Employee & Volunteer Rights and Responsibilities
Minimum Wage
Pension Benefits for Lay Employees
Withholding and FICA
Worker's Compensation
Employee Policy Handbook
Other Resources
As United Methodist Christians, we have individual and corporate obligations to hire, employ, and treat employed staff with justice and in alignment with civil law. The Staff/Pastor Parish Committee acts on behalf of the congregation to carry out biblical and Disciplinary mandates in relation to employed staff.
The church has the opportunity to model for the world the fair treatment of all employees, lay as well as clergy. The Social Principles, included in the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, are "a prayerful and thoughtful effort" to speak to issues of contemporary life such as rights of all people, including persons with disabilities, women, and minorities; right to health care; right to a job at a living wage; and basic freedoms.
The United Methodist Social Principles states that ?every person has the right to a job at a living wage? (Par. 163.C, The Book of Discipline 2004).
In New York State, the minimum wage is currently $6.75. It will increase to $7.15 an hour in January 2007.
Minimum wage in Vermont is $7.25 an hour
Pension Benefits for Lay Employees
General Conference 2004 passed legislation that requires the Pastor-Parish (Staff-Parish) Relations Committee to recommend to the church council that a pension benefit of at least 3% of compensation be provided for lay employees who are
- 21 years of age
- have at least one year of permanent service
- work at least 1,040 hours per year (20 hours a week)
Though not strictly mandatory, the recommendation of lay pension benefits is now a part of the official duties of the Pastor-Parish Committee as listed in The Book of Discipline. Church councils responding to Pastor-Parish recommendations were to begin providing benefits by Jan. 1, 2006.
Based on this legislation, a local church employee earning $20,000 per year would receive from the church an annual contribution of $600 ($50 a month) into his or her retirement account. An employee earning $12,000 per year would receive a contribution of $360 or $30 a month.
This legislation also applies to lay employees of the annual conference.
The General Board of Pensions administers pension plans for lay employees of the church and affiliated agencies that local churches may sponsor, but local churches and annual conferences are free to contract with the provider of their choice.
Churches are required to withhold income taxes and FICA for employees.
- FAQs regarding FICA/Medicare Withholding Issues
- New York Withholding Tax and FICA informationi and forms
- Vermont withholding information
Congregations are encouraged to have an employee policy handbook related to issues of employment. The website for the General Council on Finance and Administration has sample policies and advice that aligns with the Book of Discipline and federal regulations.
The resources are arranged alphabetically and are updated and added to frequently. For example, you will find clergy compensation and expenses worksheets, sexual harassment investigation checklists, clergy tax and housing allowance information, screening volunteers and paid staff who work with children, and more.
Several websites offer information related to federal law. For information about state laws refer to webpages in your area. A lawyer should advise you for your specific location.
The United States Department of Labor web site offers assistance for compliance with federal labor laws.
Title I of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides information in seven languages to related to issues of discrimination.
New York State labor and employee rights
Vermont state labor and employee rights
The General Board of Church and Society's Labor and Justice page
