Policies & Procedures

Colorado Trails Ranch is our home and while you are working with us this summer it will be your home too. The whole concept of dude ranching is based on not only sharing our home, but also our way of life with our guests. As a member of our staff, we want you to feel like an extension of our ranch family. We encourage you to interact with our guests and treat them as guests in your home.

Our Mission Statement
Colorado Trails Ranch is committed to providing our guests a quality Western Dude Ranch vacation and our employees a rewarding work environment. More than any other aspect of this ranch, the guests comment on the wonderful, caring staff. At Colorado Trails Ranch, guests truly think they are visiting all of us in our home.

We also want the ranch to be a rewarding work environment for our staff. In order to accomplish that we have drafted policies and procedures which hopefully make our communal living an enjoyable situation for all.

Job Performance
We have a very strong work ethic at the ranch and expect the same from our staff. When your job assignment is completed we expect you to seek out your supervisor for further direction; there is always plenty of work to be done around the ranch. We depend on you to be at work on time. If you are late, it becomes a hardship on your coworkers and can compromise service to our guests. Because we feel you need your time off to recharge and rest, we do not allow part time jobs in addition to your ranch job.

Insurance
We carry Workman’s Compensation Insurance if you are injured on the job. It is important to us that you carry your own major medical insurance, but it is not required.

Horseback Riding and Other Activities
Staff members are welcome to horseback ride and participate in other activities (rafting, shooting sports, lake trip, fishing) with our guests during your time off. Participation in these activities is on a space available basis, and must be scheduled at least a day in advance. Staff members interested in riding must complete our riding orientation, follow the guidelines of our riding program and help in the barn with grooming, saddling and mucking stalls.

Staff Guests
We offer a 10% discount for immediate family members if they wish to stay at the ranch during the summer and a 15% discount in September – this is based on a weekly stay and availability. If they are not staying on the ranch, your guests need to make arrangements to stay in town when they come to visit you and you should plan to spend time with them on your days off or break time. If you would like to bring guests to a meal, please get permission from the Ranch Manager. If a friend or family member is providing you with transportation to your summer job we will offer them a one night free stay at Colorado Trails Ranch.

Staff Lounge
One of the privileges we offer our staff is the use of the Staff Lounge. This is available to all staff, and guests are not permitted in the Lounge. We expect you to respect this building and keep it clean. There is a TV, VCR and DVD player available in the Lounge along with a telephone, computer and printer. The computer has wireless internet that you can access from your laptop computer.

Staff Telephone and Mail
There are two telephone lines in the Staff Lounge that are reserved for use by all of our staff. Be sure to provide your friends and relatives with these numbers (970-247-9810 and 970-247-9818) should they wish to contact you or leave a message on the answering machine. They will be unable to contact you through either of the main phone numbers of the ranch (970-247-5055 and 800-323-3833 are reserved for ranch business use only). Also, please be considerate of fellow staff members by limiting your phone usage to no more than 10 minutes at a time.The staff telephone lines do not have long distance service, so you must use a calling call for long distance calls (we sell prepaid phone cards in the office).

For mail, you may use the ranch address: 12161 CR 240, Durango, CO 81301 or get your own post office box. If you want your mail forwarded after you leave the ranch, a box of your own allows forwarding.

Housing
CTR provides housing at no cost to its employees. We ask you to respect our property and your roommates by keeping your housing clean, and we reserve the right to enforce this with dorm inspections. As a condition of our providing free housing we require each staff member to pay an initial $50 damage/cleaning deposit. We will deduct this from your first two paychecks. Prior to your leaving the ranch we will inspect your quarters, and your deposit will be returned to you in full as long as your quarters have been cleaned and are in good repair. You are financially responsible for any damages to your quarters.

We offer dormitory style housing. Out of respect and consideration to all staff members no males are allowed in the female staff housing and no females are allowed in male staff housing.

We do not allow PETS or FIREARMS on the ranch.

Laundry
We provide washers and dryers for you, at no additional cost.

Meals
We also provide meals at no cost to our staff, which are eaten with our guests unless your job requires that you work during normal meal times. We encourage you to interact with our guests during mealtimes, and allow no more than two staff members per table. We are counting on you to uphold the ranch’s image so please be very conscious of your manners, arriving at meals on time, maintaining appropriate conversation and of presenting a clean and neat appearance. Also be considerate of the staff members waiting on you, and if you see they need help at your table please pitch in. It has been a ranch tradition that when it is time to serve dessert, a staff person from each table will ask the others at the table if they may serve them coffee, just as you would at your own home. Our staff is served the same meals that our guests are served, and may not make special requests of our kitchen staff or prepare their own food.

Noise
In our communal setting, it is important to be considerate of not just each other but also of our guests and their privacy. Radios, MP3 Players and Walkmans are not allowed on the job. Sound carries in our mountain setting, so be very conscientious about noise including loud voices and laughter, especially at night.

Appearance and Attire
As CTR staff, you are in constant contact with our guests. You share your meals with our guests and we encourage you to interact with them as part of our ranch family. Good social skills, table manners and a neat and clean appearance are necessary.

Keep in mind we are a WESTERN dude ranch. Attire in keeping with our western atmosphere is important. This means jeans (without holes), western shirts or shirts provided by the ranch, belt, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. Clothes must be clean and free of wrinkles, and shirts must be tucked in at all times. We ask that you save your t-shirts, baseball caps, open toed shoes, tennis shoes, shirts with inappropriate designs and sayings, sleeveless shirts and tank tops for your time away from guests. If you choose to eat in the dining room or participate in activities with guests during your time off, please wear appropriate western attire.

Hairstyles for men and women must be kept neat, clean and well groomed at all times. Make-up, jewelry and perfume worn on duty must be conservative and in keeping with work attire. No body piercing, except for ears, and even earrings need to be kept to a minimum. All tattoos must be covered.

Male employees must be clean-shaven when reporting for work. We do not allow beards, and mustaches must be neatly trimmed. If you do not arrive with a mustache, please do not plan on growing one while working at the ranch.

These are very simple and reasonable requirements, and they don't require you to purchase expensive or special clothing. We want our staff presenting the best possible image to our guests. We reserve the right to excuse anyone from the dining room or other public area should your appearance not meet these guidelines.

The Colorado Trails Ranch clothing, as mentioned above, will be given to you at no charge. However, if you leave the employment of CTR prior to the end of your contract period you will be charged retail price for these items of clothing. Each position on the ranch has different uniform requirements, we will provide you with these details prior to your arrival.

Vehicles/Transportation
In keeping with our ranch atmosphere, we keep vehicles out of sight. We also keep traffic on the ranch to a minimum and the speed limit is 10mph. For those staff members who have vehicles, there is a designated staff parking lot and we will provide specific information upon your arrival. Ranch vehicles will only be used by designated staff. We are in a beautiful outdoor environment, and it is much nicer to walk than to always hop in a vehicle.

Radios in ranch vehicles are not to be used while driving or working on the ranch or while transporting guests. Do not leave a radio on in a parked vehicle. Radios in personal cars are to remain off until you have left ranch property.

If you are not driving to the ranch we will be happy to pick you up from the Durango, Colorado bus station or airport. Please advise us as to your arrival information.

Compensation
You will receive an Employment Agreement that will more fully describe your compensation. You will be paid every two weeks, within three days following the end of the pay period. You will be paid a base salary and an overtime premium. Before payday, you must complete and submit a time card showing all hours worked during the pay period so that the overtime premium can be computed. You will also receive an end of season bonus, if and only if you work the dates outlined in your employment agreement. If you leave the employment of Colorado Trails Ranch for ANY REASON (you quit or are fired) you will not receive the end of season bonus.

Tobacco/Alcohol/Drugs
CTR is a non-smoking ranch. Smoking is not permitted in any of our buildings, vehicles or on the job. It is also not permitted anywhere around the barn area or maintenance shed. We have designated the porch of the Dance Hall (Staff Lounge) as the only place for staff smoking. Smokers are required to keep this area clean and free of cigarette butts. Ninety-five percent of our guests are non-smokers so please be conscientious about extinguishing and disposal of your cigarettes. Neither cigarettes nor smokeless tobacco will be used in front of the guests.

Staff consumption and possession of alcoholic beverages is not allowed on the ranch. Any signs of either drug or alcohol abuse will be grounds for termination. We do reserve the right to conduct random drug testing.

Miscellaneous
Upon your arrival at the ranch you will receive job specific handbooks and detailed orientation and training. Be sure to ask questions and rely upon your supervisors for training and support.