Dancing Around The Sun Since 1971
Staff Handbook
February 11, 2015
Work is love made visible.
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"Yes, everything that could be said has been said
but we have to say it again because no one was listening." -- Anatole
France
"A human being is part of the Whole...He experiences himself, his
thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest...a kind
of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal
desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must
be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of
compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature
in its beauty.
Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such
achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for
inner security."
- Albert Einstein
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Then a ploughman said, Speak to us of Work. And he answered, saying:
You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.
For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's procession, that marches in
majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.
When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.
Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison.
Always you have been told that work is a curse and labor a misfortune.
But I say to you that when you work you fulfill a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that
dream was born,
And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,
And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life's inmost secret.
But if you in your pain call birth an affliction and the support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow,
then I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is written.
You have been told also that life is darkness, and in your weariness you echo what was said by the weary.
And I say that life is indeed darkness save when there is urge.
And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,
And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,
And all work is empty save when there is love;
And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God.
And what is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear
that cloth.
It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.
It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat
the fruit.
It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit,
And to know that all the blessed dead are standing about you and watching.
Often have I heard you say, as if speaking in sleep, “He who works in marble, and finds the shape of his
own soul in the stone, is nobler than he who ploughs the soil.
And he who seizes the rainbow to lay it on a cloth in the likeness of man, is more than he who makes the
sandals for our feet.”
But I say, not in sleep but in the overwakefulness of noontide, that the wind speaks not more sweetly to
the giant oaks than to the least of all the blades of grass;
And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving.
Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and
sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.
For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger.
And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine.
And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day
and the voices of the night.
~ Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
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Work nourishes the soul. All the creatures of the universe are busy doing work; and we honor life
when we work. The type of work is not important: the fact of the work is. All work feeds the soul if
it is honest and done to the best of our abilities and if it brings joy to others. ~ Matthew Fox
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Business should be fun. Without fun, people are left wearing emotional
raincoats most of their working lives. Building fun into business is vital; it
brings life into our daily being. Fun is a powerful motive for most of our
activities and should be a direct part of our livelihood. We should not relegate
it to something we buy after work with money we earn. ~ Michael Phillips
Work can be a deeply enriching and meditative experience. It all depends on
the attitude we carry to it. Approaching work with care and awareness can
transform even the most mundane task into an exciting opportunity to reflect
and grow. ~ Fields, Chop Wood, Carry Water
True responsibility is an active and caring responsiveness to everything
around us, a readiness to do whatever needs to be done. ~ Tarthang Tulku,
Skillful Means
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's learning to dance in the rain."
We can’t stop the waves of change, but we can learn to surf.
If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. - Dolly Parton
“Learn to be like a buoy or you’ll be seasick all day long.” – Leonard Cohen
Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. -African proverb
A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are made for. - John A. Shedd
Serenity isn't freedom from the storm,
but peace within the storm.
Since we’re skating on thin ice, we might as well dance!
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Sundance Natural Foods
Open Daily 7am-11pm
Store – 541-343-9142
Produce – 541-345-6153
Vitamins – 541-344-0450
www.sundancenaturalfoods.com
Sundance Business Office
Open Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm
Office – 541-343-1519
Fax – 541-342-1660
Sundance Wine Cellars
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-7pm
Sunday-Monday 12pm-7pm
Wine - 541-687-9463
Staff documents can be found at
http://sundancenaturalfoods.com/staffdocuments/
Staff Calendar can be found at
http://sundancenaturalfoods.com/calendar.htmhttp://sundancenaturalfoods.c
om/calendar.htm
http://sundancenaturalfoods.com/calendar.htm
Staff IT support/help can be found at
http://sundancenaturalfoods.com/help.htmlhttp://sundancenaturalfoods.com/he
lp.html
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Table of Contents
About This Handbook ................................................................................................................................................. 11
I. Mission and Values .................................................................................................................................................. 12
II. HISTORY .............................................................................................................................................................. 13
III. WHAT SUNDANCE PROVIDES THE COMMUNITY...................................................................................... 19
A. FOR OUR CUSTOMERS ................................................................................................... 19
1. CUSTOMER SERVICE ................................................................................................... 19
2. CLEANLINESS/AMBIANCE ......................................................................................... 19
3. PRODUCT CHOICES: ..................................................................................................... 20
4. EDUCATION ................................................................................................................... 21
B. FOR OUR COMMUNITY................................................................................................... 21
C. FOR OUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATES .............................................................................. 22
D. FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS ........................................................................................... 22
IV. THE ROLE OF PROFIT ....................................................................................................................................... 23
V. ORGANIZATION OF SUNDANCE ..................................................................................................................... 24
VI. THE SUNDANCE WAY ...................................................................................................................................... 26
A. INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS ................................................................ 26
B. ATTITUDE .......................................................................................................................... 27
C. COMMUNICATION ........................................................................................................... 27
D. GETTING THE JOB DONE ............................................................................................... 28
VII. BILL OF RIGHTS ............................................................................................................................................... 30
VIII. SYSTEMS AND RULES ................................................................................................................................... 31
A. BEGINNING EMPLOYMENT AT SUNDANCE.............................................................. 31
B. INITIAL INTRODUCTORY PERIOD ............................................................................... 31
C. CHANGING DEPARTMENTS AT SUNDANCE — NEW POSITION TRIAL PERIOD32
D. PERFORMANCE COMMENDATIONS............................................................................ 32
E. PROGRESSIVE CORRECTIVE ACTION ......................................................................... 33
1. PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS ....................................................................................... 34
2. BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS ................................................................................................ 34
MINOR BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS ..................................................................................... 34
MAJOR BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS ..................................................................................... 35
F. FORMAL ARBITRATION PROCEDURE ......................................................................... 35
G. LEAVING SUNDANCE ..................................................................................................... 36
LEAVING EMPLOYMENT ................................................................................................ 36
LEAVE OF ABSENCE ........................................................................................................ 36
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LEAVING DUE TO A LAY OFF ........................................................................................ 37
IX. WORK SCHEDULES ........................................................................................................................................... 38
A. WORK WEEK & PAY PERIOD ........................................................................................ 38
B. WORK SHIFT SCHEDULES ............................................................................................. 38
LABOR POOL...................................................................................................................... 38
C. ABSENCES DUE TO ILLNESS/EMERGENCIES ............................................................ 38
D. CHANGES IN SCHEDULE DUE TO PHYSICAL RESTRICTIONS .............................. 39
E. PRE-AUTHORIZATION NEEDED FOR WORK DONE OFF CAMPUS ........................ 39
F. SCHEDULING REQUESTS & VACATION SCHEDULING ........................................... 39
G. OVERTIME ......................................................................................................................... 39
H. PUNCTUALITY .................................................................................................................. 40
I. BREAKS ............................................................................................................................... 40
SCHEDULING BREAKS .................................................................................................... 40
HOUSE OF GRAY (HOG) .................................................................................................. 40
J. SMOKING ............................................................................................................................ 40
K. MEETINGS ......................................................................................................................... 41
L. SAFETY COMMITTEE SERVICE..................................................................................... 41
X. SUNDANCE PAY AND BENEFITS .................................................................................................................... 42
A. CASH WAGES .................................................................................................................... 42
1. Paid Work Breaks ............................................................................................................. 43
2. Administrative Leave Pay ................................................................................................. 43
3. Overtime Pay .................................................................................................................... 44
4. Vacation Pay ..................................................................................................................... 44
5. Winter Solstice Bonus....................................................................................................... 44
6. Health Pay, aka “Sick Pay” ............................................................................................... 44
7. Bereavement Pay and Leave ............................................................................................. 45
8. Holiday Overtime Pay....................................................................................................... 45
9. Holiday Time Off Pay....................................................................................................... 46
10. Birthday Pay.................................................................................................................... 46
11. Jury Duty Pay.................................................................................................................. 46
12. Alternative Transportation Credit ................................................................................... 47
13. Community Service Pay ................................................................................................. 47
14. Disaster Pay .................................................................................................................... 47
B. OTHER BENEFITS ............................................................................................................. 47
1. Purchase Discounts ........................................................................................................... 48
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2. Health Insurance ............................................................................................................... 49
3. Pay Advances and Charge Accounts ................................................................................ 50
4. Parental and Medical Leave .............................................................................................. 50
5. Diaper Service ................................................................................................................... 51
6. Leave of Absence .............................................................................................................. 51
7. Training and Education ..................................................................................................... 51
8. Computer, Copier, Fax Machine, and Printer Usage ........................................................ 51
9. Direct Deposit ................................................................................................................... 52
10. Monthly 25 Minute Massage .......................................................................................... 52
11. Free Distressed Produce after 8:30 PM .......................................................................... 52
12. Sundance Events ............................................................................................................. 52
13. Time off for Organ or Marrow donation......................................................................... 53
14. Other Staff Incentives ..................................................................................................... 53
15. Order of the Golden Carrot ............................................................................................. 53
XI. STAFF CONDUCT ............................................................................................................................................... 54
A. APPEARANCE ................................................................................................................... 54
B. PERSONAL HYGIENE ...................................................................................................... 54
C. BEHAVIOR MODELING ................................................................................................... 55
D. PERSONAL BUSINESS ..................................................................................................... 55
E. YOUR CELL PHONE ......................................................................................................... 55
F. NO PERSONAL MUSIC LISTENING DEVICES ............................................................. 55
G. CUSTOMERS TRUMP PHONE CALLS ........................................................................... 56
H. YOUR CHILDREN ............................................................................................................. 56
I. DOGS .................................................................................................................................... 56
J. DO NOT EAT IN THE PUBLIC RETAIL SPACE ............................................................. 56
K. RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING ON-THE-JOB INJURIES .................... 56
L. PARKING CARS AND BICYCLES ................................................................................... 59
M. SUPPLIES & MAINTENANCE REQUESTS ................................................................... 59
N. STAFF COMMUNICATION BOARD ............................................................................... 59
XII. CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICIES .................................................................................................................... 60
A. HOW MUCH SERVICE? .................................................................................................... 61
B. NEW CUSTOMERS ............................................................................................................ 62
C. IN-STORE BREAKAGE OF MERCHANDISE ................................................................. 63
D. MERCHANDISE RETURNS.............................................................................................. 63
E. WORKING WITH CHALLENGING CUSTOMERS ......................................................... 65
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F. PANHANDLERS/SHOPLIFTERS/CRAZY PEOPLE ....................................................... 66
G. CAMERAS .......................................................................................................................... 68
H. CHILDREN ......................................................................................................................... 68
I. DOGS & OTHER NON-HUMANS...................................................................................... 68
J. CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ............................................................................................... 69
K. FINDING A PRODUCT...................................................................................................... 71
L. OUT-OF-STOCKS ............................................................................................................... 71
M. SPECIAL ORDERS ............................................................................................................ 72
N. CUSTOMER REQUESTS AND COMMENTS ................................................................. 73
O. CLEANLINESS ................................................................................................................... 74
P. MUSIC .................................................................................................................................. 75
Q. ANSWERING PHONE AND PAGING IN STORE ........................................................... 75
R. REGISTER AREA ............................................................................................................... 77
S. OPENING & CLOSING ...................................................................................................... 77
T. DISCOUNTS GIVEN .......................................................................................................... 78
XIII. COMMUNITY RELATIONS ............................................................................................................................ 79
A. GIFTING OUR COMMUNITY .......................................................................................... 79
B. POSTERS, FLYERS, PETITIONERS & TABLERS .......................................................... 79
XIV. SAFETY AND SECURITY ............................................................................................................................... 80
A. SAFETY............................................................................................................................... 80
B. SECURITY .......................................................................................................................... 81
1. IN-STORE SECURITY .................................................................................................... 81
2. CUSTOMER SAFETY AND SECURITY ....................................................................... 81
C. EMERGENCIES .................................................................................................................. 83
XV. MAKING IT WORK ........................................................................................................................................... 83
Appendix A: Anger at Work........................................................................................................................................ 87
Appendix B: Expectations: their Origin and Manifestation ......................................................................................... 90
Appendix C: Emotional Intelligence - A Primer ......................................................................................................... 93
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About This Handbook
A. No Contractual Obligation
No contractual obligation are contained or implied in this handbook. Nothing contained
in or implied by this handbook creates or shall be deemed to create or constitute a
contractual obligation to staff on the part of Sundance Natural Foods, Inc. The policies,
procedures and guidelines contained in this manual are subject to change at any time, do
not confer any obligation on the part of Sundance, nor do they create or imply any right
of staff or potential staff to be employed by Sundance.
B. Oregon is an "employment at-will" state
Oregon is an "employment at will" state and employment at Sundance is "at-will." This
means that you may terminate your employment at any time. It also means that Sundance
can terminate your employment at any time, with or without notice or cause. While
Sundance generally adheres to progressive discipline, it is not bound or obligated to do
so. As an at-will employee, you are not guaranteed, in any manner, that you will be
employed for any set period of time.
C. Policy And Policy Changes
1. These personnel policies supersede any previous policies, including written
or oral policies, and any past practices.
2. The proprietor is the only person with authority to change, delete, or add
any policy.
3. This is not a contract. These are personnel policies and are subject to
change at any time at the proprietor’s discretion.
4. The two forums for changing policy are:
a) direct discussions with the Proprietor;
b) presenting a potential change in policy as an agenda item at a
manager's meeting. (Discuss the item with your supervisor, prior to
the manager’s meeting.)
When a proposed policy change is decided on it will, when possible, be posted 2 weeks
prior to its enactment to receive and review any comments or feedback about the
proposed change.
Copies of policy changes will be posted in all logbooks and on staff bulletin boards.
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I. Mission and Values
"Without a vision the people perish." Proverbs 29:18.
Sundance is a store with a mission. This mission was created at a time of crisis and dissension
at Sundance. In order to bring everyone together we were advised that we needed a common
purpose, a shared vision. So we held a meeting of the whole staff, moderated by the exceptional
counselor and facilitator, Vern Ho. After hours of lively discussion, the staff finally developed
our mission statement: “Individuals nourishing community, nourishing individuals.” Ever since
that day in 1985 Sundance has been inspired and guided by this circular, self-regenerating
phrase, which we use as a criteria for the products we sell, the way we work together. It is our
intention that we offer nourishing food and a nourishing social experience when people shop at
our store. It is our aspiration that we work together in a kind, care-full, harmonious, respectful
and nourishing way. “Individuals nourishing community nourishing individuals” has proved
durable, flexible and widely applicable. As it turns out, the staff had, in the circuitous and
contentious process of developing the mission statement, re-discovered, or re-articulated, the
most universal of moral precepts, commonly referred to as the Golden Rule. Versions of this
principle are found in virtually every culture and philosophy. Humanism calls it the "Ethic of
Reciprocity." The reciprocity of the community and the individual is essential in order to
maintain the fairness that sustains the cohesiveness and well-being of the group.
The responsibility of the individual staff member is to nourish Sundance by showing up for work
on time, by doing his or her job well, and by treating everyone with kindness.
The responsibility of Sundance as a community is to nourish the staff by paying as much as
possible, offering the best benefits possible and by providing a safe, equitable, harmonious and
well-equipped workplace and by respecting each person’s individuality. If either the community
or the individual fails to appropriately nourish the other then corrective action needs to take place
in order to restore balance in the system. This is the essence of the ethic of reciprocity.
The following visual representation of our mission statement expresses it’s essential reciprocity,
with the nourishing warmth and light of the Sun at the center, keeping the dance alive.
Individuals Nourishing Community Nourishing Individuals
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We are a group of individuals that respects and supports individuality while remaining united in
the common cause of providing nourishment to our community. This statement also implies our
commitment to a spirit of community - of living creatures caring for all of life. The community
of people is sustained by the health of the natural world that sustains us all. In fact, the planet is
part of our community and it is our intention to be as nourishing as possible in our interactions
with the environment.
It is intended to reflect our aspiration to provide a supportive, respectful and uplifting, i.e.,
nourishing, environment and compensation for the individuals who work here with the
understanding that Sundance, and the community which it serves, will be supported in turn.
Sundance is committed to providing opportunities for input from everyone at the store by
providing a variety of forums for input and by an open door policy that affords each of us the
opportunity to communicate with anyone in the store. We are enriched by the diversity of people
who together energize our community at Sundance.
It is vital that Sundance operate as a team - a group of people who collectively and individually
align wholeheartedly with our mission of nourishing community and with the policies and
organizational structures that support it. With a clear superstructure in place, we can more
effectively work towards a more healthful, egalitarian and care-full future for our community,
our planet and our individual selves. As we aspire to manifest our mission, the most important
thing to keep in mind is that each of us has the ability to emotionally nourish others and to be
emotionally nourished ourselves in doing so.
"We are wired to connect … Neuroscience has discovered that our brain’s very design makes it
sociable, inexorably drawn into an intimate brain-to-brain linkup whenever we engage with
another person. That neural bridge lets us affect the brain—and so the body—of everyone we
interact with, just as they do us." Daniel Goleman
Our emotions are CONTAGIOUS. Each new situation will "reset key aspects of our brain
function as they orchestrate our emotions" each time. Some interactions are toxic and some
are nourishing. It is our job at Sundance to be care-full to be nourishing in our personal
interactions and in the choice of products we sell. It is a great responsibility – to be taken
seriously and embraced joyfully. Nourishing others, even by simply smiling and being kind,
can be a genuine calling - it gives our individual lives meaning and nourishes us in turn.
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be
shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." ~ Buddha
II. HISTORY
Sundance Natural Foods opened in 1971. It occupied one-fifth of the building it presently
occupies and shared the space with, among other endeavors, a laundromat. At various times
Down to Earth, Book & Tea, a bike shop, and a florist also resided here. Bob Crolene and his
tireless, pregnant wife, Janice, created Sundance. Bob preferred the life of a hard-working small
natural grocer to working in Houston on the Apollo and Gemini space missions. Chuck Kesey
(co-owner of Springfield creamery) pulled up one day and offered them a giant refrigerator.
After they opened, a young woman named Judith, and Anthony, a young man who grew and
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delivered alfalfa sprouts, joined the team and eventually became co-owners. Bob writes that
“Another problematic issue, though I'm reluctant to admit it, was partying all day during store
hours, one big, happy, goofy, joking day at work, forget the discretion. Most of the customers
seemed in tune, but I'm sure it alienated others.”
In less than a year Bob and family decided to move on and sold the business to Tony. Anthony
and Judith owned Sundance until 1983, by which time it owned the building in which it was
housed and had grown to include a small restaurant, the Fountain of Juice, and a produce market,
Just Produce. Just Produce in earlier times also housed the nascent Organically Grown Cooperative (now OGC) - right on our own back dock. When Anthony ceded his interest to his then
ex-wife, Judith Osborn, in 1983, the building that housed Sundance was just days from being
foreclosed upon, and vendors had begun to refuse delivery of goods because Sundance could not
pay them. The staff was unpaid and dispirited. The store was dirty, the shelves were empty and
the health department was on the verge of closing down Sundance. At this time, Gavin
McComas and his father Gordon put their respective savings into the purchase of 40% of
Sundance. With that money and the tireless energy of dozens of dedicated people, Judith and
Gavin initiated a new era at Sundance. In October of 1985, Judith decided that it was time to try
something new. She sold her interest in Sundance to Gordon McComas. In 1997 Gavin
contracted with his father to purchase his father’s shares over an 18-year period.
In October of 1983, Sundance did about $2700 a day in sales. In October 2013 we averaged
around $17,486 in sales (not counting the wine department once housed in the food store’s west
end). In 1983 the store was not breaking even. It took over two years of hard work, borrowed
money, and commitment to excellence and fairness to reach the point where the store began to
earn more than it cost to be in business. In May of 1986, Oasis South (the building that now
houses Capella Market) opened four blocks away. For the next five months Sundance again
floundered below profitability. Our continued care for our store and our customers, our
dedication to nourishing community brought us out of this slump. In the last 25 years much more
competition has entered the Eugene natural foods market. We continue, in our modest way, to
thrive. This is due to our dedication to our ideals and the loyal support of our customers who
choose to patronize our store even though other stores may have greater selection, easier parking
and wider aisles. Our authentic caring maintains customer loyalty and the ongoing refinement of
our systems of operation helps keep us financially healthy.
In 1988, Gavin arranged for Gordon to purchase the building at 2470 Alder, which Sundance
planned to use to create a commercial kitchen to make food to sell at the store. When this proved
too difficult to execute, Sundance decided to open a Mercantile Annex in that location. After
extensive remodeling of the building this store opened on December 6, 1989. It sold books on
psychological/philosophical/spiritual topics, fabrics, gifts and meditation supplies. At that time,
the building at 2441 Hilyard became available to purchase, and Gavin decided to have Gordon
buy it in order to maintain possession of the warehouse so essential to our operation. We decided
to move our business office (then housed on the “back lip” and a small portion of the warehouse)
and the Mercantile to the new building and to move the rapidly growing wine department then
occupying the West End of the store to the 2470 Alder location. This allowed us to move
forward on remodeling the west end of Sundance to add a large walk-in produce cooler and a
display cooler, both of which had been planned for quite some time but had been stymied due to
lack of room. Sundance Wine Cellars opened at 2470 Alder (our current kitchen building, in
October 1990, and adjusted nicely to having three times as much room in its new location. In
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June of 2009 the wine shop moved a third time, into the building at 2441 Hilyard that had been
vacated when the Mercantile closed. The former wine shop location was then extensively
remodeled to accommodate a commercial kitchen, thus fulfilling the original vision for that
space.
In January of 1991, Sundance started a hot soup and cold salads bar. Sales at the salad bar went
from about $100 a day at the beginning, to about $800 a day in 1993. In April 1994, the deli
added a "hot bar" with hot entrees and roll-your-own burritos. Sales for the deli department
almost immediately doubled to over $1600/day. In the winter of 2002 the West End of the store
was remodeled, with the installation of retail doors in the storage cooler, a brand new salad bar, a
used display cooler and brick walls and new windows. In 2007 we once again remodeled the
west end, installing new wiring, plumbing, floors and equipment.
In 1993, Sundance started a farm on the property in Fall Creek where Gavin then lived. In 1993,
the farm produced fava beans and popcorn. In 1994, the farm built a greenhouse wherein flower
and vegetable starts were grown, along with salad greens and some ornamental crops. It ceased
operating in 1995.
In 1994, as a retirement project for Gavin’s father, the Mercantile, by then a clothing store,
expanded into a new location in Portland. The Portland operation closed in 1998 and the Eugene
branch closed in 1999. After not being able to find a tenant for the Mercantile space, it was reopened in September 2001 as a store featuring organic cotton and hemp clothing, gifts, books
and CDs. This operation eventually closed due to inadequate sales.
In 1997, Sundance had an opportunity to open a restaurant in the building (then owned by
Gavin’s father, now owned by Gavin’s brother) that now houses Taste of India. Sundance
extensively remodeled the building, bought lots of equipment, spent countless hours on recipe
development and opened Ceres Hearth Cafe in February. Despite some initial success, and some
good cooking, the challenges and exigencies of running a restaurant on top of running three other
businesses proved too much for the denizens of the good ship Sundance and the restaurant closed
the summer of the same year it opened.
Joyful dedication and commitment to nourishing our community will keep us growing as a
model of right and healthy livelihood in the years to come. Sundance has a spirit all of its own, a
spirit that has survived both internal challenges and hard times. We are all stewards of that spirit.
Philosophical Approach to Organizational Life
In order to more fully understand the precepts from which Sundance strives to operate, this
handbook contains philosophical and psychological material that may seem tangential to the
basic work at hand. It is included in the hope that each of us can benefit ourselves and the
community by becoming more aware, understanding and accepting individuals.
Just because millions of people seem to share the same forms of pathology
doesn’t mean that they are sane. - Eric Fromm
In the modern world the Golden Rule, which has been the essential ethic of communities
throughout the ages, has been re-interpreted. These days it seems to be that "Whoever has the
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gold makes the rules." Instead of understanding that in caring for each other we are all cared for,
we now tend to think that it’s “every person for themselves.” We think that acquiring personal
wealth will make us feel happy, secure and good about ourselves. Rather than a person’s
character, caring and contribution to the community being the measure of his or her success as a
human being, now it is monetary success that is the highest goal. Amassing vast sums of money
apparently makes those who attain it worthy to run the world, even at the expense of the well
being of other people and the planet. Darwin’s theory of evolution has been distorted to support
the idea that by virtue of being able to out-compete others, the wealthy and powerful deserve
what they have acquired. Rather than seeing them as destructive to the general well being of the
group, we now assume that the purpose of society is to facilitate the ability of individuals and
corporations to acquire as much as possible as easily as possible without regard to the
consequences for other people or the planet. We trust those who acquire wealth and power –
according to evolutionary theory, we think, they must be better people, and therefore deserve to
benefit at the expense of others. The wealthy are envied and admired, and most of us dream of
becoming one of them. In order to motivate people to maintain our consumer society, to make
and buy more and more of what we don’t need, advertising and popular culture have transformed
the anti-social character traits of greed and selfishness into admirable qualities. The belief in the
primary importance of the individual and in the virtues of self-reliance and personal
independence are cultural constructs that need to be deconstructed and re-aligned to be in
balance with the importance of nourishing the well-being of other people and the planet.
It is interesting to note that Darwin never used the term “survival of the fittest” (Herbert Spencer
did) - Darwin’s catch phrase was “natural selection.” Furthermore, while Spencer’s phrase (and
his version of evolution) grossly misrepresented Darwin’s views regarding human beings,
Spencers “dog-eat-dog” version of the theory of evolution is the way we usually think about it.
In The Descent of Man, Darwin actually writes, “Sympathy is our strongest instinct.” He
pointed out that since human offspring are among the most vulnerable in the mammalian world,
developing the care-giving part of our selves was critical to the survival of our species. And
secondly, in small groups of hunter-gatherers, social skills—particularly compassion—are
matters of life and death not only for the individual but also for the vitality and continuity of the
community itself.
Recently social anthropologists and evolutionary psychologists have shown that we homo
sapiens were successful as a species because of our superior ability to be co-operative, nurturing
and compassionate. Some have called it the "survival of the kindest."
Recent scientific research into the psychology and sociology of empathy and altruism, along
with the study of the neurobiology of compassion, is confirming Darwin's observation that
“sympathy is our strongest instinct.”
The misattribution of the seminal phrase “survival of the fittest,”– and the idea behind it to
Darwin, and its subsequent enshrinement by many as scientific support for individual greed and
selfishness, is an example of how a basic value of our culture can actually be opposed to the
universal well being, the “common good.” Social norms tend to become enshrined as that which
is universally true. So we need to constantly question the assumptions on which we base our
values and our behavior.
“As human beings continue to be reshaped by consumer culture into restless, dissatisfied, and
all-desiring economic pawns, greed is being redefined as a virtue and a legitimate guiding
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principle for economic prosperity and general happiness. In the process, it is steadily eating away
at the cornerstones of civilized society and undermining the visions, values and collective
aspirations that made us strong.” - John F. Schumaker
In The Self in a Consumer Society the sociologist Zygmunt Bauman writes that greed itself is
changing in order to better serve consumer capitalism. Desire no longer desires satisfaction. In
the modern age, ‘desire desires desire’, which is the basis for our new ‘constant greed’.
Research shows that we have come to see ourselves as incorrigibly greedy by nature. According
to one survey, nearly 90 per cent of people agree with the statement ‘Humans always want more,
it is part of human nature.’ In fact, a society’s culture determines how we understand greed and
how we value it, the extent to which our propensity for greed is activated or suppressed.
Julian Edney writes that "Greed demolishes equity, simply you cannot have unrestrained
greed and equity." What about workers rights, local environments and communities? Our greed
is beginning to overwhelm conscience, reason, compassion, love, family bonds and community –
the pervasive levels of greed are causing clinical depression and despair as people feel more and
more alienated from any sense of peace or well-being. A significant aspect of manifesting a
nourishing culture at Sundance is to work at operating outside of the vicious circle of greed –
acknowledging that while we need to make a profit so we can buy new equipment, make
improvements on our buildings, service our loans and give bonuses, it is equally important to
look for satisfaction in working together, in positively impacting customers and in the enjoyment
of our daily lives.
The philosophy of Sundance has been greatly influenced by the counterculture’s profound reexamination of the precepts of our acquisitive, image-preoccupied, consumer society. The
consequential quest for alternatives to its hierarchical divisiveness and destructiveness is intrinsic
to our philosophy. A healthier, more natural approach to living together on this planet
incorporates universal spiritual traditions, ecology, archetypal and humanistic psychology,
modern physics, feminism and existential philosophy.
Key to Sundance’s approach to business is a reverence for the earth, from which we
ultimately gain all our sustenance. In reaction to the corporate farming model, which treats the
land like a factory and thinks only of the costs of inputs and the price of outputs, we want to
cultivate relationships in which we see the earth as a living entity - we seek to help restore the
health of the land as well as providing nutritious, unpolluted foods to genuinely nourish our
bodies. To this end, we support organic agriculture and food production, and eschew practices
that destroy the topsoil and pollute the air, land and water with toxic by-products. We feel this to
be critical to the long-term survival of our planet.
The counter culture sought to “return to nature” through more natural ways of taking care of
ourselves, each other, and our planet. Increased interest in small, local organic farms, whole
foods, local food processors, natural foods stores and alternative means of distribution grew out
of this desire to become more grounded in the natural world and more conscientious in our
dealings with one another. The interest in practices that increase mindfulness grew out of our
desire to peel back the layers of negative socialization to uncover a more natural self. This
potentially revolutionary de-construction of modern Western society’s assumptions and the
concurrent quest for a more conscientious approach to life challenges both our understanding of
who we are and what life is all about.
In order to develop more conscious ways of living, we need to continually examine ourselves
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and question our assumptions. Such ‘existential givens’ (basic realities) as ambiguity,
uncertainty, and imperfection in both individuals and organizations are immutable facts of life.
We tend to resist these realities since they increase our sense of insecurity. However, each of us
has the ability to become more conscious and to act more conscientiously. We are response-able
for getting to know ourselves, for learning how to interact with other people and for figuring out
how best to live on this planet. The basic precept of Existential philosophy, as expressed in the
work of Martin Heidegger, is that we care about making the most of our possibilities during our
short life here. “Care” is an alternative to the “technological” attitude that sees everything
(including people) as separate entities to exploit and consume – as means to the end of acquiring
wealth and power, among other things.
Care recognizes the interconnectedness of each and every thing and thus the necessity of
acknowledging and respecting our relationship to those other parts of “us” that we usually take
to be separate objects simply to be used. To be an authentic person or organization necessitates
that we become aware of ourselves as responsible for creating our lives and choosing how we
affect others and the world. To become more fully realized humans – real people – we need to
learn to care for ourselves and everything else in the world. We need to undo the brainwashing of
consumer society that requires that we crave things so that we will want to buy stuff we don’t
need with a blind eye to the harm we do in the process. We need to care for our individual selves,
each other, our communities and our ecosystems. This caring is the nourishment which is at the
heart of our mission of being “Individuals nourishing community nourishing individuals.”
Manifesting our Mission
Potentials of participation in providing positive provisions and potions
peacefully, productively and playfully
Consciousness can regard any job as a potential for self-expression, for play, for creativity, for the
furthering of social objectives, and it can arrange the factors in the job so that they form a means of
self-expression. ~ Charles Reich, The Greening of America
Back in the 60’s and 70’s, what we now call traditional natural food stores and co-ops grew
out of idealistic principles of what constitutes “right livelihood.” The belief in the promise of a
healthier world based on organic, whole, local, bulk foods and produce is also reflected in
environmental and social philosophies and in the way of doing business. It is this sense of
purpose, our mission, which inspires and guides us. We aspire to be “individuals nourishing
community nourishing individuals.” We are a “mission driven” company, as opposed to
companies that are “market driven.” Market driven businesses are primarily concerned with
finding or creating needs or desires that will generate the most money for the
owners/stockholders. Impact on the planet, how workers are treated, the effects of their products
and advertising on consumers are all decidedly secondary to maximizing profits. Sundance’s
mission -“Individuals nourishing community nourishing individuals” - implies that we can
practice right livelihood by being nurturing in how we relate to others as well as in how we
choose the foods we sell. We also believe that we can practice our ideals, “walk our talk,” while
at the same time being an effective and reasonably efficient business; we can sustain reciprocal
accountability while maintaining a positive, playful, empowered workplace where employees are
treated fairly and compensated as well as possible.
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So Sundance is idealistic in intention, and we strive to fulfill our ideals even as we work
through the process of dealing with our imperfections, blind spots, misapprehensions,
mistakes and oversights. We are a company always in the process of discovering, adjusting,
correcting and fulfilling itself.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts; the part is greater than its role in the whole.
~ Tom Atlee
III. WHAT SUNDANCE PROVIDES THE
COMMUNITY
Individuals Nourishing Community Nourishing Individuals
Communication leads to community – that is, to understanding, intimacy, and mutual valuing. –
Rollo May
We work towards our vision of community by being here now in the following ways:
A. FOR OUR CUSTOMERS
1. CUSTOMER SERVICE
is the most direct and powerful way we impact customers. Customer service is any interaction
between a staff member and a customer. We want each contact with a customer to demonstrate
that we genuinely care about their satisfaction. Sensitive and responsive customer service is
always our top priority. Service is a conscious expression of our interconnectedness, our kinship
with everyone - being kind, caring, and compassionate is the natural (though not always the
easy) thing to do.
2. CLEANLINESS/AMBIANCE
encompasses the environment we create in the store. Our design, choice of materials, and how
we display our products all play a part. Cleanliness is essential in a grocery store. It is imperative
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that each of us pays attention to cleanliness. It is a sign of our respect for the food we sell, the
customers we serve and the space we inhabit that we keep the store clean. We want our store to
be clean, cozy, inviting, intriguing, comforting, and stimulating. We want to communicate with
our customers in a manner that is honest, informative, and engaging. We try to create a homey,
non-judgmental atmosphere. We want to make shopping at Sundance an uplifting experience.
3. PRODUCT CHOICES:
Sundance Natural Foods is a traditional natural food store specializing in: unprocessed or
minimally processed foods, organic foods, non-gmo foods, organic, wild-crafted and locally
grown produce, conscientiously produced nutritional supplements, cruelty-free body care
products, minimally packaged and transported natural foods, gluten-free foods, macrobiotic
foods, and other ethnic cuisines, low salt and salt-free foods, fine wines and beers, imported and
domestic cheeses, desserts, indulgences, “drugs” (coffee, chocolate, alcohol, ginseng, kava kava,
sweet treats, etc.) All of the dishes we serve for the soup, salad, hot bar and grab and go case are
“organic” – meaning at least 95% of the ingredients in each dish are organically grown.
Sundance customers come into our store in large measure because they trust us to act as
“gatekeepers,” applying special criteria to each product that we carry. Insofar as it is possible, we
intend to provide wholesome, organic, fair trade, locally made products. If any staff member has
opinions concerning what we should or shouldn’t carry, please share them with the grocery
manager, or the Proprietor.
Back to Basics
2000 B.C. - Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. - That root is pagan. Here, say this prayer.
1800 A.D. - That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
1900 A.D. - That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
2000 A.D. - That pill is artificial. Here, eat this root ~ Unknown
We use these general guidelines in selecting our products:
a. Health: We endeavor to provide healthy alternatives to the fare found at the average American
grocery store.
b. Ahimsa1: We try to select products on the basis of their harmlessness. For instance: Products
with Organic and non-GMO ingredients over commercial ones so as to not contribute to toxic
degradation of the environment or our bodies; Fair Trade, that is those products from
organizations that pay livable wages to workers and/or are not engaged in unscrupulous or
immoral activities; products using reusable or recyclable materials.
c. Bioregionalism: We give preference to products from local farms and businesses in order to
support our community and to minimize our carbon footprint. Whenever possible we select the
products of small businesses over those of large ones.
1
noun, (in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain tradition) the principle of nonviolence toward all living
things. ORIGIN Sanskrit, from a ‘non-, without’ + hiṃsā ‘violence.
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4. EDUCATION
Sundance offers materials and personal assistance to help educate and inspire our customers on
food, nutrition and food politics as well as on ecological and other related topics. Our
foodservice demonstrates that organic, vegan, whole foods can be interesting, delicious and
satisfying.
Sundance maintains a web site, sundancenaturalfoods.com, with information about natural foods,
as well as information about our store. As well, Sundance has a Facebook fan page where we
post current news and store events. Feel free to make suggestions for items you think should be
part of our web site or Facebook presence (or this handbook). Sundance is a member of
Provender Alliance (provender.org), an educational organization dedicated to education people
in the natural foods industry and movement about the products and the politics of our business.
We are members of the Natural Products Association, an organization that provides educational
opportunities and defends our right to buy and sell natural, organic, non-gmo foods and
supplements by lobbying state and national politicians. We are also members of the Willamette
Valley Sustainable Food Alliance, the Willamette Food and Farm Coalition, and the Independent
Natural Foods Retailers Association.
B. FOR OUR COMMUNITY
Sundance makes considerable contributions of money and products to many worthwhile causes.
We are committed to making a positive, socially conscious impact on our community. We care
about our community and appreciate the many ways we can serve and interact with those who
cross our path.
Donations are to local groups with 20% or less administrative costs. Since the I.R.S. only allows
business to contribute up to 10% of their net profits, we help local causes by purchasing
advertising from them.
We also serve our community directly by promoting the positive action and interaction of our
customers. The availability of bulletin board space outside the store, the Customer
Input/Sundance Response board, and informational tables at various community events,
providing opportunities for appropriate groups to petition outside our store are examples of how
Sundance promotes community activity. In order to assure that they don’t violate our mission of
being a nourishing store, any materials presented for posting or distributing within the store need
to be cleared with General Manager, or Front End Manager.
Sundance participates in a school scrip program administered through Unique Eugene, who
offers a 10% discount on their gift certificates, half of which is paid by Sundance. (This results in
5% of the sales of these certificates being donated by Sundance to the schools.) Sundance
donates food to community organizations. Sundance also provides discounts on vitamins (with a
discount card) to people of modest means with chronic or life threatening ailments. Sundance
encourages adequate pre-natal nutrition through a pregnancy discount card, and helps to support
seniors living on limited means through a longevity rewards card.
Sundance believes that the health of our community stems in part from the health of local
businesses, with their ability to provide jobs locally, to keep our money circulating in our
community, to support local initiatives, and to enhance the sustainability of Eugene’s economy
and natural resources. In order to help support local business, Sundance belongs to Unique
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Eugene, a group of local businesses that support each other and encourage our community to act
and buy locally. Sundance also participates in other efforts to maintain and enhance Eugene’s
economy and natural resources, including meetings with other local businesses and city, county
and state representatives. Our proprietor was a member of the Mayor’s Taskforce for Sustainable
Business advisory committee. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Natural Products
Association Northwest, and, on the board of the Provender Alliance. Various staff have served
on the Board of the Willamette Valley Sustainable Food Alliance.
C. FOR OUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATES
We apply the golden rule to each transaction. We treat all companies and individuals with whom
we do business with the respect and honesty that we expect in return. For example, if a supplier
undercharges us on something, we inform them of their error. In this way, when the time comes
for the supplier to take our word on a credit, we would hope that there would be no question of
our honesty and integrity.
D. FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS
Sundance tries to remain aware of the needs and concerns of all who work here. We believe that
the health and prosperity of our store is dependent upon the satisfaction all of us derive from our
work. This means paying as well as possible, (including benefits which are often unavailable
from small businesses), providing a stimulating social environment, a bill of rights, grievance
and mediation procedures, and opportunities for staff achievement and growth. We respect the
individuality of each of our staff members and try to work through any problems that arise. We
work at being understanding, tolerant, and supportive of each other while still protecting the
wellbeing of Sundance. We are “individuals nourishing community nourishing individuals.”
The unexamined life is not worth living. The unlived life is not worth
examining.
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who
could not hear the music. - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
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IV. THE ROLE OF PROFIT
Like organic farmers, responsible businesses must put more back into the system than they take
out. An organic farmer plows back part of what is produced as compost. Responsible businesses
plow back part of what they produce through reinvestment of profits. Failure to reinvest will
deplete and eventually destroy a farm or a business.
At Sundance, we are committed to earning and plowing back profits in order to build a system
that enhances the lives of our customers, our staff, and community. In reality, all profits earned
by Sundance are reinvested back into the business in the forms of increased wages and benefits,
yearly profit-based bonuses, new equipment and fixtures and various improvement projects.
Examples of this re-investment in 2012 (primarily in the form of loans) are the bulk nut
butter/sweetener fixture, the new kitchen and the remodeled warehouse.
“Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual
income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.” ~ Charles
Dickens David Copperfield
At Sundance, we practice share our financial information with employees, a business philosophy
based on the idea that employees will work more effectively and wholeheartedly for the
betterment of the organization if they understand how the business is run, have an opportunity to
give input and have a stake in the outcome.
Detailed financial information is provided to managers at weekly, monthly and quarterly
meetings, and at our annual general meeting we present the entire staff a simplified, but no less
accurate and telling picture of what happens to the money at Sundance. Usually our financial
picture looks pretty much like the graph below. 64 cents of each dollar that comes into the
Sundance cash registers go directly to pay for the goods we sell. 23 cents of each dollar go to pay
2014 Sundance Grocery Dollar
12.3%
0.6%
Cost Of Goods
Payroll
Operating Expenses
23.4%
Net Profit
63.6%
the staff. 12 cents of every dollar goes to paying rent, utilities, credit card fees, advertising
expenses, supplies and so forth. Some years Sundance makes a profit, which is then reinvested in
the business. We also offer a year-end bonus, based on the profitability of the store that year.
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V. ORGANIZATION OF SUNDANCE
Sundance, an Oregon corporation, currently runs two businesses and manages six pieces of
property, all on the block between Hilyard and Alder, 24th and 25th.
Sundance is owned by Paul Gavin McComas, commonly known as Gavin McComas. Gavin is
president of the corporation, and the Proprietor and General Manager (GM). Gavin is
ultimately responsible for all aspects of the business, organizing, staffing and monitoring the
health of the business. He is responsible for allocating resources and planning. Gavin maintains
an open door policy – anyone may ask questions or raise concerns on any topic whatever.
Gavin guides Sundance’s businesses in accord with store policies and his vision for the store. He
is in charge of hiring and supervising all staff, is responsible for the physical plant, equipment
and operations, and is also in charge of the office staff.
The Bookkeeper is responsible for generating financial reports and making sure all bills and
taxes are paid in a timely manner. The bookkeeper also administers the health and dental
insurance plans.
Sundance has an Information Technology Systems Guy whose job it is to keep the networks,
computers, phones and other communications equipment doing their appointed tasks, and due to
his long tenure, provides history and a sense of continuity about the natural foods business and
movement. The IT Guy also consults on written communications , for instance policy revisions.
The IT Guy also coaches staff on the use of computers and electronics and develops tools,
systems and applications to help account for and facilitate business activities.
The Physical Plant Manager is responsible for the maintenance and repair of all Sundance
buildings, grounds and equipment. All maintenance and remodeling requests need to be
processed through the General Manager in order to be prioritized, and so that we can ensure
involvement from all staff that may be affected by changes. All such requests need to be made by
email so that a written record may be maintained.
The GM, Bookkeeper, IT Guy, and Physical Plant Manager are corporate employees and work
for the corporation in all of its businesses and buildings. The jobs described below work in a
specific Sundance building.
The Grocery Manager is responsible for selecting grocery products (except produce, cheese,
supplements and bodycare, beer and deli departments), interfacing with distributors, brokers, &
manufacturers on promotions and deals, coordinating demos, making signs, maintaining
displays, making sure the product is on the shelves for the customer, coordinating ad campaigns,
maximizing sales, and maintaining product standards, and is also responsible for serving
customers, including customer inputs and special orders, and also supervises warehouse staff.
The Produce Manager is responsible for the ordering and display of produce and for the
screening, hiring, scheduling, training and supervising the produce staff, and also coordinates
two annual tasting events in front of the store.
The Supplements and Body Care Manager is responsible for the ordering and display of
supplements, herbs, bodycare, and books, and does the hiring, scheduling, training and
supervising of her staff.
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The Kitchen Manager is responsible for the operation of the kitchen, and the hiring, training
and supervision of the kitchen staff. The Kitchen Manager is also responsible for recipe
development and the overall kitchen program. The Kitchen Manager is also in charge of Food
Service, which means she is responsible for the operation of the deli, for staffing and
merchandising the cheese department, including the hiring, training and supervision of deli and
cheese staff.
The Front End Manager is responsible for hiring, scheduling, training and supervising the
cashier staff, and provides management presence on the weekends. The FEM makes sure the
store is properly staffed, clean and functional, and meets with other managers to coordinate
schedules and procedures. . The FEM also coordinates special events like the Solstice Party and
Raft trip and the Eugene Celebration Parade.
The Wine Cellars Manager supervises the wine shop operation.
These managers meet regularly with the Proprietor/General Manager to discuss management
issues. Any staff person may put an agenda item on the management meeting agenda or request
to attend the management meeting to discuss any issue.
Other key corporate staff:
The POS Database Administrator maintains the database that is used throughout the stores to
sell goods to customers, and coordinates price changes, locations, sales, and new items, and
works closely with department managers in these areas
The Ad and Promotions Coordinator works with department managers and the proprietor to
generate signs, print ads, newsletters, social media, email campaigns, web presence and in-store
promotions, and works closely with the proprietor and department managers, and also orders and
distributes office and store supplies.
The Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivables and Payroll Administrator collects, enters and
pays our vendors, with all accompanying follow-up, and also collects, enters and processes
payroll information and prints our paychecks, and does all the work that accompanies that
process. AP/AR/Payroll also keeps track of the funds that come to Sundance, and delivers the
physical receipts to the bank, and works with the Front End Manager to keep track of cash
reconciliation, enters sales and reconciliation information into spreadsheets
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VI. THE SUNDANCE WAY
Six essential qualities that are the key to success: Sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy,
wisdom, charity. ~ William Menninger
Nourishing the community, as Sundance is committed to doing, can be exciting and rewarding
for all involved. It also requires a high level of individual engagement.
The expectations that apply to staff members at Sundance, regardless of their specific jobs, fall
into four categories:
1) Alignment with Sundance’s store’s mission and culture (see Chapters I, III, VI)
2) Adherence to specific systems and rules (see Chapter VIII, IX, X, XI).
3) Excellence in customer service (see Chapter XII, XIII).
4) Effectiveness as an individual and as a team member (see the following):
A. INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
To be effective individually and as a team member, Sundance expects each staff member to
provide intelligent, enthusiastic, cooperative, and productive work.
We are part of this team by conscious choice. We attempt to understand Sundance’s goals and
objectives and strive to achieve them. We work at aligning ourselves with the Sundance Mission:
Individuals Nourishing Community Nourishing Individuals.
We see work as an opportunity for self-expression, personal growth and service. We derive
satisfaction from doing our jobs well and from knowing we are having a positive effect in the
world.
We treat others, their ideas, perceptions and limitations, with dignity and respect.
We apply our intelligence to our work. We are always seeking new knowledge about products,
procedures and people in order to improve the quality of our work.
We focus on producing results, not putting in time. We are conscious of the value of time and
our responsibility to spend it effectively. We don’t just stay busy, we stay effective.
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We follow through on our commitments.
B. ATTITUDE
We shall not cease from exploring,
And the end of our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
~ T.S. Eliot
We work with an ever-present spirit of interdependence among the individuals and departments
of the store. We help each other. We all pick up trash off the floor, put things back where they
belong, help meet customer’s needs in any department either directly or by referring them to
another source, front shelves in any department when it is needed, etc. We are a team.
We support and foster a positive, constructive, creative, growth-oriented attitude in others and
ourselves.
We accept change as natural and welcome the opportunity for the growth it brings.
We think of “problems” as “challenges” and enthusiastically accept personal responsibility for
improvement.
We remember the value of humor and joyousness; we are serious about what we do without
being solemn. (We take our work seriously, not ourselves. We can be playful and proficient.)
C. COMMUNICATION
We all contribute to the flow of information that enables us to work efficiently as a team. Some
basic ways by which we ensure that communication is open and effective are:
We check our mailboxes, read the logbooks, check the bulletin board on the lip, the schedule,
and other posted information sources.
We attend meetings.
We pass on information such as customer suggestions/complaints, supply needs, or equipment
problems to the appropriate person.
We don’t allow conflicts to fester. We either resolve them directly and privately with the
individual(s) involved or seek the help of the appropriate supervisor. If this approach doesn’t
produce an adequate resolution, we refer the issue to the Proprietor/General Manager, who
operates with an open door policy and who may elect to submit the conflict to arbitration.
We agree to give each other constructive critical feedback in a timely fashion & not allow
resentment to accumulate.
We make any criticisms of fellow staff members constructive. We give these criticisms in private
and don’t share them with uninvolved others. Criticizing people behind their backs is the
opposite of nourishing community.
We never use the logbooks to vent a personal grievance or a general grievance against the store.
Use appropriate channels to express your grievances.
If it is not possible to communicate in person, we write clear and careful prose, making
absolutely sure to sign it and date it. It is always best to give feedback in person.
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D. GETTING THE JOB DONE
"When work becomes play, and play becomes your work, your life unfolds."
~ Robert Frost
At Sundance there won’t be someone standing over you every minute of the day making sure
you are “getting the job done right.” On the other hand, providing good service to our customers
and being able to increase wages and benefits is dependent upon an efficient, productive staff.
Maintaining a collaborative approach to running our business also requires that staff members
take initiative and become actively involved in problem solving. Sundance’s success is the result
of many people taking responsibility for their work and using their skills and creativity to the
benefit of the store, the staff and the community. We expect and encourage you to become a
productive part of our work force. Following are some ideas that can help you achieve this:
1) Be on time and ready for work. It's your job to come to work in good health and in a
good frame of mind. You are being paid to work. Staying out until 4 am and coming
to work at 6 am is not healthy, helpful or fun for your co-workers. Please come to
work clean smelling (No patchouli or other strong scents such as tobacco) and tidy
looking (no torn or dirty clothes).
2) Think through your workday. Take care of the most important work first.
3) See yourself as part of a team, recognizing that your efforts will contribute to or
hinder the work of your teammates.
4) Learn all you can about Sundance’s operations. Make your workday a learning
experience so you can be better informed when responding to customers’ questions. Read
meeting minutes and the store logbook daily before your shift starts. Bring yourself up to date by
reading all entries since your last shift.
5) Learn from the successes and mistakes of yourself and others.
6) Ask yourself, “How can I do it better?” Strive for excellence.
7) Use meetings and conversations with fellow staff members as opportunities for
creative problem solving.
8) Develop a comfortable but efficient work speed that can accommodate both the
shoppers’ and fellow staff members’ needs.
9) Contribute your ideas and knowledge for department and storewide problem solving.
10) When you refer a customer or fellow staff member to another person to answer a
question, stick around to hear the response. Use this as an opportunity to broaden your
knowledge.
11) Get in the habit of being aware of how you are working. Are you taking more steps or
making more moves than you need to get the job done?
12) Always use the proper tools in the safest manner possible.
13) Feel free to give and to receive constructive criticism from fellow staff members. We
work as a team and need to support each other with both positive and critical feedback.
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14) Find tangible ways to give encouragement to your co-workers every day.
15) Within store guidelines, and remembering the Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you
would have others do unto you.”), use your best judgment at all times. Or, better yet, use the
Platinum Rule: “Do unto others as they would like done unto them.” (You may need to use
intuition and compassion to follow this rule.)
”When I dream alone, it is just a dream. When we dream together, it is the beginning of reality.
When we work together, following our dream, it is the Creation of Heaven on Earth
~ Adapted Brazilian Proverb
"I have no time to sharpen my ax"
The Mullah was using a dull ax in his attempt to cut down a huge oak tree. A friend was passing
by and saw that the Mullah was making no progress at all. At this rate it would take him years to
chop the mighty tree down. He said, "Mullah, why don't you sharpen your axe?" The Mullah
replied, "I can't afford the time. Must cut this tree by tomorrow."
That's Not My Job!
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was
Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody
wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have
done.
“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your
actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it
becomes your destiny.”
― Lao Tzu
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VII. BILL OF RIGHTS
May all sentient beings be happy, healthy and at peace.
Sundance gives equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race,
color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or veteran status or national
origin. Physical and mental handicaps will be considered only as they relate to bona fide job
requirements.
This is a list of the most important rights each person who works at Sundance is entitled to:
1. The right to be treated equally regardless of race, sex, affectional preference, gender identity,
age, religion, beliefs, physical or mental handicap.
2. The right to privacy in one’s personal life, without fear of criticism or punishment from fellow
staff members or management.
3. The right not to be sexually harassed by fellow staff members, management, vendors, or
customers. No staff member shall be subject to unwelcome verbal or physical advances, or any
other on-the-job conduct that could be interpreted as sexual harassment. A staff member who
believes that he or she has been subjected to such harassment or that another staff member has
obtained more favorable treatment due to such discriminatory behavior should notify the
Proprietor/General Manager of the situation.
4. The right of access to personnel information about oneself. (You must arrange an appointment
with the Proprietor/General Manager.)
5. The right to communicate in person with anyone within the organization.
6. The right to petition management about changing or adding policy.
7. The right to make suggestions and receive replies to suggestions made.
If you have a problem or complaint about your work conditions, tell your immediate supervisor.
If you get no response then speak with the General Manager/Proprietor. Management is
responsible for acting to solve problems and will respond to a problem in as short a time as
possible.
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VIII. SYSTEMS AND RULES
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
~ Leo Tolstoy
This section of the manual explains to you the basic systems and rules Sundance has developed
to coordinate work and maintain a positive environment.
A. BEGINNING EMPLOYMENT AT SUNDANCE
Freedom means choosing your burden. ~ Hephzibah Munuhin
As a new staff member, your department supervisor will act as a guide and performance
reviewer. He or she will give you your departmental handbook and/or job description as a guide.
Your supervisor (or the payroll administrator) will give you a departmental tour sheet with the
names of the supervisors and managers who will introduce you to other areas of the store. Your
supervisor will show you around campus, and introduce you to these supervisors and managers.
Take this opportunity to schedule your tour of their departments with these managers.
During your sign-up with the payroll administrator, you will be given a staff handbook, a
handbook quiz (and a tour guide sheet). Before the end of your first full pay period, you are
expected to read the handbook, and take your tours of the other departments. Each supervisor
will sign your tour sheet upon completion of that tour. Be sure to clock in for your tours.
When you have completed the tours, and taken the handbook quiz, sign the back of the tour form
acknowledging that you have read and understood the handbook and that you will both abide to
the rules outlined therein. Have your direct supervisor sign it as well. Then turn these forms in to
the payroll administrator so they can issue you your first paycheck.
Depending on your position at our store, you may be issued two staff aprons or vests. It is your
responsibility to a) wear this clothing as your outside layer while on the floor while on the clock
and b) to make sure that this apron or vest is maintained in a clean and neat condition. When
beginning employment you will be asked to sign a form stating that the aprons or vests will be
returned upon departure from employment or you may be charged for the replacement of these
items.
Depending on your position, you may be issued keys or key codes to various doors and locks at
Sundance. It is your responsibility to a) keep these keys safe and secure, b) make sure to bring
them to work, c) make sure that no copies are ever made of any store keys, and d) relinquish any
keys issued to you whenever asked to by your supervisor or the General Manager.
B. INITIAL INTRODUCTORY PERIOD
The introductory period is 2 months for all staff. Your supervisor may extend this introductory
period. During this introductory period, Sundance may end your employment at any time without
extensive corrective efforts.
During this introductory period, all new staff must complete the ART (Academy of Retail
Training) modules assigned by their supervisor. At the end of the introductory period, you will
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also be given a performance evaluation. If you have demonstrated satisfactory job performance,
and completed the ART modules, you will be considered a regular staff member. You will
receive your staff t-shirt from your supervisor at this time as well.
After your trial period has ended, any performance or behavior issues will be approached using
the guidelines stated below in the sections on Performance Problems and Behavior Problems.
C. CHANGING DEPARTMENTS AT SUNDANCE — NEW
POSITION TRIAL PERIOD
While there are frequent opportunities at Sundance to take on more responsibilities, or to change
jobs altogether, you are hired with the expectation that you will stay in your initial job for at least
one year. After six months at Sundance, you may start to train and take on shifts in another
department. However, you need to keep at least two shifts in your original department for your
entire first year.
New positions will be posted on the employee information boards. If you are interested in a
posted position, inform your immediate supervisor, and then follow the instructions as listed on
the posting on how to apply for the new position. The head of your current department must meet
with the supervisor of the department you are interested in to discuss your work and the potential
impact for each department. Either supervisor can veto the idea at this stage. If they both approve
the potential change, they then talk to the General Manager. If the General Manager approves,
then a regular interview may be conducted to determine your suitability for the new position. If
you do take on the new position, your supervisor must immediately inform the payroll clerk of
the addition or change.
From time to time an emergency situation arises wherein help is needed immediately. When this
happens, it may be necessary to get someone to help before or concurrently with the posting of
the position. In this case, the temporary hire would be subject to a more formal hiring process,
which may involve other applicants from the store.
Because the new job or added responsibilities sometimes prove to be an ill fit for you, Sundance
has designed a trial period to be attached to any promotions or job changes, in which, either you
or your supervisor can, on an informal and “no-fault” basis, decide that the match is
inappropriate. If either of you decide that, you will return, if possible, to your exact prior position
or, if circumstances have changed, to a comparable one.
The new position trial period is two months. At the end of two months a formal review will be
held at which you and your supervisor will decide whether it is appropriate for you to continue in
the new position. Your trial period may be extended if deemed necessary by your supervisor.
Any difference in pay that is associated with your new position only becomes effective after the
formal review and evaluation for the new position, when you have gained sufficient proficiency
and knowledge associated with the new department.
D. PERFORMANCE COMMENDATIONS
When you excel at your job beyond expectations or you do something above and beyond the call
of duty, your supervisor may fill out a commendation form. They will make one copy for you
and another for your employee file. Job performance that meets Sundance’s high standards will
result in issuance of scheduled tenure track raises. Any staff member may recommend another
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staff member for a commendation. Check with your supervisor when you feel a fellow staff
member deserves special recognition.
E. PROGRESSIVE CORRECTIVE ACTION
Progressive corrective action for behavior and performance problems involves a process
designed to identify and correct performance problems and behaviors that adversely affect or
interfere with the performance of one’s self, others or the mission of Sundance.
The Progressive Corrective Action Process refers to the following possible steps:
Step 1: Counseling and/or Verbal Warning
Step 2: Written Warning
Step 3: Suspension
Step 4: Dismissal.
Depending on the situation, any step may be repeated, omitted, or taken out of sequence.
Each case is considered on an individual basis.
Supervisors will seek advice and consent from the Proprietor/General Manager in commencing
progressive corrective action.
1. Verbal Warning: Any verbal exchange between you and your supervisor or any Sundance
manager that concerns your behavior or performance while at work is considered a verbal
warning. Managers may add a note to your personnel file noting that they discussed a particular
issue with you.
2. Written Warning with Explicit Consequences The written warning is: a formal description
of a behavior or performance situation that becomes part of your permanent personnel file. You
are given a copy of this warning. The sample form below:
Behavior &/or Performance Review
Today’s Date:
Dear (staff person),
The following behaviors need to change and/or the following aspects of your work performance
need to improve, as follows: (what happened, facts, etc.)
(refer to section in the staff handbook)
The consequences if there is no improvement will be any of the following:
a. full or partial denial of pay raises.
b. change of work schedule, possibly including loss of shifts.
c. termination.
You have seen, read, and understand what this document says.
__________________________________________________
Employee signature
Supervisor signature
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Proprietor/General Manager signature
It includes delineation of condition of employment after behavior or performance issues that
have been identified, and corrective goals that have been defined. Staff member is given a
specific amount of time to either show appropriate improvement, and in order to be reinstated as
an employee in good standing, or be dismissed.
3. Suspension: temporary loss of shifts and hours to allow time for staff and managers to assess
a situation, behavior or performance. Suspension is generally without pay, and may be a
preamble to dismissal or reinstatement.
4. Dismissal: After the any or all of the above efforts have been made to correct the problem,
the staff member may be dismissed. A staff member may be dismissed at any time for egregious
and major behavior problems. However, we understand that people depend on their job to
support themselves and to fulfill the social need to be a member of a group, to feel connected and
useful, to have a sense of belonging. Thus we only dismiss someone as the last resort.
1. PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS
Performance problems are different from behavioral problems (see below). Performance issues
may include areas of aptitude, attitude, physical limitations, unsatisfactory learning rate, low
productivity, and/or personal time constraints. When a supervisor perceives that your
performance is below the standard expected by Sundance, he/she may issue a written warning or
verbal evaluation outlining the specific details of the unsatisfactory performance. These verbal
and written reports become a permanent part of your personnel file. One copy of the written
warning is given to you. If at any time it is determined that your performance is not compatible
with the needs of Sundance, your position or employability at Sundance may have to be reevaluated.
2. BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
To deal with inappropriate behavior in a fair, constructive and consistent manner we have
identified both minor and major categories of inappropriate behavior and the consequences.
Examples cannot be listed to cover every situation. Problem behavior not specifically mentioned
here will be dealt with according to the severity of the offense as determined by the
Proprietor/General Manager. Sundance reserves the rights to add, change, or delete specific
problems and consequences as the need arises. Due to the innate creativity of human beings, this
is not a complete list of possible infractions.
MINOR BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
Behavior such as: socializing to excess, tardiness; misuse/overuse of personal telephone
privileges; conducting personal business during working hours; unsatisfactory work
performance; not punching in and out properly; wasting time, playing loud and/or
inappropriate music; loud, raucous behavior or language that could be perceived as
offensive: littering or otherwise creating unsanitary conditions; improper hygiene or dress;
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attitude and communication difficulties; waste, misuse or damage of property; unauthorized
operation of equipment; safety violations; parking in inappropriate places; unapproved
overtime; unapproved vacations or time off; failure to report on-the-job injuries; failure to
keep proper records, short tills, unexcused absences from meetings, failure to follow
instructions, and failure to follow health code procedures.
Consequences: A manager may elect to do any of the following:
a. Issue a verbal or written warning to the staff member.
b. Withhold tenure track pay raises either fully or partially.
c. Change the staff member’s work schedule, possibly including loss of shifts and/or
suspension.
d. Place the staff member on a probationary period, which will be a prelude to significant
improvement or eventual dismissal.
MAJOR BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
Behavior such as: theft (including giving unauthorized discounts); pilferage; grossly
unsatisfactory work performance; unapproved absence from work, unfriendly or
uncooperative attitude in dealing with customers, staff members or vendors; working under
the influence of intoxicants; selling alcohol to minors (this includes underage staff
members) or visibly intoxicated individuals; buying alcoholic beverages if you are
underage; illegal activities; unexcused chronic tardiness (repeatedly more than 10 minutes
late in a 3 month period) or unexcused excessive tardiness (more than a half hour late
without notification); willful damage of property; willfully endangering the safety of
others; unlawful discrimination; falsifying reports, records or expenses; three recorded
minor infractions in any department or combination of departments; harassment;
Consequences: The staff member may be dismissed immediately, without warning.
This is not a complete list of inappropriate behaviors and is not intended to cover
each and every possible act that may lead to staff member discipline or dismissal.
F. FORMAL ARBITRATION PROCEDURE
Outside ideas of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I'll meet you there. ~ Rumi
Arbitration: Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution wherein the parties in dispute
refer it to an arbitrator, by whose decision they agree to be bound.
We encourage arbitration as a means of facilitating healthy, open interactions. In the event that
direct communication fails to resolve an interpersonal conflict between any two staff members
(including members of management), that conflict can be submitted to the Proprietor/General
Manager for consideration as an arbitration opportunity.
If the Proprietor/General Manager thinks it is appropriate, the parties in conflict will sit down
with the Proprietor/General Manager for arbitration, or an outside professional mediator be hired.
If either party is unwilling to agree to the arbitrated settlement of the conflict, that staff member
will be suspended until they are willing to do so. If after one week the suspended staff member is
still unwilling to participate in arbitration, he/she will be dismissed.
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G. LEAVING SUNDANCE
LEAVING EMPLOYMENT
When the time comes and it’s time to move on, Sundance has procedures to facilitate a smooth
transition to help ensure that both Sundance’s needs and your needs are met. Leaving on good
terms is a first step to returning, should you ever want to do so, and also enables Sundance to
give positive recommendations to future prospective employers. Leaving Sundance is different
than a leave of absence or an extended leave of absence with pre-arranged time of return – leave
of absence procedures are covered in Chapter IX, Section B6 of this handbook.
The first step in a smooth transition is to give sufficient notice. Ideal for Sundance is for you to
give at least two pay periods (about a month’s) notice to both your immediate supervisor and the
back office staff, especially the payroll clerk and the General Manager. At a minimum, we ask
for two week’s notice. Any notice less than this will result in you forfeiting any accumulated sick
and vacation pay you may have. There is an “Intent To Leave” form for you to fill out to
formally announce your intentions. Please ask your supervisor or back office staff for a copy.
Secondly, we ask that you do not take draws or accrue charges during your last pay period at
Sundance. Again, non-adherence may result in forfeiting accumulated sick and vacation pay.
Thirdly, before you pick up your last paycheck, you need to return any keys, aprons, vests, and
any other store property that may have been issued to you during your tenure.
Fourth, we may schedule an exit interview with you to review your time with the store, and to
reflect on any things you wish had been different or better, and to give constructive feedback to
Sundance about your experiences.
If you had health care coverage with Sundance, the law provides a way for you to continue it
while you are between jobs. This program, COBRA, allows you to stay on Sundance’s plan for
up to an additional 18 months after leaving. You are responsible for paying the entire premium
out of pocket, on time and are also responsible for paying any deductibles under the health
insurance plan for this 18-month period. Please see the insurance administrator (currently the IT
Manager, or the Bookkeeper) for the appropriate forms and to find out the cost of insurance
coverage.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
If you meet the stated employment requirements and wish to take a leave of absence longer than
six weeks, it will be considered a voluntary lay-off. (See Chapter X, Section B, 6. Leave of
Absence below for qualification.) You can contact Sundance when you wish to return to work
and, though Sundance gives NO GUARANTEE of rehiring you, you may be rehired for the next
available position for which you are qualified at the same tenure track rate of pay you were
receiving when you left. Sundance also gives no guarantee that you will be able to be scheduled
for a particular number of hours, or return to particular shifts. You will lose your seniority in jobs
where seniority is a factor in shift choices. If rehired, you must work a full year before any hours
accumulated before the rehire are applied to vacation eligibility. (For instance, Sunshine
Rainbow worked at Sundance for two and a half years then took a six-month leave of absence.
When she was rehired, she had to work for a full year before she was eligible for another paid
vacation. At that point, she had worked at Sundance for three and a half years and was eligible
for 2 weeks of paid vacation.)
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Continuation of Benefits Coverage: Your existing health insurance coverage can be maintained
during the leave period if you elect to cover the entire premium, as is stipulated under the
COBRA law discussed above. A staff member is not eligible for the staff discount during
personal leaves of absence, nor are they eligible for any bonus checks issued during their
absence.
Returning from Leave: Requests to return from leave earlier than the agreed upon time must be
approved by the supervisor. Failure to return when the leave expires may result in your
termination.
Request/Approval: You need to submit a written request to your supervisor, using the standard
Leave of Absence Form, including the length of and reason for the leave. If approved, the
supervisor needs to confirm the arrangement in writing before the start of the leave.
LEAVING DUE TO A LAY OFF
In the unfortunate circumstance that Sundance needs to lay off employees, either due to lack of
sales in some part of the store, or a re-structuring in some department, or some other unforeseen
circumstance, Sundance will either give a minimum of two-weeks notice to any affected
employees, or will provide two weeks of severance pay in lieu of notice. In addition, Sundance
will also extend the employee discount to laid off employees for an additional two weeks
following the end date of their last paycheck.
Other than filing the “Intent To Leave” form, all other policies regarding leaving Sundance
described above will apply.
It is your responsibility, at the time of the request for a leave of absence, to provide Sundance
with the exact date you will be returning to work. There is a form you must fill out, which you
can get from your supervisor, or from the General Manager
Sundance must receive the leave form at least six weeks prior to your leave in order to make
arrangements to cover your shifts and responsibilities during the leave. These arrangements may
include utilizing substitutes currently on staff, asking regular staff members to take on additional
hours and responsibilities, or, if necessary, hiring additional help.
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IX. WORK SCHEDULES
A. WORK WEEK & PAY PERIOD
The work-week begins at 12:00 AM Sunday and ends at 11:59:59 PM Saturday. Overtime is paid
for any hours worked in excess of 40 in any given week. The pay periods are from the 1st to the
15th of the month, and from the 16th to the last day of the month. Paychecks are issued within
three business days (non-holiday weekdays) after the pay period ends.
B. WORK SHIFT SCHEDULES
Your daily and weekly work schedules and the number of hours assigned to you per day and per
week may change from time to time to meet varying conditions of business. Changes in work
schedules will be announced as far in advance as possible. Check with your department head to
find out when and where schedules are posted in your department. You are responsible to stay
informed of posted changes. If changes are made on short notice, you will be individually
notified. Posted schedules are not a guarantee of hours; actual hours may need to be increased or
decreased depending on the needs of the business at that moment, though every effort will be
made to accommodate staff needs as well.
LABOR POOL
A "labor-pooler" is a staff member trained in a department in order to be available to substitute
for other staff when they are absent. If you are a “labor-pool” staff, you do not have a set
schedule. Since there is no set schedule for the Labor pool position, the hours may vary from 040 per week. You must have worked one shift within a six-week period to maintain active laborpool status otherwise you will be considered voluntarily laid off.
C. ABSENCES DUE TO ILLNESS/EMERGENCIES
ABSENCES DUE TO ILLNESS/EMERGENCIES: If you are sick or have an emergency that
may keep you from coming to work, or have jury duty, approved participation in professional
affairs or military leave, you must contact your supervisor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If your
immediate supervisor is not available, you must contact the General Manager during the week or
the Front End Manager on the weekends. The supervisor will assess whether you or the
supervisor will find a substitute. All substitutes must be cleared with your supervisor, who
may have reasons to allow or veto a particular candidate. If you expect to be absent more than
one day, you must notify your supervisor or the General Manager of your expected return date. If
you are unable to report to work on that date you must keep your supervisor informed daily (if no
scheduled return date has been established) regarding your status. If you have a chronic illness or
injury that interrupts your work schedule you are required to turn in a doctor’s “release from
work” form, or fill out an FMLA/MLA form, both of which may be obtained from the General
Manager.
Unexcused absences are a behavior problem and are cause for progressive corrective action that
may result in dismissal. Sundance also reserves the right to terminate your employment if you
are absent for two (2) consecutive working days without notifying your supervisor and/or the
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General Manager. You are considered absent if you are not present for work as scheduled,
regardless of cause. You cannot use sick pay to make up pay for unexcused absences.
D. CHANGES IN SCHEDULE DUE TO PHYSICAL
RESTRICTIONS
Oregon state law mandates alterations in your schedule or duties that are due to changes in your
physical ability to do your job. Sundance policy follows law in these circumstances. Please check
with your supervisor, your physician, and/or the General Manager if you have any questions in
this regard.
E. PRE-AUTHORIZATION NEEDED FOR WORK DONE OFF
CAMPUS
In the rare case that a staff member has work that can be done, or needs to done off-campus, the
staff member needs to get specific pre-authorization for each instance of off-campus work from
the General Manager.
F. SCHEDULING REQUESTS & VACATION SCHEDULING
If you want to take time off for, for instance, a sibling’s wedding, or some other obligation or
opportunity, it is your responsibility to find a replacement worker. Taking regularly scheduled
hours off may or may not be possible, depending on the availability of a replacement staff
member who can, in your supervisor’s judgment, meet the requisite skill level, as well as on the
frequency of your requests for time off. Remember that changes in schedule create disruptions
and no one is as good at your job as you are.
For vacations, you must fill out a vacation request form. All departments you work in must have
written documentation of your vacation request that include when your request was submitted,
dates of the vacation, the name of the substitute filling in for you shifts, and a managerial
signature of approval. Your scheduling supervisor must clear all schedule changes and approve
your replacement worker. Failure to follow vacation request rules will be treated as a behavior
problem and dealt with accordingly.
Every effort will be made to grant vacations for the time requested, subject to the store’s
operating needs. Vacation requests will be granted on a first submitted, first awarded basis. Staff
members who are just completing their first year of service may submit vacation request up to 60
days in advance of their anniversary date.
G. OVERTIME
You are responsible for tracking your hours and for adhering to your posted schedule. You will
never be regularly scheduled to work more than 40 hours per week. If you take on shifts over and
above your regular schedule, you must be conscious of whether additional hours will put you
into overtime.
Over-time must be pre-approved by the General Manager. You need to obtain the
permission of your supervisor to work more than 40 hours in a week. Your supervisor must, in
turn, inform the General Manager of the potential of overtime. You may be asked to not take on
the additional work if overtime is involved.
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H. PUNCTUALITY
Do whatever it takes to show up on time. This is entirely your responsibility. When you are late
you put an extra burden on your fellow staff members. Tardiness is a serious behavior problem
and will be dealt with accordingly. Your manager must inform the General Manager of any
chronic tardiness issues. If you are going to be more than 5 minutes late, call your supervisor.
Three unexcused episodes of tardiness is a major infraction of Sundance’s policies, and can
result in severe consequences, including dismissal.
I. BREAKS
SCHEDULING BREAKS
Your supervisor schedules paid breaks in accordance with both your preferences and the store’s
needs. Staff members generally need to work 2 hours before their first break. Most shifts need
only three breaks, one break before meal, meal break and one after. Breaks must be taken at the
scheduled time or according to department needs. If you need a different break schedule, you
must discuss and come to a clear agreement with your supervisor on a schedule that
accommodates both your needs and the needs of your department and the store.
Departments need to remain staffed during the time a department is scheduled to have
staff available, so you must not leave a department unstaffed during those scheduled hours.
(Other staff can cover for customer service questions in your department by prior agreement if
available and trained, and approved by your supervisor.)
You must punch in and out for your break.
No one not working is allowed in the store after closing.
HOUSE OF GRAY (HOG)
You must take your break out of the store so as not to interfere with the store’s business and also
to afford you an opportunity to get away from the workplace. Do not take breaks in the front
office or the deli desk or the salad bar/produce prep room or the back office! There is a break
room with a computer, bathroom and kitchen facilities in the House of Grey, as well as a yard
with outdoor seating. Only after 7pm can you take your break in the front office.
The living room and the outside yard of the House Of Gray (2476 Alder) are available for
employees and guests during breaks. Staff must accompany any guests visiting the HOG. You
must clean up any messes you make.
J. SMOKING
Sundance is a smoke-free workplace (this includes e-cigarettes). If you do smoke, do so only
while punched onto a break, and only outside in the designated smoking area. Please dispose of
cigarette butts properly. Also take care that your clothes, hands and breath do not smell of
tobacco. If your jacket smells of tobacco, please do not hang it in the vicinity of others’ coats. Do
not smoke inside the store or the warehouses or offices or kitchens or the break rooms. Do not
smoke within 25 feet of the entrances of any of these places.
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K. MEETINGS
We hold meetings to facilitate the flow of communication throughout the store. These meetings
can be a forum for discussing store-wide business, working out difficulties or an opportunity to
discuss what we can do to improve our service to customers, each other and the community as a
whole.
● General meetings for staff are held to experience our collective energy, appreciate the
supervisors and their staffs. This is also the time that the proprietor gives a talk about
Sundance’s mission statement and the General Manager shares the financial state of the
business. The meeting may also include guest speakers, product tastings, songs, drumming,
etc. Since general meetings usually occur no more than once a year, and since they are an
essential part of maintaining store culture, illness is the only acceptable excuse for nonattendance of a general meeting. An employee must excuse his/herself through the General
Manager in advance of the meeting.
● The office, stocking, HABA, cashiering, kitchen/west end, produce and wine departments
hold quarterly departmental meetings to discuss relevant issues. Additional departmental
meetings are held as needed. Every member of a department is required to attend their
department’s meetings.
● Interdepartmental meetings with department representatives are held when needed to discuss
issues that cross department boundaries.
● Managers meet monthly to discuss issues, projects, policies and safety. If you wish to submit
an agenda item for the management meeting, check with your supervisor or the General
Manager.
● The Safety Committee meets on a monthly basis to discuss issues concerning workplace
safety, and to recommend changes to our procedures and physical plant that will enhance
staff safety. The Safety Committee also does a quarterly walk through of the entire campus to
assess safety issues and compliance. The Safety Committee reports to the managers at their
monthly meeting.
● Sundance sometimes participate in community events, such as Fun With Fermentation (a
WVSFA event), EWEB Health Fairs, in-store tasting events, etc. Staff working these events
will have meetings to coordinate various departments’ participation in them.
A part of planning for meetings is to plan for cleaning up after meetings. Please be sure that
someone is assigned to bring all spaces used for meetings back to a clean and usable condition.
Attendance for all meetings is required and is paid. Sundance uses a collaborative management
approach wherein store managers and the proprietor meet monthly to discuss current events.
Though issues are discussed freely and thoroughly, the proprietor, who is ultimately responsible
for the well being of Sundance, always makes the final decisions.
L. SAFETY COMMITTEE SERVICE
Sundance’s Safety Committee meets on a monthly basis to discuss safety and health issues and
to recommend solutions to safety problems to the management team. In addition, the Safety
Committee investigates accidents to help develop corrective actions. To meet the requirements of
Oregon OSHA law regarding safety committees (OAR 437-001-0765), Sundance has developed
the following criteria for the staff.
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Our Safety Committee must consist of at least four staff members. One of the safety committee
members must be a Sundance manager. There must be an equal number of employer-selected
(assigned) members and employee-elected (or volunteer) members. Committee members
commit to one year of service on the Safety Committee. Sundance pays the participants their
prevailing department wage for all hours spent conducting Safety Committee business. Sundance
reserves the right to assign Safety Committee service to any employee in order to fulfill the
requirements of Oregon OSHA law. In the event of a shortage of volunteers, employees will
elect an employee to represent the employee-elected pool.
When volunteer or assigned committee members commence their tenure, a Safety Committee job
description and guide is given to them. The safety committee chair is responsible for instructing
the committee in hazard identification and also educates the new members on accident and
incident investigation principles. Findings and minutes from Safety Committee meetings are
posted in a logbook for all staff to access. If you have additional questions about the Safety
Committee, please see the Safety Committee Chair or the General Manager. The a memebr of
the Safety Committee is responsible for maintaining the First Aid kits throughout the Sundance
campus.
X. SUNDANCE PAY AND BENEFITS
A. CASH WAGES
Sundance has a 14-level wage scale for general staff. The following table shows the levels, the
minimum number of hours required to be paid that wage and the hourly wage.
Level 1
Starting wage
$9.75/hr (as of 7/1/2016)
Level 2
1,000 hours
$10.25
Level 5
2,000 hours
$10.75
Level 4
3,000 hours
$11.25
Level 5
4,000 hours
$11.75
Level 6
5,000 hours
$12.25
Level 7
6,000 hours
$12.75
Level 8
7,000 hours
$13.25
Your hourly wage increases when you a) have worked sufficient hours to reach a given wage
level, and b) you successfully participate in an evaluation with your supervisor and all work
goals have been met and all performance issues have been addressed. Supervisors can withhold
some or all of a pay increase if unresolved work performance issues are present. Otherwise, you
are paid the higher wage backdated to the moment you reach the requisite number of hours,
regardless of when the evaluation is held. If your evaluation is held after you reach the next
level, you will be reimbursed for the difference in pay in a subsequent paycheck.
Oregon adjusts the minimum wage for increases in the cost of living. When possible, Sundance
adjusts its entire wage table if the minimum wage increases. However, other than changes in the
minimum wage, no pay raise is automatic, and adjustments are only made after periodic
evaluations are complete.
Some jobs at Sundance pay a differential, that is, an hourly amount over regular tenure track pay,
based on the responsibilities of that particular job. Differentials are based on duties performed
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and may change as job descriptions change. Any differentials, and any changes in differentials,
must be vetted and approved by the Proprietor/General Manager.
In addition to regular wages, Sundance offers the following types of payment to all staff
members:
1. Paid Work Breaks
2. Administrative Leave Pay
3. Overtime Pay
4. Vacation Pay
5. Winter Solstice Bonus
6. Health Care Pay, aka Sick Pay
7. Bereavement Pay
8. Holiday Overtime Pay
9. Holiday Time Off Pay
10. Birthday Pay
11. Jury Duty Pay
12. Alternative Transportation Credit
13. Community Service Pay
14. Disaster Pay
1. Paid Work Breaks
Sundance pays for 6.6 minutes of break time for every hour worked. You must punch to and
from all breaks, and must record all breaks taken on your time card. The time clock
automatically calculates what part of a break is eligible to be paid. There is no pay awarded for
breaks not taken. Breaks are mandatory for most employees, as dictated by state law.
Examples: 4 hour shift – 26.4 minutes paid break, 5 hour shift – 33 minutes paid break, 6 hour
shift – 39.6 minutes paid break, 7 hour shift – 46.2 minutes paid break, 8 hour shift – 52.8
minutes paid break, 9 hour shift – 59.4 minutes paid break, 10 hour shift – 66 minutes paid
break.
Use the time clock and time cards to keep accurate records of your breaks and time at work.
Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
2. Administrative Leave Pay
If Sundance needs to put you on mandatory leave for medical quarantine, personal safety, or
other reasons, Sundance will pay you up to 32 hours per week Administrative Leave pay for up
to three weeks. This will allow you enough hours to stay on insurance if you are currently on it,
and provide enough money to keep the wolves2† from the door while you are unable to work. In
these circumstances, you will be responsible for staying in contact with your supervisor and the
General Manager about the duration of your leave and the circumstances ending it.
† not meaning to cast disparagement on Grey Wolves (Canis lupus lupus) - we are, of course,
here referring to fairy tale wolves and bankers.
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2
3. Overtime Pay
Sundance pays overtime wages based on state wage laws. Hours worked in excess of 40 hours
per week are paid time and a half. Overtime is calculated on hours accumulated from Sunday
morning through Saturday night.
4. Vacation Pay
To appreciate the value and function of work, to refresh and recreate yourself, it is sometimes
necessary to step away from your job and do something else. Sundance provides paid vacation
hours for staff members with a year or more of tenure at Sundance. (If you leave Sundance
before working one year, you are not eligible for any vacation pay.) The amount of paid vacation
is based on continuous years worked at Sundance and the number of hours you work per week.
After 1 year, 1 week is paid; after 3 years, 2 weeks are paid; after 5 years, 3 weeks are paid; after
10 years, 4 weeks are paid. Vacation time accrues as follows: 1.15 minutes of vacation for every
hour you work. After two years at Sundance, it doubles to 2.30 minutes. After 4 years, it is 3.45
minutes, after 9 years, 4.60 minutes. Accumulated vacation leave is displayed on your pay stubs.
Vacation pay can be used anytime after the first anniversary of beginning work at Sundance.
Vacation pay can be redeemed only for hours you are normally scheduled to work.
If you need to get vacation money before the end of a pay period, make arrangements to take a
draw. Staff can request vacation pay by writing the number of hours requested on their time card.
Please schedule a vacation at least once a year. Vacation time cannot be accumulated from
year to year. We want you to take time off on a regular basis, as it is essential to a healthy work
life. Therefore, plan to schedule your vacation time off sometime during the 12 months following
the anniversary date of your employment. Otherwise, you will forfeit any vacation time accrued
more than twelve months previous.
5. Winter Solstice Bonus
Sundance issues a year-end, profit-related cash bonus on or around the Winter Solstice, financial
health permitting. Some years are more profitable than others and some are not financially
profitable, and may not yield a bonus at all. The “bonus year” for which staff members receive a
bonus, encompasses the last three months of the prior year and the first nine months of the
current year, October 1 to September 30. You must work a shift in the last pay period of the year
to be eligible for the bonus and have worked at least one shift in the previous 6 weeks, which
qualifies you as a labor pooler. Not all staff are eligible for the Solstice Bonus. Some staff are
compensated with an alternative incentive program based on the profitability of their particular
department.
6. Health Pay, aka “Sick Pay”
Staff accrue sick pay at the rate of 2 minutes for every hour worked (this also can be described as
1 hour for every 30 hours worked) for the first 1200 hours in a calendar year. At that point, staff
have accrued 40 hours of sick pay. After 1200 hours, no further sick pay accumulates until the
next calendar year. Sick pay hours carry over into future years.
Sick Pay can be used for any of the following purposes: illness or medical emergencies that
prevent an incapacitated staff member from reporting to work, or for planned, routine medical or
dental appointments needed to maintain the staff member's good health; to care for a member of
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their immediate family, a dependent, or a member of their immediate household; emergencies; as
a supplement to short-term disability leave.
Prior approval is preferred but not required for sick leave taken for illness and medical
emergency, family emergency, personal crisis, or bad weather that limits mobility, and staff
should notify their supervisors as soon as possible, at least an hour before the beginning of
their shift. This pay can only be used in lieu of working (for time actually taken off work). It
cannot be added to a full work-week. You can request sick pay by writing the number of hours
requested on your time card.
7. Bereavement Pay and Leave
A maximum of three days off with pay per death (or a maximum of four days off with pay if
travel of more than 500 miles each way is involved) will be allowed when a death occurs in a
staff member’s immediate family. The immediate family consists of a spouse, domestic partner,
child, stepchild, sibling, parent, stepparent, grandparent, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-inlaw, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law.
A maximum of one-half day for a local funeral and one day for an out-of-town funeral may be
granted with pay for the funeral of other relatives, a fellow staff member, or when serving as a
pallbearer at any funeral.
In all other cases time off may be taken and charged to vacation time. Please make prior
arrangements with a supervisor.
Rules for Bereavement Leave:
1. Three consecutive days of leave are allowed the staff member. Staff members will be paid
only for those days that fall on their regularly scheduled work-days.
2. One additional day of paid leave (for a total of four days paid leave) is allowed if travel more
than 500 miles each way is involved.
3. Staff members may request approval for additional time off to be charged against accrued
vacation time. If no accrued vacation time is available for requested additional time off, a
supervisor may grant leave without pay.
4. Consideration will be given on an individual basis to requests for unpaid Bereavement Leave
in the event of the death of a person not bearing any of the relationships to the staff member
stated above.
5. Sundance reserves the right to request verification of relationship, death, and distance traveled
before paying Bereavement Leave.
6. Staff members should, whenever possible, request Bereavement Leave prior to their absence.
Additional time off must be approved in advance.
7. Staff members are paid this leave on a regular straight-time basis. Bereavement Leave does
not count as time worked when computing overtime.
8. Holiday Overtime Pay
If you are regularly scheduled to work and do work on the following days, you will be paid time
and a half for that day regardless of whether or not you have worked more than 40 hours in the
week on which these “holidays” fall. These “holidays” are Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve,
and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
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9. Holiday Time Off Pay
If you are regularly scheduled to work the day of the week upon which December 25th falls, you
will be paid the equivalent of the average number of hours you worked the previous three weeks
on that day of the week. Sundance is closed on December 25th, and no staff member is expected
to work on that day. Sundance Wine Cellars is closed Thanksgiving Day and staff regularly
scheduled to work that day will be paid for their scheduled hours.
Sundance Wine Cellars is closed July 4th, which is an unpaid day off. Easter Sunday, Memorial
Day, Labor Day (G added 6/13/14) and January 1st may be a voluntary close unpaid day off, the
closure of which will be determined by the staff person normally scheduled that day, the
proprietor and the wine shop manager. Advance notice will be giving when a closure is
determined.
10. Birthday Pay
If you work more than 8 hours on your birthday, you will receive the dollar equivalent of time
and a half for that day’s work. If you work less than 8 hours on your birthday, you will receive
the dollar equivalent of 4 hours pay in addition to the hours you have already worked. (This is a
better deal!!!!!) The pay is added to the paycheck following the birthday. Please notify the
payroll clerk by marking the day on your time card for that week. Only one day per solar year
will be acknowledged for birthday pay.
11. Jury Duty Pay
If you are called to jury duty, Sundance will pay you the wages you would normally receive
during jury duty for the duration of that duty. Though most jury duty is for only a day or so,
felony trials and grand juries can last much longer. Be sure to bring paperwork from the court
that can be given to the payroll clerk as evidence that you were present for court duty and the
payroll administrator will compensate you for your missed shift. If the jury extends longer than
one day be sure to ask the court for all compensation that could be due to you for participating in
jury work. You will then remit such compensation as you receive to Sundance when you receive
it. In the interim the payroll administrator will pay you jury wages for each scheduled day you
miss. In this way, you will be able to count on your wages coming to you in a timely fashion,
and Sundance will be reimbursed when jury compensation is paid to you. Please notify your
supervisor of your summons as soon as you receive notification of your call to jury duty. Jury
duty will not adversely affect your health insurance eligibility – that is, jury duty wages will
count the same as regular wages in determining your eligibility.
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12. Alternative Transportation Credit
Staff who commute to work by foot, bicycle, or
through public transportation are eligible to receive a
.20 per mile stipend for bike/foot and/or a .10 per mile
stipend for carpool/public transportation. Simply fill
out the Commuter Tracking Log, and turn it in to the
Payroll Administrator on the 1st day of the following
month. You will receive a check within 14 days.
13. Community Service Pay
Sundance is continuously involved in the Eugene
community, supporting efforts of those organizations
that work to make our community a better place. To
further develop this involvement all part- and full time
staff have the opportunity to be paid by Sundance to
work for a community non-profit organization of their
choice.
Full-time employees receive up to 16 hours of
community service benefit per year. Part-time
employees receive up to 8 hours. These days must be
scheduled with the employee’s manager in advance and
must receive the final approval of the General
Manager. This is a voluntary benefit and is not a
requirement of employment.
14. Disaster Pay
If the store management decides to close early, due to
natural disasters such as a snowstorm, you will be paid
for those hours you were scheduled to work. If weather
conditions merit, the supervisor on duty will release
employees upon request. Under these circumstances, if
you decide to leave early while Sundance stays open,
your time will be unpaid. If Sundance does not open
because of a natural disaster, employees will be paid
for up to two days of closure.
In addition to wages, Sundance also offers staff members the following benefits:
B. OTHER BENEFITS
1. Purchase Discounts (including Special Orders)
2. Health Insurance
3. Pay Advances and Charge Accounts
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4. Parental & Medical Leave
5. Diaper Service
6. Personal Leaves of Absence
7. Training and Education
8. Copier, Fax Machine, & Computer Use
9. Direct Deposit of Paycheck
10. Monthly 25 minute massage
11. Free Distressed Produce after 9 PM
12. Sundance Events
13. Time off for Organ or Marrow donation
14. Other Incentives
15. Order of the Carrot
1. Purchase Discounts
During any week that they work a minimum of 2 shifts per week, staff members receive 20% off
any store purchases at Sundance Natural Foods and Sundance Wine Cellars. Staff members
receive 30% off any purchases from the Vitamin/Supplements department. These staff discounts
apply to you, your dependents (as defined by IRS rules) and one spousal equivalent (that is,
someone you live with as a mate/partner).
This discount is specifically LIMITED to a staff member's dependent children, and one spousal
equivalent (romantic partner living with and sharing household responsibilities). It specifically
does not include extended family members, in-laws, housemates, roommates, best friends
and/or lovers.
Staff discounts apply to all store items, including sale items, except those specifically excluded
by the department managers. However, case, pregnancy or senior discounts may not be applied
in addition to staff member discounts. Staff member purchases must be paid for or charged when
the goods are taken. Another staff member must ring all purchases out at the time the goods are
acquired. This removes any possible hint of suspicion. No exceptions, please. Thank you.
Part-time staff, and labor pool members who work at least one shift per week, may receive the
discount only during the week(s) in which they work. These staff members receive a temporary
discount card with an expiration date. They must show the card when shopping to receive the
discount. Part-time staff members working less than one shift per week do not receive the
discount. Otherwise, the person who works only a few hours would be making more per hour
than other staff members. Contract workers not on regular payroll do not receive any staff
discounts at any time.
Special orders for staff members: Staff who are eligible for the 20% discount may also order
full cases of grocery items sold through our principle supplier, UNFI (wine, vitamins, personal
care or deli items are excluded) and pay the wholesale cost as listed in the UNFI catalogue.
When the order arrives, it must be paid for before being taken and the receipt presented to the
warehouse manager. This may require that you arrange to pick up the order during the warehouse
manager’s scheduled hours. If you order an item that Sundance does not carry, and do not
actually purchase it, you will be charged any restocking fee that Sundance incurs. Non-UNFI
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special order grocery items are available at cost +10%. Special orders from the cheese
department (cheese and dried fruit) are available to staff at cost +10%.
Full cases of produce are available to staff who are eligible for the 20% discount at cost +plus
10% when quantities permit. Please order these in advance whenever possible, pay for them
before taking them, and present your receipt to the produce manager.
Staff can special order from the vitamin department and will pay cost +10% on items we do not
carry and will pay the standard 30% discount on items we do carry. Staff can order from the
herbs and housewares department and pay cost +10% on items not carried in the store and the
regular 20% discount on items Sundance carries.
Please pick up your special orders within two weeks of being notified of delivery to Sundance.
After that time, they will restocked or returned.
2. Health Insurance
Sundance offers medical (a traditional and an HSA plan) and dental insurance coverage to
employees who have worked on average 30 or more hours per week for 2 months (4 pay
periods). By federal law each employee is required to sign up for insurance when they become
eligible (unless you can provide proof of alternate coverage). When you become eligible, you
will receive a packet and will need to have a brief meeting with our health insurance
administrator.
Sundance pays 80% of the premiums for medical and dental coverage for eligible employees.
Sundance also offers insurance for spouses and dependents of eligible employees, and pays 80%
of those premiums as well.
Covered employees have 60 days to inform the health insurance administrator if they gain a new
dependent family member who is eligible to be put on health insurance.
Employees are required to maintain a work schedule of at least 30 hours per week to stay eligible
for Sundance health insurance benefits. The 30-hour per week minimum is averaged over a twomonth period. Employees will be given a written warning if their hours fall under 30 per week,
and have one month to bring their hours back up to the minimum requirement before their
premium benefits are suspended. If an employee is sick, or goes on vacation, they need to use
sick and/or vacation hours to maintain the 30-hour minimum. If a staff member does not
maintain the requisite number of hours, they (and their spouse and dependents, if applicable)
have the option of joining the COBRA program (see below), or discontinuing insurance coverage
altogether.
COBRA Option
Staff members who have been on Sundance health insurance, but who no longer meet the
requirements to have their premiums subsidized by Sundance, may elect to continue Sundance’s
coverage by paying 100% of the premiums themselves for up to 18 months after they are no
longer eligible for Sundance coverage. Staff members who leave Sundance and have been on
insurance are also eligible for 18 month of self-paid insurance on Sundance’s plans. This benefit
is required to be offered by the federal COBRA law. More information on COBRA is available
at www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fscobra.html. COBRA beneficiaries may elect to continue only
medical coverage or to continue both medical and dental coverage.
If an employee who joined the COBRA program begins again to work an average of 30 or more
hours per week for at least two months, they can immediately rejoin Sundance’s health insurance
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roster. If an employee discontinued coverage upon becoming ineligible to be covered by
Sundance, they will need to wait until they have worked 30 hours per week for 60 days again
before they can rejoin Sundance’s health insurance roster.
3. Pay Advances and Charge Accounts
Beginning after the first full pay period, staff members can charge their grocery purchases and
take cash draws against their forthcoming paycheck. Charges and draws can total no more than
75% of the average expected gross total of the paycheck against which draws and charges are
being taken. (The 25% reserved is intended to cover your paycheck deductions for insurance,
taxes, etc.) Please keep track of your balance by checking your receipt each time. (Always have
another staff member check out your groceries and deliver your draws to you. Do not check
yourself out, or get your own draws.)
Your supervisor will set your charge limit to an estimate of 75% of your current wages. This
limit, along with your charge balance, is available to view at the register any time you are
checking out.
If circumstances occur that make it necessary to charge/draw beyond the 75% limit, check in
with a manager to get an OK for it, either the Front End Manager, Produce Manager, Proprietor,
Kitchen Manager, IT Manager, HABA Manager, or Grocery Manager. Get a signed note from
one of those managers and have the cashier put it in their cash drawer.
Do not overdraw your paycheck! If you think that you might overdraw your check, please tell
your supervisor immediately. Your supervisor will alert the payroll clerk. This will save much
trouble while issuing checks and may save you from having your drawing privileges suspended.
Any staff member who overdraws his or her weekly earnings more than two times in any three
month period may be prohibited from drawing for a period of up to three months. Your
supervisor and the General Manager/Proprietor will make any decisions regarding suspension of
draw privileges.
Staff members leaving Sundance may not charge groceries or take draws during their final pay
period.
4. Parental and Medical Leave
The types of leave covered by Oregon or federal laws are: newborn parental leave, newly
adoptive or foster care parent leave, family member serious health condition leave, self serious
health condition leave, and pregnancy disability leave.
The Oregon Family Leave Act of 1995 and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
give employees certain leave rights in the case of parental responsibilities, and serious health
conditions of the employee or a family member. Sundance’s leave policies follow these
guidelines, and occasionally go beyond the mandates of the law. Clarifications on the details of
these laws can be found at:
http://egov.oregon.gov/BOLI/CRD/C_Oflafacts.shtml and
http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/ .
You must talk to our insurance administrator (currently the IT Manager) and fill out a form at
least 30 days before going on parental or medical leave. The administrator has a Sundance
OMLA/FMLA instruction sheet with further details of the program. Maternity/Paternity leave
will be granted with a limit of six months for mothers and twelve weeks for fathers. Sundance
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continues to pay its share of health insurance premiums during leave, and asks staff to pay their
share before or while on leave. Additionally, the staff member on leave is eligible to receive the
employee discount for the duration of their leave. Staff members on these legally mandated
leaves remain eligible for any profit share check issued during their absence. Sundance will
return staff members to their former jobs or to equivalent jobs if the former positions no longer
exist.
5. Diaper Service
For employees who have worked at Sundance for at least one year Sundance will pay for 6
months diaper service for Sundance staff newborns. Check with the Proprietor/General Manager
for details.
6. Leave of Absence
Sometimes you just have to go and do something else for a while. It is nice to be able to do it
without losing your job. If you have averaged 32 hours or more hours per week during the threemonth period prior to making a leave request and have been employed by Sundance for at least
one year, you are eligible to take an unpaid leave of absence of up to six weeks. You may only
use this privilege once every two years. Schedule of regular vacations are considered in granting
leaves. Leaves of absence are considered on a first come, first served basis. A leave of absence is
similar to an extended vacation and can, upon approval, be dovetailed with paid vacation time.
You will be entitled to a job at Sundance at the same rate of pay upon return from leave. Due to
the complexities of scheduling, you may not be able to return to the exact shifts and number of
hours or same job description you were working prior to the leave. However, every reasonable
effort will be made to accommodate needs and desires in accordance with your seniority at
Sundance.
If you are not eligible for a leave of absence under the guidelines stated above, you can still take
a vacation under the guidelines of “Section 4.Vacation Pay” and “Section 6. Health Pay” in the
“Cash Wages” section of this chapter, assuming you are eligible for those benefits. Under these
circumstances, any time taken off in excess of your scheduled paid vacations will be considered
a voluntary lay-off as described above.
7. Training and Education
Sundance may offer tuition assistance for education programs that improve your ability to
perform your job. The General Manager must authorize any tuition assistance. Talk with your
supervisor about appropriate training and education programs to further develop your work
skills. Sundance may also pay for attendance at trade shows or other professional development
events.
8. Computer, Copier, Fax Machine, and Printer Usage
Sundance provides a computer in the staff break room that is not used for store purposes and
may be used by staff at any time. Do not use other computers in a way that might interfere with
staff at work. (If you are taking your break on the lip after 7 pm, you may use the lip computer
for personal use IF is not being used for store business.)
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Sundance’s copiers are available for staff use, so long as that use is not excessive, and does not
interfere with use of the copiers for store purposes. Personal use charge is 5¢ for one-sided
copies and 8¢ for two-sided copies. There are coin jars next to each copier.
Sundance’s fax machine in the back office is available for staff use. No charge is incurred for
local or long distance outgoing faxes as Sundance has unlimited domestic free long distance
telephone service. Please consult with office staff before sending international faxes. Incoming
faxes to Sundance’s machine cost 5¢, same as copies.
Printing to Sundance’s black and white laser printers is allowed on a charge basis, 5¢ for onesided prints, 8¢ for two-sided prints. Please check with the ad coordinator or the IS Manager if
you need to print to the color laser printer. Toner costs for the color laser printer are high, and
you are probably better off at a public copy shop for color prints or copies.
9. Direct Deposit
Staff members may opt for direct deposit of their paychecks. Paychecks can be routed to any
checking and/or savings account. Please see the payroll administrator for details.
10. Monthly 25 Minute Massage
Sundance hires massage therapists to visit our work site to offer a 25-minute massage for each
employee once per month. Employees access this elective benefit by signing up for the massage
on a sign-up sheet provided by the massage therapists and posted on the door interfacing the
back lip and the sales floor, near the time clock. Sundance pays for only one 25-minute massage
per month. Also, if an employee signs up for a massage and misses the appointment, the therapist
will be paid and the employee will lose that month’s opportunity to get a massage. You cannot
cancel your appointment on the day of the scheduled massage. The massage benefit cannot
accumulate from month to month, or be turned into a longer massage less frequently. Use it
during the month when offered or lose it.
11. Free Distressed Produce after 8:30 PM
After 8:30 PM, whatever produce remains on the half price produce shelf is free to employees.
Please remember to ring it through the register as the cashiers have a special look up code to
keep track of it.
12. Sundance Events
Sundance traditionally hosts three events for staff members each year.
During the summer months, Sundance hosts an employees-only rafting and camping event on the
McKenzie River. In order to participate in this event, you need to be an employed staff member
who works during the pay period in which the event takes place.
During Eugene Celebration, those Sundancers and their families who wish to do so, don
costumes and march in the parade. Parade marchers get passes for the Eugene Celebration.
In winter, Sundance hosts a Solstice party for employees and their relations who are eligible for
the employee discount (see Section 1, Purchase Discounts above, for who qualifies for your
employee discount. In order to participate in this event, you need to be an employed staff
member who works during the pay period in which the event takes place.
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13. Time off for Organ or Marrow donation
In the event a staff member needs to donate an organ or bone marrow to another person,
Sundance provides a special medical leave with possible paid time off if that proves necessary to
complete the donation. Please consult the Proprietor/General Manager for details of this
program.
14. Other Staff Incentives
Other possible staff incentives include department sponsored food parties, going away parties for
those who have work at Sundance for at least 2 years, and gift certificates and other
acknowledgements for exemplary contributions to the store.
15. Orders of the Carrot
In honor of Ron Leppert’s (Sundance’s former grocery buyer/manager) outstanding contribution
to the heart and soul of Sundance we established the Order of the Golden Carrot – which not
only acknowledges 20 or more years of nourishing our community at Sundance, it also entitles
the honored alumni/elder with a lifetime staff discount and a lifetime invitation to the Sundance
raft trip, General Meeting and Solstice party. More than anything, we want these former
employees to continue to feel like members of our community, our family as it were.
There are currently two members of this order - Ron Leppert and Renee Kempka, our former
General Manager. Members of the order are given a golden carrot pin along with an engraved
keychain medal stating the entitlement of these alumni and their significant others to the staff
discount, in case anyone ever works here who does not know them.
We have also established an order of the Silver Carrot, in order to acknowledge those who
worked at Sundance 10 or more years before moving on. Any employee who was a regularly
scheduled staff member for at least 10 years, is entitled, upon leaving the employ of Sundance, to
receive a 10% discount at all Sundance businesses for the rest of their lives. A Silver Carrot card
will be issued to these alumni to identify them as Silver Carrot honorees. As of 2016, there are
three members of the Order of the Silver Carrot.
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XI. STAFF CONDUCT
Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your
joy.-- Thich Nhat Hanh
A. APPEARANCE
A neat, clean personal appearance reflects our concern about the sanitary handling of the food we
sell. We want our customers to have the utmost confidence that our staff and store are
impeccably clean and professional. So we have developed some basic standards. Clearly, many
of the guidelines below are subject to interpretation. Your supervisor, the Proprietor/General
Manager have the final say as to what constitutes a neat, clean and professional appearance.
Remember that you must not only be clean, you must also look clean, and smell clean.
B. PERSONAL HYGIENE
Your hair and beard should be clean and well groomed. If you do not have a beard, you must be
clean-shaven. If your hair is longer than 3/4 of an inch, the health code requires that if you are
involved in food preparation (in the kitchen, cheese or deli departments) you must cover your
hair (beard and head). There should never appear to be any possibility of hair touching food.
Your body should be clean and not strong smelling, i.e. smoke, booze, strong essential oils (like
patchouli), perfume, or body odor.
Your hands and nails must be kept clean. You should always wash your hands in between
touching food, shaking someone’s hand, handling a broom, a motor, a cardboard box, or your
mouth, and always, without exception, after using the bathroom. This will greatly help prevent
the spread of germs.
If you must cough or sneeze, please do so into your elbow, not your hand. Nose to hand to
hand to nose is the MOST common way bacteria and viruses are transmitted between humans.
Your clothing must be clean and neat, without holes, tears, or stains. Do not wear anything
frayed, wrinkled, unhemmed, threadbare or “rundown.” Your clothing should not be overly
revealing. You must wear clothing with sleeves while in the store at work, regardless of which
building you work in. Shirts which reveal armpits are unacceptable. This eliminates the concern
that “pit sweat” or underarm hair might contact customers’ food. Questionable attire will be
subject to your supervisors' judgment.
You are required to wear a clean Sundance logo apron, vest or nametag while working in
the grocery store. Kitchen, deli and cheese staff wear generic aprons cleaned by our cleaning
service. Wine shop staff must wear shirts with collars. Aprons and vests help establish an air of
credibility and professionalism and, most importantly, help identify you to the public. Sundance
aprons or vests are issued to you upon being hired. Aprons are to be worn in full and looped
around the neck. Aprons or vests are to be worn on the outside of clothing, not hidden by coats,
sweaters, etc. You are responsible for keeping your apron clean. If it becomes stained or
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damaged, see your supervisor. You are responsible for the cost of replacement aprons, except
those worn out due to normal wear and tear.
As required by OSHA for all staff, employees working in any store level position must wear
close-toed shoes. Sneakers (a.k.a. tennis shoes) are appropriate. Open-toed shoes are not
acceptable footwear.
C. BEHAVIOR MODELING
You set the example of appropriate behavior for customers. Don’t engage in horseplay or
shouted conversations in the store. Don’t use profanity or discuss sexual topics. Be careful in
how you state your opinions; do not engage in gossip. Keep conversations direct and efficient
and voices low.
Excellent customer service and good productivity should be your constant goal.
Treat everyone, fellow staff members, vendors, and especially customers, with courtesy. Do not
interrupt staff members when they are helping a customer. If you must ask a staff member a
question (“Where is the back-stock of paper towels?”) while customers are being helped, keep it
brief and professional. Personal conversation between staff members who are serving
customers is always inappropriate. If it is necessary to take your attention away from a
customer in the midst of serving them, be sure to excuse yourself. It is very rude to carry on
conversations with friends or fellow staff members while waiting on a customer. Please do
not do it!
D. PERSONAL BUSINESS
Please do not use store time for personal business - it is a misuse of the store’s time and is unfair
to co-workers. Personal business includes use of computers or other Internet devices for nonstore business while on the clock. Checking in briefly with family or friends to make plans for
later contact is OK. Visit with family and friends on your own time and/or on your regular break.
The phones at Sundance are business phones. Please plan to take care of personal phone calls
away from work. If calls other than those related to our business do come through for you, you
may be contacted if possible or a message will be taken. DO NOT take any phone calls if you are
with a customer. Do not take personal phone calls or text or answer personal texts while on the
clock. If you do use Sundance phones on your break, please be brief so as not to jam the lines.
Absolutely no international long distance phone calls are to be made, unless you use your long
distance credit card, charge to home phone, or call collect. Make sure your family and contacts
have Sundance’s phone number to contact you in emergencies.
E. YOUR CELL PHONE
Please turn off your cell phone if you are working on the floor, or set it to silent or vibrate and let
it go to voice mail. Do not answer your phone or text while in the public retail space, especially
not in front of customers.
F. NO PERSONAL MUSIC LISTENING DEVICES
Do not wear headphones, ear buds, iPods or other personal listening devices. If you wish to listen
to music on a radio or over the intercom system in remote areas, such as in storage areas, the
warehouse, etc., you must keep the volume down to a level that will not distract other employees
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or prevent you from hearing the phone or pages. The music must be acceptable to your comrades
in the area.
G. CUSTOMERS TRUMP PHONE CALLS
If you are with a customer, do not answer the phone. If the phone rings and you are not with a
customer, any and all on-duty staff are expected to answer the phone.
H. YOUR CHILDREN
For the sake of safety and efficiency, do not bring your children to work. Children brought into
the store by an off-duty staff member must be supervised while in non-public areas, around
equipment or operational areas. Please do not allow them to roam the store unattended during
business hours.
The customer is your primary concern. Do not allow anything other than health and safety issues
to distract you from your relationship with your customers.
I. DOGS
Due to health regulations, dogs are not allowed in the grocery store or kitchen. Your dog, if you
have one, is allowed in the business office or break area attended by you. Those who work in the
back office may bring their well-behaved companion animals to work if they are able to
adequately supervise them and the animal’s presence does not interfere with the efficient
operation of the back office staff. Dogs who engage in intense barking, threatening, growling, or
biting, or whose owners do not properly dispose of their poop will be banned from the premises.
J. DO NOT EAT IN THE PUBLIC RETAIL SPACE
As much as possible, please restrict eating to your break time. Never eat while on the retail sales
floor or the produce/deli prep area. If you must get some quick nutrition while on the clock,
please leave the floor area, away from the eyes of customers. Inconspicuous drinking of liquids
(water, coffee, juice, etc.) is permitted. Liquids must have a secure lid when they are in the food
handling areas. Do not endanger the electronic devices by placing unsecure liquids on or
near them. You will be responsible for the cost of replacement if your negligent actions
destroy Sundance equipment.
A NOTE ABOUT FOOD FROM SUNDANCE:
All food and drink is to be paid for at the time you take it. Doing otherwise is considered
theft. This includes distressed produce. If stashed after purchase, please put your name on
it and staple the receipt to the bag.
Just as customers are allowed to sample very small quantities of deli foods in tiny sampling cups,
employees may also use the sampling containers to taste a dish before purchasing a quantity of it.
K. RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING ON-THE-JOB
INJURIES
All Oregon employees are covered by a Worker’s Compensation Insurance policy. The purpose
of this coverage is to ensure that a worker is provided with the appropriate time off, medical
attention and, if necessary, financial assistance to replace wages lost to injury-related time off.
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For this insurance system to work, the staff member, Sundance managers, and any necessary
medical practitioners involved in diagnosing, treating and monitoring the recovery from injury
must follow certain rules and procedures.
You must report all workplace injuries to your supervisor or the General Manager as soon
as possible. An 801 form is a generic accident report form. It is also necessary in case a worker’s
compensation claim later needs to be filed. You must fill out an 801 form for all injuries, minor
or major. These forms are available in the back office and on-line in the staff documents section.
Even though a work related injury may appear to be of little consequence, it is vital that it be
reported in sufficient detail to establish a claim should complications ensue, and a worker’s
compensation claim needs to be filed. For your own protection, be sure to fill out an 801 form
within 24 hours for any injury for our records, no matter how minor it might seem at the time.
Make sure that any clear and present danger related to the injury is reported to a supervisor
immediately so that it can be dealt with as soon as possible and others are not put at risk.
If an injury occurs, that does not require professional medical treatment, simple first-aid
treatment can be found on-site. The supervisor should immediately be informed and an 801 form
should be filled out. This will be kept on file in case the injury develops into a more serious
condition. The 801 forms also serve as an “Incident Form” for investigation by the safety
committee.
If the injury requires immediate medical attention, seek treatment and tend to the injury first, and
make every effort to fill out the 801 form as soon as possible. If professional medical treatment
is sought, the staff member must inform the attending physician that the injury happened at
work. Ask your physician for an “occupational health injury treatment form” (sometimes known
as a “Return-to-Work Form”) to bring back to the General Manager. The physician will assess
the injury and determine whether: (1) the staff member can be released to return to work without
restrictions; (2) the staff member may return to work with restrictions; or (3) the staff member
must cease working for a specified period of time.
The staff member cannot return to work without a release from the attending physician.
There are three possible outcomes for medical treatment and your return to work status:
1. If the attending physician releases the staff member to return to work without restrictions, the
Release to Return-to-Work Form must be returned to the General Manager as soon as possible
and the staff member may resume a normal work schedule and duties.
2. If the attending physician releases the staff member to return to modified work, the Release to
Return-to-Work Form must be returned to the General Manager as soon as possible and the staff
member may resume a modified work schedule and duties until their condition improves or other
assessments are made.
If you are deemed to need a modified work schedule, Sundance has developed a return to work
policy to help staff members return to work at soon as possible following any injury or illness.
Sundance defines “transitional” work as temporary modified work assignments within the scope
of the staff member’s physical abilities, knowledge and skills. Sundance reserves the right to
determine the availability and appropriateness of work hours and duties.
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3. If you are deemed by the attending physician to be unable to return to work, you will be
suspended from all work duties. Ask the General Manager about details regarding time-loss.
(Please note that time-loss benefits will not be paid by SAIF Corporation until after a staff
member has missed more than three shifts of scheduled work.)
You must call in at least weekly to report medical status, continue to seek medical treatment and
return updated “Return to Work” forms from your physician. While off work, it is your
responsibility to supply the General Manager with a current telephone number and an address
where you can be reached. In addition, you need to notify the General Manager within 24 hours
of all changes in medical condition.
When your condition improves your attending physician may allow you to be released to
modified work duties as the doctor deems appropriate. You must then revert to the process and
rules outlined for transitional work below.
Procedure for Transitional Work Assignments
The completed Release to Return-to-Work Form will be reviewed by the General Manager. A
temporary/transitional job description may be prepared and offered to the staff member from
information obtained from the attending physician on that form.
A written Job Offer Letter will be prepared by the General Manager. It will be presented to the
staff member. The letter will note the doctors’ approval and will explain: the job duties, report
date, hours, and duration of the transitional work assignment. The staff member will be asked to
sign the bottom of the Job Offer Letter indicating acceptance or refusal of the offered work
assignment.
If you return to a transitional/temporary job, you must make sure that you do not go beyond
either the duties of the job or your physician’s restrictions.
If your restrictions change at any time, you must notify your supervisor at once and give your
supervisor a copy of any new conditions. You must continue to seek medical treatment until
your condition improves or other assessments are made by your attending physician. It is
the responsibility of the staff member and/or supervisor to immediately notify the General
Manager of any changes concerning a transitional/temporary work assignment.
Your supervisor will monitor your performance to ensure that you do not exceed your
physician’s restrictions. In addition, your supervisor will monitor your recovery progress through
regular contact to assess when and how often duties may be changed. The supervisor will assess
the company’s ability to adjust work assignments upon receipt of changes in physical capacities.
All of this occurs under the guidelines provided by the attending physician.
Copies of the Job Description, Work Releases, and Job offer Letters will be forwarded to the
insurance carrier by the General Manager.
If, at any time, you have questions or are unclear about the process of dealing with any of the
above, please speak with the General Manager.
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L. PARKING CARS AND BICYCLES
Where to park your car: if you drive your car to work, park on 25th between Alder and
Kincaid or on Alder between 25th and 26th. This parking area is only a one-minute walk from the
time clock! We recommend that you lock your car while at work.
Where NOT to park your car: Please do not park or leave your vehicle in any Sundance
business lot while that store is open. That is, don’t park in the grocery store lot 7am-11pm daily,
and do not park in the wine shop lots anywhere around 2441 Hilyard from 10am-7pm daily. Do
not park in Humble Bagel’s parking lot, or in lots related to Paul’s Bike Shop, or Black Sun,
Allan Bros. Burrito Amigos, Taste of India, etc. Do not park in any commercial lot on the
block where Sundance resides. Do not park on 24th across the street from Sundance. This is in
deference to our neighbors who live on this block where available street parking is quite limited.
Do not park on the sidewalk area in front of the kitchen, at 2470 Alder.
The spaces along side of the kitchen, facing Paul’s Bike Shop, are available to Sundancer’s.
Please do not park on the alley side of the kitchen parking lot, the spaces there are reserved for
the offices above the Taste of India, and our recycling area.
Parking is to be monitored by supervisory staff. Parking in inappropriate places is an infraction
of store rules and may result in consequences, as detailed in Chapter VII, Section E.
If you work an opening shift, you MAY park in a close-in space, and then move it into one of the
above-mentioned areas during your break. If you work a closing shift, you MAY move your car
into a nearby parking space during your break, so as to be able to have it nearby for safety
reasons when you leave work.
Where to park your bike: Lockable bike parking is available behind the wine shop, in front of
the HOG, and in the new bike parking area in the HOG yard on the south side of the HOG. Lock
your bike and secure removable parts. MANY UNSECURED BIKES HAVE BEEN STOLEN
FROM OUR BIKE PARKING AREA OVER THE YEARS. Unfortunately, even secured bikes
have been stolen – Sundance cannot be responsible for the theft of your bike.
Where NOT to park your bike: Do not park your bike in front of the store or place it in a
Sundance building, where it may be in the way. Just as above, if you work opening or closing
shifts, you may park your bike in a close, safe, convenient place, as long as it does not present a
safety hazard or interfere with the normal operation of the stores. If you park your bike close-in
when working an opening shift, please move it into regular bike parking during your break.
M. SUPPLIES & MAINTENANCE REQUESTS
All supply requests go through your supervisor to the back office staff. The supply request
clipboard is in the business office. All maintenance and remodeling requests go through your
immediate supervisor to be passed on to the Proprietor/General Manager in order to be
prioritized, and so that we can ensure involvement from all staff that may be affected by changes.
Please make these requests by email to your supervisor, Proprietor/General Manager and the
maintenance and repair manager.
N. STAFF COMMUNICATION BOARD
Check the staff communication board at the beginning of each shift. Important notices and policy
changes are posted there. Read the logbooks for your department at the start of each shift.
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XII. CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICIES
Service is the conscious act of offering our talents, resources and support to other people. Through
these actions we build relationships and the sense of community that is essential to us all.
Customers are not interruptions to our duties; they are the reason for them. At Sundance,
our primary purpose is to serve our community. A “customer first” orientation needs to permeate
everything we do. Our job is to make shopping easy, fast and pleasant for our customers. We
want people to enjoy their visit to Sundance.
How can we do this? By giving our customers PERSONAL ATTENTION, demonstrating
KNOWLEDGE about our products, and providing fast, friendly and efficient SERVICE.
PERSONAL ATTENTION
The most important responsibility we have is to make the customers feel valued and welcome in
our stores. Customers are people - make personal contact with them. A simple rule that can guide
you is the “10-4” rule. Make eye contact with anyone less than 10 feet away; greet them if they
are less than 4 feet away. Look for confused customers - ask them if they need some assistance.
When a customer requests assistance, show them you are GLAD to do it. Make eye contact and
say hello. Be friendly, smile. When customers buy something, look at them and say “thank you”
as you hand them their purchase or count out their change. Offer to tape shut any containers of
questionable security. Package their purchase to their satisfaction. After all, their purchases
support our jobs and every person needs and deserves positive contact. These contacts can enrich
each of us, even if some of them are challenging. It is important to keep in mind that
communication is 55% visual, 38% auditory (tone of voice, etc.) and only 7% the actual words
we use to express ourselves.
Learn who your customers are. Learn the names of regular customers and find out a little bit
about them. It can make the experience more rewarding for both you and the shopper.
There are three key ingredients in your interactions with customers:
1. WARMTH: A genuine appreciation of customers as people.
2. SINCERITY: Dealing with customers honestly.
3. COURTESY: Using diplomacy, tact, and consideration for the feelings and value
systems of the individual with whom you are interacting.
We are an EQUAL TREATMENT STORE. We do not pre-judge our customers or treat them
differently by virtue of their appearance, race, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or income.
Personal friends, mature hip types, people in three piece suits, immigrants who haven’t yet
mastered the language, and parents impatient to get home after work are all guests in our space
and deserve the same gracious treatment. Endeavor to treat all customers in the same manner as
you would a valued friend. Treating all our customers as valued members of our community is
vital to our philosophical integrity as well as to our economic well-being.
KNOWLEDGE
Most of the customers who shop at Sundance are concerned about what kind of food they put in
their bodies. They look to staff members for information and advice. This exchange can be an
opportunity to make a valuable contribution to someone’s health and well-being. To be effective
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in this endeavor, you as a staff person need to have sufficient knowledge of products and
resources to make recommendations and referrals.
It is the responsibility of each of us to learn and update our knowledge of topics such as: what
products Sundance carries, where they are located, what the ingredients are, what “best buys” we
have to offer, product uses, recipes, current health trends and your personal recommendations.
Your good vibes and educated advice are what make us more than just a food outlet.
It is also important to remember that sharing information is not the same as preaching personal
philosophy. People come to Sundance looking for quality food and service, not dogma.
“Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too.” ~ Voltaire
SERVICE
Service is caring in action.
Service is the rent we pay for our place on earth.
Service is the reason every Sundance staff member is employed.
We provide our customers with attentive, helpful, and fast service. We anticipate customer needs
and problems; e.g., offer carryout help before it’s requested. Remember when you’ve been well
served and how good it felt. Take pride in caring about another person’s needs.
Which of the following should distract you from waiting on a customer?
1.
Discussions with other staff members 5. Talking to sales reps for one of our suppliers
2.
Discussion with your supervisor
6. Long distance phone call
3.
Stocking or arranging displays
7. Discussion with the proprietor
4.
A page over the intercom
8. None of the above
The correct answer is 8. Customers are not interruptions to our duties; they are the reason
for them.
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold,
service was joy.- Rabindranath Tagore
A. HOW MUCH SERVICE?
Statistics indicate that 68% of customers who leave to shop somewhere else leave because they
experience staff as indifferent! and that a customer who has a bad experience usually tells at
least 10 other people.
In order to serve our customers we need to put ourselves in the customer’s place and then do
whatever we think most appropriate from their perspective. Never take a hard line with a
customer concerning any store policy. As always, use your own best judgment at all times. Try
to understand the idea behind a policy and be reasonable. Always use our mission of providing a
nourishing experience and respecting individuality while supporting the needs of the store when
necessary.
Do unto others as they would want done to themselves. – The Platinum Rule
Here is a hypothetical example that illustrates this principle:
A woman came to the store looking for medium rennetless cheddar cheese. The woman was
shown the package, but expressed that she could not possibly use that much cheese before it
spoiled. The clerk explained that there was no one available in the cheese department. The
woman said she understood and left the store.
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Did this situation go well? Both people, the clerk and the woman, had a reasonable exchange of
ideas. They both made their respective points and went about their business. So what was
wrong? Plenty!
The main problem is that a customer took the time and effort to come into our store and was
allowed to leave unsatisfied! The clerk made the mistake of thinking the woman cared about our
stocking and display problems. All she wanted was some cheese and she didn’t get it. The
chances of her returning to the store may not be very high. What might have been going through
the clerk’s mind?
1. It is not worth their time to go and unseal the cheese, cut it to the woman's specs, rewrap,
reseal and reweigh the two pieces, etc. All that time spent for a $1.50 sale.
2. If we did it for this woman, we would have to do it for everyone else too. Look what a
problem we would have then! Besides, the next time she needed cheese she might come back
and want to do the same thing again.
3. This sort of special service is an unrealistic expectation. Who else would do it for her?
The clerk was “right” on point # 1, but misses the real issue. The cost of losing a customer is
high. The cost of getting a new customer into the store with standard promotional methods is
very high. We must be concerned with converting “customers” to “regulars,” and with keeping
the loyal regulars we already have. Unseal the piece of cheese and give her the size piece she
wants if that is what it takes to make the encounter pleasant and successful. If you don’t know
how to use the cheese scale, then just cut the cheese to the size the customer wants, make a
best guess as to what it would cost, or ring it through the register as “Open Cheese.” The
point is to do what it takes to have the customer leave satisfied!
On point #2, the “what if everybody wants it” argument indicates a basic misunderstanding of
retail business. If “everybody wants it,” then we should do it that way in the first place. On point
#3, “nobody else (other stores) would do it” is all the more reason why we should do it. We
aren’t like other retail stores! Our standards are higher. We must offer special and unusual
service on occasion if that is what it takes to satisfy our customers.
Eugene, Oregon has an unusually high number of natural food stores to choose from. Due to the
small size of our building, Sundance cannot offer a huge selection of products or always have the
lowest prices in town, but we can do something about fast and friendly customer service.
Please strive for excellence in this regard at all times.
Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence or learning.
~ Frederick W. Faber
B. NEW CUSTOMERS
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels
unaware."~ Paul's Letter To The Hebrews
Sometimes we have the opportunity to welcome a new customer into our store. Often, they are
new to town, maybe they or a loved one are suffering a health crisis, or maybe we were
recommended to them by a friend as a place to get good food. Whatever the reason, it is an
opportunity we cannot afford to squander. One of the hardest tasks for a retail business is to
attract new customers. A smile and a hello is just as important, maybe MORE IMPORTANT for
someone you don’t remember having seen before, than it is for a regular customer. That first
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“May I help you find something?” can be the beginning of a relationship between that person and
the store that lasts DECADES.
C. IN-STORE BREAKAGE OF MERCHANDISE
Sundance will absorb the loss of merchandise breakage by a customer in or out of the store.
When breakage occurs, approach the customer and reassure them not to worry about it—
accidents happen. Don’t let the customer pay for the broken item. Take care of any mess.
Remember that making a person feel comfortable in a potentially uncomfortable situation
is the caring, human thing to do. Please remember to completely fill out an entry on the loss
sheet whenever you deal with a loss of goods.
When someone creates a mess by dropping a jar of juice or leaving the honey valve open, be
sure to get help with cleanup while one person “guards” the area to prevent slippage and tracking
of the mess. For syrup, honey or other thick liquids, use a plastic dust pan and a piece of card
board to scoop up the mess into a lined waste basket, then mop and wipe dry. You may need to
sprinkle some absorbent material on the spill to clean it up, like oat bran, or corn meal. Record
the loss in the loss log, which is located behind Register 3 in the cubby. If you are dealing with
broken glass, please be sure to put the glass safely into a paper bag, and if necessary, put THAT
bag into another paper bag. If you have time, walk the broken glass in the bags directly to our
dumpster outside.
D. MERCHANDISE RETURNS
Sundance wants to make it easy for customers who have issues with our products to come away
from every interaction with us COMPLETELY SATISFIED with the results. However, we also
want to make it DIFFICULT for the rare thieves and scammers to steal from us. It is very
difficult to create a simple system that does not penalize legitimate returns while effectively
thwarting criminals. However, in general, for legitimate claims, the following applies:
ALL MERCHANDISE IS SOLD WITH A SATISFACTION GUARANTEE. We accept all
returns regardless of reasons, even when it is simply personal distaste.
We also accept the customer’s word, without evidence. If a customer says a product they
purchased recently at Sundance was spoiled and they threw it out, give them a refund. Even if
they simply didn’t like it, we express our sorrow at their dissatisfaction and gracefully give them
a refund. A refund should be given with the same attitude that accompanies the sale of
merchandise (meaning - “we are happy to be able to serve you”). Finally, a customer who seems
a little in doubt as to whether or not they deserve a refund should be set straight . . . of course
they deserve a refund!
All returns must either go to a department manager who can return it to the shelf, or, if that is not
possible, onto the desk of the appropriate manager (warehouse manager, vitamins manager, etc.)
with documentation of the reason for the return and your name legibly written, and an entry in
the appropriate loss sheet.. Do not put returns in the employee free box, or trashcan, or take
them home.
All returns must be run through the cash registers, and documented correctly and appropriately.
RULES TO USE WHEN YOU THINK YOU NEED RULES
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There are times when you will need the help of merchandise return rules to make your way
effectively through an interaction. Here are the rules you may use if necessary to help curb
spurious claims and fraudulent activity:
Except for Rule #5, which must be followed by every customer and staff member.
* These rules are ONLY to be used if you suspect a rip-off! *
Always err on the side of trust!
NO RECEIPT
1. Under, $10, NO RECEIPT, ANY DEPARTMENTS, you may issue store credit to the
customer.
2. Over $10, NO RECEIPT, ANY DEPARTMENTS, we generally do not return money or
give store credit to customers. Please refer them to a manager if there is one available.
Otherwise, get as many details as possible, and tell the customer that a manager will
research the issue and get back to them. If it is a HABA item, refer it to the HABA
department.
WITH RECEIPT
3. Under $10, WITH RECEIPT, ANY DEPARTMENTS, you may issue store credit or give
back cash, or in the case of a credit card purchase, you must send the refund to the credit
card or EBT.
4. Between $10 - $20, WITH RECEIPT, you may issue store credit or give back cash, or in
the case of a credit card purchase or EBT, you must send the refund to the credit card.
WITH VITAMINS OR BODYCARE, treat as above, and be sure to put product and
transaction slips on the vitamin desk.
5. Over $20, VITS OR BODYCARE. THESE RETURNS MUST BE HANDLED BY THE
SUPPLEMENT/BODYCARE (HABA) STAFF! If no HABA staff are available, take the
customer’s name and phone number and tell them a HABA staff person will contact them
at the earliest possible moment. If they do not wish to give their name or phone number,
inform them when the next HABA staff person will be available for them.
The confusion and deception that may be perpetrated on you is the reason you need to fill out a
miscellaneous transaction slip for every return. Please have the customer fill out the name and
number portion. This will help us to respond more fully to the customer's concerns and will also
help us to identify people who chronically return merchandise. These transaction slips are
collected in the back office and are checked to detect any patterns of abuse. Remember to note
the price and the department and whether the product was returned to the shelf. This does not
absolve you of responsibility for using your judgment. Please keep your psychic feelers unfurled,
and alert a manager if you have experienced an interaction that made you uncomfortable. The
scammers succeed by keeping us confused and divided. We catch them by being communicative
and united!
Remember to use your own best judgment at all times. These policies are intended to stop
shoplifters and scammers, not to insult or alienate our customers.
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Scammers represent a fraction of a percent of our customers. Always err on the side of
trusting the customer. It is better to lose $10 to a scammer than to alienate a customer who
spends $10,000 a year at our store and who would share any bad experience they have at
Sundance with his/her family and friends.
Please, remember to always give the customer a receipt with each purchase.
If a customer repeatedly makes returns that you believe may not be legitimate, ask the
Proprietor/General Manager or department manager to attend to the customer, and to determine
whether or not to give a credit. By contract, all credit card purchases must be returned to the
credit card. All EBT purchases must be returned to the EBT card. It is not OK to give cash
back on a credit card purchase, and not giving back cash may be our only protection
against some kinds of scams.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~ Gandhi
“Give light and the darkness will disappear of itself.” ~ Erasmus
E. WORKING WITH CHALLENGING CUSTOMERS
If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each person's life sorrow and
suffering enough to disarm all hostility. - Longfellow
There are many things we cannot control but we can substantially affect the mood of a given
situation. Adversity is a true test of character in life and in dealing with difficult customers.
Remember that kindness is not an emotion; it is a deliberate act of will. No matter how we
may feel we can always choose to act kindly, even when we are provoked.
The majority of our challenges come from a small minority of our customers. That’s okay. Some
of those customers do some amazing things from time to time. Keep in mind that everyone has a
bad day now and then. Some people have them 6 or 7 times a week. We can’t let these customers
ruin our days. We must continue to be cheerful, helpful, friendly, and accommodating. Even
“hassle people” and chronic complainers shop for groceries, and if they want to shop with us
they must have some taste. Take care of them and keep the following things in mind:
1. These people are a good barometer of how good our service really is. If we can please these
people, we’re in great shape with everyone else.
2. These are frequently the most appreciative customers once they receive whatever it is they
need. We should try our best to make them happy, frequently no one else can. If we do, they
become loyal customers.
3. These are human beings making the best of what they have going for them. Most of them
deserve our patience and understanding.
4. Call for help if you feel unable to deal with a challenging situation.
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5. Never discuss customer or staff behavior with coworkers while in the store or within
earshot of other customers. This is rude and may cause other customers to wonder what
might be said about them behind their backs.
6. If you find yourself burdened with the toxic after-effects of dealing with a person who is
angry or in pain, take a few moments to remind yourself that those bad feelings don’t belong
to you and do your best to let go of them. If necessary, leave the floor briefly to regain your
composure.
F. PANHANDLERS/SHOPLIFTERS/CRAZY PEOPLE
"Kindness is never wasted. If it has no effect on the recipient, at least it benefits the bestower."
- S. H. Simmons
Panhandlers — As much as Sundance would like to support the value of everybody being able
to do what they want, our primary responsibilities as shopkeepers are to make shopping at
Sundance an inviting and comfortable experience for our customers. In this regard, Sundance has
banned panhandling, begging and selling on store property. This policy has two goals. One goal
is to ensure that the benches in front of Sundance are available for customers who want to lunch
in the open air, park dogs, chat with friends, etc. The other is to ensure that customers either at
the benches or walking in and out of the store do not have to run a gauntlet of panhandlers,
flower sellers, and alcoholics every time they come to visit us. Sundance is a small, sometimes
crowded environment; we want it to feel as spacious as possible. Musicians have historically
been allowed to perform if they do not ask for money. If you think a musician or musicians are
playing too loudly, asking for money or engaging in other obtrusive activities, either check with
a manager or PIC, or use your own best judgment, and ask them to stop or leave.
Shoplifters — We don’t like to be suspicious of our customers. Most of our customers are
honest, trustworthy, hardworking people who make sure to pay for their groceries. In order to
help prevent misunderstandings, we ask our customers to shop into a basket or cart rather than
their own pack or bag. A very small percentage of our customers view us a just another mark,
another arm of “the man,” another amorphous corporate entity to trick and take advantage of in
this dog-eat-dog world. Some shoplifting customers have a mental illness, and are incapable of
thinking through the full consequences of their actions. This minority of miscreants is the reason
why we have cameras, why we take note of non-ordinary behavior, why we keep our psychic
feelers out for a “disturbance in the force.”
Tragically, there are no easy methods for detecting shoplifters, for differentiating honest but
spacey customers from ripoffs, or for catching those who are stealing from the store. Therefore,
we have instituted a policy of asking customers to only shop into Sundance carts or baskets. If
you see a customer shopping into a handbag or backpack, gently approach them and inform them
of our policy.
Don’t go it alone. If you suspect shoplifting, share your suspicions discreetly with supervisors
and appropriate coworkers. Make your primary mission to make sure not to accuse or harass
legitimate law-abiding customers. One falsely accused customer is many times worse than
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letting a shoplifter get away with some pilfered goods. Stealing is THEIR karma; angering
our customers is most definitely OUR karma!
Once you are reasonably sure we have a thief in our midst, collaborate with others to find the
best way to stop the activity. If possible, inform the Proprietor/General Manager or another
manager to handle the situation. One way to send a coded alert is to all page “Mr. Garcia, you
have a call on line 9, Mr. Garcia, line 9.” This page will alert staff and managers that we have a
shoplifting or other serious problem immediately at hand.. We have security cameras which
enable us to monitor and record store activities from the back office. Some situations are best
handled through arrest and prosecution, some are best handled by discussion, some by
trespassing the perpetrator. Remember, from the standpoint of community relations, we need
to be perceived as dealing fairly with everyone in the community much, much more than
we need to be right. Being right rarely enhances your reputation, whereas being perceived
as fair almost always does. And most importantly, we want to act ethically.
Crazy People — When dealing with people who are behaving erratically, we do best to try to
keep centered and to respond from a place of equanimity. We don’t want to be drawn into their
craziness. It is best not to react emotionally or viscerally when someone’s behavior includes
profane outbursts, incoherency, inappropriate anger, or non-sequiturs. Not all illnesses
have obvious physical symptoms. More and more, science is discovering the underlying
physiology of many mental illnesses. This is the flip side of the mind-body connection, wherein
the body’s disabilities directly affect the mind rather than the mind’s issues affecting the body.
These are important concepts to keep in mind when dealing with people who are behaving far
outside of socially accepted norms of behavior. Again, our key mission is to make Sundance a
safe and comfortable place for our customers to shop and our staff members to work. This may
involve asking a customer to leave (always get help), or, with a supervisor, trespassing a
customer from the store, intervening if a crazy person is harassing a customer, or simply
following certain customers around to make sure their behavior stays within acceptable
boundaries. Use your best judgment here; stay within your parameters of competence, comfort
and security and get help if you feel a situation is more than you can handle alone. Again, if
possible, inform the Proprietor/General Manager or another manager to handle the situation.
Please remember to inform a manager at some point – before, during or after an encounter.
Trespassing (Former) Customers
You may encounter a person in an altered state of mind, whether it be from alcohol, lack of
medication, or too much of a good thing. If these people are incoherent and unreasonable to deal
with, call the police dispatch 541-682-5111 and ask them to send the White Bird CAHOOTS
van. CAHOOTS personnel are trained and equipped to deal with these people, avoiding the need
to involve uniformed police.
A verbal warning is the first step in removing a difficult or problem customer. Generally it is
sufficient to ask these people to desist their activity. If, after repeated warnings, they do not stop
they may be asked to leave our property. If they are abusive physically and are yelling
profanities at employees or customers when unprovoked, no warning need be given. Shoplifting
is also grounds to ask people to never come back. Vendors and beggars/panhandlers may be
asked to leave our property forever as well. Please consult a PIC or manager if possible if you
see someone engaged in an activity where they need to be asked to leave Sundance property. Use
your best judgment at all times. We generally do not formally trespass people, that is, fill out a
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form and call the police. It is generally enough to tell them they are no longer welcome on our
property and that their return will elicit a call to the police. However, they are recorded into
the “86ed Log.”
In order to keep track of those we have asked never to return, we have a “86ed log” in a binder
on the lip, which includes photos and noted behaviors of persons we have previously trespassed
from Sundance property.
G. CAMERAS
Sundance has a closed circuit TV system, with a digital video recorder attached to it. The
recorder captures 1-2 frames per second for later retrieval and holds images from all cameras for
two weeks. This makes it possible to track customers walking through the store by checking
various cameras from the back office. Any important activity can then be reviewed at a later
time, and can also be downloaded and burned to disk in case footage is needed for a shoplifting
prosecution or other reasons. The cameras show a view in front of the store, as well as various
views from within the store, and on the lip and in the deli prep areas, covering all of the various
entrances and exits. One additional high-resolution camera records people entering and exiting
the west front door. This camera is accessed from a different computer via separate software.
H. CHILDREN
Young people bring much joy and wisdom to our lives. Kids are fun. Kids are the future.
However, kids can create challenges. We have a few simple tools at our disposal to help kids
think of Sundance and Sundancers as their friend(s). We have various kinds of stickers at the
registers we can give to kids (with parent’s permission, of course). We also have our “Free
Banana” program, which lets us give kids 10 years old and younger a banana when they come
into the store.
If do you encounter a youngster running, screaming repeatedly, or mishandling products:
1. If the parent is not aware of the problem, inform them. If the parent is unavailable then
deal with the child directly. Approach the child, get down on their level, eye to eye, and calmly
and kindly ask them to stop. Explain why it is unacceptable. Try to speak loudly enough for the
parent to hear, but not so loudly as to intimidate the child.
2. If a relatively light approach does not work, or if the parent is aware of and ignoring
the situation, refer the situation to the Proprietor/General Manager, or another manager. NEVER
use physical force to restrain a child EXCEPT when their behavior significantly endangers the
child, others, or may cause serious property damage (e.g., throwing a quart of juice at the plate
glass windows). Be kind. Realize that parents are naturally sensitive to strangers interacting
with their children.
I. DOGS & OTHER NON-HUMANS
Dogs and other companion animals are NOT allowed in a grocery store. The ONLY exception to
this is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recognized trained service animals. ADA
recognized service or assistance animals must undergo a training process that allows them to
assist or help their “physically impaired” owner. There are 2 questions we can legally ask a
customer to determine if their animal is a trained service animal:
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1. “ Is this a trained service animal?” The owner must answer with a yes or no.
2. “What tasks has this animal been trained to perform?”
Barking for help if their owner has collapsed in an epileptic seizure is one form of training.
Assisting a blind individual around is another form of specialized training.
“THERAPY DOG” OR “THERAPY ANIMAL” An animal that provides emotional comfort or
support for emotionally disturbed individuals is not acknowledged by the ADA as a trained
service animal and falls outside the realm of federal law. There is no ADA recognized training
associated with these animals, and we cannot allow them into the store on this basis. Both
because of law and because of customer perception, we cannot make exceptions. Please ask
customers with non-ADA recognized service animals to leave the store and return without their
companion.
J. CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
“Be nice and smile to everyone you meet. You don't know what they are going through, and they
may need that smile. And treasure it." - Christine M. Huppert
The most important thing a staff member does is to demonstrate genuine concern for customers.
The customer wants to know they are being paid attention to. When customers come to you with
situations, complaints, or questions:
1. LISTEN to the customer. Empathize – share their anger or frustration – “Boy, I hate it
when that happens!” “There is no excuse for this – this would frustrate me too!” Apologize.
2. RESOLVE his or her situation or find someone who can. (It is often useful to check
back with comments like, “Would it be a satisfactory solution if I . . .?”)
3. FOLLOW THROUGH. Remember: All our efforts are pointless if we dead-end a
customer or neglect to get back with them.
4. PASS ON suggestions or feedback that might be useful in avoiding similar situations
in the future.
IF A CUSTOMER COMPLAINT INVOLVES A PERSONNEL ISSUE, they should be referred
directly to the General Manager.
The following nine step procedure is one of the most important customer service tools in
this entire handbook. Please read through it several times and work hard to integrate this
way of thinking into all of your dealings with customers:
STEPS IN DEALING WITH ANGRY CUSTOMERS:
1. LET THEM VENT. Until the anger subsides, we cannot move into a solution phase. Ask the
customer to tell you everything. If you are talking to this person on the phone, take notes.
2. LISTEN VERY INTENTLY. Do not interrupt. Allow them to get everything out in the open.
Use involved eye communication and nod occasionally. Do not say "Yes, yes, I know" or "I
understand". This may fuel their anger.
3. DO NOT TAKE WHAT THEY SAY PERSONALLY - EVEN IF THAT IS THEIR
INTENTION!! Realize you are relating to someone who may not be thinking logically. Their
anger may be compounded by feelings of helplessness at the situation or the perception they
are being treated unjustly. To them, you may represent "the system" and they may take this
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
opportunity to unload years of frustration and exasperation concerning a variety of similar
situations. Allow yourself to be their "sounding board" and don't react. Try to remember
times in the past when you, too, were this upset and needed to unload.
WHEN THEY ARE FINISHED, ASK FOR MORE SPECIFICS. Make sure they aren't
speaking in generalities and have given you all the facts. Often arguments ensue because of
broad accusations that cannot be approached step by step for solution. Separate the specifics
so you can methodically handle them one by one.
VERY IMPORTANT - DO NOT GO TO THE SOLUTION PHASE YET! INSTEAD PARAPHRASE BACK THE ENTIRE COMMUNICATION. Using a kind tone of voice and
a neutral attitude, repeat back everything the customer just said. Start by saying "I want to
make sure I've got all the facts straight. What I am hearing you say is …" and succinctly
paraphrase what you have just heard. Since the average person hears only 25% of what is
being said, chances are you don't have a completely accurate picture. This technique also
helps to defuse the situation and assures the angry person you are taking their issue seriously.
Allow them to correct your interpretation and/or reiterate key points.
ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR FEELINGS. When we get upset, it is very important for us to see
that the other person understands our anger. Say something like "This must be very
frustrating for you." By saying this, you are not admitting guilt or being disloyal to
Sundance. You are simply empathizing with this person and showing your "humanness".
BEGIN NOW TO GO TO "SOLUTION PHASE". Assure the customer you are committed to
solving this problem to their complete satisfaction. Explain your side of the issue, being
careful not to put them on the defensive by using the word "you". Instead of saying "You are
mistaken" or "You've got it all wrong," say "There has been a misunderstanding" or "What I
see has happened is…" Tell them you want to solve this problem together and ask them what
they recommend be done. This will begin to lead them to the left brain where you can both
work from a logical place. If it is possible to incorporate their solution, tell them how you
will do it, how it will be carried out and how long it will take. If their solution isn't plausible,
suggest a couple of solutions of your own and negotiate the best choice for both of you.
GO TO YOUR SUPERVISOR, THE GENERAL MANAGER IF IT IS NOT WITHIN
YOUR POWER TO PROMISE OR IMPLEMENT THE SOLUTION. If this is the case,
explain to the customer that you do not have the authority to solve the situation but will hand
it over to someone who can. Assure them it will be handled and tell them the name of the
person who will take it from there. Tell them you will personally commit to making sure it is
solved. If they choose to wait, quickly go to your supervisor, explain the situation and
accompany your supervisor back to your customer and introduce them. In front of the
customer, give your supervisor another short summary of what has transpired, excuse
yourself and leave. Or if you are on the phone, ask the customer if they would wait a minute
while you call the person who can help them. Put them on hold and then call the appropriate
manager or co-worker, briefly fill them in on the situation, and get back to the customer.
Give the customer the manager's name and inform them you will now transfer them to the
person who will handle the situation. As a last resort, if no one else is available to resolve the
problem immediately, get the customer’s name and phone number and assure them that
someone will get back to them. Then make sure that the information gets to someone who
can and will deal with it.
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9. IT IS STILL YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! Even if your supervisor or co-worker is going to
take it from here, check back to make sure the situation has been resolved. When it has,
contact the customer and thank them for their patience and understanding.
While every situation is unique and no formulas are effective 100% of the time, variations of the
above steps work amazingly well more often than not.
Some tips to remember when working with any difficult situation:
*
Use the words "issue" or "situation" in place of "problem".
*
Honor the other person with your full attention as you listen.
*
Don't allow yourself to get "sucked in" to their anger. To insure this doesn't happen, keep
saying to yourself "So, what can I do about this?" Stay calm. The need to find a solution will
stimulate your left brain to take action and deactivate your reactionary right brain.
* Most of all - empathize! We've all had times when we were extremely angry and frustrated and
would have really appreciated someone handling us in this manner!
K. FINDING A PRODUCT
If at all possible, walk with a customer to where the product should be.
You should also talk with them as you walk with them.
Make sure that the product is actually there.
Make sure that the product you found is actually what the customer wants.
Walk them to the product and put it in their hands.
Answer any questions the customer may have about the product.
If you are unable to take the customer to the product yourself, be sure to deliver them into the
hands of another staff member who can!
If you don’t know where a product is, take the time to find out and then take the customer to it.
That way, next time someone asks, you will know where it is.
L. OUT-OF-STOCKS
One of the pillars of customer service is having what the customer wants. Anytime Sundance is
out of a particular item, you need to see it as a customer service issue, and work hard to make the
customer feel as if it is as important or more important to us as it is to them.
First, apologize for having disappointed the customer. If you know the reason for the out-ofstock, explain it to them without sounding like you are making excuses. If it is Sundance’s fault,
not a manufacturer or distributor out-of-stock, again, don’t make excuses.
If you know, let them know when they can expect a product to return.
If we have a similar enough product on the shelves, suggest that maybe they try that product to
tide them over until the other product returns (satisfaction guaranteed).
Offer to special order the product for them, if that seems appropriate and will satisfy the
customer’s needs.
If none of these strategies are sufficient to meet the customer’s needs, call another store for them
(our fellow natural food stores are listed on our employee phone lists, which can be found in the
front office) and track down the product. Make sure the product is in stock at the other store.
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A satisfied customer is far more valuable to Sundance than a sale. Do all you can to satisfy the
customer, or at least to make them feel you did everything you could do to satisfy them.
M. SPECIAL ORDERS
Customers can order cases of grocery items for 10% off the normal retail price, both for items we
carry in the store and for items we do not stock but that we can get from our distributors. We can
also order most vitamin and body care items in single units. The HABA department buyers will
determine the price for items Sundance does not carry. Anything we can get from any of our
suppliers, we can provide for our customers.
For items Sundance carries, customers receive a 10% discount off the regular retail price on all
case or full bag special orders. Items
on sale MAY have a different amount
of case discount, or occasionally NO
further discount, depending on the
terms Sundance receives on the sale
item. (This will generally be stated on
the sale sign.). For items that
Sundance does not carry, the
warehouse manager or grocery buyer
must determine the case price, as
there are sometimes circumstances
that change the 10% rule. The case
discount cannot be combined with
senior, pregnancy, or employee
discounts (see employee benefits
section for special employee
discounts on cases).
Feel free to let customers know that
they have this choice - especially
since they'll get a better price!
Special orders require extra attention.
They are a commitment from a
customer to buy a product in quantity
or to buy a product from us we don’t
stock and would otherwise not be
able to sell to them. Many times they
will do so again and again if we
handle the process well.
Special orders are handled differently
by each department. Take some time
to familiarize yourself with each
department's process:
Grocery special orders and Beer special orders should always be written on a special order form
and placed in the top slot in the middle left of the special order box located in the office on the
lip. Please fill out the top of the form completely! It is important to write your first name and
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last initial in the CLERK’S NAME spot in case clarification is needed. Many special order
items are not in our regular inventory and missing information on the special order form could
mean a delay of weeks before we can get the product in.
Produce special orders should be referred to produce staff whenever possible. If no produce
worker is available, take customer's name, phone number, and order and place it securely in the
Produce logbook. Produce staff will call the next day to confirm price and availability.
Vitamin special orders should be referred to HABA staff whenever possible. If no HABA
worker is available, fill out a special order form (see grocery orders below) and place it in the top
slot on the far left side of the special order box. If you have any questions about this, ask. If you
put the order in the wrong slot, it could delay an order for weeks because we don't order from
every company every week.
Herb and Bodycare special order forms should be placed in the top middle right slot of the
special order box.
Cheese and West End special order forms go in the far right slot of the special order box
Be sure to specify size of unit - 8 ounces, 25 pounds, quarts, etc. You can quote the customer a
10% off price on items we regularly carry, but please don't fill out price section. Prices vary,
especially on bulk items and the buyer for each department knows the current price.
Please don't fill in the "supplier" line, or anything below.
The staff from the appropriate department will call the customer when their order arrives.
To check on a special order for a customer: If the product has not yet been ordered, it will be in
one of the top slots of the special order form box. If the product has been ordered, but has not yet
arrived, it will be in one of the middle slots. If it HAS arrived, and is a grocery item, it will be in
one of the bottom slots. If it is a HABA order, the white slip will be in the box with the product,
in one of the HABA special order boxes, sorted by first name. The location of the order should
be written on the bottom of the slip. The special order may be in the warehouse, or in one of the
coolers, or in the vitamin shed, depending on what kind of order it is. If you have any trouble
locating the product, please page a stocker or a person from the appropriate department.
Your extra attention to special orders really makes a difference to our customers. If you have any
questions about the process, feel free to ask a manager.
Please write your name (not just your initials) on special order slips so we can ask you if there
are any questions about the order.
Kitchen/Deli department special orders must go through the West End Manager.(“Deli
Manager” I think is the new term.)
Special orders for staff members: See the Staff Benefits section (Chapter IX, Section B1) of
this handbook for details.
N. CUSTOMER REQUESTS AND COMMENTS
People need to feel that they have been heard, understood, and treated with care and respect.
If a customer wants to suggest that we carry a new product or if they want to make a general
comment:
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1. Courteously direct them to the Customer Input Board. Have them fill out an input form
and let them know that a response will be posted as soon as possible.
2. If a customer shows any reluctance to fill out the form, do it for them.
3. If they want more personal attention direct them to a manager or department head for
input.
4. Be positive. Don’t criticize other stores, vendors, etc.
5. Make sure the information is passed on to the appropriate parties.
O. CLEANLINESS
The importance of cleanliness in a grocery store cannot be stressed enough. In industry surveys,
customers rate it as their top concern. Our customers judge whether our food is sanitary by our
appearance. Furthermore, our store in particular, and natural food stores in general, have long
been associated with the hippie-deep-roots-culture and its assumed liberation from the fear of
dirt and lack of belief in the germ theory of disease. It is the responsibility of each of us to make
certain we appear neat and clean. Because of our high volume of bulk product sales, we must
work harder than standard grocery stores in order to maintain an impeccably clean store.
That means dust or damp wipe all shelves when restocking or doing inventory. We move
obstacles from aisles, pick up trash from baskets and carts, keep the lip sink clean, pick up after
ourselves and others, sweep up spillage right away, and remove boxes, bottles, and trash when it
piles up. Whenever we have a free moment, we look around the store and see what cleaning
needs to be done. If we spot areas that need more attention than we have time for, we let the
General Manager or supervisor know so they can work it into the schedule.
Cleanliness, as with everything else, is a team effort. (see “That's Not My Job!” Chapter V,
Section D)
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P. MUSIC
Sundance provides music throughout the store, including on the lip, and in the coolers, in order
to make shopping a more pleasant experience for our customers. The music also helps to
provide a pleasant work environment for the staff, but this is not the primary reason for our
sound system. The music is loaded into iTunes and is played on shuffle. The front-end manager
is in charge of selecting appropriate music and is also in charge of adding new music to the mix.
Please make sure that all the music played in the store (including the lip and the coolers)
conforms to our mission and affords our customers an uplifting and comfortable listening
atmosphere while shopping. Loud, harsh, raucous, jarring, discordant or abrasive music is
never appropriate during store hours. If you have even the slightest doubt that some music
you are hearing might offend acoustically or culturally sensitive customers, ask the personin-charge to change it. Never resist the intervention of a manager in making judgment calls
regarding appropriate music choices or volume levels. If you have the slightest doubt that
some music you are requesting to be added to the playlist might offend acoustically or
culturally sensitive customers, don’t add it!
Q. ANSWERING PHONE AND PAGING IN STORE
Answering the Phone
Good greetings: “Hello, this is Sundance. May I help you?” or “Hello, Sundance. This is <your
name here>, How can I help you.” or “Good Morning (afternoon, evening), this is Sundance.”
Phones are an essential part of our business interaction with customers and suppliers. They
should be answered quickly, politely and proficiently. Keep in mind that we give people an
impression of how Sundance cares for them by how we interact over the phone. Be calm &
friendly and be sure to make every effort to answer their needs. Smile while talking on the phone
and the good vibes will come through your voice.
Any staff member may answer the phone, BUT do not answer the phone when serving customers
unless absolutely necessary. During most store hours there are non-front line staff available to
field incoming calls. Please let it ring; make the interaction with the customer your number one
priority. Staff members not immediately engaged with a customer should always take the
initiative to answer incoming calls.
If you answer the phone, and cannot answer the customer’s question, refer them to
someone who can, or take down their number and question and route it to someone who
will respond. When you take a message, take down the name and phone number of the
caller, and be sure to sign, date, and note the time of the call.
A customer on the phone is as important as any other customer. When you put a caller on hold,
please take care that the person is not left on hold forever. It is discourteous and ties up the
phone. The phone set that was initially answered will ring again if someone else has not
answered the call after one minute. If you notice a hold light flashing for more than a minute
(which it does on all the telephone sets in our system), check to see if the person has been
helped.
If you hear the phone ring three times and you are not on the register, please answer it. This is
vitally important. We often get complaints from people who phone us and no one answers.
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When customers need to use the phone let them do so graciously.
Do not give out personal information on the phone. Do not give out the “home” phone
numbers of staff members. The staff phone list is for store business between staff members. If a
caller insists it is an emergency that they get a hold of the person, offer to call the staff member
yourself and give them the caller’s number. Do not unnecessarily disturb staff members by
calling them at home with business that could be taken care of at work another time.
Paging
Our telephone system includes a paging function. Most of Sundance’s phones have three buttons
labeled PAGE, E-PAGE, and ALL-PAGE.
The PAGE button allows us to page all of the speakerphones at Sundance except the ones in the
wine shop.
The E-PAGE button sends a page to a set of external speakers. These speakers are located in the
warehouse’s beer cooler, the west-end cooler, the produce wet cooler, the reach-in cooler, a
speaker above the customer input board near the freezer doors, a speaker in the front of the
produce department, and a speaker in the front of the deli.
The ALL-PAGE goes to both of the above locations, PLUS two speakerphones at the front and
back of the wine shop. The wine shop staff prefer not to hear pages meant for the grocery,
warehouse, office, kitchen, etc.
When paging another staff member, please be sure to repeat the page twice each time you
page. "Gavin, call on line 1; Gavin, you have a call on line 1." Please make sure you say the
person’s name slowly and clearly, as our phone system is quite 20th century in terms of sound
quality. This way you can get everyone's attention the first time and the staff member to whom it
may be directed can get another chance to ascertain that they heard correctly. The standard
format for paging someone who works in the grocery is to hit the PAGE button on the phone,
repeat the message twice, hang up by pushing the flash button, hit the E-PAGE button, again
repeat the page twice, then again hang up by pushing the flash button, then replace the phone on
the hook. Replacing the phone on the hook while it is in page mode causes unpleasant noises
over the intercom system. This method reaches everywhere but the Wine Shop, who prefer not
to receive the grocery's pages.
Check back to see if the call has been picked up. If not, pick up the phone again (it will generally
ring back to you after 60 seconds), and, after telling the person on the phone that the person you
paged is not picking up, see if you can help them yourself. See the phone call through to a
satisfactory resolution.
If the person being paged is in your department/area, and you know they are not available, please
answer the phone and take a message for them. (Be sure to get the message to the person as soon
as possible.) When paging Gavin or Byron, who might be at the Wine Shop as well as at the
store or kitchen, use the ALL-PAGE button on the phone. If you are alerting staff to a shoplifting
situation, also use the ALL-PAGE. Another appropriate use of the ALL-PAGE is to page for a
Red Cross Certified staff member to respond to an emergency. To use the ALL-PAGE, hit the
ALL-PAGE button, repeat the page twice, then hang up by pushing the flash button, then replace
the phone on the hook. ALL-PAGE reaches every phone and intercom speaker at all of
Sundance's buildings. The ALL-PAGE may also be conveniently used for grocery pages when
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the Wine Shop is closed (i.e. before 10:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m.). Please don’t put personal or
irrelevant messages over the PA system, such as “your coffee is ready,” etc.
R. REGISTER AREA
Always be aware of the register area of the store. Jam-ups at the cash registers are a sure way to
frustrate our customers. This is especially true if they believe that an inefficient or uncaring staff
causes the jam-up.
Make the register a top priority. If you see the long lines are forming, stop what you are doing
(unless you are directly serving a customer). Anyone in the store may help out at the registers
when we are very busy. All bodycare, vitamin, produce, stocking and management staff should
be trained on the register. If you don’t know how to use the register — learn. It’s always helpful
to go to the front and begin bagging. Let customers know you care and you do not want them to
waste their time waiting in checkout lines. Err on the side of calling the next register too soon.
Call for the next register as soon as any of the following occurs.
1. Two customers are waiting behind the person you are serving.
2. The person you are checking out still has a lot of items (20 or more), and others are waiting.
3. A person waiting indicates they are frustrated.
4. There is a register interruption (machine difficulties, etc.).
5. Any other time you feel service is slow.
It is important that we all are aware that a customer has no way of identifying which one of us is
a cashier and which isn't. A stocker or a produce person doing their work can easily be mistaken
for an uncaring cashier. If there is a line and you aren't qualified to run a register, let the
customers know that you are going to find someone who can run a register. If there is no one
available, then start bagging. All of us who work here are here to serve our customers, whether
we stock, prep or manage.
Visit the cashier trainer nearest you to become a fully qualified Sundance cashier. Do it
today!
S. OPENING & CLOSING
Sundance is open most of the year from 7 AM until 11 PM seven days a week. There are a few
days of the year when the grocery store has alternate hours, listed as follows. Sundance closes at
7 pm on Thanksgiving, the day of the staff Solstice party and on Christmas Eve. The store opens
no later than 10 am the day following the Solstice party, and no later than 11 am on New Year’s
Day. Sundance is closed on Christmas day.
Please remember that our early bird customers and our late night customers are as valuable to us
as any others.
When you lock the doors at 11 PM, don't leave a customer out in the cold if you can help it.
Communicate with late customers and try to accommodate their needs if possible. It is
reasonable to refuse to let someone in to do their week's shopping at 11:01, but it is not
reasonable to ignore customers just because the minute hand has crossed an arbitrary point. We
are here to serve our customers needs, not to make them accommodate ours.
The same is true in the morning. If you are not quite ready, let them in anyway, and let them
browse or wait at the checkout line while you finish prepping the till. They are doing us the
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honor of coming to our store, let us rise to their challenge. We really want them to think of
Sundance as their store. After the last customer is served and the doors locked at closing, no
one not working is allowed in the store.
T. DISCOUNTS GIVEN
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one. – Spock and Kirk
Sundance gives 10% discounts to senior citizens. Senior citizen is defined as those with a
Sundance Longevity Rewards Card, which is available upon request and proof of age . To
receive the card, customers must be 64 years of age in 2013, and 65 years of age in 2014. This
age bracket will change each year until we ultimately define seniors in the same way the
government does for the purpose of Medicare – currently age 65. With the rapid increase in the
population defined as seniors Sundance has experience an enormous increase in discounts, which
is why we need to make these adjustments. We also give a discount to pregnant women, when
these community members request this service.
The discount to seniors is designed to help those retired senior citizens who are living on a fixed
income maintain health and physical well-being. Since we cannot easily determine which senior
citizens fit this class, we extend this discount to all qualified people who meet our criteria as to
age.
The discount to pregnant women is designed to ensure access to good pre-natal nutrition. The
first nine months of development are vital to a person's lifelong health and well-being. (The
discount is not designed to be a reward for having children nor is it meant to benefit one class of
people over another, nor to reward procreative sex over other kinds. It is for babies! Everybody
was a baby once.) Alcoholic beverages are excluded, as are most (non-pregnancy related)
bodycare products.
Do not embarrass people by asking them if they are pregnant or senior. These discounts should
be given only when requested and only if the cashier thinks the person is eligible. Ask for their
Longevity Rewards Card, and issue them one if they do not have one yet. (Some consider
themselves senior citizens at 55 or 60, but we can’t afford to make the qualifications any more
liberal than they are.) Be kind and graceful, and err on the side of trust.
Sundance also gives a 10% discount on special order cases and bags of bulk foods. This discount
reflects the lower cost per unit to us for not having to handle individual items, and is a boon for
local food manufacturers and folks with large families. This discount can be given only on
purchases where no other discounts (that is, senior, pregnant, or employee) have been given.
Discounts apply to sale merchandise also unless otherwise indicated. If a case purchase is not a
special order, cashiers need to check with the head of the department to verify that we have
enough in stock of that item so that **we can sell someone a quantity without running out before
the next delivery.
One other 10% discount is given to certain associated businesses who that ***buy items at
Sundance that they use in the course of their business. The discount is only given on items used
for business, and these business people separate their personal and business purchases. (Do we
want to put this in – it seems to open a door – who is left in this category?)
Sundance also has a discount program for people suffering chronic, and/or life-threatening
diseases, for which they need to take supplements. This discount requires an application
submitted to someone in the supplements department, with a note from a doctor. Participants in
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this program MUST show a special needs discount card at the register whenever they are
purchasing supplements under this program. The discount applies only to supplements, and not
to any other items in our store. A 30% discount is given to customers in these circumstances.
Wine shop discounts – The wine shop offers various discounts to customers based on quantities
of wine purchased. Employees receive the same discount at the wine shop as they do for grocery
items at the store: 20%.
Discounts are not to be given to anyone else, ever!
XIII. COMMUNITY RELATIONS
A. GIFTING OUR COMMUNITY
One of the ways Sundance contributes to our community is by giving money, goods, or, most
commonly, gift cards to local non-profit, charitable, and other community organizations and
events. Though the intent is charitable giving, Sundance asks that these organizations treat
Sundance’s gifts as an exchange of our goods for their acknowledgement of the gift and their
promotion of our business. They are therefore known as Ad Trade Certificates. We do this
because corporations are only allowed to deduct charitable donations up to 10% of taxable
income and our corporate giving quickly surpasses that limit.
The proprietor is responsible for handling ad trade requests. Please ask those requesting
donations to email Gavin at [email protected]. Ask customers to carefully read the instructions.
Ad Trade cards are put in the ad trade card box next to the mail basket in the front office for
recipients to pick-up. Most requests are made far before the event, so it is acceptable to take a
message and to ask requesters to call back if the proprietor is not available when they call.
However, in the unusual and unlikely event that a request needs to be dealt with quickly, and the
proprietor is unavailable, you can refer donation requests to the General Manager, the
Information Systems Manager or the Front End Manager.
The money we collect from selling both our paper bags and reusable polyethylene bags is
donated to environmental organizations, and, when possible, local environmental organizations.
B. POSTERS, FLYERS, PETITIONERS & TABLERS
Sundance is more than a store. It is a hub, a community nexus for the south Eugene University
neighborhood, and for the general Eugene community of people whose values, politics and
consciousness lead to their appreciation of natural and organic food and personal care products.
As such, we maintain a set of bulletin boards outside the store for the public to use for events,
sales, rentals, etc. The front-end staff maintains these boards.
We also have some places for posters in the windows of the store and in a prominent spot on the
side of the bread shelf next to the front door. Due to the implication that we might be sponsoring
events or ideas so prominently displayed, posters placed in these spots must be approved by the
proprietor, or the Front End Manager, and can only be put up after the proprietor or the
appropriate manager sees the poster. The posters need to be placed in windows in such a way
that they do not block the view – that is, at and bellow the level of the cookie shelf. Similarly, in
rare cases flyers may be placed at the registers, but must be approved by the proprietor, and must
be of such a size so as not to interfere with the flow of customers and their groceries.
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Because allowing petitioners on our property can imply to our customers that we approve of the
issues they are asking customers to support, all petitioners must ask permission of the proprietor
before they can petition on our property. This also applies to persons or organizations wishing to
set up informational tables in front of our store.
Paid petitioners are not allowed to solicit signatures at Sundance. If you see a petitioner in front
of the store, feel free to ask them if they have the permissions of the “proprietor” to be
petitioning. If they do not mention Gavin, they are petitioning without permission and you
should tell a manager right away. (The proprietor needs to will inform the Front End Manager of
the schedule of an approved petitioner which can then be noted on the front office calendar for
everyone’s reference.)
Due to the large number of customers trying to enter and exit the store, petitioners and tablers
must behave with impeccable decorum and maintain a low profile when working in front of
Sundance. Any reports from customers of excessive zeal or confrontational behavior from
petitioners and tablers must be dealt with immediately. Petitioners and tablers can be asked to
leave if they cannot be polite.
XIV. SAFETY AND SECURITY
A. SAFETY
The safety and health of staff members is important at Sundance. A safe work environment and
safe work procedures are both of major concern. Should you, in your work, encounter an unsafe
situation, or observe others working in an unsafe manner, you are responsible to act. If the
situation is one that you can handle, resolve the situation yourself. Remind a fellow staff member
if they are working unsafely or lifting improperly.
Taking this responsibility expresses your concern and recognizes that an injury to one hurts
everyone in increased workloads and higher insurance costs for Sundance. If you are unable to
solve a safety issue yourself, tell the General Manager. We encourage your ideas and suggestions
as to how we can make Sundance a safer place to work.
In the interests of safety and sanitation, certain jobs require special equipment.
• All food handlers at Sundance (cheese, salad, and deli/kitchen) need to work with wear hats
and beard nets, if hair or beard is longer than 3/4ths inch.
• Staff whose primary job requires the use of sharp knives are encouraged to use protective mesh
gloves that will be provided by Sundance.
Sundance has a safety committee which meets monthly to discuss safety issues and to make
recommendations to management for safety improvements. The safety committee also walks
through the entire campus on a quarterly basis, checking for physical plant safety issues that need
to be addressed. If you encounter a safety issue that you feel needs to be addressed, check with
your supervisor, and/or refer it to the safety committee representative for your area of the store.
The safety committee is also in charge of maintaining an Emergency Handbook, which is
available in the logbook area on the front lip.
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B. SECURITY
Security rules protect you, the staff member, our customers and Sundance. It is imperative that
you understand and abide by these security policies and procedures.
1. IN-STORE SECURITY
After 6:00 p.m. all warehouses and walk-in coolers are to be locked and all hand trucks locked
inside as well. The Grey House break room is locked after 9:00 PM. Produce and Deli doors to
the back lip area must be locked when no staff members are present.
The closing shift cashiers must make sure that all doors are locked every evening before
removing the cash trays from the registers. All doors are to remain locked and secure during nonbusiness hours. Money is to be counted in the front office. After the last customer has left, no one
is allowed in the store after closing except closing cashiers and janitorial service.
The Wine Shop is off-limits to staff after closing. (Is this now changed? Stockers and HABA
staff are allowed access, aren’t they?)There are monitored alarm systems in the wine shop
building, so unless you know the security code, do not unlock the back door.
Armed Robbery
Don’t be a hero; if someone wants the money, give it to him or her. Take a deep breath and do
exactly as they ask. Try to get your powers of observation in gear. An accurate description of the
bandit is of paramount importance. Observe this important data:
Height (compare with a point of reference or another person); eye color; hair color and style;
approximate age; any identifying marks such as scars or moles; and attire, what the bandit is
wearing. By yourself, take notes immediately after the incident without any other input.
Then call the police and the Proprietor/General Manager. Also, if possible, try to observe the
getaway car if one is used and look for the license number. Remember that if this situation
should arise, your safety is most important, not the money!!!
Sexual Harassment of Staff
As stated in the Sundance “Bill of Rights,” no staff member shall be subject to unwelcome
verbal or physical advances, or any other conduct that could be interpreted as sexual harassment.
If you feel that you are receiving any kind of unwanted attention from a customer or staff
member or vendor or anyone else, please discuss it as your earliest possible convenience with
your supervisor, the General Manager. If you are feeling personally threatened in any way in the
moment, you can call for back-up, ask to be relieved until that person has left the store, and/or
ask for a manager to speak with the person.
2. CUSTOMER SAFETY AND SECURITY
a. Evacuation Procedure
In the event of a fire or another emergency requiring the evacuation of the store, you should:
Remain calm make sure your work area and the cash registers are secure, and assist other staff in
notifying customers and helping them out of the store, safely and quickly.
b. Power Outages
In the event of a power outage during daylight hours, find the emergency power outage box
filled with lanterns, calculators, flashlights, and manual credit card swipes, and troubleshooting
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guide, and follow the instructions inside and try to continue with business as usual. Also, contact
your supervisors, and/or the General Manager and proprietor as soon as you can. Since outages
usually only last a short while, you should try to keep the registers open and do what is possible
with a calculator and open drawers. (Our store’s power comes from the same source as that
which operates the traffic lights on our corner and we thus get our power restored in a more
timely manner than other areas might.) The uninterruptible power supplies will only run the cash
registers for at most a half hour. Scales may continue to be used on battery power for a little
longer. If the power is out for more than a short period of time (i.e., 15 min.), explain to the
customers that the registers are not functioning, invite them to wait, or to return to complete their
shopping at a later time. (We can do cash business and use the manual card swipes until power is
restored.) If the power goes out after dark, direct the customers to leave the building, since the
darkness in the store creates a safety hazard. Then close down the cash registers and turn off the
uninterruptible power supplies, so that they stop beeping at you. (Holding down the power
buttons on them for 3-5 seconds shuts them down.) Check with your supervisors about what to
do next.
c. Emergency Help
In the event of a life-threatening emergency, call 911. Be prepared to give the business name, the
store address, your name, and the nature of the emergency. Then, contact the Proprietor/General
Manager and/or managers. Please see Sundance troubleshooting guide in the emergency box for
other emergency numbers.
d. First Aid
There are first aid kits located in the produce "office" area and on the lip above the sink. It is
important to remember the location of the kits. An injury to you, a fellow staff member, or a
customer may require the immediate use of its contents. If you are not familiar with basic first
aid procedures, there is a booklet explaining basic first aid in the kit.
Other store areas that have a first aid kit are the back office, the warehouse above the computer
desk, in the Wine Shop in the medicine cabinet in their bathroom, and in the kitchen building
office.
If you are faced with an emergency, above all, remain calm and use common sense. It is an
excellent idea to use the Rescue Remedy spray for yourself and for any person traumatized or
stressed out by any emergency – physical or emotional. Of course, ask the person if they are
willing to take it and tell them it is a homeopathic type of treatment in that it uses miniscule
amounts of flowers to achieve the effect. This remedy, like all homeopathic and Bach Flower
remedies, will not interfere with any medications, and are safe for children and animals. If
possible, ask the injured person what kind of help they would like. Then call a manager or a
fellow staff member for assistance. If you are unfamiliar with first aid, another employee can
usually be found who can be of help. If it is a full-blown life-or death crisis or if the injured
person obviously needs immediate emergency care due to their major illness or life-threatening
injury, such as heart attack – call 911 immediately. If the need arises an employee may take an
injured party to the emergency room. Again, better safe than sorry.
We would like customers to fill out an injury report form. They are kept in the filing cabinet at
the vitamin desk on the lip. Please check with a manager to obtain a copy of the form if you can’t
find one.
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Some of our staff are CPR and First Aid certified. Do an “All Page” to request that certified staff
come to the scene of an emergency.
e. Fire Extinguishers
You should be familiar with the placement of the fire extinguishers throughout the buildings. See
the Emergency Guide for descriptions of where the fire extinguishers are located.
f. General Store Safety
It is important to remember to maintain a safe shopping atmosphere at all times. Slippery floors,
squashed fruit, product spills, a leaky cooler, and broken bottles should be attended to
immediately. "Slippery when wet" signs (stored at the ends of the registers or next to the freezer)
should be used when necessary and icy walks should be treated with de-icing salt. The salt is
kept in the little compressor hut on the south side of the warehouse, across from Allan Brothers,
to the west of the roll-up warehouse door. The key to the lock of the compressor hut is the
regular pad lock key found on the key ring between registers 3 and 4. Always be alert to any
potentially hazardous situations when you are in the store.
C. EMERGENCIES
In case of power outages, equipment failures, customer injuries, etc. please refer to the on-line
Emergency Guide for in staff documents.
XV. MAKING IT WORK
This handbook has given us an opportunity to tell you about Sundance and our workplace. We
have attempted to give you enough knowledge so that you may work here with an understanding
of Sundance’s mission, the philosophy behind the mission and the tools and techniques for
fulfilling that mission.
This handbook has also provided an opportunity to elucidate Sundance’s unique work structure.
This structure has changed from its original form and will likely change again. It is based upon
the concept that staff members involved in resolving challenges concerning their work will be
more creative, responsible, and more fulfilled as human beings. The motivation behind our
approach is not a function of the so-called “bottom line” of making piles of money. We are
validated in what we do by the internal sense of feeling good about the right livelihood we
pursue as well as by the appreciation of the community we serve and nourish. We are continually
challenged to maintain our vision, our sense of mission and the core values that ground and
inspire us. We must continually question our motives and means, be aware of potential “blind
spots” and defense mechanisms and self-righteousness and complacency. We can never rest on
our laurels. We must constantly challenge ourselves to be on the cutting edge of product
standards, caring for each other, the people we serve and the planet that sustains us all.
The benefits of encouraging every staff member to participate in all levels of Sundance are
borne out by our success in our community. Recognizing our uniqueness, it is also important to
remember that a workplace culture such as ours is fragile. It requires a serious and committed
work force, one willing to struggle with the challenges, continually striving toward excellence in
the methods of our work, and keeping the mission of Sundance uppermost in mind – “Individuals
Nourishing Community Nourishing Individuals.” How do we make it work? Communication is
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one of the most important ingredients to continued success. This means keeping staff members
informed, holding effective meetings, communicating decisions and policies, and maintaining an
open and responsive approach to ideas and challenges. Just as communication is one of the most
important tools, it is also one of the most difficult. We need to take into account the fact that
each of us has blind spots that distort our perceptions and unconscious buttons that can be
pushed. Each of us experiences ourselves and the world through the filters of our personal
history, the history of our species, and the various cultural constructs that impose themselves on
us by the pervasive, invasive, insidious, force of a patriarchal, consumer society. Suggestions for
improving communication are always welcome.
The greatest problem of communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished
~ George Bernard Shaw
We also make it work by attempting to solve problems at the simplest possible level. By solving
problems as they arise, another person does not have to step in. This requires initiative and
responsibility on the part of each individual staff member.
When problems go beyond the department, or an individual staff member, using the proper
channels for solution helps keep the structure clear and workable. Taking a problem to the wrong
person could mean it won’t get solved, leaving you or others frustrated.
Life at Sundance is not always “fun and games”- we have been challenged throughout our
history by forces from within and from the world around us. Survival as a business has often
been a struggle as has been the ongoing challenge of keeping ourselves centered in the spirit of
our mission- healthy, holistic, respectful nourishment of our selves and one another. The name of
our enterprise, although probably not chosen with this consciously in mind, seems to offer
symbolic reinforcement of the “sub-text” of our work life here.
The Sun Dance
The Sun Dance is a Native American ritual. The dance lasts for several days during which the
dancers are lashed to a large central pole by rawhide sewn through their flesh. The ceremony is a
conscious acknowledgment of the inclusiveness and interdependence of all life on the Earth, our
Mother, upon whom the harmonious survival and well-being of all living things depends. Prayers
of supplication, beneficence and renewal for the powers of life are offered in entreaties of pain
and suffering by the dancers who forego all sustenance for the duration of the ritual. Throughout
the observance of the Sun Dance, the dancers are encouraged to concentrate on their reasons for
dancing, and to meditate on the orderliness of life, the meaning and purpose of the Sun Dance
and to attend to the acquisition of shamanistic powers to benefit all of “our relations.” Sometimes
it is interesting to note in what ways our work at Sundance Natural Foods is similar to the
experience of the Sun Dance after which it was named.
“Life is difficult.
This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth, because once we truly see this
truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult — once we truly understand and
accept it — then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no
longer matters.” ~ M. Scott Peck
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice
compassion." ~ Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
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ANYWAY
People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
People favor underdogs but only follow top dogs.
Fight for the underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but attack you if you try to help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you’ve got and you may get kicked in the head.
Give your best anyway.
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Symptoms of Inner Peace:
A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experience
An unmistakable ability to enjoy the moment
A loss of interest in judging other people
A loss of interest in judging self
An inability to worry (this is a very serious symptom!)
Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation
Frequent acts of smiling
An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than to make them happen
An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as our uncontrollable urge
to extend it.
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Appendix A: Anger at Work
“One dog barks at the shadow, a hundred dogs bark at its bark.”
“Resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other person dies.” ~ St. Augustine
"Any person capable of angering you becomes your master." —Epictetus
“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” - Marcus Aurelius
“It’s never what people do that make us angry, it’s what we tell ourselves about what they did.” Marshall Rosenberg
Sometimes things happen to us or people say things to us that “push our buttons.” When our
“sore points” or “blind spots” are activated, we often experience a rush of anger that may, in
extreme cases, spontaneously spill into a state of rage. It is as if we live with reservoirs of anger
in us that have built up over the years from feeling mistreated, misunderstood, ignored or abused.
In addition to our personal history of anger, we all feel anger at the myriad injustices all around
the world. When we get upset or angry about something in the here and now, this lake of anger
can well up inside us as rage that, while it may feel justified in the heat of the moment, is
probably largely misdirected, since so much of the anger arises from other sources. Even if there
is a legitimate basis for feeling angry, when it comes out as rage – and especially violent ragethen the issue becomes the anger and violent behavior, not the issue that instigated the
exaggerated response. Our basic trust in how things “should be,” our sense of fairness seems
violated and we feel frustrated, humiliated, persecuted and violated.
Sometimes it is difficult to keep our selves from responding viscerally to a perceived threat,
attack or shortcoming on someone’s part. Yet it is ultimately our response-ability to think before
acting, to reflect on all the relevant aspects of the situation. We need to take into account not
only where our intense feelings may be coming from within us, but also to try, hard as it may be,
to see the other person’s side of things, to imagine what it might be like to be in his or her shoes.
Then empathy for the other person’s feelings and an understanding of the other person’s point of
view can help dissipate the rage we feel.
If we have friends who share our point of view about the “right or wrong” of a situation, it is
easy to be sucked into a group mindset that reinforces our sense of righteous indignation. Since
we all have reservoirs of anger from our personal histories and from our perception of injustice
in the world, we may unconsciously welcome an opportunity to join forces and together
reinforce each other’s sense of righteous indignation about the current “outrageous miscarriage
of justice.” Thus anger can be contagious and lead to the scapegoating of individuals or entire
groups of people. This way of channeling of anger is a source of racism, sexism, homophobia
and war. It also manifests itself in our workplace when we demonize someone for making a
mistake or for not meeting our expectations.
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If we are ever going to break the cycle of blame and “acc-you-sation,” we will need to practice
compassion for ourselves and for others. Each of us struggles to bring our uniquely true self forth
out of the constraints of family history and the psychological shackles of a society based on
power and consumerism. When we say that our mission at Sundance is to be “Individuals
nourishing community nourishing individuals,” we imply that we are working at cultivating an
atmosphere of mutual respect and kindness that acknowledges that everything is interconnected –
that we are all one.
We need to recognize that there are natural consequences for every act, whether we call it
Karma or cause and effect. It is not a question of whether we are good or bad people, well- or illintentioned in our words and deeds. What we say and what we do create consequences,
reverberations that come back to us. If we fail to appreciate that most of us are doing the best we
can, if we don’t treat others with kindness, respect and compassion in spite of their differences,
faults and imperfections, then we perpetuate the kind of prejudice and self-righteousness that
bring so much suffering to our world.
People do at times deliberately cause suffering. But studies of criminals show that most of them
were mistreated as children and that they are acting out of their sense of injustice by
unconsciously trying to “even the score.” It is thus possible to understand the motivation of
miscreants and even to empathize with the genuine pain they feel and the abuse they suffered as
children. But we cannot excuse the bad things people do simply because they have an inner
rationale for their actions. We can have compassion for them and treat them with kindness and
understanding, but if they do not suffer the consequences of their actions, cruelty and ignorance
are reinforced and perpetuated.
For better or for worse, dysfunctional or not, these days, outside of the family, the workplace is
the basic unit of society and the primary locale where other people have real power over us –
over both our livelihood and our membership in the community of the workplace with the sense
of belonging such membership provides us.to the group.
Anger usually arises because of a perceived injustice or unfairness. These perceptions are
strongly influenced by our personal history of hurts and unresolved family tensions battles. As
long as we feel that sense of being wronged, as long as we visualize ourselves as the victim, our
anger will fan itself like a forest fire making its own wind.
Anger is such a powerful, hair-trigger emotion that there is often almost no space between
feeling our anger and acting angry. Regardless of how justified our anger feels to us, it is usually
not productive to express the anger at the moment we feel it. If we can put some space around
the anger first and then say to our adversary, calmly, “I am very angry with you,” that statement
is charged with real inner strength. Even though it may seem that blowing up at someone is a
way to wield power, it is actually a sign of weakness. And it usually only makes matters worse.
There are two kinds of approaches to anger – one is practicing its opposites, its antidotes –
kindness, forgiveness and compassion. The other is to de-construct our anger, to analyze its
origins and ramifications, and thus to hopefully de-fuse it.
Mutual respect can be defined as a state in which two (or more) individuals respect themselves
and each other in spite of their differences, faults and imperfections.
In the context of mutual respect, each employee’s feelings of self-respect and sense of worth and
value are enhanced. Of course, this does not mean "compromising" with any legitimate
expectations based on each employee’s respective role and job function. But it does mean
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"respecting" the other person’s "humanity" in spite of his or her professional shortcomings,
cultural differences or lack of competence. Even when the other person makes it very difficult
for us to respect them by making useless "anger mischief," we can still disengage from their
inappropriate or unprofessional behavior and respect them in spite of it! He (she) will not
cooperate with us until, and unless, we do.
James Hollis delineates four Principles of Relationship, the underlying thesis of which is that
we can achieve no higher or better relationship with others than we have achieved with
ourselves.
1)
What we do not know about ourselves (the unconscious agenda) will be
projected onto others.
2)
We project our childhood wounding (personal pathology), our infantile
longing (the narcissistic drive to return to home and mother), and our individuation
imperative (the drive to fulfill our unique potential) onto the Other.
3) Since the Other cannot, and should not, bear responsibility for our wounds, our
narcissism or our individuation, the projection gives way to resentment and the problem
of power.
4) The only way to heal a faltering relationship is to render our going home project
conscious and take personal responsibility for our individuation.
Covert Anger - PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
Passive aggressive individuals are usually unaware that difficulties are a result of their own
behaviors. They experience conscious hostility toward authority figures, but do not connect their
own passive resistant behavior with hostility or resentment. They often do not trust others and
they may tend to be nonassertive and intentionally inefficient. They try to get back at others
through agitation. Feelings of hostility are released through others who become angry and may
suffer because of the passive aggressive personality's inefficiency. The passive aggressive
personality is resistant to demands for adequate performance both in social circumstances and in
the workplace. This pattern usually begins in early childhood and can occur in various contexts.
Individuals with this disorder resent responsibility in both work and social spheres. They show
this resentment through the expression of symptoms listed above rather than openly expressed
anger. They tend to use procrastination and inefficiency and forgetfulness to avoid fulfilling
obligations. Rather than take responsibility for their own actions, they tend to blame and
manipulate others.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: 1. Procrastinates. 2. Sulks, becomes irritable or becomes very
quickly argumentative. 3. Tends to work slowly or to deliberately do a bad job on tasks that he or
she really does not want to do. 4. Protests (unrealistically) that everyone is making unreasonable
demands. 5. "Forgets" obligations. 6. Believes that he or she is doing a much better job than
others think. 7. Usually resents useful suggestions from others on how to become more
productive. 8. Fails to do his or her share of the work, thereby obstructing other's efforts. 9.
Unreasonably criticizes people in positions of authority. 10. Cannot seem to accept responsibility
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or blame for problems resulting from their poor performance and tend to project this blame onto
others.
If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgment of them.
And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now.
~Marcus Aurelius
The Leather Road Project
Imagine that you are standing in the middle of a wide, endless road. As far as you can see the
ground is covered with sharp rocks and stones. Unfortunately, you need to travel down this
road to get where you want to go. Even more unfortunately, you are barefoot. It seems that
you have one of two choices if you want to travel this road. You can either cover the road with
leather, making everything smooth for your bare feet. Or you could use a little leather and
make a pair of shoes for yourself and not worry about the stones on the road. (…) Most of us
choose the Leather Road Project, preferring to change everything around us rather than
ourselves.
Complaining and blaming habits can be strong…The transition begins by accepting that the
world, and colleagues in particular, are not responsible for our personal happiness. It is not
they who need to change. (…) Rather than looking at our own life and the people and events
in it as objects of exploitation, there solely for the purpose of our happiness, it is time to
recognize that the world reflects rather than determines us. (…) Taking responsibility means
not only accepting responsibility for our own happiness, but also for not hindering the
happiness of others. (…) Taking responsibility for our own happiness is the first step in
working compassionately with other people. Once colleagues are freed from the burden of
making us happy, they are freed of an enormous burden. When work can be seen not as a
matter of what is being gained or lost, but rather in terms of what can be experienced for
mutual benefit, opportunities are created for everyone to find their own happiness.
A new sense of responsibility does not mean a passive acceptance of whatever comes our way.
Nor does it mean that a choice has to be made between personal happiness and the happiness
of others. Quite the contrary, in taking responsibility for our personal happiness, we actually
become less passive because there is no longer any need to wait for others to create happiness
for us.
Appendix B: Expectations: their Origin and
Manifestation
(Adapted from James Hollis: The Eden Project)
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. -Anaïs Nin
There are two great expectations that drive humankind. The first is the expectation of
immortality. (Either through religious belief or a vague idea that somehow It won’t happen to
me!) The second expectation is the fantasy of the Magical Other – someone who will make our
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lives work, a soul-mate who will repair the ravages of our personal history, who will always be
there for us, who will read our minds, know what we want and meet our deepest needs. This
Magical Other would be like the “good parent” who will protect us from suffering and, if we are
“lucky,” spare us the perilous journey of individuation, of becoming our own unique Self.
Through him or her I hope to be healed, nurtured, protected and spared the awful rigors of
growing up. Since my desire to “go home” through the Other is essentially unconscious, I am
unaware of its origin in myself and can only blame the Other for this great disappointment.
We long for nurturance, for safe harbor, for completion.
In order to grow we must first take responsibility for our journey. No matter what our
historical wounding may have been, we must now and forever assume responsibility for our
choices. Secondly, we must also be able to internalize, that is, be able to see that one’s life is
generated by choices whose dynamics derive from within. But we are afraid to be ourselves,
afraid to be wholly responsible. Surely there is an Other somewhere who can spare us this
burden. Surely there is a social institution, a personal God, a Magical Other who will lift from us
the terrible weight of our freedom and responsibility. Just as we once wished for the protection
and security of the parent, so as adults we look to the Other to protect us, spare us, lead us.
Relinquishing the expectation of rescue by the Other is one of the most difficult projects of our
lives. But discovering the otherness of the Other can lead to “disinterested love” (also known as
“unqualified personal regard” and “compassionate non-attachment”), the energy that incarnates
through caring for the Other as Other, valuing and celebrating their Otherness.
The quality of all of our relationships is a direct function of our relationship to ourselves.
Since much of our relationship to ourselves operates at an unconscious level, the drama and
dynamics of our relationship to others and to the transcendent (God or the Cosmos or Spirit or ?)
is largely expressive of our own personal psychology. The best thing we can do for our
relationships with others, and with the transcendent, then, is to render our relationships to
ourselves more conscious.
The parental complexes are usually the most influential since they constitute the original
experience of relationship, and thus remain its chief paradigm. Because of the subjective
misreading of these primal relationships and the child’s sense of powerlessness and wish to
survive, personality strategies are formed to manage the consequent anxiety. Since the loss of the
original nurturing Other occasions enormous anxiety, we try to resolve this tension with a
frenzied search for another stable, nurturing Other who will heal this wound to our “inner child.”
With very little understanding of our underlying dynamics and motives, we seek our identity in
the mirror of the Other, as we once did with Mom and Dad. Projection is ubiquitous and
inevitable. We only begin to reclaim our purchase on consciousness when the Other fails to
catch, hold, and reflect our projection. That is to say, consciousness is achieved only through the
loss of (or disappointment in or experience of betrayal by) the Other, and the perception that the
Other is truly Other.
When our projection hits an apparent incarnation of the Magical Other and bounces back, we
experience a kind of resonance, an intimation of wholeness, and this is a form of homecoming
simply because we are reconnecting with, falling in love with, ourselves. Just as nothing is more
painful that the disappointment of projected hope, nothing is more intoxicating than its arousal.
This arousal of hope is what we call romance. Ultimately, the health of any intimate relationship
will depend on each party’s willingness to assume responsibility for their own unconscious
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material. The fundamental question is “What am I asking of this Other that I ought to be doing
for myself?”
We are all caught between the deeply programmed desire to fuse with the Other and the
inner imperative to separate, to individuate, to become as fully as possible that which we are
uniquely capable of becoming. On the one hand, the erosion and withdrawal of projections
obliges us to recognize our unknown or disowned parts. On the other hand, the otherness of the
Other obliges an inner dialectic, which can stimulate, and is necessary for, the growth of both
parties. Withdrawing projections and expectations puts the individual in charge by establishing
his/her ability to respond independently (to be response-able) with awareness of actual
limitations and real possibilities.
When we understand that those relationships which are dominated by need are also burdened
by it, that we tend to infantilize ourselves, “parentify” the Other, and fail to love the otherness of
the Other, then we realize that neediness must be confronted, and replaced, by consciousness.
To use relationship as an escape from one’s personal journey is to pervert relationship and to
sabotage one’s own calling
Our desire to fuse with the Other is concurrent with our fear of being abandoned by or
overpowered by the Other. Karen Horney suggests three basic ways in which we seek to manage
our fears: submission, power and distancing. First is submissiveness, often rationalized as
congeniality, concern for the Other, up to and including severe co-dependence, which constitutes
the annihilation of legitimate self-interest. The second way to manage fear is to bring hostility or
abrasiveness to our transactions in an attempt to achieve mastery over the Other, in precise
proportion to our fear of the Other. Passive aggressive behavior (such as procrastination or
sarcasm) is covert so as not to activate the Other’s power. The third defense is flight – avoidance,
isolation or emotionally hiding out.
Whatever our personal history may be, at some point each of us is obliged to say, “I am not
only what happened to me; I am also what I choose to become.” This is quite difficult since
our defense mechanisms and other reflexive strategies are so deeply programmed that we
identify with them as simply part of who we are. This is why we need to “deconstruct” our
assumptions and predispositions, whether they stem from our early conditioning in infancy or
from the brain-washing that our society inflicts upon us (i.e., consumerism, patriarchy,
anthropocentrism, etc.). Thus psychological self-analysis as well as an examination of social,
cultural, and scientific prejudices are necessary if we are to attempt to establish some degree of
freedom from our unexamined filters and assumptions – to become more conscious, responseable, natural beings.
This is far easier said than done, as one of the great poets of our time says:
We would rather be ruined than changed.
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the present
And let our illusions die.
~ The Age of Anxiety W.H. Auden
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Or, to put it more gently:
“Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so,
almost everyone gets busy on the proof.” – John Kenneth Galbraith, “Economics, Peace and
Laughter”
Appendix C: Emotional Intelligence - A Primer
by Daniel Goleman
"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave
unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." – Benjamin Franklin
"Virtue means doing the right thing, in relation to the right person, at the right time, to the right
extent, in the right manner, and for the right purpose.—Aristotle
Emotional intelligence, the ability to manage ourselves and our relationships effectively, consists
of four fundamental capabilities: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and
social skill. Each capability, in turn, is composed of specific sets of competencies. Below is a list
of the capabilities and their corresponding traits, as applied to the workplace.
* Emotional self-awareness: the ability to read and understand your emotions as well as
recognize their impact on work performance, relationships, and the like.
* Accurate self-assessment: a realistic evaluation of your strengths and limitations.
* Self-confidence: a strong and positive sense of self-worth.
* Self-control: the ability to keep disruptive emotions and impulses under control.
* Trustworthiness: a consistent display of honesty and integrity.
* Conscientiousness: the ability to manage yourself and your responsibilities.
* Adaptability: skill at adjusting to changing situations and overcoming obstacles.
* Achievement orientation: the drive to meet an internal standard of excellence.
* Initiative: a readiness to seize opportunities.
* Empathy: skill at sensing other people's emotions, understanding their perspective, and taking
an active interest in their concerns.
* Service orientation: the ability to recognize and meet customers' needs.
* Visionary leadership: the ability to take charge and inspire with a compelling vision.
* Influence: the propensity to bolster the abilities of others through feedback and guidance.
* Communication: skill at listening and at sending clear, convincing, and well-tuned messages.
* Change catalyst: proficiency in initiating new ideas and leading people in a new direction.
* Conflict management: the ability to de-escalate disagreements and orchestrate resolutions.
* Building bonds: proficiency at cultivating and maintaining a web of relationships.
* Teamwork and collaboration: competence at promoting cooperation and building teams.
From Handbook to Higher Consciousness:
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As you work toward higher levels of consciousness, you will find that you have always had
enough to be happy. It is the patterns in your head that make you unhappy, although you usually
blame the people and conditions outside you for all your unhappiness…
The world tends to be your mirror. A peaceful person lives in a peaceful world. An angry person
lives in an angry world. A helpful person generates helpful, loving energy in others. An
unfriendly person should not be surprised when he or she meets only people who sooner or later
respond in an unfriendly way. A happy person finds the world filled with happy people…
Your predictions and expectations are self-fulfilling. Since your consciousness creates your
universe, all you have to do to change your world is to change your consciousness!
…a changed consciousness can allow you to experience “work” as an expression of love and
caring. “Work” is no longer performed unconsciously or mechanically with the feeling that
one can fully enjoy life again when the job is done. You will increase your growth into higher
consciousness by learning to flow energy into meeting the needs of “others” as though they
were your own needs….
You will also begin to deeply feel that you live in a perfect world. You will not feel it as perfect
from the limited point of view of your instant happiness when you have addictive programming.
But your world is perfect from the point of view of continually providing you with precisely the
life experiences that you need for your overall development as a conscious being….
Since the outside realities are only minimally changeable by you, your happiness depends on
changing what you can change—your emotional programming….
The only effective and permanent way to change the world in which we live is to change our
level of consciousness… ~ Ken Keyes, Jr.
Before Enlightenment, chopping wood, carrying water;
After Enlightenment, chopping wood, carrying water.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the one who’ll decide where to go.” ~ Dr. Seuss
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