Holistic Employee Handbook
While this handbook is helpful in many ways, we do not expect it to answer all your questions. It’s also important to note that this handbook is a living document that will grow and change as our organization grows and changes. So, Holistic team members are here to help you answer any additional questions you may have after reading this handbook. If you come across any topics you feel we missed or need edits, we encourage you to submit feedback through this form.
Need some background music while perusing this handbook? Check out our collaborative playlist, “Holistic Jams,” a fun and unique way to get to know your coworkers outside the office and update your playlists with some fun jams. Or, if you are feeling nostalgic, check out this playlist that our 2020 interns put together.
This document was last updated Oct 12, 2023.
About Holistic
Holistic’s Origin Story
Matt and Tom met in 2015 when Tom was the COO of 1871, and Matt was the CEO of Hirewell, a successful recruiting firm in Chicago. They met when Tom contacted Matt’s company inquiring about recruiting services that 1871 could provide to its member companies through Hirewell. A program that was launched in 2015 and persists to this day, having resulted in hundreds of employees being hired.
Over the years, Matt and Tom became friends and began discussing the potential for a business, I’ll be upfront, from very different perspectives. Tom’s perspective was that diversity, equity, and inclusion with the way of the future; that every company should and would be focused on creating a diverse, vibrant, inclusive workforce. Matt‘s perspective was that the employee experience was going to continue to evolve and grow in importance and that business owners and companies of all shapes, sizes, and structures would be increasingly focused on competing for and retaining talent in any way possible. The more and more Matt and Tom discussed these ideas, the more and more they realized they were the same. Furthermore, they realized in discussing these matters that leadership would be essential to forming a viable structure to attack these challenges and opportunities. And so was Holistic born; diversity, equity, inclusion, employee experience, and leadership became the three pillars on which the company was founded. Holistic was launched on April 10, 2018, out of Hirewell‘s offices.
In the five years of our existence, the world has changed dramatically, but the grand experiment that is holistic — that you can be people first and client first at once, with an employee experience that is totally compassionate and completely badass — is proven true every day.
Co-Founder & CEO
“People are everything.
At Holistic, our focus is on honoring the experience of each employee — those who work for us and those who work for our clients. Our goal is to treat our people with honesty and respect, with inclusion and integrity, and with fairness and transparency. We are working collectively toward a vibrant, thoughtful, dynamic worklace where we can accomplish great things together.”
Mission
At Holistic, we measure work.
We use a series of proprietary tools to assess the employee experience, with a focus on equity, inclusion, diversity, fairness, advancement, opportunity, and consistency of treatment. We work with our partners to improve the employee environment by taking a targeted, data-driven and action-oriented approach, measuring advancement the whole time. Our goal is straightforward: better employees, working harder, staying longer, and being happier and more productive all the way.
Our Values
Employment Practices
EEO Statement
Holistic is committed to complying with all applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is our policy not to discriminate against any qualified employee or applicant with regard to any terms or conditions of employment because of such an individual's disability. Consistent with this policy of non-discrimination, the company will evaluate requests for accommodation via the interactive process and will provide a reasonable accommodation to a qualified individual with a disability, as defined in the ADA, who has made the company aware of their disability, provided such accommodation does not constitute an undue hardship to the company. The company reserves the right to propose an alternative accommodation so long as such accommodation is equally effective in accommodating the disability.
Any employee or job applicant who has questions regarding this policy or believes they have been discriminated against should notify their manager or a member of the SLT.
At-Will Employment
General Policies
Flexible Working Hours Policy
The expectation is that all employees handle and manage the responsibilities due to them on a daily basis. Some days, you might have to start earlier or end later. A flexible environment should support these accommodations. Holistic makes every effort to respect the individual autonomy of its employees, as well as their quality of life, work-life balance, and ability to unplug. If an employee receives a communication during off hours, they are not expected to answer it immediately.
Holistic does not expect employees to be working during off hours, and everyone is left to their own structure in terms of checking email, notifications, alerts, etc.
In the event that something urgent occurs after work hours and you are contacted via text, please determine if this is something you can help with or that genuinely requires your attention. If you feel you are being contacted for unnecessary reasons outside of work hours (9-5 CT), please bring this to the attention of the Chief of Staff. If someone with an urgent matter contacts you, you should respond to the person, even if to inform them that you are unable to help.
Every employee is expected to treat other employees with grace at all levels of the organization. Ultimately, in a flexible work environment with a global workforce, employees will work at different times. We should all respect one another in every regard, and ultimately, it is our individual responsibility to find our own balance and the structure that works for us.
If you will be working somewhere other than your home office, please let the SLT know in advance.
Vacation Note: Due to the current times, any employee who goes on vacation is expected to take their laptop with them. While employees can work with their teams to ensure coverage while they are out, do not put yourself in a position where you cannot come through for your team upon the end of your OOO due to airport delays, COVID-19, etc.
Commemorating Milestones
Commemorating Celebrations
Weddings
- Holistic will participate in the wedding registry of staff or a client, up to $50.
- If there is no registry, Holistic will send a gift card instead.
Birth
- Holistic will participate in the baby registry of staff or a client up to $50.
- If there is no registry, Holistic will send a gift card instead.
Positive transitions (Graduation, Promotion, New Job, etc.):
- Holistic will celebrate employee transitions internally via an email announcement highlighting the employee's transition and inviting all staff to participate. An announcement will also be made during a staff meeting.
- Holistic will celebrate client transitions via a congratulatory email recognizing the news and, if possible, at a meeting. When appropriate, staff will also individually reach out.
Birthdays:
- Holistic will provide a shoutout during the team meeting.
Commemorating Hardships
Major Illness, severe accident, or unexpected hardship:
- If the hardship is directly incurred by an employee, Holistic will send an appropriate care package- card, snacks, flowers to provide joy or distraction to the employee.
- If the hardship is incurred by a client, Holistic leadership will personally reach out to the client to voice concern and empathy. Internally, the team will be notified. When appropriate, employees will be invited to reach out and voice support, depending on the relationship. If necessary, leadership will provide temporary alternative contacts to staff.
Lactation Accommodation
This policy aims to ensure compliance with the federal PUMP Act and provide appropriate lactation accommodations for nursing employees in the workplace. This policy applies to both onsite and remote workers, and it outlines the rights and responsibilities of employees and the Company in facilitating lactation breaks and providing suitable spaces for expressing breast milk.
The PUMP Act requires the Company to provide reasonable lactation breaks to nursing employees for up to one year after the child's birth. The frequency, duration, and timing of breaks may vary for each employee based on their unique needs and their child's needs. There is no maximum number of breaks allowed per day, and nursing employees are entitled to take as many breaks as needed. The Company and the employee may work together to create a break schedule, but it should be flexible and subject to adjustments as the employee's needs change over time.
Compensation for Lactation Breaks:
- Nonexempt employees are considered to be working during lactation breaks if they are not completely relieved from work. They must be paid for the entire break time, including any interruptions or work performed.
- Exempt employees receive their full weekly salary regardless of the duration or frequency of lactation breaks.
Remote workers have the right to privacy during pump breaks and should not be observed through employer-provided or required video systems, including computer cameras, security cameras, or web-conferencing platforms.
Atmosphere of Acceptance: Breastfeeding should not constitute a source of discrimination in employment or access to employment. It is prohibited under this policy to harass a breastfeeding employee or exercise any conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Any incident of harassment of a breastfeeding employee will be addressed in accordance with Holistic’s policies and procedures for discrimination and harassment.
Religious Accommodations
Holistic respects the religious beliefs and practices of all employees and will make, on request, an accommodation for such observances when a reasonable accommodation is available that does not create an undue hardship on the company’s business.
a. Requesting a Religious Accommodation: An employee whose religious beliefs or practices conflict with his or her job, work schedule, or with Holistic’s policy or practice on dress and appearance, or with other aspects of employment and who seeks a religious accommodation must submit a written request for the accommodation to his or her immediate supervisor. The written request will include the type of religious conflict and the employee’s suggested accommodation.
b. Providing Religious Accommodation: The immediate supervisor will evaluate the request, considering whether awork conflict exists due to a sincerely held religious belief or practice and whether an accommodation is available that is reasonable and that would not create an undue hardship on Holistic’s business. An accommodation may be a change in job, using paid leave or leave without pay, allowing an exception to the dress and appearance code that does not affect safety requirements or for other aspects of employment. Depending on the type of conflict and suggested accommodation, the supervisor may confer with their manager and with members of the Senior Leadership Team.
Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant Workers
Purpose
As required by the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), Holistic will provide reasonable accommodations to employees and applicants with limitations related top pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions unless the accommodation will cause undue hardship to Holistic's operations.
Policy
An employee or applicant may request an accommodation due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition by submitting the request in writing to the SLT. The accommodation request should include an explanation of the pregnancy-related limitations, the accommodation needed, and any alternative accommodation(s) that might be reasonable. Depending on the nature of the accommodation, the individual may be requested to submit a statement from a healthcare provider substantiating the need for the accommodation.
Upon receipt of a request for accommodation, SLT will contact the employee or applicant to discuss the request and determine if an accommodation is reasonable and can be provided without significant difficulty or expense, i.e., undue hardship.
While the reasonableness of each accommodation request will be individually assessed, possible accommodations include allowing the individual to:
- Sit while working.
- Drink water during the workday.
- Receive closer-in parking.
- Have flexible hours
- Receive additional break time to use the bathroom, eat, and rest.
- Take time off to recover from childbirth.
- Be excused from strenuous activities and/or activities that involve exposure to compounds deemed unsafe during pregnancy.
An employee may request paid or unpaid leave as a reasonable accommodation under this policy; however, Holistic will not require an employee to take time off if another reasonable accommodation can be provided that will allow the employee to continue to work. Holistic prohibits any retaliation, harassment, or adverse action due to an individual's request for accommodation under this policy or for reporting or participating in an investigation of unlawful discrimination under this policy.
Compensation & Benefits
Holistic provides a wide range of benefits for eligible employees. The following text intends to provide a summary of the benefits and perks offered at Holistic. If you have any questions or concerns about benefits and your specific eligibility, don’t hesitate to reach out to a manager.
Benefits Philosophy
Holistic takes a “people first, people always” approach to our work and our team. Our benefits package is designed with this in mind – we are looking to support our employees' physical and mental well-being so they can achieve their personal and professional goals.
Our benefits package is now and will always be:
- Built with our employees’ success as a top priority
- Appropriate for the size, stage, and level of success of our company
- Transparent and created to serve the employees’ needs
- Constantly under review and improvement.
Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
Holistic provides all full-time employees with medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. Holistic pays 70% of the premiums for each of the above. Please refer to the Gusto portal to sign up and manage your benefits.
Summer Fridays
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, Holistic observes Summer Fridays. Our office (or
virtual office) closes at 1 p.m. CST each summer Friday so employees can enjoy the weather and a long weekend.
People-First Fridays
In an effort to promote balance, camaraderie, good cheer, and optimism, Holistic will have “People First Fridays” for all employees. Starting at 2:00 p.m. central time on Fridays, Holistic will not schedule any meetings on Fridays throughout the year. (PFFs will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays during the summer months). The time block from 2 to 5 p.m. will be reserved for any team activities that may take place, may be used as free catch-up time, or to get a jump start on the weekend.
Work from Home Flexibility
Post-COVID-19 Holistic will operate in a fully remote environment.
401k / Retirement Plan
Holistic offers a 401k plan through Guardian. Employees may contribute to their 401k plan, but Holistic is not currently matching.
Cash / Equity Bonuses
Full-time employees receive annual bonuses in the form of cash or access to partial equity in Holistic. Individual details can be found in your employment offer letter.
Professional Development
All Holistic employees receive $250 to use towards professional development in the
opportunities of their choosing, and full-time employees may enjoy reimbursement for
educational expenses. To use these benefits, please contact your manager.
Charitable donations
Through our Holistic Gives program, employees will be invited to donate $200 to the charity of their choice. This will be rolled out, highlighting a few employees each month.
Employee Recognition
Occasionally provides employee recognition gifts for outstanding employee contributions, personal achievements, and milestones.
Spirit of Holistic Award
Holistic occasionally offers a “Spirit of Holistic” award to teammates. This award, chosen by teammates, recognizes someone who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to Holistic’s spirit and values.
Books
Holistic has a reading culture, and as such, each employee is entitled to expense work/business-related books or other publications that are useful for individual professional growth.
Parental Leave
Holistic offers three months of paid parental leave for any family expansion through birth or adoption. We also are mindful of the return to work and provide the flexibility needed for someone to get back into the workforce.
Tuition Reimbursement
In some cases, at the sole discretion of the Holistic leadership team, Holistic may offer tuition reimbursement as a part of an employee’s compensation package. These tuition reimbursement agreements are made on a case-by-case basis and will be determined by the leadership team based on performance, commitment to the organization, and several other factors.
Any employee who receives tuition reimbursement of any sort must work for 18 months or full-time subsequent to the receipt of the reimbursement. If the employee is to leave the organization prior to 18 months, they will owe the entirety of the tuition reimbursement back to the organization.
Tuition reimbursement, in the instances it is received, should be considered part of a complete compensation package. For more information, please contact your manager or the Associate Director of Operations.
Other Benefits
If there is a benefit or perk not listed but that you would like to see, please contact your
manager
To Submit a Reimbursement:
Reimbursement requests can be submitted through your Justworks Portal through the expenses tab (located under menu options on the left-hand side of the screen). A detailed walkthrough of how to upload expenses can be found on the Justworks Help Center. Please categorize your expenses and, if possible, upload a receipt.
At the moment, you can submit an expense for:
- Learning and Development (A Hol benefit is up to $250 towards personal development opportunities of your choice).
- Meals and Entertainment (This could include taking a client out to dinner or coffee, having an in-person meeting that requires food, or personal expenses for a work-related event).
- Other (This kind of expense will require prior approval. It could be for home office needs, laptop repair, etc.).
- Travel (This includes any expenses you incur while traveling for work- meals on the road, snacks for the plane, necessary items while you are away, transportation etc).
When your expenses are approved, they will be included in the next payroll.
Home Office Policies
The following policies have been developed to provide support to Holistic employees while working from home. Our intention is to help foster a comfortable working environment an empower employees with the tools they need for success, creativity, and productivity.
Monthly Connectivity Stipend:
Holistic will provide a monthly $50 stipend. This is meant to provide support for your overall ability to connect to work via cell phone service or wifi. You do not need to submit a receipt or expense report. The amount will automatically be included in one of your paychecks each month.
This benefit is provided to all part-time and full-time employees.
Holistic Computer Loan Policy
Holistic will begin to provide a computer for work use, as needed. As needed implies that if you are unable to use your personal computer for work purposes, Holistic will pay for the laptop and the warranty and have the computer delivered directly to the employee.
If the employee leaves the organization, they'll have two choices:
- return the laptop in working condition
- "purchase" the laptop for half of the original sale price.
This benefit is provided to all full-time employees. Part-time employees and interns are asked to use their personal computers.
Ensuring Holistician’s Success in a Remote Environment
The Holistic team will work with any employee to ensure that they have what they need to be successful in a remote environment. If an employee needs something for their home office, they should reach out to their manager to coordinate.
Time-Off & Leave
Paid Time-Off
Full-time, salaried Holistic employees are eligible for unlimited paid time off (PTO). You decide how you use your time, but our clients and teammates are our priority. Please do the following when requesting leave:
PTO Guidelines
A general rule of thumb is that about three weeks of time out of the office is appropriate annually. We request that every employee commit to taking at least two full weeks of time off annually. Time off is important for recharging and refueling and is a necessary part of the employee experience.
Please make sure to plan your time off around scheduled deliverables, training, and presentations. If you will be working from a location other than your regular home office, please inform the SLT beforehand.
All time out of the office will need to be approved by the Associate Director of Operations in advance. Our general guideline and approach is to approve all requests. The only circumstances in which requests will not be approved are:
- If there are business reasons/emergencies that compel the employee to be in the office on those dates (note: this has not happened once in Holistic’s experience)
- If an employee has demonstrated an extremely poor track record in terms of managing time out of the office
- If an employee has taken an excessive amount of time off. In all cases, the right for an employee to take PTO ultimately lies with the leadership team, and specifically the CEO; the decision of the CEO will be final on any leave requests.
Planned PTO
Request the time off from the Assoc. Dir. of Operations by filling out the OOO form (located on your Justworks account) in advance. A good rule of thumb is to request time off at least three full weeks before taking time off.
Here are some additional steps to take when planning time off:
- Start by following the OOO Checklist and Plan. You can find it here or in your out of office approval email.
- Add your OOO to the Holistic Calendar, and invite yourself so it is reflected on both calendars.
- Ensure your work is covered! Check-in with your client teams, departments, and supervisors to advise of your time off. Consider the meetings in which you are a key player- can you schedule time off around these meetings? Can you reschedule these meetings?
- Be mindful of your inbox while OOO - Unlimited PTO requires a collaborative environment. We have to work together to ensure success. This includes posting an out-of-office message, if applicable, that contains the contact information for the person to reach out to if someone has an emergency. Ideally, a consultant will be able to check email once daily, for about ten minutes, just to ensure there are no emergencies. If you are unable to monitor emails (even just once a day), please note this when requesting OOO so that we can make plans. Remember, communication is key; we’ll work with you to ensure we have something that works.
Please note that we have an OOO block period from Thanksgiving to New Year's and for the year's first week. This is our busiest time of the year. For OOO consideration within this timeframe, please check in with the SLT.
Unplanned PTO
If an unforeseen circumstance takes place that requires you to take off, please see our Client Coverage policy for the next steps
Paid Holidays
Holistic also provides paid holidays, listed below:
Annual Holidays:
- MLK day (third Monday in January)
- Memorial Day (last Monday of May)
- Juneteenth (June 19th)
- July 4 and EITHER the day before or the day after, depending on when it falls.
- Labor Day (first Monday in September)
- Thanksgiving Break, which includes the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, and the day after Thanksgiving
- Winter Break: Dec 23rd through January 2nd
Paid Holidays - Out of Office Notices
Please make out-of-office notices for paid holidays succinct and straightforward (except for Juneteenth and MLK Day, where we will provide an updated template). Notices can follow this format:
Holistic is closed in observance of [Holiday]. We'll return to the office on [Date]. If you need immediate assistance, please contact info@holisticindex.com or text/call 773.425.2555.It is up to your discretion to set an away message.
Client Coverage Protocol
This process is intended to provide clarity in unforeseen situations where you will miss a client deliverable, presentation, or meeting.
Reasons you might be OOO, and what you should do:
A. You woke up feeling sick or are encountering an unexpected emergency:
- Contact the client leads/SLT/Assoc. Dir of Ops immediately
- Confirm that the team is able to move forward in your absence. This involve finding replacements for yourself (If you are unable to find replacements, make sure that the replacement needs are discussed with the client leads and that you receive confirmation that the client leads will cover this task for you). If something needs to be rescheduled or postponed, it needs to be approve by Tom through discussion with team members who are not OOO
B. You have requested time off in advance that coincides with a scheduled deliverable (either previously scheduled or scheduled after the request for time off)
- Contact the client lead/ Oversight for guidance: If everything can move forward without you, nothing more needs to happen. If there are gaps, please work with the team to find appropriate coverage or an alternative plan. Either your “oversight” person or Tom/Lisa/Guthrie can step in for you. Outside of that, turn it over to the leadership and let them decide what to do.
- Plan to complete projects you are responsible for that are due during your leave ahead of your leave.
- Provide an update on open projects with your teammates before you leave
When finding a replacement, consider these steps:
- Contact another associate or consultant to step in. For associates, any other associate should be able to step in, but it’s wise to try and find someone with similar (or more) Holistic experience than you. For client consultants, you’ll want to target either Guthrie, Lisa, or Tom.
- Contact team oversight to support
- Seek the help of another client lead, preferably from a similar client or someone who might have familiarity with your client.
- Contact the Director of Client Relations/Managing Director for support
- Contact Tom for guidance
- The last case scenario would be to reschedule, this would be decided by Tom
Parental Leave
Holistic offers three months of paid parental leave for any family expansion through birth or adoption. We also are mindful of the return to work and provide the flexibility needed for someone to get back into the workforce.
Bereavement Policy
Holistic recognizes the hardship of loss and the nonlinear path of grief and healing. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to adequately support an employee through a professional or personal loss, this policy highlights how we can provide space and support for all colleagues and our organizational capacity to commemorate one's loss.
This policy will enable Holistic to provide a consistent support structure to all employees who are experiencing personal or professional loss. As family structures and personal relationship sare constantly evolving, this policy does not discern specific relationship dynamics.
This policy applies to all employees, interns, contractors, temporary workers, and constituents of Holistic. Bereavement Pay applies only to paid PT and FT employees with Holistic and excludes interns, contractors, temporary workers, and constituents.
Bereavement Leave
All staff are entitled to take immediate time off to process loss and manage the logistics it may incur. Staff is expected to notify their client leads ASAP, as well as the CEO.
Bereavement Pay
All paid PT and FT employees are entitled to PTO during their bereavement leave. Holistic will not place a time limit on an employee's bereavement leave. We trust employees to take a reasonable amount of time and not take advantage of this policy meant to offer support during difficult times. As a general guideline, most companies provide 3-7 days of bereavement leave; if an employee foresees more than seven days are needed, accommodations must be made to ensure the general operations of Holistic can be fulfilled.
In the case of extended leave or challenges to meet general operations due to the leave, Holistic reserves the right to discuss alternative next steps regarding employment status and compensation.
Return from Bereavement
Holistic understands the return to work might look different for everyone, and a return to normalcy does not imply the grieving process is over. While we welcome employees back to work as soon as they are ready, we recognize some accommodations might be necessary. An open line of communication is expected from the employee returning to work.
Commemorating Loss
Holistic seeks to recognize a life transition and will utilize the following guidelines to maintain a consistent level of commemoration throughout the organization.
Professional loss of a client:
- Holistic will dedicate an honorary newsletter to highlight the client's work and invite staff to share reflections, memories, or lessons learned from this client.
- Holistic will make an honorary donation to a cause special to this client or their organization’s mission.
- The consulting team lead will ensure to update database records to avoid sending misdirected emails or triggering grief from seeing a passed contact.
Personal loss of a close friend/ family member:
- A dedicated space to hold conversations and honor the people who are no longer with us will be created. Staff will be invited to participate in an activity that would have been meaningful to them and share their participation with each other.
State-Specific Addendums
All State-specific addendums to the handbook will be added here.