Chapter 2: Temporary Employment
Many of you have been asking questions about the Temporary Employment Program and how to use our services more effectively. We have designed this chapter to answer your questions and to give you a few tips on how to make more efficient use of our temporary services. Please call us if there are any questions you still may have. We are here to serve you and to provide the best service possible. Thank you for making our program such a success.
- History of the TEP
- How to Get a Temp
- When to Call
- Orientation
- When Temps Work Overtime
- Getting Help
- About TEP Employment Benefits
- I.D. Badges
- Recharge Rate and Billing Procedure
- Our Recruitment Process
- Our Application Process
- So You Want To Hire The TEP Employee You Have
- CUE Represented Floaters
- Checks and Balances
- Contacts
History of the TEP
The Temporary Employment Program (TEP) was organized 31 years ago to provide UCSF departments with qualified temporary clerical support. In most cases these temporaries, known as Floaters, were utilized to replace career employees while on vacation, sick leave, maternity leave, during recruitment periods and for special projects. Over the years the reasons for utilizing the TEP have not changed drastically, until now. The advancement in computer technology and in the Health Science field itself has created a new demand for more sophisticated temporary employees, highly skilled in computer and administrative functions. TEP has expanded its services to include a wider range of temporary help in administrative and management fields to meet this demand. It is also our mission to provide our client departments with a viable source of candidates for career and Limited positions. It is still the mission of the TEP to provide our client departments with the most qualified temporary help available in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible.
How to Get a Temp
When you are in need of a temporary employee the first step is to determine what are the exact job duties and skills you will need the temporary to perform. If the temporary employee will be replacing a career employee ask yourself if you will need the temporary to perform the full scope of job duties or just a portion of the job functions. It may help to write a job description with just the duties you wish the Temporary Employee to perform. When that is completed, then determine the skills needed to perform theses duties such as: what type of computer equipment (IBM or Macintosh) will be needed, software (WordPerfect, MicroSoft Word, etc.); what type of documents will be produced (manuscripts, letters, financial reports, etc.). With this completed, call the TEP at 476-4486 or fax a copy of the job description to 476-9528 to place your job order.
All TEP staff members are trained to assist you with your job order to avoid delays in filling your request, unless it’s by your preference to work with one Analyst. The TEP staff member will ask questions about the job duties to get a clearer understanding of your needs and to help find the temporary employee with the exact skills and qualifications to fill your position.
When you call the TEP have the following information ready: department name, contact person’s name and extension, supervisor’s name and extension, mailbox number, work hours, assignment start and end dates, reporting address and DPA/Fund number and the name and box number where the invoice should be sent.
The TEP Analyst will arrange a time to report back to you, usually within an hour of your initial call, to follow up on your job order. During this hour the TEP Analyst will classify your job order using the Point Factor Systems, and conduct an applicant search in the TEP database for the best possible candidate.
If a suitable TEP employee is not available for your assignment, you will be given a Release Number to contact one of the outside contracted temporary services.
When to Call
The TEP is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday to assist you with your requests for temporary help.
Orientation
Before the TEP Floater arrives it is best to determine where they are going to sit, who will be supervising their work (if other than the stated supervisor), who will be available to answer any questions they may have. When the TEP Floater arrives they should be directed to their work station and given a brief introduction to other staff members in your office. Please provide a brief overview of the office functions and instructions on job duties, departmental expectations, deadlines, and a lunch and break schedule. Please remember that unless a TEP Floater has worked in your department previously they are not familiar with your department’s business practices and procedures and will need to be instructed to avoid miscommunication and confusion.
When Temps Work Overtime
TEP Floaters can work overtime when requested by their direct supervisor. The pay standards for overtime are the same as for career and limited employees. TEP Floaters in job titles that would otherwise be exempt from overtime, such as Analyst IV and above, are treated as non-exempt and paid overtime for any hours worked over 40 hours in a standard work week (midnight Sunday to midnight Sunday). TEP employees are also paid shift differentials and premium overtime when authorized.
Getting Help
We are here to assist you and provide you with the best service possible. If you have any questions or concerns about a TEP Floater’s job performance, skills, attendance, attitude or work habits, please call a TEP staff member immediately. Don’t wait! It is part of our service program to resolve any concerns or issues to your satisfaction, including replacing a TEP Floater that has not performed up to your expectations. Remember, the TEP is the Floater’s home department and as their supervisors we should be informed of any concerns regarding their performance.
About TEP Employment Benefits
TEP Floaters earn vacation and sick leave while working for the TEP when they work 50% or more. These hours are accrued by pay period. The number of vacation and sick leave hours earned are prorated by the number of hours worked over 50% of the hours in the pay period. Floaters are also paid for holidays when they work 50% or more of the pay period and are on pay status the days before and after the holiday.
TEP Floaters can qualify for either Mid -Level or Core Medical benefits after three consecutive months service with the TEP. If a TEP Floater is hired into a career or limited position by a client department, all vacation and sick leave hours will be transferred to the new department upon notification.
I.D. Badges
All TEP Floaters are required to wear I.D. Badges, just like career and limited employees. The difference is that TEP badges are not permanent badges with pictures. The TEP I.D. Badge is yellow in color and has the TEP employee’s name, the Department’s Name, an Expiration Date,signatures of both the TEP employee and a TEP Staff Representative and a special I.D. Number that begins with the letters TEP + 5 digits (for example, TEP12345). If your TEP Floater does not have an I.D. Badge when they report for work, call your TEP Analyst immediately. If you extend a TEP Floater’s assignment beyond the end date on his badge, please call your TEP Analyst to issue a new badge with the new end date. All outside contract Temporary Service Employees should have a Blue I.D. Badge with the same information except their badge numbers should begin with the letters of the Temporary Service that employs them. If they do not have a badge call the Temporary Service immediately.
Recharge Rate and Billing Procedure
The recharge rate for the TEP is the hourly pay rate plus 33.8% (for example, $10.00 x 1.33.8 = $13.38).You will be recharged according to the number of hours authorized on the TEP Floater’s timesheet. Your signature on the Floater’s timesheet is our authorization to pay the Floater and to recharge your account for the number of hours indicated on the timesheet. So, please remember to verify the hours on a Floater’s time sheet before signing. The hourly rate is determined by job classification, i.e., Sr. Clerk, (Administrative) Assistant I, II or III, etc. You will receive your recharge statement the first week of each month for temporary services the preceding month.
Our Recruitment Process
The TEP actively recruits qualified applicants for our program. We have weekly posting in the Job Opportunities Bulletin and when a special need is identified we will advertise in local newspapers, send flyers to community agencies and EDD. Our most successful avenue of recruitment is by employee referral. Most of our applicants identify a TEP employee or a UCSF Career Employee as their first source of reference about the TEP. Also, the TEP Staff participates in job fairs, career days and professional organizations to find qualified applicants.
Our Application Process
An applicant is required to fill out a TEP application (work experience and history), and a Skill Sheet (self assessment). The application and skill sheet are entered into the TEP database and reviewed by a member of the TEP staff. The criteria used to screen applicants has been established by reviewing the job order requests from our client departments. For most jobs they are excellent skills in wordprocessing, administrative functions, medical billing, and accounting. Any applicant assessing their skills in the category of a 1 or 2 on the Skills Sheet is invited to a TEP interview. Those that do not assess their skills at the 1 or 2 level are sent a post card thanking them for their interest in the TEP and indicating that their skills do not match our requirements at this time.
At the interview the applicant’s work history and training are discussed and their skill sheet reviewed in specific detail. Once the TEP staff member determines that an applicant meets the TEP’s skill requirements, the applicant’s skills are evaluated to determine their level of skill and the assignments in which the applicant can be successfully placed. These evaluations are determined by the applicant’s experience and training. The program utilized in the evaluation process is QWIZ for IBM and compatible software. A general administrative skills evaluation program is contained in the QWIZ package as well. These evaluate such skills as filing, proofreading, typing speed, letter formatting, and if applicable 10 key, data entry, transcription, and statistical typing. These scores are entered into the TEP data base for future assignment skills matching.
Once it is determined the applicant is suitable for hire into the TEP, they are given the TEP’s Policy and Procedures Manual and the TEP expectations and performance standards are discussed. Two employment references are checked before an applicant is hired into the TEP and placed on an assignment. Also for applicants wishing to be placed on assignments with the UC Medical Center, pre-employment background check and health screening are completed.
So You Want To Hire The TEP Employee You Have
Great! That means we have made a good match and you are satisfied with our selection. We are always glad to hear that we have meet not only your temporary staffing needs but your careeror limited employment needs as well. To begin the transfer process send an e-mail to the TEP Payroll stating the employees name, date of hire, your department code and to whom the Employee file should be sent. It’s important to remember that we can not transfer a TEP Floater to your department until we have received their final TEP timesheet. So remind them to send it in immediately.
CUE Represented Floaters
In accordance with the agreement between the University of California and the Coalition of University Employees (CUE) regarding the use of floaters in University temporary programs, section E.1.e of the Positions/Appointments article states:
“The parties further agree that it is a misuse of the TEP program to utilize a Floater Appointee in the same assignment in the same department doing the same work for more than 1,500 hours in a twenty-four month period. Further, the use of successive floaters in the same assignment in the same department doing the same work shall create an inference that the University’s use of floaters is not consistant with paragraph E.1.e.”
When a TEP Floater reaches 1,000 hours, in one assignment, the TEP will send a letter to the department supervisor advising them of the approaching 1,500 hours time limit and appoint an assignment end date. This is in accordance with paragraph E.3.c:
“If during his/her 24-month Floater appointment, a Floater appointee serves in one floater assignment in the same department doing the same work for more than 1,500 hours, s/he shall be converted to a career appointment on the first day of the month following completion of 1,500 hours...”
If a department decides to keep a Floater in their assignment beyond the designated end date and the Floater works more than 1,500 hours, the Floater will default into a career position in the client department, not TEP.
Checks and Balances
We do two reference checks on each applicant before they are hired into the TEP.
TEP Evaluation Forms are sent in three month intervals (3rd - yellow; 6th - blue, 9th - green, final - white) depending on the length of the temporary assignment. The evaluations are sent to the direct supervisor for feedback in the following areas: Attendance, Punctuality, Skill, Knowledge and Production as well as an area for additional supervisor comments. The evaluation form is essential to our maintaining the quality of the floaters in our program and the level of service we’ve promised you, our clients, so please remember to send them back to the TEP.