Wednesday, June 3, 2026

June Anniversaries

 

6/2

1

YR

Kotzbauer, Allison

AZ Publications Editorial

6/6

4

YRS

Macrohon, May

Corp Accounting

6/7

5

YRS

Moose, Austin

AZ Publications Advertising

6/15

1

YRS

Sparrow, Scott

Valley Printing Press

6/16

1

YRS

Bates, Madeline

AZ Publications Editorial

6/18

8

YRS

Valles, Charles

Valley Printing Press

6/24

24

YRS

Rolfe, Glenn

De State News/editorial

Welcome Noah Flug

 

 


We are happy to welcome Noah Flug to our Arizona team as a Summer Newsroom Intern.  He will be covering the Northwest Valley in Arizona (Surprise, Peoria, and Glendale).

 Noah’s immediate family are: Mom, Dad, Brother and two nephews

 Noah said he was born and raised in the Northwest Valley (Surprise) in Arizona. Lived in the same house my entire life. Went to public elementary and high school. Earned my Associates at Glendale Community College before transferring to the Cronkite School at ASU to study journalism. Dad is from Oregon so spent a lot of summers vacationing up there. Want to retire in the pacific northwest.

 Previously he wrote freelance for the Surprise Independent for two months reporting on local events, government, and businesses. Former Marketing and Communications Intern for the Phoenix Union High School District. Currently the Social Media Communications Coordinator for ASU's School of Social Work, and the Social Media Director for Blaze Radio's News Department. Experienced writer with additional bylines in the Phoenix New Times, the Downtown Devil, and ASU News.

 What does Noah like to do in his spare time?  Hanging out with my girlfriend, catching a movie, going out with friends. Stoic-ish.

 

USI Health Bulletin

 Exercise your mind.  To learn how to support Brain Health click the link below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bcQC5LMtDCQLqunmM-M59GSp0z6elPS2/view?usp=sharing

Benefit Corner

 

Did you know with prior management approval, an employee may take the paid holiday on another day within the pay period in which the holiday occurs.

 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.

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.