Thank you for your interest in working at Mount Snow! We have had excellent results from our International Program in the past, and look forward to continued success. We would like to share some important information for you to consider.
ABOUT MOUNT SNOW
Mount Snow is located at the southern tip of Vermont in the Northeastern United States. On a map, it is located on Route 100 in the town of West Dover, midway between Brattleboro and Bennington. New York City is a 4 hour drive south, and Boston is a 3 hour drive east of the mountain. A majority of Mount Snow’s guests come from these major metropolitan areas.
You can get plenty of detailed information about Mount Snow and the surrounding area at www.mountsnow.com. Look us up!
JOBS
There seven different positions available to our international staff at Mount Snow. You should discuss the position details thoroughly with your recruiter before applying for employment. Available positions will include:
Lift Operator
Housekeeper
Food & Beverage Worker
Custodial Worker
Rental Technician
Bell Valet
Ski/Snowboard Pro
Also, here are some important points about employment at Mount Snow that you should be aware of:
Customer Service is taken very seriously. Every employee is expected to deliver the highest-quality service at all times.
Attendance and punctuality are demanded. Missing work without cause and/or chronic tardiness will result in dismissal.
The Dress Code is strictly enforced.
Weekends and holidays are Mount Snow’s busiest, so please do not expect to have these days off.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
As a full-time seasonal staff member for Mount Snow, you will receive a season pass for skiing or snowboarding. Full-time staff members receive a 30% discount at all retail stores, and a 50% discount at most food outlets on the Mountain. Ski/Snowboard equipment is free during the week but seasonal equipment rentals are also available for employees at a discount. The cost of a seasonal rental is $100. A credit card is required for deposit.
WINTER WEATHER AND CLOTHING
The average winter temperature in Vermont is around 25 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 degrees Celsius), and can go as low as –25 degrees Fahrenheit (-31 Celsius!). With the added wind chill, it gets even colder. You are going to need plenty of warm clothing.
You will need to bring your own winter jacket, gloves, hats, thick socks, waterproof winter boots, fleeces, sweaters, thermal underwear, etc. Once you receive your season pass, you will receive a 30% discount at our ski shops, but the prices remain high. It can take up to 3 weeks before you receive your pass, therefore, you must arrive in Vermont prepared with the necessary winter clothing. You will be very glad that you did!
Mount Snow requires that all staff wear uniforms while at work. You will be required to furnish your own black or khaki pants which you should purchase prior to your arrival in the US (Department requirement will be in job offer).A uniform shirt and jacket (for outdoor jobs) will be provided. Durable uniforms which are uniforms issued by Mount Snow will be accounted for by each Department and will be returned to your Supervisor at the end of the season.
HOUSING
You are welcome to arrange your own housing working with U.S.E. or making direct contact with rental companies. Mount Snow can also arrange housing for some of its international staff. Staff live in various rented houses and apartments in the West Dover/Wilmington area. All housing is within walking distance of free bus service called the MOOver. Most accommodations house from 6 to 14 people, and all bedrooms are at least double occupancy and occasionally triple. Please do not expect to have a private room if you elect to have Mount Snow arrange housing for you.
Human Resources will make arrangements to accommodate requests whenever possible, however there is no guarantee that any housing requests or roommate preferences will be granted.
Mount Snow does not have its own staff housing. We must rent houses from local owners. This means Mount Snow will have paid the rent for all houses prior to the time you move in. Therefore, you will sign a loan agreement with Mount Snow agreeing to pay back the rent money either by paying it up front or by payroll deduction for 15 weeks. Loan repayments will be US $1275.00 to or $85 per week.
The only way Mount Snow will know if you would like housing arranged for you is if you fill out the Housing Notification and Acknowledgement Form and either fax (+1-802-464-4135) or mail (Tony Rosinski, Mount Snow, PO Box 2810, West Dover VT 05356, United States) or email (Trosinski@Mountsnow.com) the agreement.
For 2008/2009 we have approximately 225 international staff coming to work at Mount Snow, so if you know you want Mount Snow to arrange housing for you, please sign and return your agreement to us early to ensure your spot, but in any case no later than October 15, 2008.If we do not receive your signed Housing Notification and Acknowledgement form by October 15, 2008, we will assume that you are arranging your own housing and we will not secure housing for you.
Other Important Housing Information: You will be required to give Mount Snow a deposit of $400 and your first week’s loan repayment of US $125.00 (Rent plus utilities) upon arrival in the United States. No staff member will be admitted to housing until he/she has paid this money. The deposit will be returned to you only if you complete your loan obligation, and your house passes a damage/cleanliness inspection done by HR and the owner of the house.
You will be responsible for paying your utility bills; these may include but are not limited to electricity, oil, and gas. To make this process easier and more reliable, and to ensure they are in proper working order upon your arrival, Mount Snow will put these bills in its name. The bills will be divided equally amongst the members of each household. Utility bills will be paid by payroll deduction. Credit cards or cash payments will not be accepted. Because it can be very cold in this part of Vermont and because fuel costs have increased, utility bills, particularly heating, can be very expensive, so keeping costs down is a team effort!
The Housing Agreement will govern your stay in rented housing arranged by Mount Snow. It provides for your immediate eviction and removal from housing if house rules are violated. If you are evicted for any reason, Mount Snow will not assist you in finding alternative housing. You will be permitted to reside in Mount Snow arranged housing only while employed at Mount Snow.
Transportation: The MOOver is the free bus service provided by the State of Vermont in the Mount Snow Valley. The MOOver runs regularly throughout the workday and will provide transportation to and from work for staff in most positions. Mount Snow is located in a remote area of Vermont, so limited transportation options should be an important consideration before applying for a job here. When arranging staff housing Mount Snow makes every effort to consider location and proximity to the MOOver route, however staff should be prepared for walking moderate terrain and possible extreme weather conditions. Additional information and current schedules can be found at www.moover.com.
Mail: You will be expected to make arrangements for your own post office box in either the town of West Dover or Wilmington depending on your housing location. Mount Snow cannot accept and distribute mail for international staff. In order to establish a post office box, you will need your passport and one other form of identification.
Telephone Service: Each house will elect a member responsible for setting up the house telephone and coordinating phone service with Human Resources. Mount Snow highly recommends putting long-distance blocks on all phone lines and using calling cards so as not to incur financial responsibility.
Internet: There are computers available for staff use in Skybox, located on the 4th floor of the Main Base Lodge. Slots are available in 30 minute increments. A sign-up sheet is posted in the HR office.
Shopping/Amenities: The Mount Snow Valley has one major supermarket( Shaw’s Supermarket) which is located on the MOOver route in Wilmington. Other smaller stores are located throughout the valley and are accessible by MOOver. There are many outdoor sports stores where skis, snowboards, boots, bindings, pants, jackets, hats, gloves, helmets and other winter gear can be purchased. The Mount Snow region is fairly remote, so shopping is limited to a handful of markets and specialty shops.
PAYCHECKS
Mount Snow pays employees on every other Friday. Pay periods are Saturday through Friday.You must also obtain a social security number. Mount Snow will arrange for your Social Security number upon your arrival, but the process will take at least 5 days. You should bring enough money for food and basic living expenses for the first two weeks of your stay. Mount Snow recommends bringing no less than U.S. $400.00 in addition to your housing deposit and first week’s rent.
TAXES
International staff are not exempt from Federal and State Government Taxes. You should expect to see approximately 20% withheld from each paycheck for these taxes. Staff members on J1 Visas are exempt from Social Security taxes only.
INJURY - MISSED WORK
An employee who is injured while performing his/her work duties may be eligible for worker’s compensation and paid medical care. An employee who is injured while skiing/snowboarding or any other activity while he/she is not working will not receive worker’s compensation. It is essential that you have made plans for health insurance that will cover you while in the U.S. Medical attention is very expensive and works on private insurance or “pay-as-you-go” cash system, which can easily add up.
In either case, Mount Snow will hold the employee responsible for his/her housing loan repayment. Not receiving a paycheck does not excuse anyone from their repayment obligation. Unpaid housing will be deducted from future paychecks or from security deposits.
DEPARTURE
Your job contract has an agreed upon departure date which we expect all participants to honor and we will work with you to help determine the best time for you to make departure plans. Mount Snow is unable to assist in transportation for leaving the resort. It will be your responsibility to make these arrangements.
Prior to departure you will be expected to:
Notify your supervisor of your anticipated departure date
Attend an end-of-season meeting with a representative from the Human Resources Department
Return all uniform clothing/outerwear that has been issued to you by your department or any department where you have position-shared
Make arrangements for your last paycheck
QUESTIONS?
Mount Snow encourages you to contact your recruiter, or trosinski@mountsnow.com with any questions.
Deerfield Valley News www.dvalnews.com This is the website of the local newspaper. Follow the links to the classified section and scroll down to Apartments and Houses for Rent.
Mount Snow web site www.mountsnow.com/employee_housing.html Follow the link to the housing list. These listings are not Mount Snow housing. You can contact each owner/agent directly at the number provided in the listing.
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