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Reward, Recognition & Benefits

It is important to us that our team members thrive in every area of life. Below, you will find details regarding benefits, pay and leaves of absences.

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Benefits

Vance Thompson Vision is proud to offer eligible and qualifying employees attractive and competitive benefits that are designed to keep you happy and healthy! Upon starting employment with us, and each year after, you will have the opportunity to sign up for benefits that work best for you and your family through our annual open enrollment period. The nitty gritty details of our benefits can be found in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) provided by our insurance carriers, and all benefits provided or made available through Vance Thompson Vision are subject to the eligibility requirements, rules, terms, and conditions of each benefit plan or policy. Vance Thompson Vision reserves the right to add, amend, modify, change or terminate any benefits at any time. Please note that each year, the People and Culture team designs a benefits guide that walks you through our benefit offerings and the premiums, so make sure you reach out with any questions you have.

Addenda

Team members in these states should reference the relevant addenda for state-specific policies.

•Minnesota •Montana •Nebraska •North Dakota •South Dakota

Rest and Meal Periods

Rest periods are provided to Vance Thompson Vision employees in accordance with state laws. Meal periods are usually 30 minutes, but may vary by location and/or position. Meal periods are not considered “time worked”, and all non-exempt employees should clock out when starting a meal period and clock in when they return. No work should be performed while clocked out.

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Vance Thompson Vision understands the importance of work-life balance, and offers our full-time and part-time employees a Paid Time Off (PTO) plan. PRN employees are unfortunately not eligible for PTO. This bank of time can be used for taking a well-deserved break, celebrating life happenings, or dealing with any unexpected sniffles! You earn PTO based on the number of hours you work, and you can always check your available balance in our online employee system of record.

When you have enough PTO hours in your PTO bank, you can use it with approval from your leader. Factors such as work requirements, staffing coverage, and order of requests may be considered in reviewing PTO requests. If you know you’ll need time off in advance, give your leader as much advance notice as possible to ensure adequate coverage in your area. If something unexpected comes up, let your leader know as soon as possible. Failure to submit PTO requests for approval in accordance with Vance Thompson Vision’s policies may result in denial of the request and/or an unexcused absence. Any PTO you use will be paid at your regular rate of pay.

The estimator below shows how much PTO you can accrue, based on an employee working 80 hours in a pay period. As you will see, the longer you are a part of the Vance Thompson Vision family, the more PTO you accrue to use! Keep in mind that the maximum amount of PTO you can have in your bank is 324 hours. Once you hit the maximum, you will not accrue any additional PTO until you take some time away!

Holidays

In addition to your PTO, Vance Thompson Vision recognizes the below company-paid holidays that are not included in your PTO accrual:

New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

That’s right, six days off to enjoy what matters most to you! Holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday will typically be observed on the Friday before or the Monday after. Full-time employees will receive 8 hours of pay, and part-time employees will receive 4 hours of pay. Non-exempt employees that work on the holiday, and not on the observed day, will receive double time pay.

Vance Thompson Vision also observes Good Friday and Black Friday each year, so our offices are closed. For these days, non-exempt employees will have the option to use their PTO or go unpaid…it’s up to you!

PTO Sell Back

As a part of our Paid Time Off program, Vance Thompson Vision is happy to provide you with an option to sell back a portion of your unused PTO hours once a year during open enrollment. If you have a balance of at least 100 hours at the time of your PTO sell back request, you can sell back 8 to 40 hours of PTO in the following year. If you have a PTO balance of at least 250 hours at the time of your request, you can sell back 8 to 80 hours…cha-ching! PTO sold back to Vance Thompson Vision is paid to you at your normal rate of pay.

Employee Assistance Program

To support our employees’ mental well-being, Vance Thompson Vision offers our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to all employees and their families. The EAP is free and confidential, professional support that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Employees and their families can receive support on a variety of topics, including:

Emotional well-being
Family and relationships
Legal and financial situations
Healthy Lifestyles
Work and life transitions

To use the EAP service, simply contact Mutual of Omaha at (800) 316-2796, or you can submit a service request form from their website at www.mutualofomaha.com/eap. Employees that utilize all their sessions and need additional face-to-face sessions can work with the People and Culture team for further assistance.

Compensation and Pay

Vance Thompson Vision values our employees and recognizes their dedication to providing an exceptional patient experience. Our goal is to foster a culture of support, encouragement, and engagement, and invest in our employees through initiatives that promote well-being and professional development. Our compensation philosophy aims to reflect the core values of Vance Thompson Vision, including caring, fun, committed, egalitarian and excellence. Vance Thompson Vision is committed to providing fair and competitive compensation that reflects the knowledge and skills of our employees while supporting our organizational goals.

Each position at Vance Thompson Vision is assigned a proposed pay range with a minimum and maximum dollar value, and the People and Culture team regularly reviews local and national markets to ensure our pay is competitive. If an adjustment is needed, a market increase may be considered to ensure employees are fairly compensated for their skills and expertise. Employees that have questions about their compensation should communicate with their leader or the People and Culture team.

Performance Increases

As Vance Thompson Vision is a performance-based organization, each year, during our performance review process, you may be eligible for a performance-based increase that reflects the value of your contributions to Vance Thompson Vision. Please note that leaders will have the discretion to provide a lump sum payment in place of a pay increase in the event an employee is at or above the top of their pay range.

Our Payroll Process

Our pay periods are two weeks long and start on Sunday at 12:00 am, ending two weeks later on Saturday at 11:59 pm. You will be paid for each day worked during that period, with each day starting at 12:00 am and ending at 11:59 pm. At the end of each pay period, non-exempt employees are asked to review their clockings for accuracy and approve their timecards on the Friday or Saturday of the end of each pay period. Any changes to timecards should be submitted through the punch change request or time off process in our online employee system of record. Accurately recording time worked is the responsibility of all non-exempt Vance Thompson Vision employees, and by approving a time card, the employee certifies the accuracy of time recorded.

Payroll deposits are made on Thursdays following the end of the pay period, and may be adjusted by a day based on applicable bank holidays. All employees receive their pay through direct deposit, unless state laws prohibit this action. Any changes to direct deposit information should be submitted through our online employee system of record by the end of a pay period to ensure you receive your paycheck.

Vance Thompson Vision is required by federal and state law to make certain deductions from your paycheck, which may include, but are not limited to federal and/or state income tax, state income and unemployment tax, and FICA contributions (those are for Social Security and Medicare). The amount of your tax deductions will depend on your earnings and your exemptions listed on your W4 form. If you need to make adjustments to your tax withholdings, please make those updates through the tax setup process in our online employee system of record. Deductions are also taken for any benefits you elect as a new hire and through open enrollment each year. Vance Thompson Vision will also honor any court orders we receive to withhold or garnish a portion of an employee’s wages to cover the debt, such as unpaid taxes or child support. Employees are encouraged to review their pay stubs, and contact the People and Culture team regarding any discrepancies.

Vance Thompson Vision loves to reward employees that go above and beyond for our team members and patients. This may come in the form of food, tangible gifts, bonuses, and gift cards! As a heads up to you, gifts less than $100 are not considered taxable benefits. However, if you receive a gift card of any value, any type of bonus, or a gift that is valued greater than $100, don’t be surprised if you see the value of the benefit taxed on your paycheck! Our goal is to keep the tax guy happy!

Vance Thompson Vision follows the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by providing overtime pay to all non-exempt employees that work over 40 hours in a work week. Overtime is paid at one and a half times an employee’s regular rate of pay. Prior to working overtime, employees are asked to communicate with their leader about their desire to work additional hours and obtain advance approval. Working unauthorized overtime may result in disciplinary action. Lastly, when overtime is calculated, please note that PTO hours are not included in the calculation.

Leaves of Absence

Life happens, and there may be times you need to take a break from work for a personal, family, or medical reason. To request a leave of absence, talk to your leader so they are aware of what’s going on. Next, get in touch with the People and Culture team, and they will provide you with the paperwork needed to start the process. If you’re asking for a medical leave, jury duty leave, or military leave, they will ask that you provide supporting documentation.

Vance Thompson Vision understands that there are times in life when it’s time to say goodbye to a loved one and knows the importance of supporting loved ones during difficult times. Part-time and full-time employees that suffer the loss of a family member are allowed compassionate leave, which is paid time given by Vance Thompson Vision at an employee’s regular rate of pay. Employees are eligible for up to three days (24 hours) for the loss of an extended family member (aunt, uncle, grandparent, grandchild or brother/sister-in-law), and up to five days (40 hours) for the loss of immediate family members (spouse, child, parent, sibling). Losing a beloved furry family member can be tough, so full-time employees are eligible for up to one day (8 hours) to grieve this loss. Lengths of leave should be discussed and approved with your leader, and leaders have the discretion to determine the length of the leave. Employees in need of additional time will be asked to use their PTO. Please note that PRN employees are not eligible for compassionate leave.

Employees summoned for jury duty or jury selection will be granted time to fulfill this civic duty. The length of the leave will be dependent on the time indicated on the jury summons. You will be paid your normal rate of pay for the time you spend on jury duty or jury selection during your regularly scheduled work shift.

Vance Thompson Vision is proud to employ and support military team members, and wants to ensure they are taken care of while serving our country. Employees are eligible for military leave immediately upon hire, as provided by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). Any employee who needs leave under USERRA should notify his or her leader and the People and Culture team as soon as possible. The length of military leave is unlimited, however, your employment rights as specified under USERRA are protected for five years. While on military leave, you may or may not receive compensation, depending on the length of your service. Generally, military leaves longer than two weeks are unpaid. Depending on the length of leave, you will have the option to suspend your medical, dental and/or vision insurance coverage for the duration of your leave, with the ability to reinstate your coverage upon your return to work at Vance Thompson Vision. Lastly, while you are on leave, you may also choose to continue your medical, dental and/or vision insurance coverage through COBRA, as applicable. Please work with the People and Coverage team to ensure your benefits are handled before your leave and upon your return.

Upon your return to work at Vance Thompson Vision, you are entitled to the same or equivalent position, with the same benefits and seniority as if you had never been on military leave as provided under USERRA and subject to the notification and other return to work requirements of USERRA. After five total years of military service, Vance Thompson Vision is able to fill your position, if necessary to continue operations.

Employees who have exhausted all forms of available leave or are not eligible for other leave may request to take a personal leave. Employees should provide as much advance notice as possible in requesting personal leave. The determination of whether to grant an employee’s request for personal leave will be solely within the discretion of Vance Thompson Vision. The maximum amount of leave will be determined by Vance Thompson Vision on a case-by-case basis, may vary depending on the reason for the leave, and is subject to Vance Thompson Vision’s discretion and such terms and conditions as Vance Thompson Vision may impose. Vance Thompson Vision may take into account prior leaves that the employee has taken, the amount of leave needed, the reason for the leave, the employee’s length of service, the employee’s work record and the demands of his or her job, and other factors in its discretion.

Vance Thompson Vision believes that your voice matters, both in the workplace and in democracy. In the event employees are unable to vote before or after work, part-time and full-time employees will be provided up to two hours of paid time off to cast their ballot. Depending on patient care needs, leadership can make recommendations about the hours of the leave.

Vance Thompson Vision recognizes and understands the importance of family and health. Our employees have the option to take FMLA for serious health conditions or family-related health events, such as the birth or adoption of a child, or caring for a family member. If FMLA is new to you, what this does is it protects your job for up to 12 weeks on an unpaid basis. If you are caring for a service member with a serious illness or injury, the protection is good for 26 weeks. Your leave is calculated based on a rolling backward 12-month period. To be eligible for FMLA leave, you must be a part of the Vance Thompson Vision family for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous year.

If you need to take an FMLA leave, you may be asked by your leader or the People and Culture team to provide documentation from a healthcare provider that shows the need for the absence. If a full leave is not necessary, you may take the leave on an intermittent schedule. Please note, however, that leave for a birth, adoption, or foster care of a child cannot be taken on an intermittent basis, and it should be taken within one year of the event. You may use your accrued PTO to help pay for any of your employee benefits, or to supplement any short-term disability pay, depending on the scenario. If you exhaust your accrued PTO, you may be billed for your share of any insurance premiums, or the missed premiums can be caught up via payroll deductions.

Returning to Work From a Leave of Absence

Coming back to work from a leave can be exciting, and our goal is to have you return safely and with any necessary accommodations. Therefore, depending on the reason for your leave, you may need to provide documentation from your healthcare provider giving you the thumbs up to come to work.

Reward, Recognition & Benefits

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