ABOUT US
CONTACT US
515.309.1222
hello@grandconsulting.com
hello@grandconsulting.com
Grand Consulting
950 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
950 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
NEWSLETTER
© All content copyright Grand Consulting.
Last updated February 11, 2025
Hours of operation will mirror our client’s, which is typically Monday thru Friday 8am – 5pm. Some techs may be needed outside of these hours depending on client demand. This is handled on a case-by-case basis. As a small team we have to work together to make sure we have the coverage our clients need.
Weekend and after hours work will vary depending on client demand but are avoided whenever possible! We all want our (and your) weekends free as much as possible. We do have a rotating schedule of techs that are “on call” every weekend to watch for client emergencies. If you are designated as an on-call tech it is expected that you will be accessible to clients by phone, messaging channels, and email – in a remote capacity.
Due to client demand, there will be technicians on-call for all holidays.
For the following holidays it should be discussed in advance who is on-call or may need to work remotely:
If you are designated as an on-call tech it is expected that you will be accessible to clients by phone, messaging channels, and email – in a remote capacity.
We make every attempt to not schedule projects or installs on the above listed days but cannot guarantee there will not be exceptions. We will give as much advance notice as possible when exceptions occur.
Under some circumstances we may recognize additional holidays. This will be discussed in advance and who will be needed on-call.
Grand Consulting believes our “secret sauce” is how we work together as a team and learn from each other. This is heavily reliant on in-office work, and the expectation is for all employees to strive to be in the office every day, barring specific job demands (eg: sales staff may be "in the field” most days, etc).
Working from home should be done sparingly – when you need to be home but still have the capacity to work. Examples of these types of exceptions: helping an ill family member, waiting for a plumber to arrive. Some ongoing hybrid arrangements can be made on a case-by-case basis, and will depend on what your job duties require. This should be discussed with your direct report, with the understanding that it is still expected that you be in the office most days. We do track WFH days so we can make informed decisions around staffing and performance.
Frequently working from home outside of an agreed upon work arrangement will trigger a one-on-one with your supervisor.
Working from home does come with some additional requirements:
If these requirements cannot be met, it may be better to take a day of PTO and should be discussed with your direct report.
Payroll is processed on the 15th and last day of each month for the prior pay period. Example: Paycheck received 2/15/19 is for pay period 1/16/19-1/31/19. Paycheck received 2/28/19 is for pay period 2/1/19-2/15/19.
For salaried employees: if the paycheck is your first or last with the company, it will be prorated if you did not work a full pay period. The formula used for prorating is: Salary/52 weeks/5 days x Days worked.
For positions that are permitted mileage reimbursement, reimbursement is processed on the 15th payroll and should be submitted by the 10th of each month for the month prior. The expectation is that you will submit your mileage in a timely fashion so we may reimburse promptly. Mileage submitted more than 2 months from the trip date will not be reimbursed.
If participating in our health insurance policy, HSA deposits are processed with payroll on the 15th of each month.
Overall we expect all employees to look put together, while still comfortable crawling under a desk should you need to. You represent our company and we like to make a good impression!
T-shirts, jeans, tennis shoes, shorts, and nicer clothes can all be acceptable work attire. T-shirts should be clean, not wrinkled, or inappropriate in content. Think about the combinations you choose. If wearing something on the casual side, maybe pair it with something that can look nicer – like wearing a blazer over it, or tucking in your shirt. Or pair more casual shorts with a button up. We would call this “put together casual” and that is what we like to see.
Things to avoid – sweatpants, leggings, and “gym clothes”, obvious athletic wear that cannot be “dressed up” or disguised as anything other than gym clothes. Jeans with holes should be carefully considered. Obviously this can be stylish, but it can also be questionable. Sweatshirts can be okay if paired with nicer pants/shoes, but probably not the sweatshirt you’ve been sleeping in. Be mindful of shorter-shorts or skirts (this goes back to crawling under desks). Be mindful of open toed shoes/sandals. In general these are fine, but maybe not flip-flops. This is for safety when working. Flip-flops can trip you up, and if you are carrying computer equipment open toed shoes just may not be wise.
We offer, at no cost to you, a high deductible health insurance plan for full-time employees and their domestic partner/spouse/dependents. The deductible for Single is $2,500 and the deductible for Family is $5,000. New hires that would like to be added to the plan must complete the insurance paperwork within 30 days of their hire date. Existing employees may be added to the plan within 30 days of a qualifying life event (a change in your situation – like marriage, birth of a child, or losing health coverage). Outside of these events, changes can be made during the annual open enrollment period. Our insurance policy is subject to change and reviewed annually.
Eligible employees receive a monthly contribution to a health savings account. To be eligible the employee must be enrolled in the health insurance plan and must set up an HSA account with a bank of their choosing. The contribution amount is $135 a month for employees on the individual plan, or $270 a month for employees on the family plan. This amount is subject to change and is reviewed annually.
We offer matching contributions to a Simple IRA up to 2%, for all employees making over $5,000 a year.
We provide, at no cost to you, life insurance coverage for all full-time employees. Enrollment is automatic and required documentation should be completed upon hiring.
Parking is free at Grand Consulting HQ! If an employee is at a client’s office and free parking is not provided, we will purchase or reimburse parking expenses in full. Documentation (receipt, photograph, etc) of the charge will be needed in order to be reimbursed.
Below is a summary of our paid leave policies. These policies are designed to set an expectation. In an effort to recognize the needs of employees who may require time off in addition to the below parameters, we may consider additional allowances, as well as unpaid leave. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis and is subject to approval.
All full-time employees receive 20 days of paid vacation at the beginning of each calendar year (pro-rated for new hires starting after the 1st of the year). 1 day = your standard hours worked in 1 day, we do not assign a specific # of hours to a day.
Must be used in minimum increments of half days.
Vacation requests are approved according to business needs and on a first-come first-served basis, with the understanding that as a small business, multiple people out at the same time cannot always be accommodated. Employees are expected to review their workload with their coworkers and supervisors as part of the request process, and potentially coordinating with clients any scheduling concerns. Please see additional documentation regarding how to request time off.
A holiday observed by the company that falls during the vacation period would be considered a paid holiday and will not be reduced from your available vacation time.
Unused vacation time does not carry over to the following calendar year and is not cashed out upon termination/has no cash value.
We believe your physical and mental health are of the utmost importance – you know what you need better than anyone else. The intent of our sick leave policy is to encourage you to stay home when sick, and is to be used for unplanned absences.
All full-time employees receive 10 days of paid sick leave at the beginning of each calendar year, pro-rated for new hires starting after the 1st of the year. 1 day = your standard hours worked in 1 day, we do not assign a specific # of hours to a day. Must be used in minimum increments of half days.
You should contact your supervisor each day you need to be out of the office. If you have the ability to work remotely from home and feel up to it, you may do so to offset how much sick leave you use – but you must communicate this to your supervisor as well so it may be recorded accurately.
Sick Leave may also be used when an employee needs to care for an ill family member, such as a child who is sick.
Having a Sick Leave bank that is separate from the Vacation bank is intentional, so that we may attempt to mitigate the frequency of unplanned absences, which have a greater impact on our business. If you run out of Sick Leave this will automatically trigger a one-on-one meeting with your direct report. An employee that requires an extended absence for illness or injury must apply for any other available compensation and benefits, such as worker’s compensation, disability programs, etc.
Unused sick leave does not carry over to the following calendar year and is not cashed out upon termination/has no cash value.
All part-time employees receive 2 weeks of paid time off at the beginning of each year (pro-rated for new hires starting after the 1st of the year), equivalent to their standard hours-worked. Example: if you typically work 3 days per week, you receive 6 days of paid time off. This is to encourage employees to stay home when sick, and make an effort to plan ahead for time off.
Must be used in minimum increments of half days.
If the paid time off bank has been exhausted, we limit unplanned absences to 5 a year (unpaid). Tardiness in excess of 1 hour is the threshold for an unplanned absence. We may consider additional unpaid leave. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis and is subject to approval from your direct supervisor.
Full-time employees are granted 3 blocks of 20 business days (for a total of 60 business days) Parental Leave, at 100 percent of the individual’s regular pay. Must be used within 12 months of the qualifying event.
Qualifying events:
Blocks may be used consecutively or non-consecutively.
It is expected that employees will begin discussing their leave-plan with their supervisor and HR 3 months prior to the expected due date, with the understanding that the leave-plan may change given unforeseen circumstances (health situations, etc).
Unless stated otherwise, we anticipate employees returning to their regular hours and duties post-leave.
Employees must request approval to combine Parental Leave with Vacation Time. Unused Parental Leave has no cash value.
All full-time employees are eligible for Bereavement Leave in the event of a death in their family. An employee who wishes to take time off due to the death of a family member should notify his or her supervisor as soon as possible. We will offer bereavement leave of 5 paid days per death for a close family member. Additional paid leave may be granted if long-distance travel is involved or if there are other extenuating circumstances. Leave in excess of 10 business days may be unpaid and we encourage you to discuss your needs with your supervisor. Bereavement Leave is determined on a case-by-case basis, as everyone’s circumstances will be different. Please discuss with your supervisor to decide on a leave-plan and what the expected absence will be. Verbal discussions around approved leave and/or return-to-work dates should be followed up with an email confirming for clarity and documentation.
We encourage our employees to participate in their civic duties! We do not want you to use your vacation time for Jury Duty or Voting. Please advise if you need time to go vote so we may accommodate this. If you receive a Jury Duty summons, share this as soon as possible so we may plan for your absence accordingly. We expect you to work around the court schedule whenever possible.
All full-time employees are provided 1 day off a year for volunteering at an organization of their choosing! We ask that the organization not be political in nature.
If the event occurs on the weekend we will add 1 day of Vacation Time to your bank as compensation.
We would like to encourage employees to volunteer outside of this 1 day a year opportunity as well. If you complete other volunteer opportunities throughout the year on your own time – and wear Grand Consulting swag – we will take you out to lunch as a thank you!
Please provide volunteer confirmation documentation (email, letter, etc) so we may schedule and record your request accordingly.
The policies and guidelines described in this document can change at our discretion – and will be updated as business needs change. This handbook cannot contemplate every possible situation that we may encounter and is not a contract or legal document.
This edition was last updated: February 11, 2025