Policy & Procedures Manual
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Policy & Procedure Manual
Phone: (717) 358-5888 Fax: (717) 358-4666 Email: [email protected] Web: www.fandm.edu/corlink THIS MANUAL IS INTENDED SOLELY AS A GUIDE. THE EMPLOYER EXPRESSLY RETAINS THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR AMEND THIS MANUAL AT THE EMPLOYER’S SOLE DISCRETION, WITH OR WITHOUT NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES.
INCLUDED IN THIS MANUAL ARE POLICIES AND REGULATIONS OF THE CENTER FOR OPINION RESEARCH. THIS SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS BEING ALL INCLUSIVE OR AS LIMITING IN ANY WAY THE EMPLOYER’S RIGHT TO TERMINATE EMPLOYMENT
2 Table of Contents
Office Communications
All employees should communicate with management using the following: Employee phone line: 717-358-5888 Employee email: [email protected] . COR primarily communicates with employees via email. All employees will be provided an F&M email account within a few weeks of hire. Employees are responsible for keeping up to date with these communications and should check their email during every scheduled shift. *These accounts are monitored regularly. To ensure prompt response, please avoid contacting other F&M departments or COR management individually.
COR has an employee website called CORlink: http://www.fandm.edu/corlink Important employee information, paperwork, and contact information is available on this website. Access to CORs online scheduling system, WorkScheduleDotNet (WSDN) is also available on the website. (Instructions on how to use the online scheduling system are available in a separate WSDN Manual).
No more than twice a year, employees are required to attend a paid all-staff meeting. Advanced notice of the meetings will be given. Failure to attend the meeting without providing advanced notice will result in the use of a personal day.
The COR bulletin board located outside the break room is used to communicate important information, including a pay schedule, calendar, most recent group email and a designated area for employees to post items. Any item placed on a COR bulletin board must conform to appropriate workplace standards and is subject to removal by management.
3 Department Organizational Structure
Explanation of Data Collection/Project Support Group Interviewer oThe Interviewer role is essential to the data collection process. The Interviewer conducts surveys over the phone in compliance with COR interviewing protocols. The Interviewer is expected to maximize completed surveys and minimize refusals. o Other tasks that Interviewers may be asked to complete include but are not limited to the following: data entry, preparation of mailing materials, and assistance with off-site data collection. Shift Lead o Shift Leads are responsible for overseeing the call center during the shift. They aide the Data Collection Manager in monitoring Interviewer performance and provide support to the interviewing staff. o Interviewers should seek help from a Shift Lead regarding technical and project questions. o If a Shift Lead is unavailable, all questions should be directed to a Data Collection Manager. Data Collection Manager (DCM) o The DCM is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the call center, including scheduling, personnel policies, and performance monitoring. o Interviewers and Shift Leads directly report to the DCM. o Interviewers should bring scheduling questions and personnel issues directly to the DCM.
Throughout this manual, the term ‘supervisors’ refers to the DCM or Shift Leads, who are directly responsible for overseeing the call center on a daily basis. The term ‘management’ refers to the DCM and Project Managers who are responsible for policy implementation and other personnel issues and concerns.
Campus Access
Parking on Campus COR employees may use designated campus parking lots. See the campus map for locations (Appendix A). Street parking around campus is also available.
Franklin & Marshall College parking permits are not required of employees who park in campus parking lots after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays or all day on weekends. In the event that an employee receives a campus parking ticket during non-permit hours, inform a supervisor.
Employees are issued a parking voucher upon hire. In the event that Franklin & Marshall College restricts parking lot access to non-employees, this voucher can be shown to the parking attendant as evidence of employment.
With the large number of organizations and events on campus, it is not always possible
4 to provide advance notice when parking may be limited. It is the employee’s responsibility to arrive to their scheduled shifts on time.
Accessing the Harris Center Each employee receives one FOB, an electronic key, at the start of employment. o The FOB unlocks the exterior west entrance (located at the rear of the building and has both a ramp and stairs), the east entrance (located at the rear of the building and has one step), the interior doors to the first and third floor, and activates elevator access to the third floor. o Employees are required to have possession of their FOB to gain access to the building and at all times while working, including breaks. Employees who lose their FOB are charged a replacement fee of fifty dollars. o If locked out of the building, an employee should call the employee phone line and request access to the building. Only in the event that an employee has attempted to contact COR several times or in the event of an emergency should they contact Public Safety (717-291-3939) for entrance into the building.
The call center will be open at least fifteen minutes prior to shift start time.
Use of F&M Facilities Employees are eligible to receive a Franklin & Marshall College Identification card. This ID card enables employees to use campus facilities, including the library and fitness center, and receive discounts on Franklin & Marshall College event tickets.
o Interested employees must complete a form to obtain an ID card and must renew their ID annually. Employees may request these forms from a supervisor.
5 Interviewer Scheduling
Work Hours The normal work hours are divided into shifts. The available shifts are listed below.*
Monday-Friday: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday: 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
*On occasion shifts may be extended due to project demands.
Scheduling It is the employee’s responsibility to confirm their schedules on WSDN.
Employees must be available to work a minimum of three shifts per week. Employees may request changes to their availability by email. All requests must be submitted two weeks prior to the effective date. These requests will be considered by management for approval or denial.
An employee’s schedule will be posted weekly on WSDN by Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. for the upcoming week. An employee may be scheduled to work as an Interviewer, be scheduled as an Alternate, or be scheduled off. Interviewer: . Employees scheduled for an Interviewer shift should report to work for this shift Alternate: . Employees scheduled for an Alternate shift may be reassigned to an Interviewer shift up to 24 hours prior to the shift start time and if re- assigned, should report to work for this shift. Management will make this change in WSDN. . If there is a need to reassign an Alternate to an Interviewer shift less than 24 hours in advance of the shift start time, management will contact the employee by phone. In this instance, the employee may decline. Off: . Employees scheduled for an Off shift will not be reassigned, and should not report to work for this shift.
Shifts will be distributed to employees based on project workload. The number of hours a project requires varies by day. Increased employee availability will improve the likelihood of being scheduled as an Interviewer.
In accordance with Franklin & Marshall College’s policy, part-time COR employees may not exceed 999 hours per employment year based on their date of hire. Franklin & Marshall College student employees are not subject to this policy, but are instead subject to the College’s student employment policies.
6 Attendance Policies
During the probationary period, an employee will be granted three personal days.
After the conclusion of the probationary period, an employee will be awarded twelve personal days to use within the next twelve months.
Employees in good standing will be awarded twelve personal days upon their annual performance review (see Annual Performance Review section).
o Students will be awarded personal days based on the semester: . Spring Semester – four personal days . Summer Semester – three personal days . Fall Semester – four personal days
Unused personal days cannot be carried over to the next year.
No employee will be awarded more than twelve personal days annually.
Employees must be punctual and maintain satisfactory attendance.
Unsatisfactory attendance may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
If an employee fails to report to three consecutive shifts without providing advanced notice, it will be documented that they have voluntarily quit their employment at the Center.
Documentation for all absences is strongly encouraged.
All absences are unpaid.
7 Shift Cancellation Policy In the case of inclement weather, COR management will make a decision in a timely manner about whether to cancel the shift. If the shift is cancelled, this information will be posted on WSDN, and a message will be available on both the WSDN phone line and the employee phone line. Employees are asked to refrain from calling to inquire about the shift status until two hours before the shift start time.
If a shift is cancelled due to a weather emergency and/or utility failure, employees who were scheduled as an Interviewer (and who reported to work in the case of dismissal) will be paid for their scheduled hours.
In the event that the shift must be cancelled for a reason other than weather, this information will be posted on WSDN, and a message will be available on both the WSDN phone line and the employee phone line. Those scheduled to work will be notified with a phone call.
If the shift is held as scheduled, no special notice will be posted or recorded.
Working a Shift
The daily log sheet is located at the log-in station and lists each employee’s scheduled shift times and project assignments. Employees must sign in when arriving for a shift and sign out at the end of the shift reflecting their accurate start and end time on the log sheet. Employees are also required to record the four digit extension associated with their workstation.
Employees are asked to read the white board located above the log-in station at the start of every scheduled shift. The right side of the white board contains important information relevant to those working the shift. The left side of the white board is available for Interviewers and supervisors to write positive comments.
Employees are responsible for working on the project assignment(s) listed on the log sheet or as directed by a supervisor.
Employees are responsible for logging into a computer prior to the start of their scheduled shift. The log in password will be listed at the top of the log sheet and will be changed periodically.
Employees are responsible for checking their F&M email account during each shift.
Employees are encouraged to log into the corportal.fandm.edu website and review their Interviewer Performance during each scheduled shift.
Employees are required to take one fifteen minute paid break, which cannot be taken within the first or last forty-five minutes of the shift. Employees must reflect their actual start and end break times on the log sheet.
Standards of Conduct
8 o All Franklin & Marshall College Standards of Conduct apply to COR employees. Employees may access these standards of conduct by going to the following website: http://www.fandm.edu/college-policies/employee-relations-policies/standards-of- conduct-policy
Call Center Conduct
o Any type of behavior or conduct that impedes the efficient operation of COR or is a violation of policies or regulations may warrant disciplinary action, including immediate termination without warning.
o The Employee Log tracks basic COR violations and attendance issues. Employees will acknowledge entries on their log with their signature. An example of an Employee Log is included in this manual for employee reference (See Appendix B).
o Employees are required to adhere to the Center’s pledge of ethical behavior and confidentiality agreements (See Appendix D-F).
o Warnings will be issued for performance concerns and improper conduct. As a general rule, if an employee receives two formal warnings, they are no longer eligible to work for COR. Some behaviors, including any form of data falsification, will not be tolerated and may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination.
o Employees may use personal items, such as magazines, books, or electronic devices during the shift at the discretion of management. Personal items may not be used while administering a survey. Electronic devices must have all sound muted.
o Outgoing and incoming personal telephone calls on COR phones are not permitted. Additionally, employees may not use personal devices to make or accept phone calls while in the call center. If an employee receives a phone call and must accept it, they should sign out for break before taking the call.
o Because the call center is a shared work space: o Employees are expected to maintain a clean and orderly work station, and remove personal items at the end of the shift. o Employees are asked to only eat during break times and in break areas. Eating is not permitted at work stations or in the call center. Drinking at the work station is permitted. o Employees should refrain from wearing fragrance of any kind while working in the call center. o Employees should avoid talking loudly in the call center. A noisy work environment makes it difficult to hear and be heard by respondents.
9 Center computers are available for personal use while signed out on break and before or after the shift when management is present. o Playing audio, printing documents and saving and downloading files to or from the computer is prohibited. o No outside devices should be connected to center computers; this includes but is not limited to, charging electronics and using flash drives. o Confirmation should be obtained from management prior to accepting updates or other prompts on the machines. o Employees are subject to Franklin & Marshall College’s computing policies, procedures, and standards. Employees may access these policies by going to the following website: http://www.fandm.edu/college-policies/technology
Probationary Period New employees serve a probationary period upon hire. o This period serves as a training and familiarization phase and provides assurance that the employee can satisfactorily perform the job. o During this time, the employee’s work is under careful review. Areas closely observed may include quality and quantity of work, knowledge and interest in one’s work, cooperation, dependability, attendance, and punctuality. o All employees are required to complete and successfully master an employee test within the probationary period.
If an employee’s performance is unsatisfactory during this period, the employee may be terminated.
Call Reviews Phone calls are monitored on a regular basis. o While monitoring an employee who is administering a survey, the supervisor will complete a Call Review Form. The supervisor will briefly review and discuss the Call Review Form with the employee. A Call Review Form is included in this manual for employee reference (See Appendix C). o Such call reviews may be conducted without the explicit knowledge of the employee.
After three Call Review Forms have been completed by a supervisor, a formal review will be conducted. o The three Call Reviews will be discussed in detail, as well as employee productivity, performance, punctuality and attendance. o During this time, the employee is encouraged to provide feedback and will be asked to acknowledge the review by signing it.
Interviewer Performance
10 Performance is evaluated daily based on Hours per complete, Screen Hours per complete, Refusal Rate, Response Rate and Cooperation Rate. Individual performance is compared to the average for a shift. An employee is flagged for low performance if they have a below average performance.
Interviewer Performance can be viewed by logging into the corportal.fandm.edu.
Employees will be given additional training or guidance if necessary.
During a ninety day period, an employee who has three poor performance shifts will be issued a verbal warning. After one more (four total), they will receive a written warning. After one more poor performance shift (five total), the employee may be terminated.
Annual Performance Review Employees are evaluated annually on the following: o Adherence to COR protocols and policies; o Productivity and overall performance; and o Attendance and punctuality
Survey Verification During the survey verification process, a supervisor calls the respondent to confirm the survey was completed, the proper respondent was selected, and survey information was recorded accurately. The supervisor obtains feedback from the respondent regarding the questionnaire and the employee who administered it.
At least ten percent of completed surveys are selected at random for verification.
All cases that require sending out an honorarium (check) will be verified.
Employment Termination
o Employees who decide to voluntarily end their employment with COR must notify COR in writing by email or letter. A two week notice is requested.
o At the conclusion of their employment, employees must return their Franklin & Marshall College ID and FOB.
11 Payroll and Pay Increase Procedures
Payroll Employees are paid as per the Pay Schedule located on the CORlink website.
Direct deposit is available. Enrollment forms are available on the CORlink website.
Employees are issued a NetID and password to access their secure pay advices, which are available via the CORlink website.
Employees not enrolled in direct deposit will receive their paycheck by mail at the address that appears on their W-4.
If an employee has not received their paycheck one week after the scheduled pay date, they should contact COR.
Fifty-two dollars is withheld yearly from employee paychecks for the Local Services Tax. All employees working in the Lancaster municipality are required to pay this tax. Employees may request an exemption if they have paid the tax through another job or if they will earn less than $12,000/year by completing an exemption form, available on the CORlink website. Otherwise, the Business Office will withhold two dollars per pay period throughout the year.
Pay Increases Employees are eligible for a pay increase at the conclusion of their probationary period and at the time of their annual performance review.
To be eligible for an increase, the employee’s pay rate must be below the established pay rate cap for their position.
o Pay rate caps are established and reviewed annually in accordance with Franklin & Marshall College’s payroll budget and average rate increase. Increase amounts cannot result in a pay rate higher than the rate cap.
o Increase amount is based on merit.
12 Supplement for Daytime Interviewers
THE INFORMATION PRESENTED BELOW APPLIES TO INTERVIEWERS WHO WORK DURING THE DAYTIME SHIFT. THIS INFORMATION EITHER SUPPLEMENTS OR SUPERSEDES INFORMATION PRESENTED ABOVE IN THE CENTER FOR OPINION RESEARCH POLICY & PROCEDURE MANUAL.
Office Communications Staff meetings will be held as needed. Attendance is required and a scheduling adjustment might be necessary.
Campus Access A parking permit is needed to park in Franklin & Marshall College’s employee parking lots during Franklin & Marshall College’s regular operating hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). In order to obtain an automobile registration decal, an employee must go to the Public Safety office to complete a registration form. The employee must take their Franklin & Marshall College Photo ID, vehicle registration, and vehicle license plate number. Public street parking around campus is available without a permit.
Interviewer Scheduling The normal work hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The shift is split into blocks, with a morning block (9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) or afternoon block (12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.), both with no formal break, or a full day can be worked which includes both blocks (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) with a required 30-minute unpaid break.
If time off is needed, it must be taken for a whole block, not partial hours from a block.
Shift Cancellation Policy In the case of inclement weather, daytime staff should follow the delay/closing status of the College. If the College is operating on a delay, staff should report at the designated time. For example: If the College opens at 10:00 a.m. then staff scheduled at 9:00 a.m. should report at 10:00 a.m.
The College delay and closing information is available through: o F&Ms employee hotline: 291-4003 o Local TV and radio stations o F&Ms website
If the college does not delay/close but the Center decides to delay/close those scheduled to work will be notified with a phone call.
Working a Shift
13 Office Notes is used to provide descriptions of daily assignments and reminders as needed.
The first employee assigned to calling from the scheduler should turn on the scheduler at the shift lead desk at the start of the shift but not before 9:00 a.m.
14 Appendix A: Campus Map
15 Appendix B: Center for Opinion Research Employee Log
Appendix C: Center for Opinion Research Call Review
16 17 Appendix D: Center for Opinion Research Pledge of Ethical Behavior
18 19 Appendix E: Employee Confidentiality Agreement
Appendix F: HIPAA Confidentiality Agreement
20 21