Handbook & Company Policies

Mission Statement

We also pursue being “A Refuge for you and your car.”

Welcome and Introduction

It is our objective to create a culture based on our Christian beliefs to serve and provide 5-star care to our customers with integrity, honesty, professionalism, and a continuing pursuit of excellence.

This handbook explains how our Company operates. Successful organizations need clear guidelines; these policies and benefits are written for you. Policies are reviewed and updated when situations change or a better way is found. Your input is welcome.

To succeed here, do your part so the Company succeeds. Questions not answered here — ask your General Manager or Supervisor.

No handbook covers every situation. The Company may revise, supplement, or rescind policies at its discretion and will notify employees of material changes. This handbook is not a contract of employment and does not guarantee benefits. Employment is at-will under Tennessee law unless a separate written agreement says otherwise.

Cody's Automotive — Words to live by

1. LIVE EACH DAY IN THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE. Excellence is about becoming your best — not merely better than someone else.
2. OPERATE WITH A TEAM MENTALITY. Lift up everyone around you.
3. CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR. Personal agendas must never override what is best for Cody's. Credit-chasing is counterproductive.
4. MAKE QUALITY PERSONAL. We don't do “good enough” — we do 5-Star service. Everything you touch has your signature. Sign in BOLD ink.
5. DO THE RIGHT THING. Integrity is doing right even when no one is looking.
6. BRING YOUR BEST EVERY DAY. Energy, focus, purpose, and enthusiasm.
7. PURSUE OUTSTANDING / 5-STAR RESULTS. Effort matters; results are what we celebrate. Use numbers and accountability to improve.
8. GO THE EXTRA MILE. Do the job — plus a little more.
9. CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE. Never settle for the status quo.
10. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. Learn what you don't know. No victim mindset.
11. STRONG PROCESSES WIN. Follow refined best practices for consistent results.
12. HONOR COMMITMENTS. Do what you said, when you said. If you can't, reset the commitment early.
13. EVERYONE IS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE. Exceed expectations for internal and external customers.
14. SHOW PASSION FOR CODY'S. Customers are often worried or vulnerable. Care first; skill follows.
15. LISTEN GENEROUSLY. Full attention. Listen to understand.
16. BELIEFS DRIVE ACTION. Help people release limiting beliefs when you can.
17. SPEAK THE UNVARNISHED TRUTH. Clear and respectful — no spin that confuses decisions.
18. BLAMELESS PROBLEM-SOLVING. Fix the process; learn from mistakes.
19. SET AND ASK FOR EXPECTATIONS. Most conflict is mismatched expectations.
20. EMBRACE CHANGE. Adapt faster; get stronger.
21. APPEARANCE COUNTS. Dress and shop presentation are everyone's job.
22. BE PUNCTUAL. Time shows respect.
23. ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE. Specific, timely, meaningful recognition.
24. QUICK TO ASK, SLOW TO JUDGE. Get the full picture.
25. CODY'S IS FAMILY. Support associates and customers.
26. KEEP THINGS FUN. Energy and laughter fuel the work.

Hiring Process & Anniversary Date

Your first day of work is your anniversary date for benefits calculations. Many benefits begin after 90 calendar days of the introductory period. Ask your Supervisor if you have questions about your date.

Categories of Employment

Introductory period: First 90 days for full-time and part-time employees — mutual evaluation. Completing it does not guarantee ongoing employment.

Full-time hourly: Regularly at least 40 hours/week; hourly pay; fringe benefits per position and length of service.

Flat rate: Paid per job (not salary/hourly); benefits per position and length of service.

Part-time: Under 40 hours/week; statutory benefits only.

Non-exempt (FLSA): Overtime rules may apply for hours over 40 in a workweek. In practice, overtime is generally not offered; employees usually work 40 hours or less.

Exempt (FLSA): Administrative, professional, supervisory, managerial, or outside sales as classified. Not entitled to overtime. Exempt employees receive 3 paid sick days per year (no carryover).

Your Supervisor will confirm your classification at hire.

Conflicts of Interest

Avoid actual or potential conflicts of interest. A conflict exists when you can influence a decision that may result in personal gain for you or a relative from Company business. “Relative” includes blood or marriage relationships and similar household relationships.

Company materials, products, designs, plans, ideas, and data are Company property. Do not share them outside authorized channels. Improper disclosure — including inappropriate discussion of earnings or salaries — may result in discipline up to termination.

Driver's License and Driving Record

If driving is essential to your job, maintain a valid license and an acceptable driving record for our insurer. Report record changes to HR immediately. Provide a license copy at hire. Violations may result in immediate termination.

Equal Opportunity Employment

We do not discriminate against employees or applicants on any legally recognized basis, including veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, and/or age. Discuss EEO questions with your Supervisor or Management.

Hiring of Relatives

Hiring relatives is not prohibited, but we monitor same-area placements for favoritism or morale issues. Problems may lead to reassignment or, if necessary, termination of one or both individuals. Relatives include spouses, parents, children, siblings, in-laws, step-relations, and people who reside with an employee.

Immigration Reform and Control Act (I-9)

We employ only people authorized to work in the United States. Complete Form I-9 and present identity and work-authorization documents within three business days of hire. Limited work authorization requires timely renewal proof to continue employment.

Non-Harassment & Sexual Harassment

Harassment of employees (or third parties by employees) is prohibited, including based on veteran status, race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, disability, age, and/or sex. Examples include slurs, threats, derogatory comments, and unwelcome jokes or teasing.

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature (including images, jokes, teasing, or uninvited touching).

Report concerns immediately to your Supervisor or any Management member. We investigate as confidentially as practical. No retaliation for good-faith reports or participation in an investigation. Violations may result in discipline up to discharge. False accusations are serious; act responsibly.

Outside Employment

Outside employment is allowed when it does not interfere with your job performance, schedule, or safety at Cody's Automotive, and when it does not create a conflict with the Company's legitimate business interests.

Competing automotive work (restricted)

You may not perform outside automotive repair or service work for a business that competes with Cody's Automotive within 20 miles of our shop location, whether on your days off, after hours, or while using PTO/vacation. The restriction is about competition, not about time off.

"Competing" means automotive repair, service, diagnostics, or related paid work of the same general type Cody's offers to the public.

Disclosure before it starts

You must disclose to your Supervisor or General Manager in advance any outside automotive repair/service work you intend to take — especially anything that could compete with Cody's. Do not start competitive work and hope it stays quiet. Early disclosure protects you and the Company.

No Company resources, time, or confidential information

Outside work of any kind may not use Company:

• Time (you must be clocked out and not on paid duty)
• Tools, equipment, lifts, parts, or supplies
• Customer lists, pricing, diagnostic notes, repair history, or other confidential or proprietary information

Taking or using the Company's trade secrets or confidential business information for an outside shop or personal gain is a serious violation and may also violate Tennessee trade-secret law, separate from this handbook.

No soliciting customers or coworkers

You may not solicit Cody's customers or coworkers for outside automotive work or for a competing business — on or off the clock. That rule stands on its own; it is not hidden inside a general "conflict of interest" line.

Other outside jobs

Non-competing outside work (for example, unrelated side jobs) is generally allowed if you still meet Cody's performance and scheduling standards. If outside work interferes with attendance, safety, or performance, you may be asked to end it to remain employed.

Violations of this policy may result in discipline up to and including termination. Questions about whether a specific opportunity is "competing" should be asked before you accept the work.

Talk to Us

Bring questions, suggestions, and complaints forward. Start with your Supervisor. If needed, request a meeting with the Manager or Owners. Using this process will not adversely affect your job. If you are not comfortable with your Supervisor, speak with another Supervisor you trust.

Human Resources / People Contact

HR is handled by role, not a single named desk that changes when people leave.

• Day-to-day questions (time-off process, forms, handbook, onboarding paperwork): Front Office Manager
• Performance, shop rules, protocol: your Supervisor, then Operations Manager or General Manager
• Harassment, discrimination, pay disputes, termination, or other confidential concerns: the Owners. Good-faith reports will not be punished.
• Safety incidents: Operations Manager same day; Owners if serious

You may always start with your Supervisor. If you are not comfortable with that person, contact the Front Office Manager or an Owner.

Holidays

Observed: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day (reviewed yearly — ask your Supervisor for the current list).

Paid holiday eligibility: full-time employees who have completed 90 calendar days, when the holiday falls on a regularly scheduled workday. Hourly holiday pay is typically 8 hours at the base rate (straight-time as of the holiday).

To be paid for the holiday, work the last scheduled day before and the first scheduled day after, unless prior written permission was arranged (notice signed by Supervisor at least 2 weeks before). Calling in sick the day before or after generally forfeits holiday pay. Holiday hours do not count toward overtime.

Time Off Requests & Coverage

Time off is a benefit and a responsibility. The shop must stay staffed to serve customers safely and on time. Requests are managed through the company Time Off process (calendar / request system). Management may approve, deny, or override a request with a written reason when coverage is at risk.

Workdays only

The shop’s normal workweek is Monday through Friday. Saturdays, Sundays, and published shop holidays do not count as vacation, sick, or other paid time-off days. A multi-day request is measured in workdays only.

How to request

• Submit the request in the company Time Off system (or as directed by management) with dates and type (vacation, sick, personal, etc.).
• At least two (2) weeks’ advance notice is required for planned time off (vacation, personal, and other non-emergency leave) so coverage can be planned and approved.
• Requests with less than two weeks’ notice may be denied or only approved if coverage is still acceptable.
• Same-day or emergency leave (illness, family emergency, etc.): notify the Operations Manager or Front Office Manager as soon as possible, then document the absence when you return.

Coverage limits (same workday)

• Technicians: No more than two (2) technicians may be off on the same workday.
• Service advisors / RO writers: No more than two (2) people in the advisor pool may be off on the same workday. The advisor pool includes service advisors and managers who regularly write repair orders as designated by ownership (examples of roles in that pool: General Manager, Operations Manager, Parts when writing tickets, and Service Advisor).
• Front office / open-shop coverage: The Front Office Manager and the Operations Manager should not both be off on the same workday, except for a documented emergency or written approval from an Owner or the General Manager.

Seniority (hire date)

When more people request the same workday than the limits above allow, company seniority decides. Seniority is based on the employee’s hire date / anniversary date with the Company (earlier hire date = higher seniority).

• Among pending requests for the same day, the more senior employee’s request is preferred.
• A request that is already approved generally holds the slot. Management may still adjust for a documented emergency or critical coverage need, with a written reason.

Conflicts on the calendar

The Time Off calendar shows when others are already off. If a day is full under these limits, management may deny the request, ask for another day, or override-approve only when coverage is still acceptable and a reason is recorded.

Unapproved absence or repeated disregard of coverage rules is handled under attendance and conduct policies. No-call / no-show: see No-Call / No-Show.

Paid Vacation

Paid vacation and paid sick days are for full-time employees only (regularly 40 hours a week). Part-time employees do not earn paid vacation or sick days.

Vacation is based on your hire date (your first day worked). Each year on your hire-date anniversary you get your vacation hours for the coming year.

• Carryover: up to 40 hours (1 week) of unused vacation carries over to the next year. Anything over that is lost.
• No going negative: you can't use vacation you haven't received yet.
• Leaving the company: unused vacation is paid on your last check only if you give at least 2 weeks' written notice and work those 2 weeks. It is not paid if you leave without notice, walk off the job, or are let go for cause.
• Ask for vacation in the Time Off system at least 2 weeks ahead. Weekends and shop holidays don't count as vacation days.

Paid Sick Days

All full-time employees (hourly and salaried) get 3 paid sick days (24 hours) each year, starting on your 1st hire-date anniversary and renewed every anniversary after that.

• Unused sick days don't carry over and are not paid out when you leave.
• You can't use sick time you haven't received yet.
• Call or text your Foreman or GM before your shift starts when you're sick.

Unpaid Time Off

Unpaid time off is something a manager approves — it is not owed. "Just don't pay me" does not make a day off approved.

• Planned unpaid days (no vacation left): ask in the Time Off system with 2 weeks' notice. A manager approves only if the shop has coverage.
• Sick with no sick days left: the day is unpaid and counts under the attendance policy.
• Limit: more than 5 unpaid days in a year needs an owner's approval.
• Salaried employees take unpaid time in whole days only.
• Flat-rate technicians: a day you choose not to work does not count toward the 25-hour weekly guarantee (see the Technician Attendance policy).

No-Call / No-Show

Not showing up for a scheduled shift without calling or texting your Foreman or GM before the shift starts is a no-call / no-show.

• 1st no-call / no-show: the day is unpaid (no vacation or sick time charged) and you get a final written warning.
• 2nd no-call / no-show, at any time: termination.

Other Leave

Bereavement

Up to three (3) unpaid days for death in the immediate family: spouse, children, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, spouse's parents, and relatives permanently in the same household. More time requires prior arrangement with the owner.

Paid sick days

See Paid Sick Days above. Other unpaid leave follows federal and Tennessee law as applicable.

Maternity / family-related leave

Up to six weeks unpaid for pregnancy-related leave (clock starts when leave begins, not only on the birth date). Insurance may continue if you keep paying your premium share. Notify the Company one week before an early return.

Jury duty

Unpaid leave to serve as required by law (state rules may add requirements). Exempt employees may receive paid time off when needed to comply with wage-and-hour law. Notify your Supervisor when summoned; return to work if excused during scheduled hours.

Voting

Morning time off to vote in applicable elections; paid time off when required by law. Notify Supervisor early; present a voter receipt when required upon return.

Military leave

Necessary unpaid time off for U.S. Armed Forces or state military service as required by law. Exempt pay treatment may apply when required. Accrued vacation may be used if you choose. Present orders early and arrange leave with your Supervisor.

Drug & Alcohol Policy (Tennessee)

Company standard (applies to all employees)

Fil-Co Solutions DBA Cody's Automotive maintains a drug- and alcohol-free workplace. The following are prohibited on Company property, in Company or customer vehicles, during work time, or while performing Company business:

• Use, possession, sale, distribution, or manufacture of illegal drugs
• Unauthorized use or possession of controlled substances
• Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs that impair safe or effective job performance
• Misuse of prescription or over-the-counter medication that impairs safety or performance (you must notify your Supervisor if a medication may affect safe work — medical details stay private to the extent practical)

Because many roles are safety-sensitive (driving customer vehicles, operating lifts and power equipment, working under vehicles), the Company treats impairment as a serious safety violation. Discipline may include removal from duty, unpaid suspension, and termination.

Tennessee legal framework (plain language)

Tennessee has a voluntary Drug-Free Workplace Programs framework in Tennessee Code Annotated Title 50, Chapter 9. Employers who implement a qualifying program and follow required procedures may obtain certain workers' compensation advantages (for example, premium-related benefits under the program and rules about benefits when injury involves drugs/alcohol). That formal program is optional — but if the Company participates as a “covered employer,” testing and notice must follow the statute and Tennessee Department of Labor rules.

Key points under that TN framework (when a formal program is in place):

• Written policy required before testing — describing types of tests, consequences of positive results or refusal, confidentiality, how to report valid prescriptions to a Medical Review Officer (MRO) after a positive screen, and employee assistance / rehab resource information (TCA § 50-9-105).
• 60-day notice before a new formal drug-free workplace program becomes effective.
• Common test types (as applicable under the program): post–conditional-offer applicant testing; reasonable-suspicion testing; routine fitness-for-duty where allowed; post-accident as policy provides; follow-up after certain positives or treatment (TCA § 50-9-106 and related rules).
• Reasonable suspicion must be documented in writing (generally within 24 hours of the observations or before results are released, whichever is earlier).
• Alcohol testing limits: employees not in safety-sensitive positions generally may be tested for alcohol only on reasonable suspicion; safety-sensitive roles may be tested for alcohol on additional occasions allowed by statute.
• Labs and process: testing must use properly certified/licensed laboratories and required procedures; confirmed positives are handled through an MRO process; employees generally may contest or explain a confirmed positive to the MRO within five working days of written notice.
• Refusal to test may be treated as grounds for not hiring, discipline, or discharge under the program rules and Company policy.
• Confidentiality of testing records is required under the statute.

What you can expect at Cody's

• You may be required to test after a conditional job offer, upon reasonable suspicion, after certain accidents or safety incidents, and at other times allowed by law and Company policy.
• A positive confirmed test, or refusal to test, may result in withdrawal of a job offer or discipline up to termination.
• Valid prescriptions should be disclosed through the proper testing/MRO process when a test is positive — do not share private medical details more broadly than needed.
• Seeking help for a substance problem is encouraged before a safety incident occurs; talk to your Supervisor or HR about available resources. Voluntary treatment is not a free pass for on-the-job impairment or policy violations.

Related on-site safety docs: General Shop Safety, PPE, Shop Floor, and Chemical Safety in Shop Library.

Safety & Smoking

Use equipment only if trained and qualified. Get help lifting heavy objects. Follow instructions; if unsure of a safety procedure, ask — don't guess. Know first aid and fire equipment locations. Wear required PPE. See Shop Library → Safety for full protocols.

Smoking is not permitted inside the building.

Time (Clocking in/out)

• Clock in at shift start and out at shift end each day.
• Work week: Monday–Friday.
• 1-hour lunch: clock out and back in.
• Breaks or errands of 5 minutes or longer (tool truck, personal, etc.): clock out and back in.
• Leaving during the day requires Supervisor approval and proper clocking.
• Tekmetric time corrections require Supervisor approval before payroll.

Why it matters: Insurance coverage when moving customer vehicles generally requires you to be on the clock. Time data supports efficiency, accurate pay, and fairness.

Technician Attendance & Weekly Pay Guarantee

This section summarizes SOP HR-01 (Attendance / Pay Guarantee) for flat-rate technicians. The full SOP — including acknowledgment signature — lives in the Shop Library. If this summary and the SOP ever differ, the signed SOP controls for payroll treatment. Counsel review of HR-01 should be completed before relying on it to change pay.

Effective: August 20, 2026, per technician, only after the SOP is distributed and signed. It is not retroactive.

What the weekly guarantee covers

The 25-hour/week pay guarantee protects technicians against shop-caused shortfalls — weeks where the shop could not provide enough flagged / billable work to reach 25 hours of flat-rate pay.

It does not cover hours missed because the technician was unauthorized-absent, self-released from a shift, refused assigned work, or left the schedule without management approval.

Clock records are official. Only hours the technician is clocked in and remains available until released by management count toward the guarantee (subject to shop-caused shortfall rules). Hours not clocked, or early outs without release, do not count. Total pay for hours actually worked may never fall below the applicable minimum wage.

Three absence outcomes

The question is always: who decided, and was it approved? Notice alone is never approval. An unanswered request is not approved. Classification comes from the clock record plus approvals on file — not from verbal stories after the fact.

• Approved time off — requested in advance and approved by Foreman, GM, or ownership. Vacation/PTO is charged; paid per policy.
• Management sends him home — shop could not provide enough flagged work and management released him. Clocked hours count toward the 25-hour guarantee. No vacation/PTO charged. This is what the guarantee is for.
• Employee decides not to work — no clock-in, or early clock-out without release; refused assigned work; no-call / no-show; or self-release. Unauthorized absence / job abandonment. Does not count toward the guarantee. Unpaid. Do not charge vacation/PTO instead. Discipline track applies.

Who may approve or release

• Workload and schedule calls belong to management — not a technician’s own read that “it looks slow.”
• Time off is final only with explicit approval from the Shop Foreman, Operations Manager / GM, or ownership.
• No technician leaves during a scheduled shift without being released by the Foreman, GM, or ownership. Clocking out without release is unauthorized early departure.
• Job-assignment disagreements are raised with the Foreman or GM before leaving. Walking off is job abandonment, not a scheduling issue.

Discipline (HR-01)

• First occurrence: documented conversation and written warning; pay follows the three outcomes above.
• Repeat: unpaid day (not charged to vacation/PTO), plus progressive discipline up to termination.

Full text, pay-plan language, and the technician signature block are in Shop Library → SOP HR-01 Attendance / Pay Guarantee.

Termination of Employment

Read this handbook, sign the certificate, and return it to your Supervisor. We expect every team member to carry their share of the work.

If you leave

Give at least two weeks' notice when possible. Unused vacation is paid on your last check only if you give 2 weeks' written notice and work it (see Paid Vacation). Complete an exit interview. Return all Company property including keys. Update your address so tax forms reach you. Rehire after a break over six months (other than approved leave) generally restarts the introductory period.

The Company does not provide reference “letters”; we may confirm dates of employment, job title, and salary history upon request.

Conduct that may end employment

Examples (not a complete list): failure to meet job requirements; theft; dangerous conduct; drugs/alcohol impairment on the job; sabotage; illegal activity; discrimination; fighting; damaging the Company's reputation; safety/policy violations; insubordination; weapons on premises without authorization; dishonesty; disrespect to employees, visitors, or the public; serious attendance or performance problems.

Discipline may include verbal warning, written warning, suspension, and/or discharge. Progressive steps are not guaranteed in every case.

Organization

Fil-Co Solutions DBA Cody's Automotive is led by the Owners. Operating leadership is organized as follows:

• General Manager (GM) — overall shop results; leadership link to the Owners
• Operations Manager (OM) — daily operational command (open shop, production flow, floor, and protocol)
• Front Office Manager — front lobby, phones, desk, appointments, and office customer experience
• Marketing Manager — marketing execution and reputation as directed
• Shop Foreman (when staffed) — bay-floor leadership under Operations

The Operations Manager and Front Office Manager together carry much of the company's daily first impression.

Service Advisors follow the General Manager on customer and sales standards, and the Operations Manager on schedule, capacity, and same-day flow. Technicians and Detail report day-to-day through the Shop Foreman (when staffed) to the Operations Manager.

Authority & corrective action

• The Operations Manager may give same-day operational correction to any team member on site — including managers — for protocol and safety issues (examples: key control and customer check-in/drop, clock-in before moving customer vehicles, handoffs, floor safety).
• The Operations Manager may document incidents for the file.
• Formal corrective action for the General Manager (write-ups and above) is issued by the Owners.
• Formal corrective action for other employees follows company process and may involve the Operations Manager, General Manager, and/or Owners as appropriate.
• Non-negotiable protocol failures (especially stranded customers or safety) are treated seriously regardless of title.

Job Duties and Descriptions

Your Supervisor confirms which role applies. Duties may be adjusted as the shop needs. One person may hold more than one role only if assigned in writing by the Owners.

Certificate of Receipt

Digital handbook for Fil-Co team members. Management may update policies; material changes will be communicated. When in doubt, ask your Supervisor or General Manager.