Employee Handbook

Disability accommodation and the interactive process

If you have a physical or mental disability or medical condition that affects your ability to perform your job, tell your supervisor or the office. California law requires the company to engage in a timely, good faith interactive process with you to identify a reasonable accommodation that would let you perform the essential functions of your position, unless doing so would cause undue hardship. You do not need to use any special words or complete any particular form to start that conversation.

The company may ask for reasonable medical documentation of the need for accommodation and of any work restrictions. Medical information is kept confidential and separate from your personnel file, and is shared only with those who have a legitimate need to know. Because security work carries post-specific physical and licensing requirements, an accommodation may involve modified duties, a different post, schedule adjustment, equipment, or a leave of absence. Accommodation is evaluated individually; there is no automatic outcome.

Religious accommodation

The company will reasonably accommodate sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, and practices, including grooming and dress practices, unless the accommodation would cause undue hardship. Because officers work in uniform and at client sites with their own requirements, tell the office as early as possible so an accommodation can be worked out with the client before it becomes an issue at post. [TO CONFIRM: how the company documents approved uniform and grooming accommodations so they are visible to schedulers and field supervisors.]

Lactation accommodation

Employees who need to express breast milk during the workday are entitled to reasonable break time and to the use of a location, other than a bathroom, that is private, safe, and clean, in accordance with California law. Because officers frequently work at client-controlled sites and solo posts, notify the office in advance so the company can arrange a compliant space and relief coverage. [TO CONFIRM with counsel: written lactation accommodation policy and the request and denial documentation process required by California law.]

Examples of prohibited conduct

• Slurs, epithets, derogatory jokes, mockery of an accent or religion, or comments about a person's body, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or immigration status.
• Unwanted touching, blocking movement, leering, gestures, or standing too close after being asked to stop.
• Sexual propositions, repeated requests for dates after refusal, or comments about a coworker's or client employee's appearance framed in sexual terms.
• Displaying or sending offensive images, memes, videos, or messages, including by phone or in group chats used for scheduling or shift coverage.
• Threatening a person's shifts, post assignment, hours, or advancement because they refused a sexual advance or reported misconduct.
• Harassing conduct by a client employee, tenant, contractor, or member of the public directed at one of our officers. Report it to the company; you are not required to resolve it yourself at the post.

How to report

Report harassment, discrimination, or retaliation promptly. You may report to your supervisor, to any field supervisor or account manager, or directly to the office. You do not have to report to the person who is harassing you or to that person's friend or supervisor, and you do not have to follow the chain of command. Reports may be made verbally or in writing. [TO CONFIRM: designated harassment complaint contact, direct phone number, and email address, plus whether the company will offer an anonymous reporting channel.]

The company will take every report seriously, will conduct a fair, timely, and thorough investigation by a qualified impartial investigator, will keep the matter as confidential as the investigation allows, will reach reasonable conclusions based on the evidence, and will take appropriate corrective action if a violation is found. You will be informed when the investigation is complete. Supervisors who receive a complaint, or who observe conduct that may violate this policy, must report it to the office immediately; they may not sit on it.

Nothing in this policy limits your right to file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or to consult an attorney. Filing an internal complaint is not a precondition to exercising those rights, and the company will not retaliate against you for exercising them.

Mandatory harassment prevention training

California law (SB 1343) requires employers with five or more employees to provide sexual harassment prevention training to every employee. Non-supervisory employees must receive at least one hour of training, and supervisory employees must receive at least two hours. Training must be provided within six months of hire or of promotion into a supervisory role, and must be repeated at least once every two years. The two-year cycle runs from each individual employee's last training date.

Stratton Security Group will provide this training, on company time and at no cost to you, and will keep records of completion. Assigned training is mandatory. If your training is coming due, complete it by the date the office gives you; officers who fall out of compliance may be held off the schedule until training is completed. [TO CONFIRM: training vendor, delivery method, and whether refresher training will be delivered on an annual rather than biennial cycle.]

Security guard registration (guard card)

• You must hold a valid BSIS security guard registration before performing security officer duties for the company.
• A security guard registration is valid for two years and must be renewed before it expires. BSIS mails renewal notices roughly 90 days before expiration, and renewal applications should be submitted at least 60 days before the expiration date.
• You must carry your valid, current registration card on your person at all times while on duty. If your card has been approved but not yet received, you may work using a hardcopy printout of the BSIS approval from the Bureau's website together with valid photo identification.
• A registration that has expired cannot be used. Do not report to a post on an expired card, and do not accept a shift assignment if your card will expire mid-shift.

Required BSIS training

Before a security guard registration is issued, an applicant must complete an eight-hour course consisting of three hours of Power to Arrest instruction and five hours of Appropriate Use of Force instruction. AB 229 (Chapter 697, Statutes of 2021) added the use of force content and required that at least half of the course be delivered in person. BSIS does not accept multiple certificates or multiple instructors for this course. Effective January 1, 2026, SB 652 requires that the entire course be delivered and certified by a single training provider.

After your registration card is issued, you must complete 32 hours of security officer skills training: at least 16 hours within 30 days of the date the card is issued, and the remaining 16 hours within six months of that date. After that, you must complete eight hours of continuing training each year, of which at least two hours must be a review of appropriate use of force topics.

Keep your certificates of completion. Registrants are expected to retain training certificates for the life of the registration, and the company retains training records for the period required by law and by BSIS. Provide copies to the office promptly so your file stays current. [TO CONFIRM: whether the company provides the 32-hour skills training and annual continuing training in house, through a vendor, or by reimbursement, and whether training time is paid.]

Armed officers and the exposed firearm permit

No employee may carry a firearm on duty unless the employee holds a valid BSIS exposed firearm permit, is assigned to an armed post by the company in writing, and is carrying a firearm the company has authorized. A BSIS firearms permit expires two years from the date of issuance, must be renewed before it expires, and cannot be renewed after expiration. Renewal applications must be submitted at least 60 days before the expiration date.

During the two-year life of the permit, a permitholder must complete four range qualifications: two during each twelve-month period, with no two qualifications completed closer than four months apart. Before each of those four qualifications, the permitholder must complete the two-hour review course in the use of force and de-escalation of force. Missing a qualification window puts your permit, and your ability to work armed posts, at risk.

Armed officers must also comply with all federal and state firearms law, including restrictions on who may lawfully possess a firearm. Company firearms rules, ammunition rules, holster and retention requirements, storage rules, and post-specific armed policies are set out separately in the armed officer policy. [TO CONFIRM: the company armed officer policy, including whether firearms are company-issued or officer-owned, approved calibers and holsters, storage and transport rules, and range and ammunition cost responsibility.]

Duty to report arrests, charges, and license changes

You must notify the office in writing as soon as possible, and no later than the start of your next scheduled shift, if any of the following happens: you are arrested, cited for anything other than a routine minor traffic infraction, charged with a crime, or convicted of any crime; your security guard registration, firearms permit, baton permit, chemical agent permit, or driver's license is suspended, revoked, restricted, denied, or allowed to expire; a restraining order or protective order is issued against you; or BSIS opens an inquiry involving you.

This duty applies whether the event happened on duty or off duty, and whether or not you believe it affects your work. Reporting an arrest is not an admission of wrongdoing, and the company evaluates each situation individually and consistent with California law limiting the use of criminal history in employment decisions. Failing to report is itself a violation of policy and is treated as a serious offense because it exposes the company's PPO license and the officer's own registration.

[TO CONFIRM with counsel: the precise statutory and regulatory reporting obligations that apply to the company and to individual registrants for arrests and convictions, the deadline for each, and how they interact with the Fair Chance Act and Labor Code restrictions on the use of arrest records.]

De-escalation first

• Create distance and time. Position yourself so you have space, an exit, and a clear line of sight.
• Identify yourself, speak calmly, use plain instructions, and avoid profanity, insults, threats, and sarcasm.
• Do not escalate a verbal confrontation to win an argument. Disengaging is a professional outcome, not a failure.
• Call for backup, a supervisor, or law enforcement early rather than late.
• Remember that you are almost always on camera, including the client's cameras and bystanders' phones. Behave accordingly.

Limits on force

• Never use force as punishment, retaliation, or to enforce compliance with a rule where no one is in danger.
• Never use a chokehold, strangehold, or any technique applied to the neck. Never strike a person who is restrained and compliant.
• Do not draw or point a firearm except in circumstances that would justify deadly force. Warning shots are prohibited.
• Do not carry or use any weapon, baton, chemical agent, or restraint device you are not permitted, trained, and specifically authorized by the company to carry.
• Render or summon medical aid immediately after any use of force, and notify a supervisor and, where appropriate, 911.
• Report every use of force, no matter how minor, before the end of your shift.

Detentions and private person arrest

California Penal Code section 837 allows a private person to arrest another person for a public offense committed or attempted in that person's presence, when the person arrested has in fact committed a felony although not in the arresting person's presence, or when a felony has in fact been committed and the arresting person has reasonable cause to believe the person arrested committed it. A private person who makes an arrest must, under Penal Code section 847, deliver the person to a peace officer without unnecessary delay.

A private person arrest is a serious legal act that exposes both you and the company to civil and criminal liability if it is wrong. Stratton Security Group's policy is that officers do not make private person arrests except where the post orders expressly authorize it and the circumstances clearly satisfy the statute, or where an arrest is necessary to stop an immediate threat of serious harm. When in doubt, observe, document, and call 911. [TO CONFIRM: whether the company permits private person arrests at all, and at which accounts, or whether the standing rule is observe and report only.]

When to call 911

• Any violence, threat of violence, weapon, or injury.
• Any crime in progress, any burglary or break-in, and any fire, gas odor, explosion, or hazardous material release.
• Any medical emergency, including an unresponsive person, overdose, or serious fall.
• Any person you have detained, immediately, so law enforcement can take custody without unnecessary delay.
• Any situation you are not equipped, trained, or authorized to handle safely.
• After calling 911, notify your supervisor or dispatch and begin a written incident report. Do not delay the 911 call to get permission first.

No pursuit beyond your post

Officers do not chase. Do not pursue a fleeing person on foot or by vehicle beyond the boundaries of your assigned post or patrol area. Pursuits produce injuries, traffic collisions, lost sight of the post you were hired to protect, and lawsuits, and they hand control of the situation to the person running. Instead, break off, get to a safe position, keep observing if you can do so safely, provide a clear description and direction of travel to law enforcement, and preserve any evidence and video.

Leaving your post unattended without authorization is a separate policy violation. If you must move away from your post to help someone in danger, notify dispatch or your supervisor as soon as it is safe and document why in your report.

Mandatory reporting of firearm discharges and serious incidents

California law requires the company to submit a written report to BSIS fully describing the circumstances surrounding the discharge of any firearm by an employee acting within the course and scope of employment, and certain physical altercations with members of the public, within seven business days after the incident. To meet that deadline, you must notify a supervisor immediately and complete a written report before you leave the site, unless you require medical attention first.

This applies to any discharge of a firearm, including an unintentional discharge and a discharge that causes no injury or damage. Do not delay reporting because you are unsure whether an incident qualifies. Report it and let the office make that determination.

Daily activity reports

• Complete a daily activity report for every shift, recording arrival and departure times, patrols performed with times, and anything of note.
• Log routine entries as they happen rather than reconstructing the shift at the end.
• Record equipment and access issues, lights out, doors found unsecured, cameras down, and anything the client should fix.
• Note the time and content of every call to dispatch, the client, or law enforcement.
• Complete required tour checkpoints, scans, or app-based patrol verification honestly. Falsifying a patrol scan or a report entry is grounds for immediate termination.

Incident reports

Write an incident report for any event that is out of the ordinary: any use of force, any detention, any injury to any person, any property damage, any theft or vandalism, any trespass or removal, any threat, any medical or fire response, any law enforcement contact, any complaint by a client or member of the public, and anything that could reasonably lead to a claim. Submit incident reports before the end of the shift on which the incident occurred unless a supervisor directs otherwise.

Write in the first person, in chronological order, and in plain language. Use exact times, exact locations, full names where known, and physical and vehicle descriptions. Record what you saw, heard, said, and did. Keep opinions, conclusions, diagnoses, and legal characterizations out of the narrative, and do not speculate about intent. If you do not know something, write that you do not know it. Never guess at a fact to make a report look complete.

Do not alter a submitted report. If you discover an error or remember additional information, submit a supplemental report that identifies the correction and the date it was made. Preserve photographs, video, notes, and physical evidence, and turn them over to your supervisor rather than keeping or sharing them.

Radio and communications

• Use plain language on the radio. Assume every transmission is recorded and may be heard by the client.
• Notify dispatch when you arrive on post, when you leave the post for any reason, and when your shift ends.
• Report safety hazards and equipment failures immediately; do not wait for the end of shift.
• Do not discuss client business, incident details, or personal matters over the radio or in client-facing group chats.

Timekeeping

• Record your own time accurately every shift, including the exact start and end of your shift and the exact start and end of every meal period.
• Never record time for another employee and never let another employee record time for you.
• Do not round, estimate, or adjust your recorded time to match the schedule. Record what actually happened.
• Review your time records each pay period and report any error to the office immediately so it can be corrected before payroll closes.
• [TO CONFIRM: the timekeeping system in use, whether officers clock in by mobile app, telephone check-in, or client system, and the deadline for submitting corrections.]

Overtime

Under California Labor Code section 510, non-exempt employees are paid one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over eight in a workday, for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, and for the first eight hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek. Employees are paid double their regular rate for hours worked over 12 in a workday and for hours worked over eight on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.

All overtime must be authorized in advance by a supervisor. Working unauthorized overtime is a policy violation and may result in discipline, but you will always be paid for all overtime you actually work, whether or not it was authorized. The company will never ask you to work overtime without recording it. [TO CONFIRM: the company's designated workweek start day and time, and the designated workday start time, which must be fixed and applied consistently.]

Meal periods

You are entitled to an unpaid, uninterrupted, duty-free meal period of at least 30 minutes if you work more than five hours in a workday. That first meal period must begin no later than the end of your fifth hour of work. If you work more than 10 hours in a workday, you are entitled to a second 30-minute meal period, which must begin no later than the end of your tenth hour of work.

The first meal period may be waived by mutual consent only when you do not work more than six hours in the day. The second meal period may be waived by mutual consent only when your total hours do not exceed 12 and you did not waive the first meal period. During an off-duty meal period you are relieved of all duty, free to leave the premises, and not required to monitor a radio or respond to calls. If a meal period is missed, late, shortened, or interrupted, record it and report it; you are owed one additional hour of pay at your regular rate for that day.

On-duty meal periods at solo posts

California allows an on-duty, paid meal period only in narrow circumstances: the nature of the work must actually prevent the employee from being relieved of all duty, and the employer and employee must have signed a written agreement permitting an on-duty meal period. That written agreement must state on its face that you may revoke it in writing at any time, and any restriction on that right, such as requiring advance notice, makes the agreement invalid. A single officer posted alone at a site that cannot be left unattended is the classic example of a job where an on-duty meal period may be lawful.

If your post requires an on-duty meal period, you will be asked to sign an on-duty meal period agreement before that arrangement begins. Signing is voluntary. On-duty meal periods are counted as time worked and are paid. You may revoke the agreement in writing at any time, and the company will then arrange relief coverage or restructure the post so you can take an off-duty meal period. Nobody may be pressured, penalized, or scheduled differently for revoking or declining to sign one.

[TO CONFIRM with counsel: the company's on-duty meal period agreement form, which specific posts qualify, and the process for documenting revocations and arranging relief coverage.]

Rest periods

You are entitled to a paid, duty-free rest period of at least 10 net minutes for every four hours worked or major fraction of four hours. Rest periods should fall as close as practicable to the middle of each four-hour work period. No rest period is required if your total daily work time is less than three and one-half hours. Rest periods are paid and are counted as hours worked, so you do not clock out for them.

Under California law, rest periods must be off duty and uninterrupted, which means you cannot be required to remain on call, monitor a radio, or respond during a rest period. A narrow statutory exception permits certain registered security officers who are covered by a valid collective bargaining agreement to remain on the premises and on call during rest periods; that provision is scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2027. Stratton Security Group employees are not covered by that exception unless the office tells you in writing that they are. [TO CONFIRM with counsel: whether any Stratton account is covered by a qualifying collective bargaining agreement, and how rest period relief is provided at solo posts.]

If a rest period is missed or interrupted, report it. You are owed one additional hour of pay at your regular rate for each day a required rest period was not provided. Rest periods cannot be waived, cannot be combined with a meal period to create a longer break unless the company authorizes it, and cannot be taken at the very beginning or very end of a shift to leave early.

No off-the-clock work

• All time you work must be recorded and paid. This includes briefing and pass-down at shift change, waiting for relief, completing reports, gearing up at a post where the company requires it, and mandatory training and meetings.
• No supervisor, manager, scheduler, or client representative may ask or allow you to work off the clock, and no one may edit your time to remove hours you actually worked.
• If you are ever asked to work off the clock, or if you find hours missing from your time record or paycheck, report it immediately to the office. Reporting this is legally protected, and retaliation for reporting it is prohibited.

Wage statements

With every payment of wages you will receive an itemized wage statement showing the information California Labor Code section 226 requires, including gross wages earned, total hours worked, all deductions, net wages earned, the inclusive dates of the pay period, your name and the last four digits of your social security number or an employee identification number, the name and address of the employer, and all applicable hourly rates in effect during the pay period with the corresponding number of hours worked at each rate. Your available paid sick leave balance will be shown on the wage statement or on a separate written notice provided with your pay.

Review your wage statement each pay period. Keep copies. If a rate, an hours figure, or a deduction looks wrong, report it immediately.

Expense reimbursement (Labor Code 2802)

California Labor Code section 2802 requires the company to reimburse employees for all necessary expenditures and losses incurred in the direct discharge of their duties or in obeying the company's directions. If a cost is required for your job, the company pays for it. Do not absorb a business expense out of your own pocket and stay silent about it.

The California wage orders also require that when an employer mandates a uniform as a condition of employment, the employer must provide and maintain it, and must pay to repair or replace a uniform that becomes worn or torn through normal use. Stratton Security Group issues required uniform items and required duty equipment; you should never be asked to buy them yourself.

Mileage between posts during a shift, and other required work-related driving, is reimbursable. Ordinary commuting from home to your first post and home from your last post is generally not reimbursable. If a required piece of equipment breaks or wears out in normal use, report it and the company will repair or replace it.

• Reimbursable examples: mileage driven between assigned posts during a shift, required parking at a client site, required licensing or permit fees the company directs you to obtain, replacement of company-required uniform items worn out in normal use, and the business-use portion of a personal cell phone when the company requires you to use it for work.
• Submit reimbursement requests with receipts and a description of the business purpose. [TO CONFIRM: expense reimbursement submission form, deadline for submission, mileage rate used, and cell phone stipend amount if any.]
• Damage to a client's or the company's property, cash shortages, and similar losses will not be deducted from your wages. California law prohibits deducting ordinary business losses from employee pay.

Required notices

• The company posts required federal, state, and local employment notices at its office and makes them available to field employees. Ask the office if you cannot access them.
• Beginning in 2026, California employers must provide employees an annual written notice of key workplace rights by February 1 each year, in the languages normally used at the workplace. [TO CONFIRM with counsel: the exact content, format, and distribution method for the annual workplace rights notice, including delivery to field officers who rarely visit the office.]
• You will receive a written wage notice at hire and written notice of changes to your pay rate or pay date, as California law requires.

Paid sick leave

California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act, as amended by SB 616, entitles employees who work at least 30 days for the same employer within a year to paid sick leave of at least 40 hours or five days per 12-month period. Under the accrual method, employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, may accrue and carry over up to a cap of 80 hours or 10 days, and may be limited to using 40 hours or five days per 12-month period. Employees may begin using accrued leave on the 90th day of employment, and the full 40 hours or five days must be available for use by the 200th day of employment.

Paid sick leave may be used for your own or a family member's diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing health condition, for preventive care, and for specified purposes if you are a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Family member includes a child, parent, spouse, registered domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, and a designated person. Give advance notice when the need is foreseeable, and notice as soon as practicable when it is not. The company will not require you to find your own replacement as a condition of using sick leave, and will not discipline you for using it.

[TO CONFIRM: whether the company uses the accrual method or a front-loaded grant, the 12-month measurement period used, and whether the company will provide more than the statutory minimum.]

California Family Rights Act (CFRA) leave

CFRA generally applies to employers with five or more employees and provides eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of job-protected, unpaid leave in a 12-month period for the employee's own serious health condition, to care for a family member with a serious health condition, to bond with a new child, or for a qualifying military exigency. To be eligible, an employee generally must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months and at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months before leave begins.

Group health benefits, if any, are maintained during CFRA leave on the same terms as if you were working, and you are generally entitled to reinstatement to the same or a comparable position. You may be eligible for partial wage replacement through California Paid Family Leave or State Disability Insurance while on unpaid leave; those are state programs administered by the Employment Development Department, not company pay. Federal FMLA leave may run concurrently where it applies.

Pregnancy disability leave

Employees disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition are entitled to up to four months of leave, and to reasonable accommodation and transfer rights, under California's pregnancy disability leave law, which applies to employers with five or more employees. There is no minimum length of service requirement. Pregnancy disability leave is separate from and in addition to CFRA bonding leave. Notify the office as early as practicable and provide medical certification of the need for leave or accommodation.

Bereavement leave

Under AB 1949, employers with five or more employees must allow eligible employees who have been employed at least 30 days to take up to five days of bereavement leave on the death of a family member, defined as a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, domestic partner, or parent-in-law. The days need not be consecutive but must be completed within three months of the date of death. Bereavement leave may be unpaid unless company policy provides otherwise, and you may elect to use accrued paid sick leave, vacation, or other paid time off for the absence.

[TO CONFIRM: whether the company will provide paid bereavement leave beyond the statutory minimum, and what documentation the company will request.]

Jury duty and witness leave

California law protects your right to time off to serve on a jury or to appear in court as a witness under a subpoena or court order, provided you give the company reasonable advance notice. Give the office a copy of your summons or subpoena as soon as you receive it so coverage can be arranged. Jury duty leave is unpaid for non-exempt employees unless company policy provides otherwise; you may elect to use accrued paid time off. [TO CONFIRM: whether the company will pay for any portion of jury duty service.] Employees who are victims of crime or abuse, and in some circumstances their family members, also have protected time off to attend judicial proceedings and to seek relief; California expanded those rights effective January 1, 2026.

Voting leave

Under California Elections Code section 14000, employees who do not have sufficient time outside working hours to vote in a statewide election may take working time off to vote, with up to two hours of that time paid. The time off must be taken at the beginning or the end of the shift, whichever allows the most free time for voting and the least time off from work, unless you and the company mutually agree otherwise. If you know at least three working days before the election that you will need time off, give the office at least two working days' notice.

Other leaves

• Military service and military spouse leave, as provided by state and federal law.
• Leave for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other qualifying crimes to seek medical attention, safety planning, counseling, or legal relief.
• Time off for school-related activities and for a child's school suspension conference, subject to statutory employer-size and hour limits.
• Emergency condition and disaster-related leave rights, and time off for civil air patrol, volunteer firefighter, reserve peace officer, and emergency rescue personnel duty, where applicable.
• Rehabilitation and adult literacy accommodation as required by California law.
• [TO CONFIRM with counsel: the full list of protected leaves that apply given the company's headcount, the correct statutory thresholds and durations for each, and a leave request form and process.]

The four types of workplace violence

• Type 1: violence by a person who has no legitimate business at the worksite, such as a robbery or other criminal act.
• Type 2: violence directed at employees by customers, clients, tenants, patients, students, visitors, or others the employer serves.
• Type 3: violence against an employee by a present or former employee, supervisor, or manager.
• Type 4: violence committed by someone who does not work at the site but has or had a personal relationship with an employee, such as a current or former partner.

How to report

Report any act or threat of workplace violence immediately. This includes threats made in person, by phone, by text, or online; physical attacks; brandishing or display of a weapon; stalking or following; and any conduct that gives you reason to believe you or a coworker is in danger. If there is an immediate threat, call 911 first and then notify your supervisor and the office. If the threat is not immediate, notify your supervisor or the office as soon as possible and complete a written report.

Every reported incident is recorded in the company's violent incident log, which records information about the incident without recording personal identifying information about the people involved, as the statute requires. Records of workplace violence hazard identification, evaluation, and correction, and of incident investigations, are kept for at least five years, and training records are kept for at least one year. On request, and at no cost, you or your authorized representative may examine and copy these records within 15 calendar days of the request.

[TO CONFIRM: the plan administrator's name and contact information, the reporting hotline or email, and where the written plan is posted for field officers.]

Training and anti-retaliation

The company provides workplace violence prevention training when the plan is first established and at least annually after that, and additional training when a new hazard is identified or the plan changes. Training covers the plan itself, how to obtain a copy, how to report an incident without fear of reprisal, hazards specific to your job and post, corrective measures, how to get help, how to respond to violence, strategies to avoid physical harm, the violent incident log and how to get copies of records, and an interactive question and answer opportunity with someone knowledgeable about the plan.

Retaliation against an employee for reporting workplace violence, for participating in the development or review of the plan, or for requesting records is prohibited by law and by this policy. If you believe you have been retaliated against for any of these reasons, report it to the office immediately. You also have the right to report unsafe conditions to Cal/OSHA.

Off-duty cannabis use and California law

California Government Code section 12954, added by AB 2188 and operative January 1, 2024, makes it unlawful for most employers to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment because of that person's use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace. It is also unlawful to rely on a drug screening test that finds only non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids, because those metabolites can persist long after any impairment has ended. SB 700 separately restricts employers from asking applicants about prior cannabis use.

The law does not give anyone the right to possess, use, or be impaired by cannabis at work. Employers may still maintain and enforce a drug- and alcohol-free workplace, may prohibit possession and use on duty, and may use tests that identify psychoactive THC or that otherwise indicate current impairment. Stratton Security Group's rule is straightforward: what you do lawfully on your own time, away from work, is generally your business; arriving impaired, using at work, or possessing cannabis on duty, in uniform, in a company vehicle, or at a client site is not.

Section 12954 contains express exceptions, including for employees in the building and construction trades and for positions that require a federal background investigation or security clearance, and it does not preempt state or federal laws that require applicants or employees to be tested for controlled substances as a condition of employment, of receiving federal funding or federal licensing benefits, or of entering into a federal contract. Some client contracts also impose their own testing requirements. [TO CONFIRM with counsel: which of these exceptions, if any, apply to Stratton posts and to armed officers, and whether any client contract imposes testing obligations that go beyond company policy.]

Armed officers and federal firearms law

Federal law, 18 U.S.C. section 922(g)(3), makes it unlawful for a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance to possess a firearm or ammunition. This area of law moved significantly during 2026: an ATF interim final rule effective January 22, 2026 narrowed the definition of unlawful user to require regular use over an extended period continuing into the present, the Supreme Court decided United States v. Hemani on June 18, 2026, and the Department of Justice moved certain categories of marijuana to Schedule III in April 2026 while the broader rescheduling question remained pending.

Because the consequences of getting this wrong include federal criminal exposure for the officer and loss of the company's BSIS firearms authority, armed officers must not use cannabis or any controlled substance in a manner that could make them an unlawful user under federal law while holding an exposed firearm permit and working armed assignments. Officers with questions about their own situation should consult their own attorney; the company cannot give you legal advice. [TO CONFIRM with counsel: the company's written policy for armed officers on cannabis and controlled substances in light of the 2026 changes to federal firearms law and cannabis scheduling, and how it is reconciled with Government Code section 12954.]

Testing

[TO CONFIRM with counsel: whether the company will conduct pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, post-incident, or random drug and alcohol testing; which testing methods will be used; how reasonable suspicion is documented and by whom; the consent forms and chain-of-custody procedures; whether testing time and travel are paid; and how results are kept confidential. Any testing program must be built to comply with Government Code section 12954, California privacy law, and any applicable client contract requirements.]

Help is available

An employee who voluntarily comes forward and asks for help with a substance use problem before a policy violation occurs will be supported in seeking treatment, and the company will consider a leave of absence or other reasonable accommodation as California law requires for employees who choose to enter a rehabilitation program. Coming forward after a violation has already been discovered does not excuse the violation. [TO CONFIRM: whether the company will offer an employee assistance program and, if so, the provider and contact information.]

Appearance standards

• Uniform shirt tucked, buttoned, and clean; trousers pressed; boots or duty shoes polished and in good repair.
• Company identification and your BSIS registration card carried on your person at all times while on duty.
• Hair, facial hair, and grooming kept neat and consistent with the post's requirements and with any safety equipment you must wear.
• Visible tattoos, jewelry, and personal accessories are subject to post requirements. [TO CONFIRM: company standards for visible tattoos, piercings, hair length and color, and facial hair, written so they can be applied consistently and accommodated for religious practice and disability.]
• Requests for religious or disability-related exceptions to grooming and dress standards will be handled through the accommodation process. Ask early so it can be arranged with the client in advance.

Company and client equipment

• Equipment issued to you, including radios, keys, access cards, flashlights, tour devices, phones, tablets, vehicles, and firearms where applicable, remains company property and must be used only for company business.
• Inspect issued equipment at the start of every shift and report damage, loss, or malfunction immediately. Do not attempt your own repairs on radios, cameras, or firearms.
• Never duplicate a client key or access credential, never give a key or code to anyone who is not authorized, and report a lost key or access card immediately, at any hour.
• Company and client vehicles may be driven only by employees the company has authorized to drive, who hold a valid driver's license and meet insurance requirements. Obey all traffic laws, wear a seat belt, and never use a hand-held phone while driving.
• You have no expectation of privacy in company equipment, company systems, company email, company-issued devices, or company vehicles, all of which may be monitored, inspected, or tracked to the extent permitted by law.
• All company and client property must be returned at separation or on request. [TO CONFIRM with counsel: whether the company will use a signed equipment issue receipt, and note that California law prohibits deducting the value of unreturned property from a final paycheck.]

Alertness and attention on post

• Sleeping on post, or appearing to sleep, is a terminable offense on the first occurrence. That includes reclining, closing your eyes for extended periods, or setting up a position that makes sleep likely.
• Do not read books, watch video, stream content, play games, or do schoolwork or outside work while on duty unless the post orders expressly permit it during specified downtime.
• Do not leave your post unattended for any reason other than an emergency, a break that is properly relieved, or a supervisor's instruction. Notify dispatch whenever you leave the post.
• Do not consume meals at an access-control or reception position where doing so is prohibited by post orders.
• Stay in uniform, stay at your assigned position, and stay reachable on the radio or phone the entire shift.

Personal phone and device use

• Personal phone use on duty is limited to brief, urgent personal matters and to rest and meal periods, unless post orders permit otherwise.
• Never use a personal phone while driving on duty, while performing access control, or while patrolling.
• Do not photograph or record a client site, client staff, tenants, residents, incidents, or company documents on a personal device except when the post orders or a supervisor direct you to, and then only for the report.
• Do not post, share, text, or message any image or information from a post to anyone outside the company.
• Wearing earbuds or headphones on duty is prohibited except where a post order specifically authorizes a single earpiece for the company radio.

Weapons

• Unarmed officers may not carry a firearm on duty, on company or client premises, or in a company vehicle, under any circumstances, including a personally owned firearm the officer is otherwise licensed to carry.
• Batons, chemical agents such as pepper spray, tasers, knives beyond a small utility tool, and any other weapon may be carried only if the officer holds the required BSIS permit for that item, has been trained on it, and the company has authorized it in writing for that specific post.
• Off-duty carry rights, including a concealed carry license, do not authorize carrying on duty or on a client site.
• Any weapon carried on duty must be reported to and approved by the company in advance. Discovery of an unauthorized weapon on duty is grounds for immediate termination.

Relationships with client staff, gratuities, and outside work

• Be courteous and professional with client employees, tenants, residents, and vendors, and keep the relationship professional. Do not socialize on post, and do not conduct personal or romantic relationships while on duty or in uniform.
• Never accept a gratuity, tip, gift, discount, meal, loan, or favor from a client, tenant, vendor, or member of the public in connection with your work. Politely decline and report the offer to your supervisor. [TO CONFIRM: whether the company permits any de minimis exception, for example a shared holiday food tray offered to an entire post.]
• Never solicit business for yourself or another security provider at a client site, and never offer private security or off-book work to a client, tenant, or resident. Doing so is grounds for immediate termination.
• Outside employment is permitted so long as it does not conflict with your schedule, your fitness for duty, your obligations to the company, or a client's requirements. Disclose outside security work to the office in advance so conflicts and licensing issues can be reviewed. [TO CONFIRM: outside employment disclosure requirement and approval process.]

Confidentiality

• Client information is confidential. This includes site layouts, alarm and access codes, camera locations and coverage, patrol schedules, post orders, incident reports, tenant and resident names, contact lists, and anything you learn about a client's business or a client's people while on duty.
• Do not discuss client incidents with anyone outside the company, including family, friends, other clients, or officers assigned to other accounts.
• Do not remove, copy, photograph, or forward company or client documents, reports, or footage except as your duties require.
• Refer all requests for information from attorneys, insurers, journalists, and private investigators to the office. Provide information to responding law enforcement as your post orders and the law require, and notify the office immediately afterward.
• This obligation continues after your employment ends. Nothing in this policy prevents you from discussing your own wages, hours, or working conditions, from reporting suspected unlawful conduct to a government agency, or from exercising rights protected by law.

Social media

• Do not post photos, video, or descriptions of client sites, incidents, coworkers in uniform, or anything identifying where you work or who our clients are.
• Do not post while on duty, and do not use the company name, logo, or uniform in a personal profile in a way that suggests you speak for the company.
• If you identify yourself as a Stratton employee anywhere online, make clear that your views are your own.
• Harassing, threatening, or discriminatory posts directed at coworkers, clients, or the public may violate this handbook even when posted from a personal account on personal time.
• This policy does not restrict legally protected activity, including discussing wages, hours, and working conditions with coworkers or others.

Media and law enforcement inquiries

All media inquiries, including on-scene reporters and camera crews, must be referred to the office without comment. Do not confirm, deny, speculate, or say off the record. A polite statement that you are not authorized to comment and that the company's office can be contacted is the complete and correct response.

Cooperate with law enforcement in an active investigation and provide the factual information your post orders and the law require. Notify your supervisor and the office as soon as practicable, complete your written report, and refer follow-up requests for records, footage, or statements to the office. [TO CONFIRM: designated media contact and after-hours notification number.]

Other conduct that may result in immediate termination

• Falsifying a time record, patrol scan, report, application, license, or training certificate.
• Theft, misappropriation, or unauthorized use of company, client, or another person's property.
• Working without a valid, current BSIS registration or a required permit.
• Reporting to work or working while impaired, or possessing alcohol, cannabis, or illegal drugs on duty.
• Violence, threats of violence, or bringing an unauthorized weapon to work.
• Insubordination, or refusing a lawful and safe direction from a supervisor.
• Abandoning a post before relief arrives or before being released by a supervisor.
• Harassment, discrimination, or retaliation in violation of this handbook.
• Disclosing confidential client information.
• Any conduct that endangers the company's PPO license or a client contract.

Calling off

• If you cannot work a scheduled shift, call the office or dispatch directly. Speak to a person. Do not text, email, message a supervisor's personal phone, or ask a coworker to call for you unless you are physically unable to call.
• [TO CONFIRM: the minimum advance notice required for a call-off, for example a set number of hours before shift start, and whether a different window applies to overnight and weekend posts.]
• [TO CONFIRM: the dedicated call-off phone number, whether it is staffed 24 hours, and the backup number.]
• Give your name, the post, the shift time, and the reason you are unavailable. If you are using paid sick leave, say so.
• Do not arrange your own replacement in place of calling the office. You may not swap or give away a shift without the company's approval, because coverage depends on licensure, permits, post-specific qualifications, and overtime exposure.
• Failing to report for a scheduled shift without notice is a no-call, no-show and is treated as serious misconduct. [TO CONFIRM: whether the company will treat a set number of consecutive no-call, no-show days as a voluntary resignation, and how many.]

Absence, tardiness, and holdover

Excessive absenteeism and tardiness, whether or not each individual instance is excused, may result in discipline up to and including termination. Absences protected by law, including paid sick leave, protected leaves, workers' compensation leave, and disability-related accommodation, will not be counted against you, and the company will not discipline you for using leave you are legally entitled to use.

Holdover happens in this industry. If your relief is late or a post goes uncovered, you may be asked to remain past the end of your shift. All holdover time is paid, and daily overtime and double time rules apply. The company will make reasonable efforts to relieve you as soon as possible and will not require holdover in a way that violates meal or rest period requirements. [TO CONFIRM: whether the company will adopt a formal attendance points system, and if so, the point values, decay period, and thresholds, drafted so that legally protected absences are excluded.]

Open door and complaint procedure

The company wants to hear about problems early. If you have a concern about your pay, your hours, your post, your schedule, your equipment, your safety, a supervisor's conduct, or anything else about your work, raise it. Start with your immediate supervisor if you are comfortable doing so. If you are not comfortable, if the concern involves your supervisor, or if you are not satisfied with the answer, go directly to the office or to any member of management. You will not be required to go through anyone you do not want to.

Complaints involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, workplace violence, safety hazards, or wage and hour issues are investigated as described in the corresponding sections of this handbook. The company will respond in a reasonable time, will keep the matter as confidential as the circumstances allow, and will tell you the outcome to the extent it can. [TO CONFIRM: the designated complaint contact, phone number, and email address, and whether the company will provide a written complaint form.]

Anti-retaliation

Stratton Security Group prohibits retaliation against any employee for engaging in legally protected activity. That includes reporting or opposing discrimination, harassment, or retaliation; participating in an investigation; requesting an accommodation; reporting a wage or hour problem, including missed breaks or off-the-clock work; reporting a workplace safety hazard or a workplace violence incident to the company or to Cal/OSHA; filing or intending to file a workers' compensation claim; taking or requesting a protected leave; serving on a jury or as a witness; disclosing suspected violations of law; and discussing wages or working conditions with coworkers.

Retaliation means any adverse action, including termination, demotion, reduction in hours, removal from a post, discipline, unfavorable scheduling, or a hostile change in treatment. If you believe you have experienced retaliation, report it immediately using the complaint procedure above. Reports of retaliation are investigated with the same seriousness as the underlying complaint, and a substantiated act of retaliation is grounds for discipline up to and including termination.

Resignation

The company requests at least two weeks of written notice of resignation so that coverage can be arranged for your post. Giving notice is requested, not required, and the company may accept a resignation effective immediately. [TO CONFIRM: whether the company will request a different notice period, and whether giving notice affects eligibility for rehire or for payout of any discretionary benefit.]

Work your remaining scheduled shifts, return all company and client property, and complete any outstanding reports. Walking off a post, abandoning an assignment, or failing to return keys and access credentials is treated as a serious separation issue and is noted in your file. Tell the office where to send your final wage statement and tax documents, and keep your address current after you leave.

Return of company and client property

• All uniform items, including shirts, trousers, jackets, outerwear, hats, and any client-branded apparel.
• Badge, company identification, name tag, patches, and any client-issued access badge.
• All keys, key fobs, access cards, alarm codes documentation, and master keys.
• Radios, chargers, flashlights, tour and patrol devices, phones, tablets, and any other issued electronics.
• Company vehicle, fuel card, and vehicle keys, if issued.
• Any company-issued firearm, holster, magazines, ammunition, and related equipment. Company firearms must be returned in person to an authorized supervisor, unloaded and secured, in a manner arranged in advance. Never mail a firearm and never leave one at a post.
• All post orders, reports, notes, manuals, and any other company or client documents or files, including anything stored on a personal device.
• California law does not permit the company to deduct the value of unreturned property from your final paycheck. The company may pursue other lawful means of recovering its property. [TO CONFIRM with counsel: the property return acknowledgment form and the process for firearm return and documentation.]

Final pay

California Labor Code section 201 requires that an employee who is discharged be paid all wages earned and unpaid at the time of discharge, immediately. Under Labor Code section 202, an employee who resigns with at least 72 hours of notice must be paid all final wages on the last day of work, and an employee who resigns without 72 hours of notice must be paid within 72 hours of giving notice. Final wages include all earned wages, all earned overtime, any earned and unused vacation or PTO, and any premium pay owed.

Final wages are payable at the office in the county where you worked, or you may request in writing that your final check be mailed, in which case the date of mailing is the date of payment. An employer who willfully fails to pay final wages on time may owe waiting time penalties of up to 30 days of wages under Labor Code section 203. Tell the office where you want your final pay sent and make sure your address is current.

You will receive information about continuation of any group health coverage you had, and about your rights to unemployment insurance, as required by law. [TO CONFIRM: COBRA or Cal-COBRA administration, and the separation packet contents.]

References and rehire

The company responds to reference requests through the office. [TO CONFIRM: whether the company's policy is to confirm dates of employment and position only, and who is authorized to respond to reference requests.] Former employees who left in good standing, whose credentials are current, and who are otherwise qualified may be considered for rehire; rehire is not guaranteed. [TO CONFIRM: rehire eligibility standards and any waiting period.]