Human Resources Policy for Huronia Museum
Effective June 27th, 2005
Reviewed: September 17, 2007; May, 2014(modified); June 18, 2014 (modified); June 11, 2015 (modified)
1. Purpose
This policy provides a framework for the Board of Directors, Executive Director, employees and volunteers to realize the mandate and strategic plan of Huronia Museum in a safe and productive work environment. This policy is the guiding document for recruiting new staff/volunteers, ensuring the security and well being of current employees/volunteers and maintaining a standard level of employee/volunteer support.
Huronia Museum relies on its Board of Directors to set effective policies within the framework of the Museum’s mandate so that the organization can continue to grow and serve the community. It is the responsibility of each Board Member to become familiar with policies, roles and responsibilities of both staff and volunteers as the Board of Directors provides guidelines to ensure the continuity and quality of the Museum’s work for the community.
2. Responsibility – Board of Directors
2.1. The Board of Directors for Huronia Museum is responsible to ensure compliance with the Human Resource Policy and associated human resource policies.
2.2. The Board of Directors for Huronia Museum will ensure that the Executive Director receives adequate training and access to information and resources to administer the Human Resource policies of Huronia Museum in an effective and responsible manner.
2.3. As the Board of Directors sets all policies pertaining to Huronia Museum, all human resource policies will identify and comply with all provincial and federal legislation. It is the responsibility of the members of the Board of Directors to be familiar with these guidelines and legislation.
2.4. It is understood that, as outlined in the Canadian Museum’s Association’s Ethical Guidelines, staff concerns or grievances can be brought to the Board of Directors’ attention when all efforts by the Executive Director are not successful in providing satisfactory resolution to the staff member’s issue or it is the considered in the best interest of the organization. All staff concerns and grievances to the Board of Directors should be presented in writing in a transparent manner to the Board of Directors with the Executive Director receiving a copy of the correspondence.
2.5. The Board of Directors will provide the Executive Director with a current job description upon recruitment by the Board of Directors for Huronia Museum. A copy of the Executive Director’s job description will be kept in the Executive Director’s personnel file. The Executive Director’s job description should be reviewed during the annual performance reviews with the Board of Directors or designated committee of the board, which will take place no later than June of each year.
3. Responsibility – Executive Director
3.1. The Executive Director will oversee the application of this policy and ensure that the intent and objectives are monitored.
3.2. The Executive Director is ultimately responsible for the administration of this Human Resource Policy, personnel policies and ensuring that all staff and volunteers are familiar with their content and application.
3.3. The Executive Director will make every effort to ensure that ethical practices are adhered to in the recruitment, supervision, performance assessment and the termination of staff. The Executive Director may delegate the task of recruiting, supervising, assessing performance and terminating seasonal and occasional staff to department managers. Every effort will be made to ensure that staff and volunteers of all abilities are provided with equal opportunities, access and employment support.
3.4. The Executive Director will respond to health and safety concerns in a timely manner and make every effort to be acquainted with current provincial and federal regulations. The Executive Director will provide all staff and volunteers with the appropriate health and safety training in accordance with the Staff Training Policy (Appendix 1)
3.5. The Executive Director assumes responsibility for providing staff and volunteers (including Board Members) with the Canadian Museum Association’s Ethical Guidelines.
3.6. The Executive Director will ensure that the Canadian Museum Association’s Ethical Guidelines are adhered to and applied accordingly in the daily operations of Huronia Museum.
3.7. The Executive Director may decide on an appropriate course of action for any situation not encompassed by the Canadian Museum Association’s Ethical Guidelines. If this should occur, the incident should be included in the Executive Director’s regular report to the Board of Directors.
4. Responsibility – Staff and Volunteers
4.1. All staff and volunteers will receive the necessary training and training upgrades to carry out their tasks in an efficient and safe manner, in accordance with Huronia Museum’s Staff Training Policy (Appendix 1)
4.2. It is the responsibility of the Executive Director to ensure that all staff receive current job descriptions upon accepting employment with Huronia Museum. A copy of the job description for each staff member will be kept in the respective personnel file. All staff job descriptions should be reviewed during the annual performance reviews with the Executive Director which will take place no later than June of each year.
4.3. Staff and volunteers should bring all safety concerns to the attention of the Executive Director.
4.4. Staff and volunteers will participate in health and safety training as required.
4.5. The Education Coordinator, one other core staff member and a minimum of one of the summer programming staff will maintain current First Aid and CPR certification.
Staff Training Policy for Huronia Museum
This policy ensures that the abilities of all employees and volunteers are of the highest level possible so that the community can interact meaningfully with Huronia Museum’s collections, information and resources.
2. Responsibility
2.1. The Board of Directors for Huronia Museum is responsible for implementation and regular review of this policy.
2.2. The Board of Directors will allocate a portion of the annual budget to training of its staff and volunteers each year.
2.3. The Executive Director will ensure that the Board of Directors are provided with an orientation package at the first meeting of Directors following the Annual General Meeting which will contain all relevant working documents and policies for Huronia Museum, a schedule for policy review, roles and responsibilities of board members and schedule for regular policy review.
2.4. It is the responsibility of each member of the Board to become familiar with the established policiesand procedures.
2.5. The Executive Director will monitor the application of the policies and guidelines of this document and ensure that the intent and objectives are monitored. The Executive Director will bring all considerations for revision, addition and/or deletion to this policy to the attention of the Board at the annual regularly scheduled review of this policy at the latest.
2.6. It is the responsibility of each staff member to attend prescribed training and professional development programs as requested by the Executive Director. Each staff member will work cooperatively with the Executive Director, other staff and volunteers to share information, knowledge and skills obtained in training sessions.
3. General
3.1. The Executive Director and Board of Directors will take an active role in seeking out training opportunities and make certain that the resources are available for staff members to participate in these activities.
3.2. The Executive Director, staff and volunteers will attend as many training courses as possible, as resources allow, in an effort to add to their existing knowledge of museum operations. Areas of museological and general training which are necessary include:
1.1.1. Museum organization and administration, including general administration functions and procedures, personnel, staff and site management, promotion and public relations, financial planning, records and accounting, bookkeeping and museum security.
1.1.2. Registration and collections management.
1.1.3. Care of collections.
1.1.4. Interpretation and public programs.
1.1.5. Research.
1.1.6. Service Delivery
1.1.7. Health and Safety
1.1.8. Professional Development conferences and seminars
3.3. The Executive Director will work cooperatively with staff and volunteers to set priorities and identify areas where they would benefit from additional training and support. The Executive Director is ultimately responsible for identifying staff and volunteer training needs.
3.4. The Executive Director will work cooperatively with department managers to develop internal training programs for new staff and volunteers to ensure that visitors are provided with the highest quality of museum product.
3.5. The Executive Director will employ visiting specialists when required and where resources allow. The training program will ensure that all staff is familiar with recommended museum practices and that they are instructed in:
1.1.9. The general operation of the Museum.
1.1.10. The art of managing public visitation.
1.1.11. The art of conducting tours, both school and adult.
1.1.12. Interpretive techniques.
1.1.13. Safety and security.
1.1.14. Preventative care of the collection.
1.1.15. Proper methods of handling artifacts.
1.1.16. First aid.
3.6. The Executive Director may call upon external qualified professionals and experts to facilitate training for staff and volunteers, as need arise and resources allow.
3.7. The Executive Director will ensure that all staff and volunteers are aware of opportunities to liaise with other museum professionals for the purpose of professional development and partnership development.
3.8. Time will be provided for staff and volunteers to attend professional development programs as well as in-house training.
3.9. The Executive Director will take special care to determine appropriate levels of support for staff training, making sure that the museum is allocating resources responsibly.
3.10. All museum employees will be responsible for making their respective direct supervisors aware of training opportunities, which may be beneficial for them and develop enhanced program/service delivery for the organization. .
3.11. A reference collection of current museological material will be established and made available to all staff members.
Signed________________________ ____on________________________.
Chairman
Volunteer Job Description_Committee Chair
Volunteer Job Description_Secretary
Volunteer Job Description_Treasurer
Volunteer Job Description_Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors
Volunteer Job Description_Board Member
Volunteer Job Description_Chairman of the Board of Directors
Huronia Museum 