Employee Handbook - Ohio

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK — OHIO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Purpose and Employment Framework
2. Equal Employment, Accommodation, and Reporting
3. Pay, Timekeeping, and Work Schedules
4. Leave and Protected Absences
5. Workplace Standards
6. Corrective Action and Separation
7. Administration and Acknowledgment

1. PURPOSE AND EMPLOYMENT FRAMEWORK

1.1 Company and Effective Date

This Handbook states the current workplace policies of [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] (the “Company”) for employees working in Ohio. It is effective [__/__/____] and replaces prior handbook versions prospectively.

1.2 Handbook Status

This Handbook is not a contract for employment for a fixed term. Except where a signed agreement, collective bargaining agreement, or controlling law provides otherwise, the Company intends employment to be at will. Either the employee or the Company may end the relationship at any time, subject to applicable law.

This Handbook does not guarantee a disciplinary sequence, continued employment, a particular assignment, or a benefit not vested under a governing plan or agreement.

1.3 Policy Changes

The Company may revise policies prospectively in writing, subject to applicable law, earned wages, vested benefits, signed agreements, and collective bargaining agreements. Only [AUTHORIZED TITLE] may approve a Handbook revision.

2. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT, ACCOMMODATION, AND REPORTING

2.1 Equal Employment Opportunity

The Company prohibits unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Ohio Rev. Code § 4112.02 prohibits covered employers from discriminating because of race, color, religion, sex, military status, national origin, disability, age, or ancestry. For employment provisions, Ohio law includes pregnancy, pregnancy-related illness, childbirth, and related medical conditions within sex discrimination, and generally defines protected age as forty or older.

The Ohio Civil Rights Act generally defines an employer to include the state, political subdivisions, and a person employing four or more persons within Ohio. Federal and local law may apply additional coverage rules and protected statuses.

2.2 Accommodation

Applicants and employees may request accommodation from [HR/ACCOMMODATION CONTACT] for disability, pregnancy or related conditions, religious observance or practice, or another legally protected reason. The Company will conduct a timely, individualized review; request only permitted information; and provide accommodation where required under the controlling federal, state, or local standard.

2.3 Harassment Prevention

The Company prohibits unlawful harassment through in-person, remote-work, and electronic channels. Report concerns promptly using any channel in Section 2.4. Supervisors who receive or observe a concern must notify [HR / DESIGNATED CONTACT].

2.4 Reporting and Non-Retaliation

Report discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage concerns, leave interference, safety issues, or other suspected violations to any of the following:

• [SUPERVISOR]
• [HR CONTACT]
• [ALTERNATE CONTACT OUTSIDE THE REPORTING CHAIN]

Reports may be oral or written. The Company will review reports promptly, preserve confidentiality to the extent practicable, prohibit retaliation, and take action based on the findings. Internal reporting does not require an employee to waive or delay a protected agency contact, charge, testimony, emergency request, or legal remedy.

3. PAY, TIMEKEEPING, AND WORK SCHEDULES

3.1 Classification and Workweek

Employees are classified as [FULL-TIME / PART-TIME / TEMPORARY] and [EXEMPT / NONEXEMPT] under applicable law. The fixed workweek begins [DAY/TIME] and ends [DAY/TIME]. Classification labels do not override wage-and-hour law.

3.2 2026 Minimum Wage

For work performed from January 1 through December 31, 2026, Ohio's general rates are:

The Company will apply any higher or more protective federal or local requirement. Payroll must confirm employer coverage, employee age, work location, occupation, tip-credit conditions, and any exemption before applying a rate.

3.3 Overtime and Timekeeping

Unless an exemption or special rule applies, Ohio requires covered employers to pay one and one-half times the employee's wage rate for hours over forty in a workweek. The state overtime rule excludes an employer grossing less than $150,000 per year, but federal overtime coverage must be analyzed separately.

Nonexempt employees must accurately record all work, including required preparation, closing, meetings, training, remote work, and work outside the scheduled shift. Advance approval may be required, but all work the Company requires or permits must be recorded and paid. Employees must report errors to [PAYROLL CONTACT] without fear of retaliation.

3.4 Paydays and Deductions

The regular payday is [DAY / SCHEDULE]. Ohio Rev. Code § 4113.15 establishes a semimonthly payment schedule while preserving daily or weekly payment and specified different timing based on custom, written contract, or law. The Company will use a schedule that satisfies the controlling rule.

Payroll deductions will be made only when required or permitted by law and, where needed, properly authorized by the employee. The Company will provide pay records required by applicable law and promptly investigate a reported underpayment or deduction error.

3.5 Meal Periods and Minor Employees

Adult meal and rest periods are [COMPANY POLICY]. An employee under eighteen will not work more than five consecutive hours without a rest period of at least thirty minutes, as required by Ohio Rev. Code § 4109.07(C). Scheduling of minors must also comply with the section's age, school-day, daily, weekly, and time-of-day restrictions.

4. LEAVE AND PROTECTED ABSENCES

4.1 Federal Family and Medical Leave

Eligible employees of a covered employer may take unpaid, job-protected FMLA leave for qualifying reasons. The federal FMLA generally provides up to twelve workweeks in a twelve-month period and up to twenty-six workweeks in a single twelve-month period for qualifying military-caregiver leave. Coverage, eligibility, certification, intermittent leave, benefit continuation, and restoration are administered under the separate FMLA policy and current federal law.

4.2 Ohio Military Family Leave

An employer with fifty or more employees provides qualifying employees up to ten days or eighty hours of unpaid leave, whichever is less, once per calendar year under Ohio Rev. Code Chapter 5906. The employee must have worked for the employer for at least twelve consecutive months and at least 1,250 hours during the preceding twelve months and must be the parent, spouse, current legal custodian, or former legal custodian of a covered uniformed-services member.

The call to active duty must exceed thirty days, or the service member must be injured, wounded, or hospitalized while serving on active duty. Statutory timing, advance-notice, exhaustion-of-other-available-leave, and certification conditions apply. Benefits continue on the statutory cost-sharing terms, and the employee will be restored to the same or an equivalent position as required by § 5906.02.

4.3 Jury Service

The Company will not discharge, threaten to discharge, or take disciplinary action that could lead to discharge of a permanent employee who gives reasonable notice of a jury summons and is absent for actual jury service. The Company will not require or request use of annual, vacation, or sick leave for responding to a summons, jury selection, or jury service. Jury-service pay is [COMPANY POLICY].

4.4 Voting Time

The Company will provide an elector a reasonable amount of time to vote on election day and will not discharge, threaten, intimidate, or otherwise restrain an employee for exercising protected voting rights under Ohio Rev. Code § 3599.06. Employees should request scheduling accommodation from [CONTACT] as early as practicable.

4.5 Crime-Victim Proceedings

The Company will not discharge, discipline, or retaliate against a victim, covered family member, or victim representative for participating at the prosecutor's request in preparation for a criminal or delinquency proceeding, or for attending a proceeding when reasonably necessary or pursuant to the victim's constitutional and statutory rights, as provided by Ohio Rev. Code § 2930.18.

4.6 Other Protected and Company Leave

The Company separately administers military service and reemployment, disability and pregnancy accommodation, workers' compensation, subpoena and witness obligations, bereavement, vacation/PTO, and other leave where applicable. Complete the following before use and coordinate it with protected leave and collective bargaining agreements:

• Vacation/PTO: [ACCRUAL / USE / CARRYOVER / PAYOUT]
• Bereavement: [POLICY]
• Personal leave: [POLICY]

5. WORKPLACE STANDARDS

5.1 Attendance, Safety, and Conduct

Employees must report as scheduled, follow lawful safety and work rules, accurately maintain records, protect Company and customer property, and avoid dishonesty, threats, violence, unlawful harassment, and material conflicts of interest. Call-in procedures are [METHOD / CONTACT / TIMING], subject to protected leave and accommodation rules.

5.2 Confidential Information and Protected Activity

Employees must protect trade secrets and legitimately confidential business information. This policy does not prohibit protected reports to government agencies, lawful whistleblowing, discussion of wages or working conditions where protected, participation in an investigation, consultation with counsel, or other activity protected by law.

5.3 Ohio Whistleblower Procedure

Ohio Rev. Code § 4113.52 protects specified reports that meet the statute's subject-matter, good-faith, accuracy, notice, and procedural requirements. Because the statute distinguishes employer violations, fellow-employee violations, environmental violations, and public-office reporting, an employee should consult the current statute and contact [LEGAL / COMPLIANCE CONTACT] promptly when seeking to use its process.

The Company prohibits retaliation for a report protected by § 4113.52 or another controlling law. Nothing in this policy requires an employee to delay an emergency call or an agency report that another law permits without prior internal notice.

5.4 Technology and Monitoring

Company systems are for authorized use under the separate [INFORMATION SECURITY / ACCEPTABLE USE] policy. Any monitoring must be approved and implemented consistently with applicable privacy, labor, and communications law. This policy does not prohibit protected reporting or concerted activity.

5.5 Separate Agreements

Arbitration, restrictive covenants, invention assignment, confidentiality obligations intended to survive employment, and other binding terms must be placed in separately reviewed agreements. They are not created by this Handbook.

6. CORRECTIVE ACTION AND SEPARATION

6.1 Corrective Action

Depending on the circumstances, the Company may use coaching, verbal warning, written warning, final warning, suspension, reassignment, or discharge. It may select or skip steps. This discretionary framework is not a promise of progressive discipline and does not create a notice-and-cure right.

6.2 Final Pay

When employment ends, earned wages will be paid on the regular schedule that complies with Ohio Rev. Code § 4113.15. Vacation, bonuses, commissions, expenses, and other compensation are handled under the governing written policy, plan, agreement, and applicable law. The Company will not make an unauthorized deduction or condition earned-wage payment on signing a release.

6.3 Return of Property

Employees must return Company property, records, credentials, and equipment by [METHOD / DEADLINE]. Disputed property will be addressed separately from wage payment.

7. ADMINISTRATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

7.1 Conflicts

If this Handbook conflicts with controlling law, a benefit plan, a signed agreement, or a collective bargaining agreement, the controlling authority governs. Contact [HR/LEGAL] before applying a policy to an unusual coverage, leave, wage, or accommodation question.

7.2 No Risk-Shifting Terms

This Handbook does not impose employee indemnity, a damages cap, attorney-fee shifting, an exclusive forum, arbitration, a jury waiver, a restrictive covenant, a pre-claim notice-and-cure period, or force-majeure relief from wage, leave, safety, or insurance obligations.

EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I acknowledge receipt of the [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] Employee Handbook effective [__/__/____]. I understand that:

1. I am responsible for reading the Handbook and asking [HR CONTACT] about unclear policies.
2. The Handbook is not a contract for employment for a fixed term.
3. The Company may prospectively revise policies in writing, subject to applicable law and binding agreements.
4. The corrective-action framework is discretionary unless controlling law or an authorized agreement requires otherwise.
5. Nothing in the Handbook requires me to waive or delay protected reports, agency contacts, or remedies.

Employee Name: [________________________________]

Employee Signature: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

Company Representative: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

OFFICIAL SOURCES AND IMPLEMENTATION REFERENCES

• Ohio Constitution, Article II, Section 34a
• Ohio Department of Commerce — 2026 Minimum Wage
• Ohio Department of Commerce — 2026 Minimum Wage Poster
• Ohio Revised Code § 4111.02
• Ohio Revised Code § 4111.03
• Ohio Revised Code § 4112.01
• Ohio Revised Code § 4112.02
• Ohio Revised Code § 4113.15
• Ohio Revised Code § 4109.07
• Ohio Revised Code § 5906.01
• Ohio Revised Code § 5906.02
• Ohio Revised Code § 2313.19
• Ohio Revised Code § 3599.06
• Ohio Revised Code § 2930.18
• Ohio Revised Code § 4113.52
• U.S. Department of Labor — FLSA Overtime
• U.S. Department of Labor — FMLA