Smoking Cessation & Tuition Assistance Agreements

Smoking Cessation Policy:  In order to encourage employees to make choices that result in good health, Meridian Services, Incorporated provides a smoking cessation incentive program to qualified employees, offering a bonus of $500.00, subject to taxes, to qualified employees who successfully quit smoking.

All eligible employees may receive this benefit only once during their employment.

Employees who wish to participate in this smoking cessation incentive must meet the following conditions:

1. Employees who wish to quit smoking and who seek to receive this bonus must complete and sign an initial agreement form, agreeing to the provisions of the policy at the beginning of their six (6) month smoking cessation commitment.  This form must be signed by the employee’s supervisor
2. Six (6) months after signing the initial agreement form, the employee will submit to their supervisor a second form, attesting that they have successfully stopped smoking.  The employee’s supervisor will sing this form, attesting to the fact that, to their knowledge, the employee has successfully quit smoking.  The organization’s Officers will then sign the second form, approving the payment of the $500.00 incentive

The employee agrees to return the $500.00 if they begin smoking again at any time during their employment with the organization.  Employees will agree to have this repayment deducted from their next paychecks, in portions determined by mutual agreement.  If the event that the next paycheck is an employee’s final paycheck, the employee will agree to have the full amount deducted. 

The determination as to whether the employee has begun smoking again is entirely at the discretion of the organization’s Officers. 

Qualified employees include those at the level of a Program Manager, Case Manager, Program Director or higher, who have been employed with the organization or sixty (60) days or more.

Tuition Assistance Policy: In order to encourage the pursuit of ongoing education, Orion Associates, Meridian Services, and Zenith Sericces Incorporated provides a tuition assistance benefit to qualified employees. Recognizing the needs of the organization and the responsibilities of management, the tuition assistance levels are based on a part-time academic schedule. All tuition assistance must be approved at the Executive level.

The organization will provide tuition assistance for academic coursework, in a course of study relevant to the field of human services.

The organization will provide tuition assistance up to 80% of the cost of courses,
up to a maximum benefit of $ 1500.00 for undergraduate study and a maximum benefit of $ 2500.00 for graduate study, per academic year (September 1st to August 31st).

Tuition assistance will be provided after a course is completed, with proof of both the cost and successful completion of the course.

Tuition assistance does not apply to books, supplies, or fees.

Tuition assistance funds are based on the annual corporate budget.
The funds are limited, and will be distributed on a “first come, first served” basis.

Employees receiving tuition assistance will be required to commit themselves in writing to the following obligations:

a. Employees who receive an “incomplete” or receive a grade below “C” for a course, will not receive tuition assistance.

b. Employees who resign before 12 months, after completing reimbursed coursework, will agree to repay 100% of the tuition paid by the organization.

c. Employees who resign 13 to 18 months after completing reimbursed coursework, will agree to repay 67% of the tuition paid by the organization.

d. Employees who resign 19 to 24 months after completing reimbursed coursework, will agree to repay 34% of the tuition paid by the organization

e.Qualified employees include all Full-Time employees who have been employed with the organization or 2 (two) years of more. Qualified Part-Time employees are eligible for this benefit on a pro-rated basis.