Termination Policy

“I [Employee] understand that, if employed, I have the right to end my employment with DB Creative. Likewise, I understand that my employment with DB Creative is not for any definite period of time, and Sordi industries is not for any definite period of time, and Sordi Industries has the right to terminate my employment with or without cause and with or without notice. I understand that no representativee of DB Creative is authorized to imply any contract for permanent employment,” (Aamondt, 270).

We are a private company, and therefor, we have the ability to function as an at-will employer. However, we do abide by the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) in that “Every Contract..imposes an oblivion of good faith in its performance or enforcement.” (Aamondtt, 270).

We do everything we can to avoid terminating employment. The first 6 months of employment is a “probationary period” in which our employment obligations are more flexible. We also make our rules and policies known to all employees via an Employee Handbook, we notify our employees when a rule is broken, we equally enforce our rules and policies, and we make reasonable attempts to change an employee’s behavior through progress discipline in which we “provide employees with punishments increasing in severity as needed, in order to change behavior,” (Aamondt, 271)

We properly design our performance appraisal systems and job analysis in order to justify terminations based upon inability to perform. We measure performance against concrete, relevant standards and we involve multiple behaviors measure. We also provide employees the opportunity to appeal their appraisals.

In case of a reduction in force (layoff) we will give 60 days notice as required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act,” (Aamondt, 272).

We realize that layoffs can be devastating to our employees and their families (victims), survivors (remaining employees), the organization and the community. To help avoid layoffs, we will first look to utilize temporary employees, outsource work, and create alternate work schedules before a layoff occurs.

If a layoff should occur, we will offer emotional counseling to assist with the stages of change (denial, anger, fear, and acceptance) and offer financial counseling to assist with the issues severance pay, unemployment insurance, medical insurance, and other special programs designed to help layoff victims.

Specifically to help survivors feel secure and productive, we will ensure that the procedure used to determine layoffs was fair and clearly communicated to both victims and survivors, (Sadri, 1996).

Motivation for Training:

Since we are a small team and we want our team members to actively participate in the company's success, we have implemented group incentive (gainsharing) in which al team members enjoy quarterly profit sharing. In addition to individual base salary, the employees, as a group, will receive 50% of profits above 5% overall profit each quarter (above baseline). The individual's percentage of profit share will depend upon tenure, performance review, and training engagement. "Gainsharing studies indicate improvements in productivity, increased employee and union satisfaction and declines in absenteeism" (Gowen, 1990).

In addition to the above profit share program, we offer Summer Fridays and three weeks PTO (paid-time off) as part of our benefits package (in addition health insurance and 401K).

We require employees to be in the office three days a week, but, because of the nature of our business, we do require employees to occasionally be available (on a needs/project basis) for after hours (9am-5pm) work.

Resilience Revolution

A comprehensive, human-centered benefits and wellness program for DB Creative employees that is designed to empower, reduce stress, and increase resilience and support performance. This program directly addresses foundational needs for health, safety, and life stability.  

According to the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, research has shown that well-being improves when supervisors value aspects of life outside of work (Stringer, 2023).

Program Elements:

Gym membership which supports health, stress regulation, and long-term wellness

Three weeks PTO- ensures rest, recovery, and burnout potential

Concierge Services (Instacart) - reduces daily life stress by assisting with errands

Discounted Childcare Services- access to vetted, convenience childcare services aim to ease on of the most significant sources of employee stress

Group Fitness and Wellness Team Challenges- Team challenges create a culture of wellness and shared goals across the team

Total: $14,500 per employee per year x 5 employees= $72,500 + PTO $55,160= $127,660 annually. We believe that this investment will improve employee retention and commitment to DB Creative and our goals.