Policies & practices

Below are a few of our policies and practices. This is not a comprehensive list but rather a few relevant topics for you to be aware of prior to starting service. These will be reviewed in more detail during the hiring process and future trainings.

• COVID-19
• Commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity
• Attendance and time-off
• Mental health and well-being support

COVID-19 policy

City Year AmeriCorps members will continue to partner with teachers to provide students with instruction appropriate to the school environment where they serve—whether in person, virtual or a hybrid of the two approaches.

• We will continue to abide by guidance from local and national health officials to ensure that we are prioritizing the safety of our AmeriCorps members and staff and reducing the likelihood of virus transmissions in our communities.
• We have a response team that works to field direct questions from our AmeriCorps members and staff to proactively prepare and respond to the unique needs across the 29 U.S. cities where we serve. Our leadership teams in each city are working closely with local officials and school districts to monitor local conditions, keeping the safety of our people at the forefront of every decision.
• In locations where our partner schools are not holding in-person classes, City Year AmeriCorps members are instead delivering virtual service and distance learning programming.
• In locations where some in-person instruction is happening and AmeriCorps members are serving in-person, City Year provides appropriate personal protection equipment to AmeriCorps members and staff, including facial coverings and sanitation materials to limit exposure to the virus.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for service in all locations except the following: Denver, Jacksonville, Orlando, New Hampshire. AmeriCorps members serving in all other locations are required to be fully vaccinated by your start date. If you are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons or sincerely-held religious beliefs, or other legal basis we will consider requests for reasonable accommodation consistent with our policy. Accommodation requests will be reviewed to ensure they do not cause undue hardship or pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others. City Year will make every effort to accommodate or grant valid exemption requests for individuals where possible. Notwithstanding any language herein, City Year will comply with any state, local, or federal orders, statutes, or regulations that may conflict with the COVID-19 vaccination policy.

For more information at the local level of your City Year location, please reach out to your Service Year Adviser.

Commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity

City Year was founded with a core belief: that uniting and empowering diverse teams of idealistic young people and charging them with addressing some of our country’s most difficult challenges can change the world for the better. The organizational values we collectively uphold are deeply rooted in this belief and in our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). Our journey to fully live our values and our commitment to DEIB is ongoing, but with each step forward, we come closer to actualizing our mission and fulfilling our promises to one another.

In July 2020, City Year created an Office of Equity as part of our ongoing efforts to advance diversity, belonging, inclusion and equity (DBIE) both within and outside of the organization and to become a more equitable and just anti-racist organization. Through deliberate listening, learning and self-examination, we seek to work in partnership with our communities, AmeriCorps members, staff and alumni to put what we are learning into practice.

The Office of Equity is responsible for driving large-scale strategy, leading organization-wide trainings, and spreading DBIE and anti-racism approaches throughout City Year. This work will strengthen the organization and support our emerging systemic change agenda, which includes creating joyful, personalized and equitable learning environments for the students and schools we serve.

Attendance and time-off policy

City Year’s attendance and time-off policies are in place to ensure we are fulfilling our commitments to the community, members meet the hours necessary for graduation and you have time off to attend to personal and professional matters.

For all our roles:

• AmeriCorps member time off varies by site and is driven by each school district’s schedules.
• You can anticipate having a break of approximately two weeks around late December to early January.
• Days off are typically when schools are closed, but not all school holidays are days off for the corps.
• Maximum allowable personal days are based on the number of service days available during the program year and the average number of days needed for a member to complete the minimum number of hours required for AmeriCorps. Exceeding allotted personal days will result in dismissal from the program.

For roles with a service term of 1,700 hours:

• You can request up to 12 days of pre-planned time off. These can be used as needed for personal reasons such as sick days, doctor’s appointments, religious observance, bereavement, childcare emergencies and grad school or job interviews. Personal days must be approved, in advance, by your supervisor (Impact Manager).
• If you are a parent or primary legal caregiver for an adult (and submit documented proof of that status), you will be granted two additional days in each half of the program year (must sign an agreement to make up missed hours for these additional days).

For roles with a service term of 1,200 hours:

• You can request up to nine days of pre-planned time off. These can be used as needed for personal reasons such as sick days, doctor’s appointments, religious observance, bereavement, childcare emergencies and grad school or job interviews. Personal days must be approved, in advance, by your supervisor (Impact Manager).

For roles with a service term of 900 hours:

• You can request up to seven days of pre-planned time off. These can be used as needed for personal reasons such as sick days, doctor’s appointments, religious observance, bereavement, childcare emergencies and grad school or job interviews. Personal days must be approved, in advance, by your supervisor (Impact Manager).

City Year recognizes the following 11 holidays:

• Labor Day
• Veterans or Indigenous Peoples’ Day (holiday chosen by City Year site leadership)
• Thanksgiving day and Friday after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve and Christmas day
• New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day
• President’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth

Mental health and well-being support

Working as a City Year AmeriCorps member requires long hours in under-resourced schools, which can be very stressful and taxing. The health and well-being of our AmeriCorps members is a top priority for City Year.

• Health insurance is provided to all AmeriCorps members.
• Every AmeriCorps member has access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a confidential intervention and referral resource for dealing with a range of issues including stress, conflict, emotional worries, legal questions and more.