Employee CARE Program

Commitment - Compassion - Community

A company and employee sponsored initiative to care for employees in times of need

Introduction

An internal assistance initiative designed to reflect the values of Abel Electric Inc & Groups - commitment, compassion, & community. Our employees are more than staff, they are FAMILY! The CARE PROGAM exists to ensure that when challenges arise, family does not have face it alone.

How CARE is Funded:

As a company and employee sponsored initiative, Abel Groups will contribute $1K monthly, and will match employee contributions up to $1K monthly.

Importance of the CARE Program

The CARE Program is designed to extend beyond mere financial support for our work family. It aims to offer emotional encouragement, professional assistance, spiritual guidance, and practical resources that strengthen our culture of teamwork and compassion.

The Mission - Investing in people yields the greatest return.

  • To provide timely and compassionate assistance to employees facing hardship.

  • To encourage a workplace culture rooted in care, responsibility, and mutual respect.

  • To demonstrate Abel Groups’ commitment to the well-being of every team member

Program Details

Program Sponsor

Any employee of Abel Electric INC & Groups can contribute weekly to the CARE Program by submitting the reoccurring or one-time donation payroll deduction form at the back of this booklet. They are also available on the front table in the reception area or from any Project Manager.

Request for Assistance

Any employee facing an unexpected or even excepted hardship can apply for the CARE program. An assistance form must be completed and placed in the CARE Program box located in the front office. For immediate needs you can call the on-call CARE representative. The committee will review applications and make a selection based on urgency of need and availability of funds. Once a decision by the committee has been made, you will be notified by a committee member.

Types of Emergency Funding:

Medical Expenses Transportation Challenges Housing Needs Food Assistance

CARE In-Depth Look

Financial Support

This is not an exhaustive list of situations that the Employee CARE program can assist with, but provides guidance on what is considered emergency issues. Any request after the initial has been requested, will trigger a completion of the Money Management Program.

Emergency coverage for house-hold bills (gas bill, electrical bill, rent/mortgage assistance, food assistance) funeral expense, medical procedure expense, etc.

Professional Supports

Sometimes we are in need of professional help. The following services are free of charge and are bound by oaths, laws, and mandates to ensure your privacy is maintained.

Any employee or employee’s spouse or dependent who is in need of professional mental health services can make contact with the following counselor free of charge. You only need to advise them you are with

Abel Electric Inc & Groups.

Donna Heath 706-587-7375

Any employee or employee’s spouse or dependent who is in need of spiritual counseling can contact inhouse pastors who are willing to help guide through spiritual matters. The following are Pastors who are

available 24/7.

Pastor Jonathan Harper 850-867-9321

Pastor Donnie Clark 706-992-2322

Practical Resources

We are more than happy to provide references for resources from childcare needs, wellness, local houses of Worship, and financial management courses.

Employee Benefits & Perks

Paid Time off, Sick & Vacation Time

  • Every employee will receive the week of Christmas off, paid.

  • Every employee will receive a week off for birth of their newborn child(ren).

  • Everyone is off & paid on New Year’s Day & 4 of July (if it falls on a workday).

  • Everyone is off & paid for Thanksgiving day, and is allowed to take the Friday after Thanksgiving without pay if so desired.

  • Everyone after 90 days has 3 sick days to utilize during the calendar year. Must present physician's note upon return to work.

On the 1 year anniversary the employee will receive a prorated amount of vacation hours. The following January , the employee will receive 40 hours of vacation time. In the event that an employee rolls over 160 hours of vacation time, they may request to cash those hours out. It requires a two week written notice, and is honored at the discretion of the owner.

PATHWAYS

Sick Bank Program - Any employee who is facing an extended medical leave (with proof from medical provider) can request that others donate their unused sick time to help them draw a paycheck. A request will be made through the committee members and an all-call will be sent through ADP asking other employees to bank their sick leave for that employee

Home Build - Each employee who has completed a year of employment is eligible for the Home Build Program. This means that Abel Building Department will build your house at cost, please see contract for further details.

Vehicle Maintenance - Each employee is eligible to take part in our vehicle maintenance program. This means that Abel Fleet Department will do service and maintenance on your

vehicle and supply parts at a discounted price.

Vehicle Purchase - For those who are looking for a reliable vehicle, Abel will source and sell you a vehicle for cost.

Abel Ministries - Any employee struggling with active addiction can request to enroll in the Abel Ministries Recovery Program. The employee will enter a 1-year recovery program at Abel Ministries . While in the ministry, Abel Electric Inc & Groups may assist with house-hold bills.

Money Management Program- Any employee and their spouse can take advantage of this program. The purpose of this program is to help with budgeting, debt management, and saving. Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey is available to any employee free of charge.

Family

Twice a year Abel Electric Inc & Groups will have family day celebration. We will have food, drinks, and activities for the whole family to enjoy!

The spouse and the children of any Abel employee will receive a gift for their birthday

Requesting Assistance

If you are facing an expected or an unexpected financial emergency (such as having no food, electricity or gas being shut off, short on rent or mortgage, medical expense, repossession of vehicle, etc.) you can submit a

Request for Assistance and place it in the CARE box in the reception area of the front office, via e-mail , or by calling the on-call member. It will then go before the committee who will review and make a decision. Depending on the circumstances of the need, repayment may be required, but that will be discussed and is done so on a case-by-case basis. No cash at any time will be given directly to any employee from the CARE program. The committee chair will request the bill information to be paid and the assistance will be paid directly to the company/institution for repayment.

The CARE Committee will have a week to review the non-emergency request for assistance and come to a determination on how and if assistance can be given.

The CARE Committee Chair will notify the applicant of the vote.

Disbursement is then provided promptly and with confidentiality.

A second request within a year’s time will automatically require the employee to complete the Money Management Pathway before any further assistance can be given.

All request and requested documentation is kept confidential. No persons outside of the Committee will have access to any request or personal information.

A request for assistance or the request of any program shall have no standing on any career advancement, promotion, raise, or bonuses. It shall in no way impact your work.

All Program requests will be submitted to the Care Committee to ensure request are completed in full and no further information is needed. Programs are not committee approved, however, it is used to streamline the program application to the correct department

Governance

The Employee Care Program is governed by (2) appointed overseers and a committee of (9) which includes a representative from the Front Office, Service Department, Warehouse, Residential Department, Commercial Department, Industrial Department, and the Builders Department. No project managers can serve on the CARE Committee.

Any non-probationary employee can be on the committee. A nomination form can be placed in the CARE Box in the front office for those who would like to serve or if you would like to nominate someone to serve from your department. The nominations will be reviewed and recommended by the Department Project Manager. The Overseers will take the nominations and recommendations and prayerfully select the Committee.

Committee members will serve a one-year term, after which a new committee will be formed based on nominations and recommendations from Department Project Managers for the following year. Any committee member may request to serve an additional term; their department project manager can submit this request on their behalf, and the Committee Overseers will evaluate whether to approve it.

If a sitting committee person request to step down or is no longer with Abel Groups an interim member will be selected to complete the cycle from that year’s nominations and recommendations.

Our promise to you

The CARE Program is more than company policy - it is our promise to you. It represents our dedication to treating employees like family. In supporting one another in times of joy and difficulty, and builds a workplace culture rooted in service to others, compassion for our work family and community.

Through the combined efforts of the company and you, together we can create a strong and resilient workforce where no one has to face uncertainty alone.