Our Policies

The Modern Stone Age Kitchen (MSAK) is more than a restaurant, bakery, and coffee shop– it is a mission-driven operation dedicated to redefining what “real food” means in a modern world. Our policies and standards are crucial to the integrity of our business and the wellbeing of our teams.

These policies apply to all entities within the Modern Stone Age umbrella: Modern Stone Age, Modern Stone Age Kitchen, and Eastern Shore Food Lab. Find all of our company policies below:

2026 Employee Handbook

This year, we introduced a new employee handbook for our teams, featuring our company policies and expectations all in one place.

Check out our full 2026 Employee Handbook here.

Looking for our Employee Handbook Acknowledgement signature page? Click here to print and sign, then return to your manager.

Click here to explore our full policy library.

You can also find each individual policy below:

Company Policies

Daily Operations

Dress Code Policy

Modern Stone Age employees must adhere to our dress code guidelines to ensure safety and a smooth experience for our employees and customers.

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Personal Belongings at Work Policy

Employees can keep personal belongings in an assigned locker within The Cave, our break room. Non-work critical items should remain there throughout your shift.

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Substance-Free Workplace Policy

Use this form to report any malfunctioning or damaged equipment onsite during your workday. Please provide as much detail as possible to ensure expedited repair or replacement.

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Fostering a Positive Work Environment

Violence-Free Workplace Policy

Modern Stone Age is committed to preventing workplace violence and maintaining a safe work environment for all employees and customers. Creating an unsafe work environment will not be tolerated and is grounds for dismissal.

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Harassment-Free Workplace Policy

Modern Stone Age prohibits harassment or discrimination of any kind. Unwanted physical or verbal contact is taken seriously at our workplace. This conduct is unacceptable whether it is directed at customers or coworkers.

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Health & Safety Policy

Be sure to adhere to our overall Health and Safety procedures to ensure a safe, efficient workplace for all employees of Modern Stone Age. No matter your working tasks, we’re all responsible for ensuring our workspaces are safe, clean, and operable.

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Payroll and Attendance Policies

Time Recording and Payroll Policy

You can find details about our Time Recording and Payroll policies, including information about how to register with our payroll app, clocking in and out, requesting time off, overtime pay, and more.

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Sickness Policy

We rely on each other, and our customers rely on us. Showing up matters and so does staying home when you are truly sick. This policy protects our operation, maintains our standards, and supports the team culture we value so much.

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Scheduling and Attendance Policy

Review our policies around scheduling, attendance, and our best practices for breaks during the workday. Our goal is always to ensure that our team is well-rested and ready for any challenges the day brings.

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Technology Use Policies

Employee Photo Release Form

At Modern Stone Age Kitchen, our employees help us showcase the excellent products and services we offer our customers. We strive to create and post engaging content that strengthens our community of customers and team members alike.

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Social Media Policy

As an employee of Modern Stone Age, you are responsible for representing our brand in online spaces with respect to our core values. All customers and employees should feel comfortable in our space and able to opt out of being photographed.

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Cell Phone Use Policy

While some critical work tasks require communicating or tracking data with the help of technology, we hope to define what proper and improper use of your cell phone at work can look like.

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Equipment Use and Incident Reporting

Vehicle Use Policy & Agreement

Some employees may be tasked with driving one of our company vehicles to a local event. This document ensures all proper precautions are taken in order to protect our employees and company property.

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Maintenance Request

Use this form to report any malfunctioning or damaged equipment onsite during your workday. Please provide as much detail as possible to ensure expedited repair or replacement.

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Alcohol Incident Report

If you are an employee who serves alcohol, please access our Alcohol Incident Report Form to document any issues regarding alcohol during your shift.

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Digital Version

Food and Drink Standards

MSAK Food Standards

Our long-term vision is to revolutionize the way food is made and shared by transforming the restaurant industry into a force for nourishment, connection, and sustainability.

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Food Development Checklist

Looking to stretch your recipe development skills? At Modern Stone Age, we encourage our team members to explore new skill and new flavors. This checklist serves as a guide through the process of ensuring a recipe is MSAK-ready.

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TIPS Training Procedures

All employees who serve alcohol must adhere to best practices every shift to ensure a safe and healthy experience for both customers and employees alike.

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Additional Company Policies

General Employment Policies

Acknowledgement of MPLA

Modern Stone Age is subject to the Maryland Parental Leave Act (MPLA) and exempt from the federal FMLA. Eligible employees may take up to six (6) weeks of unpaid parental leave during any 12-month period for the birth of a child or the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care.

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Acknowledgement of Flexible Leave Act

Under the Maryland Flexible Leave Act, employees who have earned paid leave (such as Vacation or Paid Sick Leave) are permitted to use that leave to care for an immediate family member. This policy allows you to use your existing leave bank for specific purposes, however, it does not grant additional leave days.

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ADA Acknowledgement

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ensuring equal opportunity in employment for qualified persons with disabilities. We will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, including temporary disabilities like pregnancy.

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EOE Statement

Modern Stone Age is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity for all employees and qualified employment applicants and to providing a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment free from discrimination and harassment for all employees, vendors, contractors, and other third parties with whom we conduct business.

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At-Will Employment Notice

Employment with Modern Stone Age is voluntarily entered into and is "at-will." This means that you are free to resign at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. Similarly, Modern Stone Age may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, with or without notice or cause, provided that the reason is not prohibited by law.

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Employment Classifications

You’ll find descriptions of our employee classifications in this document, as well as details regarding minimum wage requirements and our commitment to paying our employees fairly each pay period.

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Civil Air Patrol Leave Policy

Employees who are members of the Maryland Civil Air Patrol are entitled to up to fifteen days of unpaid leave per year to respond to emergency missions, upon request and verification.

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Jury Duty Policy

Employees summoned for jury duty will be granted unpaid leave. You must submit a copy of the summons to your manager as soon as it is received. We expect you to report for work on any day you are excused from jury duty.

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Voting Leave Policy

We highly encourage all employees to vote. If your work schedule does not provide you with two hours of continuous off-duty time while polls are open, you may take up to two hours of paid leave to vote.

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