due to the installation of labor-saving devices or redundancy, the worker affected thereby shall be entitled to a separation pay equivalent to at least one (1) month pay or at least one (1) month pay for every year of service, whichever is higher. In cases of retrenchment to prevent losses and in cases of cessation of operations of establishments or undertakings not due to serious business losses or financial reverses, the separation pay shall be equivalent to a minimum of one month (1) pay or at least one-half (1/2 ) month pay for every year of service, whichever is higher. A fraction of six (6) months or more is considered as one (1) whole year. A fraction of at least six (6) months shall be considered one (1) whole year (as amended by B.P. 130) Section 4: Office Lay Personnel 4.1. Employment Record Retention[21] 4.1.1. Personnel Files Employee personnel files include job application, resumé, job description, records of participation in training events, records of disciplinary action and documents related to employee performance reviews, coaching and mentoring, medical records and other pertinent records. They all form part of St. Anthony Parish property and access thereon shall be restricted except to authorized personnel, or to the employee himself for good reason, and upon advance notice to the records-in-charge and in the latter’s presence. 4.1.2. Personnel Data Changes Changes in the personal or other circumstance of an employee like a change of residence, civil status, educational attainment and the like should be promptly reported to the Parish Secretary or any designated person at the soonest time possible so that all pertinent information on lay personnel are kept accurate and current. 4.1.3. Non Disclosure / Confidentiality Every individual is entitled to privacy, therefore all Personnel Information, or any change thereon are kept and maintained in the strictest confidence. 4.2 Probationary Employment Period A full-time probationary employee works eight (8) hours a day and shall not exceed six (6) months from the date the employee started working. The probationary employee may be terminated for a just cause or when he fails to qualify as a regular employee. An employee who is allowed to work after a probationary period shall be considered a regular employee.” [22] A part-time employee becomes a regular employee only after working for the total number of hours or days respectively which completes a six-month probationary period in the same Parish doing the same job under normal circumstances.[23] 4.2. Regular Employment A probationary employee shall be considered regular after he/she performs duties that are usually necessary or desirable to the Parish for a period of six months. [24] 4.3. Regular Status of Rehired Retired Employee
Re-employed retirees acquire permanency by law on the very first day of
their employment because their competence had already tried and tested.[25]
4.4.
Qualifications, Duties and Responsibilities[26] 4.4.1 Cashier 4.4.1.1. Qualifications
1.
Must be a BS Commerce graduate or has some background in accounting. 4.4.1.2 Duties and Responsibilities
1.
Issues official receipts for all collections received. 4.4.2 Bookkeeper 4.4.2.1. Qualifications
1.
Must be at least BS Commerce Accounting graduate or has some background
in accounting and bookkeeping. 4.4.2.2. Duties and Responsibilities
1.
Act as Cashier when the Cashier is absent 4.4.3. Office Secretary/Clerk 4.4.3.1. Qualifications
1.
Must have some background in office management, secretarial management
or in Computer Secretarial; 4.4.3.2. Duties and Responsibilities
1.
Prepares and keeps documents
4.4.4.1. Qualifications
1.
Must have some background in office management, secretarial management
or in Computer Secretarial; 4.4.4.2. Duties and Responsibilities
1.
Facilitates parishioners seeking information regarding marriage.
4.4.5. Assistant Parish Secretary / Cemetery In-charge 4.4.5.1. Qualifications
1.
Must have some background in office management, secretarial management
or in Computer Secretarial; 4.4.5.2. Duties and Responsibilities
1.
Records Notice of Marriage in the Book of Baptism
44.6. Liaison Officer 4.4.6.1. Duties and Responsibilities
1.
In-charge to the distribution of solicitation letters to the donors.
4.4.7. Parish Clerk/Baptism In-charge (Baptism, Confirmation, Deaths, Mass Schedules) 4.4.5.1. Qualifications
1.
Must have some background in office management, secretarial management
or in Computer Secretarial; 4.4.7.2. Duties and Responsibilities
1.
Facilitates problem regarding Baptism
4.4.8. Maintenance Personnel 4.4.8.1 Parish Convent Maintenance
1.
Polish and Sweep downstairs and upstairs
1.
Cleaning and Sweeping at: Front, Façade Left and Right side, etc., of
the Church.
4.4.8.3. Church Building Maintenance 1.
Cleaning and Sweeping inside the Church
4.4.8.4. Driver/Mechanic 1.
Check-up the condition of vehicles
4.4.8.5. Convent Boys Parish Convent Boys are accepted based on the following qualifications:
1.
Must be recommended by any authorized person in the parish; Applicant for Convent Boys must submit the following to the Parish Vicar 1:
1.
A letter of application Convent Boys may enroll in any high school, baccalaureate degree or any technical or vocational course with a maximum of 18 leads if college.
Convent Boys may receive financial allowance. |
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