Employee Responsibilities

The following appearance standards have been established so that each employee represents Purgatory appropriately. If appearance is not maintained to these standards, it may be reflected in performance appraisals and/or may affect continued employment. Each department may establish additional, more conservative appearance standards. 

Indoor Uniforms: 

Certain positions require an indoor uniform. If your position requires a uniform, it is issued to you by your supervisor or HR. Uniforms must be laundered by the employee and should appear clean, wrinkle free and presentable at all times while at work. 

Outdoor Uniforms: 

Certain positions require an outdoor uniform. You are responsible for keeping your uniform clean, neat and in good repair during your employment. If your uniform becomes damaged in any way, return it to Human Resources immediately so further damage does not occur. The employee who the uniform is checked out to is solely responsible for the return of the uniform. 

Uniforms shall not be worn when off-duty.

*** ALL UNIFORMS (outer jackets, vests, pants, etc.) must be returned to your supervisor or HR at the end of each season or upon the end of your employment ***

Nametags: 

Nametags are a required uniform component for all employees during regular business hours. While working, employees must wear a current name tag with their given name on it. A nickname is acceptable if approved by your supervisor and/or HR. If your nametag is damaged or dirty, please come to Human Resources for a replacement immediately. 

Headwear/Helmets: 

If a Purgatory headwear item is issued as part of an employee’s uniform it is expected that that headwear will be worn while performing job duties. The headwear should be worn in the appropriate manner (bill forward). All employees will be issued a winter ‘beanie’ hat, and guest facing employees who work outdoors in the summer will be issued a summer ball cap. Employees and volunteers who are required to ski, ride or operate a snowmobile while in uniform or in connection with their duties are required to wear a snow sports helmet (snowmobile operators may elect to wear a DOT, motorsports helmet). Employees who are required or elect to mountain bike in connection with their duties are required to wear an appropriate mountain bike helmet. 

Headphones/Earbuds: 

Headphones and/or earbuds are not permitted to be worn by employees while working. 

Street Clothing: 

• All employees are expected to be groomed and attired in a neat and clean manner that is appropriate for their job.

• Clothing must be clean, wrinkle-free and in good repair.

• Ornate clothing and/or accessories including but not limited to: spike belts, spiked bracelets and wallet chains are at times not permitted due to safety concerns depending on the department.

• Midriffs (belly) should be covered at all times. Pants and snow pants must be worn appropriately around the waist so as not to expose areas below the natural waist.

• Promotional clothing must represent Purgatory Resort or an active sponsor of a Purgatory Resort event (can only be worn in conjunction with a special event). Purgatory Resort may designate certain colors or types of clothing to be worn. In general undergarments worn under a uniform piece are preferred in the colors white, gray, black or red. Ski & Snowboard School instructors are issued a blue undergarment. These designations may vary from season to season and from year to year.

Jewelry: 

• Small, discreet nose and lip studs are allowed as long as the size does not exceed 3mm. No other visible body piercing, other than earrings are allowed. 

• Tongue piercing is allowed—not to exceed a 5mm gauge stud. Must be able to communicate clearly and must not “play” with tongue stud as to distract co-workers or guests. Tongue splicing is not permitted. 

• Visible piercings (e.g. eyebrows, septum, etc.) are allowed as long as the size does not exceed 3mm stud or a 14g ring. 

• Rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are permitted, but must not be worn while performing work where they might present a hazard to the employee. 

Body Decoration: 

Tattoos must be covered by clothing when possible. If visible, tattoos must not be offensive in nature. 

Hair: 

• Hair must be neatly cut, clean and well-maintained. Standards of cleanliness and maintenance are left to the discretion of the management team. 

• Hair below shoulders might need some restraint to avoid getting in the way while working. 

Facial Hair: 

Facial hair must be kept clean and well-maintained. 

Personal Hygiene: 

Employees must maintain appropriate personal hygiene habits to ensure clean and inoffensive hair, hands, face, body odor, breath and teeth. 

Chewing Tobacco and Chewing Gum: 

Employees must not smoke or chew tobacco while on the job or in uniform. Employees may chew gum in a discreet manner when not in contact with guests. 

The regular and predictable attendance of each employee is essential to the successful operation of this resort. Employees are required to report promptly and work the hours normally scheduled for their position. Each employee absence is designated as either “Excused” or “Unexcused” by the employee’s supervisor. 

Failure to Report (Unexcused) 

Employees are expected to arrange with their supervisor for time off prior to being absent. If an employee must miss work for an unexpected reason, he/she is expected to personally notify their supervisor before the shift is scheduled to begin. Leaving messages with other employees is not acceptable. Every effort must be made to speak with your Supervisor or Manager directly. Leaving a voicemail is a last resort. Any absence in which an employee does not notify his supervisor before the shift begins (i.e. no call/no show) is deemed “unexcused.” “Unexcused” is an absence that was not pre-approved by the employee’s supervisor. A second unexcused absence within a one-year period may result in further disciplinary action up to and including termination. 

Excused 

“Excused” absences are pre-approved by the employee’s supervisor. Excessive “excused” absences may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. What is deemed excessive by management may vary based on the situation, the position, and the work performance of the employee or other relevant circumstances. 

An employee missing work due to sickness may be requested to submit a physician’s release before returning to work. 

Children of employees are generally not allowed in the workplace or in employee spaces such as locker rooms,  without prior supervisor approval. You are encouraged to take advantage of the childcare opportunities that Purgatory offers in an appropriate way. It is never appropriate for children to operate or otherwise be involved in the use of company machinery, tools or vehicles (i.e. lifts, snowmobiles, pickup trucks, snow cats, etc.). Children must not interfere in the work of the employee or other workers nor endanger other employees or guests. It is appropriate for an employee to interact with his/her child when not working (break, day off, lunch). 

Our clients and other parties with whom we do business entrust the company with important information relating to their private lives and businesses. It is our policy that all information considered confidential will not be disclosed to external parties or to employees without a “need to know.” If an employee questions whether certain information is considered confidential, he/she should first check with their immediate supervisor. 

All inquiries from the media must be referred to the Marketing Department or General Manager. This provision is not intended to, and should not be interpreted to prohibit employees from discussing wages and other terms and conditions of employment if they so choose. 

An employee who improperly uses or discloses trade secrets or confidential business information will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment and legal action, even if he or she does not actually benefit from the disclosed information. 

Employee health related information will be protected to the highest degree possible and if there has been a breach of this protection, either by electronic means or paper files, affected employees will be notified. Confidential information remains the property of Purgatory Resort and must be returned to the Company on demand. Examples of confidential information: 

• Incidents and Injuries 

• Sales information 

• Skier counts 

• Financial data 

• Personnel matters 

• Photos of the resort 

Disclosure of confidential information might seriously damage the Company’s or client’s competitive position and therefore such action will not be tolerated. This non-disclosure prohibition applies both during and after an employee’s employment. Any copying, reproducing, or distributing of confidential information in any manner must be authorized by management. Confidential information remains the property of the employer and must be returned to the Company upon separation or at any time upon demand.

In addition, employees are prohibited from purchasing or selling securities based on information not generally available to the public.

Once employed, employees are required to notify Human Resources of any medical condition or restriction (including pregnancy) which requires present modification of work duties. 

Purgatory Resort has been growing its participation in social media to strengthen the brand and connect with our customers. This policy has been designed to protect and enhance the reputation and credibility of employees, Purgatory Resort and its parent company Mountain Capital Partners. 

Personal use of social media is never permitted on working time by means of the Company’s computers, company-issued mobile devices, networks, and other IT resources and communications systems unless this is a primary function of your job. 

Use of personal mobile devices during work time should be kept to a minimum. 

Postings by an employee on a blog, wiki, or social networking site are considered personal communications and are not Company communications. All social media postings on behalf of the Company must be pre approved by the Sales and Marketing team and posted only by authorized employees. 

Personal postings by an employee concerning the Company are not prohibited provided they comply with guidelines set forth below or in this handbook. 

• If you post any comments that promote or endorse Company products or services in any way, the law requires that you disclose that you are employed by the Company. 

• In your personal capacity, if your social media site lists a connection with Purgatory Resort or MCP, and you comment about Purgatory Resort or MCP, remember to use the disclaimer that you are speaking personally and that the opinions expressed are your own and not those of the Company. 

• You must comply with all applicable laws including copyright and fair use laws. You may not disclose any sensitive, proprietary, confidential, or financial information about the Company. You may not post anything related to company inventions, strategy, financials, or products that have not been made public. 

• A blog, wiki, or social networking site is not the ideal place to make a complaint regarding alleged discrimination, unlawful harassment, or safety issues. Complaints to the Company must be made consistent with the complaint process in the Employee Handbook so that the Company can address them. 

• When you use social media, use good judgment. We request that you be respectful of the Company, our employees, our customers, our partners and affiliates, and others. When in doubt, do not post it.

• Postings are not private and so avoid discussing colleagues, customers, or vendors unless you have their express permission. If there is permission, always give credit where credit is due and do not mischaracterize the information that you have permission to use. 

• Respect others, even if there is a disagreement over a statement. Try to express yourself in a clear logical way rather than being defensive or attacking. If there is a situation that is becoming antagonistic, politely disengage from the conversation. Do not make any disparaging, defamatory, obscene, libelous, threatening or harassing posts or comments. Purgatory Resort and MCP respects its employees’ rights to free speech, but anything you say could impact the Purgatory or MCP business and reputation, and could result in disciplinary action. Further, you could be held personally liable for your statements. 

• Harassment, bullying, discrimination or retaliation that is not permitted while at work is not permissible between colleagues online, even if it is done after hours, from your home, or from your own device.

• Nothing in this guideline is meant to interfere with employees’ right under federal law to engage in Section 7 Activities under the National Labor Relations Act, protected and concerted activity, including employees’ ability to discuss terms and conditions of their employment. 

If you violate this policy, the Company may require you to edit or remove content. Also, violations of this policy can result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. 

Purgatory Resort and MCP will not allow any form of retaliation against individuals who report alleged violations of this policy or who cooperate in the Company’s investigation of such reports. Retaliation is unacceptable. Any form of retaliation in violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Purgatory reserves the right to access all information on company systems including email and telephones; and conduct audits on computers and other systems, even where personal passwords have been assigned. Because of this fact, employees should not assume any expectation of privacy or that such information is confidential or that access by Purgatory or its designated representative will not occur. All documents and files are the property of the Company. All information regarding access to the Company’s computer resources, such as user identifications, modem phone numbers, access codes, and passwords are confidential Company information and may not be disclosed to non-Company personnel. Employees should not assume that any such information is confidential, including email either sent or received. 

Telephones, Voice Mail, and Fax Machines 

Because there are a limited number of telephone lines available for use, you are expected to limit personal calls. Personal long distance calls should only be made on your personal phone. We ask that all telephones be properly used and answered in a friendly manner. The telephone greeting should consist of Purgatory, your department, and name for an outside call; and, your department and name for an inside call. This is the accepted corporate greeting. 

Cellular Phones 

Personal cell/smart phones should not be used in front of guests in front line positions. Whenever possible, you should direct any personal outside callers to use a regular phone and limit your time on your work cell phone to the minimum needed to perform your assigned duties.Misuse of cell phone privileges is subject to disciplinary action. 

For safety reasons, employees should avoid the use of cell phones and mobile devices to make calls while driving. Employees must park whenever they need to use a cell phone. Generally, stopping on the shoulder of the road is not acceptable. Employees are prohibited from using a cell phone or other device to text while operating a motor vehicle. Texting is permitted only where the vehicle is at rest and lawfully parked. 

Computer Systems 

Purgatory computer systems and company smart phones should be used for business purposes only. It is inappropriate for staff to utilize company computers for anything other than work related to your job. Software other than that provided by Purgatory is prohibited and will be deleted if found on a company computer. Computer passwords are confidential and should not be shared with other employees. Employees may not attempt to gain access to another employee’s computer without permission of the employee, the employee’s supervisor or senior management. Absent extraordinary circumstances, users are responsible for all activity performed with their personal user ID. 

Electronic Mail 

The electronic mail system has been installed by Purgatory to facilitate business communications. The contents of any email, properly obtained for legitimate business purposes, may be disclosed within Purgatory without your permission. Therefore, you should not assume that messages are confidential. 

Although each employee may have an assigned password to access this system, the password belongs to Purgatory and the contents of email communications may be accessed at any time by Purgatory management for any business purpose. These systems may be subject to periodic unannounced inspections, and should be treated like any other shared filing systems. All email messages are the property of, and considered part of Purgatory’s company records. 

Backup copies of emails are generally maintained by Purgatory and may be referenced for business and legal reasons. Messages (and any attachments) that need to be retained should be downloaded to a printer or to a data file. They then should be managed according to the requirements of your department. 

Personal Use of E-Mail 

Employees may only use email for protected, concerted activities during non-working time and Purgatory discourages personal use of email. Email should not be used to receive or transmit any messages you would not want read by a third party. For example, the company email should not be used for gossip, including personal information about yourself or others, for forwarding messages under circumstances likely to embarrass the sender or anyone else, or for creating emotional responses to business correspondence or work situations. These systems should not be used for non-work related solicitation of any kind.

The Purgatory email system may not be used in any way that may be seen as insulting, disruptive, or offensive by other persons, or harmful to employee morale. Nothing in this policy is intended to restrict employees’ rights to engage in protected concerted activity under the National Labor Relations Act. Examples of forbidden transmissions include, but are not limited to: chain emails, anything of a sexual nature, including messages, cartoons, jokes, propositions, love letters; ethnic or racial slurs; or any other message that can be construed to be harassment or disparagement of others based on their sex, race, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability or religious or political beliefs. 

If you have any questions about the appropriateness of a particular email, consult with the Human Resources office for guidance. If you receive an inappropriate email, you should notify the sender that you do not wish to receive such emails and, when appropriate, notify the Human Resources office. 

Internet Access 

Internet access is currently provided to staff on an as-needed basis through Purgatory’s Information Technology department. Specific restrictions on the use of the Internet and guidelines for its use will be provided to individuals who obtain such access. Misuse of the Internet, including inappropriate sending, receiving, printing or otherwise disseminating of information such as proprietary data, trade secrets, and copyrighted materials, as well as offensive or harassing statements, images, or material is subject to disciplinary action. 

Security Cameras 

Colorado Law permits Purgatory Resort to use surveillance cameras in any public area, without the need for signage or warnings. The law only excludes us from recording footage in locations where our guests or employees may have a reasonable assumption of privacy (including bathrooms and changing rooms). 

Camera Usage 

Cameras may be used to watch guests or employees “live” or to review actions from the past. Cameras may be used to identify guests, review guest behavior, and monitor employees. Our cameras generally store data for 7-21 days, on a local server, depending on location (fewer days on the mountain). 

Access to Recordings 

Senior level management and staff responsible for IT, health, safety and security duties are the only staff with dedicated access to these cameras. IT department staff have access to the camera system for troubleshooting purposes only and are not to be engaged in reviewing live or archived recordings.

Misappropriation of Owner, Guest, Company, or Other Employee Property

Any suspected misappropriation, or unauthorized possession of Owner, Guest, Company or Other Employee property, which occurs on or off the Company premises, must be reported to Purgatory’s Security and/or Human Resources immediately. Security/Human Resources may conduct an investigation and are authorized by management to notify the appropriate law enforcement agency when a violation of the law may have occurred. Employees are required to fully and completely cooperate with Security/Human Resources, the Company’s Management, and law enforcement authorities during any investigation. Misappropriation or unauthorized possession of property is a serious offense and may result not only in disciplinary action up to and including termination, but also possibly criminal prosecution. The Company may install security cameras and participate in undercover operations using secret shopper services or with law enforcement agencies to determine misappropriation and/or unauthorized possession. 

Photographs 

The Company reserves the right to photograph, film or videotape its employees during the course of their employment and to use that material in its promotional programs without additional compensation to the employee.

• Reasonable Time - Purgatory shall provide reasonable unpaid break time to permit an employee to use paid time off each day to allow the employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for up to two years after the child’s birth. 

• Space Accommodations - Purgatory shall make reasonable efforts to provide a private location in close proximity to the work area, other than a bathroom, where an employee can express breast milk.

• “Reasonable Efforts” - an effort that would not impose an undue hardship on the company’s operation.

• “Undue Hardship” means any action that requires significant difficulty or expense when considered in relation to factors such as the size of the business, the financial resources of the business, or the nature and structure of its operation, including consideration of special circumstances of public safety.