Employees work together and hold each other accountable to uphold the integrity of our mission and the services we provide.
A. Employee to Employee Accountability
Kokua relies on employees to take an active role in helping to teach and train coworkers the standards of the job. At times this requires feedback. Whether employees are new to caregiving, come to Kokua with experience or have been with Kokua long-term, we expect employees to be open to feedback on how best to do their job. We ask that feedback is provided in a kind, supportive and encouraging manner.
B. Supervisor Responsibility
All supervisors within Kokua are mentors and offer guidance, support and feedback. When an employee is not meeting or maintaining the standards of the job, the supervisor will provide feedback and offer training ahead of formal accountability. Supervisors will document when they provided correction through mentoring. If the employee is unable to meet or maintain the standards of the job after two mentoring sessions on the same or similar topic, the employee will move to formal accountability through HR.
C. Formal Accountability- HR
Kokua wants to work with employees who are willing to make the necessary corrections to meet and maintain the standards of their job. Employees who move from mentoring to HR have an opportunity to create a plan of correction and maintain employment. Employees who meet and maintain the goals of the plan will have the corrective action removed from their record after one calendar year (for most issues)
D. Serious Policy Violations- ED and HR
Serious policy violations or unlawful behavior will be reported immediately to the Executive Director or HR and do not follow the step-process. Most serious policy violations will remain on the employee’s record for the duration of employment. A serious policy violation would be any violation that poses a threat to client or employee health and safety, exposes Kokua to legal liability, spreads untrue or misleading information harmful to Kokua’s reputation, involves illegal behavior on the job or any other incidents deemed by the Executive Director to pose a threat to the organization, its employees or clients.
Serious violations would include, but are not limited to, theft, theft of client funds, discourtesy or harsh treatment of clients, driving Kokua vehicles in an unsafe manner, allowing friends or family to have
access to a client’s home, sleeping while on shift, impaired at work, and falsification of agency records including timesheets and client documentation.
E. Employee Performance
Caveat: The steps outlined below are Kokua’s general practice, but it does not imply a guarantee of progressive discipline. Kokua is an “at-will” employer and reserves the right to take a greater step in the accountability process - including termination. *Sites that do not have a Residential Manager will be mentored by a designee.
Two-step mentoring process: All policies follow the two-step process through the direct supervisor except for absenteeism, training compliance, medication errors, delegation issues, or serious policy violations.
If an employee is not meeting or maintaining the standards of the job, the following steps are taken:
The supervisor will ensure the employee is trained on the issue needing improvement. If the employee has not been trained, the supervisor will train the employee and mark it off on the employee’s training packet.
Employees that have been trained and are not meeting or maintaining the standards of the job require mentoring from the direct supervisor.
The supervisor will provide feedback on where the employee needs to improve and it should include specific training to help the employee meet the standard. The mentoring session will be documented on a tracking form. *Employees do not need to sign anything.
Following an initial mentoring session, if the employee still has not met or maintained the standard, the supervisor will provide an additional mentoring session. *Employees do not need to sign anything.
If after two mentoring sessions, the employee is unable to meet or maintain the standard, the supervisor will document the details of the third incident on the tracking form and pass to HR for formal written corrective action.
o If the written corrective action is breached the employee will be placed on final corrective action and if breached, the employee may be terminated.
Absenteeism Accountability:
Tardy by 11+ minutes, unexcused absence or requests to leave shift early. Kokua becomes involved when there is a pattern of an issue. A pattern is defined as a 5th incident in a six-month period. *Full policy 3.35
The first four incidents of any one infraction are tracked through the HR department. A courtesy scomm will be sent to the employee with notification of the count at the time of an infraction.
o Infractions are tracked in six-month increments. Count of infractions can fluctuate as they drop off after six months.
If the employee stays under five incidents in a six-month period, there is no pattern or issue.
Any 5th incident the employee will be referred to the HR for formal disciplinary steps in the form of a written corrective action.
o If the written corrective action is breached the employee will be placed on a final corrective action; if breached, they may be terminated.
Training Compliance
New employees are required to attend all training as noted on their training calendar. Employees who miss training will follow the two-step mentoring process through the training department. *Only bona-fide emergencies approved by HR will be excused.
Current employees are to maintain compliance with all state mandated and Kokua training requirements.
o Kokua’s training department sends employees a friendly reminder via scomm. Those that miss deadlines will receive notification of where they are in the two-step accountability process.
o PLEASE NOTE: We do not want to penalize hard-working employees. If it feels challenging to complete training during the employee’s off-work time, they can inform the training department. Training will help facilitate a time during the employee’s workweek to complete any assigned training(s).
Employees who are unable to complete the required training after the 2nd deadline will be referred to HR for formal accountability. Employees who do not meet HR’s deadline will be suspended for seven (7) days. If unable to complete all required training during the suspension period, they may be terminated.
Delegation Related Errors:
5-Rights breach, 6-Rights breach, errors that affect one’s delegation status, rescinding delegation, and ineligible to be delegated
Kokua requires all employees to take their NAR/CNA license seriously for clients and yourself. Those that follow the 5-Rights do not make medication errors.
If a medication error, documentation error or other error occurs that affects your delegation, Kokua’s Delegating Nurse (DN) determines how the error will affect your license. The DN has the authority to rescind your license or prevent you from being delegated as expected (delayed).
o Accumulation of errors regardless of duration of employment (lifetime)
o Multiple errors in a short time frame.
o The seriousness of a single error based on the health and safety posed to a client which can include documentation errors.
Employees that have delegation delayed or their delegation rescinded, will go through a formal review to determine if they will maintain employment. If yes, the level of accountability is based on the error(s). [Retraining through Kokua’s Health department, written corrective action or final corrective action though HR]
A pattern of missed training, in person or via the employee’s portal, that results in one’s delegation being delayed or their delegation rescinded will go through a formal review to determine if they will maintain employment. If yes, the level of accountability is based on a
pattern of missed trainings. [Retraining through Kokua’s Health department, written corrective action or final corrective action through HR]
Serious Policy Violation
Based on the seriousness and type of policy violation, HR may initiate a formal investigation of the allegation.
Based on the outcome:
There may be no finding, and the employee is clear of the allegation(s).
There may be an issue, yet it can be resolved on a mentoring level.
Based on the health and safety concern posed to a client(s), or based on the liability to the agency, the employee can maintain employment but is placed on formal corrective action. Their job may be in jeopardy for the duration of employment.
The seriousness of the situation results in termination of employment.