Dear INIers:
We made it through another fiscal year,
which was a challenging one due to the economy, but also a rewarding one
reading our excellent journalism throughout the communities we serve. We
acquired six newspapers in Arizona and continue to look at opportunities that
keep our mission alive across our regions.
One of my favorite profile stories of late
was this one, yourvalley.net/stories/scottsdale-ceos-ascent-started-with-raising-his-hand,596595
written by Cyrus Guccione about a future CEO who was asked, “Who wants to be
the CEO of this company?”
I’m asking the same question. If you are
interested, shoot me an email at cbisson@iniusa.org.
I was groomed for years, and it’s my job to groom the next CEO.
Company Employees
Policies
Those of you who have had work
anniversaries since May, should have noticed that we implemented a work
anniversary bonus. We are also changing our PHO system to a vacation, holiday,
sick and personal time system. Effective the first date of September 2025,
employees will no longer accrue PHO, but may use their available balance with
manager approval, through the end of December 2025. There
is no carry over of PHO into 2026.
****** Please
see detailed updates below. *****
Work Anniversary Bonus Policy
Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA recognizes and values the
dedication and loyalty of its employees. This policy outlines the framework for
providing work anniversary bonuses as a token of appreciation for an employee’s
sustained service and contribution to the company's success.
The purpose of the policy is to:
- Recognize and reward employee loyalty and
tenure.
- Boost employee morale and satisfaction.
- Promote a positive work environment and
foster a culture of appreciation.
- Enhance employee retention and reduce
turnover.
Eligibility/Payment Schedule:
- All regular full and part time employees
are eligible for work anniversary bonuses upon completing their years of
continuous service. The service is based upon the employee’s hire or
rehire date.
- The employee is to be working or using PHO
- The employee will receive $10 for each
year they’ve worked for Independent.
- The bonus will be paid the last pay period
of the month in which the work anniversary occurs.
Employees will be informed of their upcoming
work anniversary and the corresponding bonus through a personalized email
notification from payroll@iniusa.org.
The policy
may be amended based on changes in the company or market. Employees will
be informed of any significant updates. For questions, employees can
contact Payroll@iniusa.org.
May 1, 2025
Independent
Newsmedia Inc., USA, recognizes the importance of employees having the
opportunity to have leisure time and attend to nonwork matters. Therefore, the
company will attempt to authorize all employees’ time off request when they
desire to take it. However, Independent’s divisions must maintain adequate
staffing at all times. Therefore, vacations must be scheduled in advance and
with prior written approval of the employee’s team leader.
Time off in excess of 80 hours is to be approved by the CEO.
HOLIDAYS: The continuation of the separate company
paid holidays will attract top talent because this increases the benefits
offered by Independent to new hires, boost motivation since employees know they
will be given a day off without losing wages while improving mental health and
increasing productivity. Regular full-time employees are eligible for holiday
pay.
ELIGIBILITY: All regular full and part
time employees are eligible for vacation and personal/sick time. Regular
full timers are also eligible for the holiday and bereavement leave. These
times are reset January 1 of each year. There is no carry forward
Independent provides employees with time off
for the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas
Holiday pay is paid at the employee’s normal
rate of pay and based on their normally scheduled work hours. For hourly
employees, time off for holiday does not count when determining overtime for
that specific week, nor is it
to exceed 40 regular hours a week.
• Non-regular full-time employees are not
entitled to holiday pay
• Regular full-time employees on vacation or
excused absence will receive the holiday pay.
• Employees on unpaid leave are not entitled to
holiday pay
• Salaried exempt employees are entitled to
their normal compensation without any deductions for holidays observed by the
company
• There is no accrual for the holiday when
used.
• Time off is to occur on the actual holiday.
With prior management approval, an employee may take the paid holiday on
another day within the pay period in which the holiday occurs.
• If there is a circumstance such as an ‘act of
God’ (i.e., hurricane) impacting the office personnel’s absence within the
month in which a holiday occurs, the holiday may be used within another pay
period of the month if approved by the CEO.
Printing Operations - For the printing operations only, if/when a regular
full-time, non-exempt (hourly) employee is scheduled by their manager to work
on the holiday, the employee will be paid time and a half for the hours worked.
• The
maintenance-electrical technicians for the printing companies are scheduled off
for the holiday. However, due to emergency reasons, these employees may be
called in to repair equipment on a holiday. If they work less than eight (8)
hours, the technician may use the remaining balance as holiday in the pay
period in which the holiday occurs. The hours worked on the holiday will be
paid time and half. This applies only to this position.
• The manager will make payroll@iniusa.org aware in advance of the
scheduled full-time employees who are scheduled to work on the holidays.
• When an employee from the printing operations
works on a holiday, the time worked is counted when determining overtime for
the week.
• The employee who works on a holiday cannot
use another day within that pay period to use time off for the holiday.
However, an employee may use available vacation to take another day off within
that pay period, provided they request the time off in advance and receive
approval.
When an employee leaves the employment of
Independent, they will not receive payout for the remaining holidays for the
year.
In addition to bereavement leave, an employee
may, with his or her team leader’s approval, use any available vacation or
personal hours for additional approved time off as necessary. Employees under
discipline for attendance issues may be required to provide documentation with
regard to their bereavement leave.
Bereavement
hours are paid based on the base pay rate at the time of absence, and it will
not include any special forms of compensation, such as incentives, commissions,
bonuses, overtime, or shift differentials.
Paid
bereavement leave will be granted according to the following schedule:
- Employees are entitled
up to three days (24 hours) annually which are to be used within three
months of the family member’s death.
- A maximum of up to 40
hours of bereavement pay is granted in a calendar year should there be
more than one occurrence
- The leave is used in the
event of the death of the employee's: Spouse/Domestic Partner.
Child/ stepchild, Parent/Stepparent or an adult who stood in as loco
parentis to the employee during childhood, Father-in-law, mother-in-law,
son-in-law, daughter-in-law, Brother, sister, stepbrother,
stepsister, Grandparent
- Unused bereavement leave
hours at the end of the year will not carry forward to the following year.
- There is no payout of
unused bereavement leave when termination occurs.
Below is the annual vacation schedule. Part-timers
would be eligible for half of the hours shown:
*will
receive 20 hours after three months of service during the year in which the
employee is hired.
Each
individual should schedule the planned use of vacation with his or her team
leader and must advise his or her team leader as soon as possible when taking
vacation for any reason. Certainly, planned absences of more than a few days
must be scheduled well in advance so that arrangements can be made to get the
individual's work done in his or her absence.
Due to the
nature of our business and because most divisions have only limited staff, a
team leader may refuse to approve an individual's request to take vacation at
any specific time or to use more than 80 consecutive vacation hours. In all
cases, requests to use more than 80 consecutive vacation hours must be approved
in advance by Independent’s senior management.
There is no
carryover of unused vacation into the following year. Unused vacation will be
forfeited.
****
SICK/PERSONAL
LEAVE: Independent provides regular full and part-time employees with paid sick days.
Sick days are not intended to be used as a
substitute for vacation days, but sick days may be used if an employee needs to
provide care for a family member who is ill or if an employee needs time off
for scheduled medical procedures or is sick.
Regular full and part time employees are given
40 hours of sick leave each January. Sixteen (16) additional hours are given
for personal leave to regular full-time employees..
There is a 90-day waiting period before newly
hired employees will receive sick and personal time. Once satisfied, the
new employees will be given 40 hours sick.
Independent reserves the right to require
documentation from a health care professional to verify the need for sick leave
when an employee has been out three (3) or more consecutive days and/or
authorizing the employee to return to work.
Newly hired employees do not receive 16
personal hours.
There is no carryover of unused sick or
personal leave to next year or is there payout of unused time due to
termination.
January 1, 2026
