Unit Policy
Title
Facilities Services: On-Call Policy
Introduction
Purpose
Scope
Policy
On-Call Time Defined
The nature of the Facilities Services Division's function requires that we be prepared to respond to emergency calls for assistance at any time. While all employees are subject to recall outside their regular work schedule, it has been found effective to designate individuals in certain trades to be on call for specific periods of time, normally one full week. This enables UNC Police and supervisors to contact employees quickly to respond to problems in a timely manner.
On-Call Criteria
Familiarity with Campus Facilities
- Building names and locations
- Building access (i.e. who to contact for entry, key card systems, etc.)
- Location of significant systems, equipment and controls, for example:
- Domestic water valves
- Electrical switchgear
- Utility valves – water, steam, natural gas
- Emergency generators
Employees will become familiar with campus geography prior to being added to the callback rotation. Supervisors will ensure that all employees who will be starting callback are knowledgeable of critical facilities and understand the special conditions that may exist.
Lead personnel and supervisors from the employee's shop should conduct tours of facilities. Each major area will conduct tours of new facilities. New employees should experience the problems that can occur in different seasons and in various times of the academic calendar as part of their preparation for callback.
During their first year of employment, new personnel will be called in as needed to assist with callback work. Also, they should be scheduled for planned after-hours work. Along with their routine daily tasks this gives them some additional experience for eventual callback response.
Facilities Services Organization
- Familiar with organization
- Knows key supervisors
Employees should review organizational flowchart, phone lists, and supervisor's roles by trade; and using feedback from these sessions make additions and updates to organizational flow charts and phone lists as needed.
Level and Extent of Knowledge and Skill in Individual's Trade
- Basic knowledge
- Advanced knowledge
The callback roster includes individuals with specialized skills in various areas of Facilities Services. Further, individuals should have a basic knowledge of all types of building systems. This basic knowledge needs to be sufficient to make routine minor repairs and, when appropriate, to make sound decisions and take appropriate action on those calls outside of their specific area of expertise. Lead personnel and shop supervisors should assess each employee's skills and abilities in areas not routinely encountered in their daily work. Cross training supported and coordinated between related shops will be conducted as required. Generally, on-call personnel should be at the journeyman level. However, individuals not at the journeyman level can be assigned callback if their supervisor deems them qualified.
Training
- Update for persons on call
- Shop-specific training
- Communications training
- Emergency response training
- Safety training
- Hazardous materials training
Minimum Time for Qualification
A minimum of three months of experience gained through employment with the University, and when the supervisor and lead person are confident the employee is adequately prepared. The amount of time can vary with individual but should not exceed 12 months.
On-Call Duty Roster
Supervisor Certification as Fully Qualified
- Certification form completed and filed
- Included in Goals (Performance Plan)
- Added to callback list and schedule
Employee is formally notified of the assignment to callback. Callback is added to the employee's Performance Plan (Individual goals). This gives the employee and supervisor a method to work together in achieving the desired level of performance. Each shop will develop a checklist to maintain a record of criteria elements and to ensure that all are completed. Completed checklists will be filed in each shop or major area. Employees would then be held accountable for their callback skill level.
Master List. The Director of Building Services Office periodically publishes a "Master List" of employees designated to serve "On-Call Duty." These employees are generally journeyman level mechanics who can be expected to handle most problems that arise in their areas but may include individuals not at the journeyman level who are deemed qualified by the supervisor. Supervisors will advise the office of the Director of Building Services of recommended changes.
On-Call Duty Schedule. The Director of Building Services Office publishes a two-month advance schedule for on-call duty. A weekly schedule based on the advance schedule is sent to UNC Police and others concerned. To minimize the number of people affected during a long weekend, the on-call duty week will commence at 8:00 A.M. on Tuesday and terminate at 8:00 A.M. the following Tuesday. Any proposed changes should be brought to the attention of the office of the Director of Building Services prior to Thursday of the week before the scheduled on-call time. Changes/exchanges of duty must be approved by the appropriate supervisor and communicated to the Director of Building Services Office and others concerned.
Cogeneration Systems operates throughout the entire 24-hour day. Operations personnel are always on duty. Maintenance personnel on call are subject to call by Cogeneration Systems operations personnel in the event an emergency occurs which requires their attention.
Other Situations. During emergency situations, it may be necessary for Facilities Services employees other than those included on the Master On-Call Duty Roster to be scheduled for on-call time. In such instances, the supervisor should obtain the approval of the appropriate Director prior to any designation of on-call time.
On-Call Pay
Reporting On-Call Time
An employee designated for on-call time is not normally required to remain on University premises but is required to be in fit physical condition in order to respond to any callback received during the period he or she is designated for on-call duty. If an employee becomes physically unable to respond to a call, it is the employee's responsibility to notify UNC Police and his/her supervisor.
An employee scheduled for on-call duty is subject to callback by UNC Police or appropriate supervisors of the Facilities Services Division. Contact may be made by telephone or by use of the On-Call Pager System. Thus, an employee designated for on-call time must always be available by one of these means of communication.
An employee contacted should respond to the UNC Police dispatcher in a timely manner by calling 919-962-8100 for further instructions regarding the callback situation. If the on-call person called is not within the Chapel Hill telephone district, the call may be placed as a collect call.
An employee performing scheduled overtime work during his or her on-call week will be subject to call during the period of overtime work and will carry the radio pager assigned for on-call duty while performing overtime work.
An employee in a Skilled Trades position who is scheduled for on-call time will receive $3.00 for each hour of scheduled on-call time. Employees in all other positions receive $2.00 per hour for scheduled on-call time.
On-call pay is received for hours not worked in addition to any callback pay or any pay for hours worked for any emergency callback while on call. Callback pay begins when the employee is notified/contacted.
On-call pay is offset by any callback/worked hours.
The employee's supervisor or departmental TIM Administrator is required to enter the employee's on-call schedule into TIM. This will allow the on-call hours to populate onto the employee's timecard for payment.
Reporting Callback
With UNC Police
An employee called back for work at the University by the UNC Police dispatcher is required to check in with the dispatcher upon arrival on campus to obtain a "Callback-Work Order" regarding the problem and to arrange for access to the affected area.
With Other Dispatchers (Cogeneration Systems, EMCS, Supervisor, etc.)
An employee called back for work at the University by a dispatcher other than UNC Police is required to check in with the dispatcher who initiated their response upon arrival on campus.
When Problems Are Encountered
An employee requiring help in making a decision concerning a Callback-Work Order should contact his/her immediate supervisor or one of the other managerial persons listed on the Master On-Call Duty Roster.
Check-back Procedure
When working alone after hours, the callback employee can request that the dispatcher check back with them periodically to ensure their safety. Also, the employee should keep the dispatcher informed of their whereabouts.
Check-in/Check-out during Callback
The two-part Callback-Work Order form is completed when the UNC Police dispatcher calls an employee back. The dispatcher will complete the top part of the Callback-Work Order form when there is a need for a Facilities Services employee to correct a problem.
Upon completion of the work, the Facilities Services employee will check out with the dispatcher and will complete the lower part of the Callback-Work Order.
The dispatcher will retain the yellow copy of the work order, and the Facilities Services employee will retain the original to turn in to his/her supervisor on the first working day following the callback.
When it is necessary for a Facilities Services supervisor or co-worker to call back one or more additional Facilities Services employees to assist without going through UNC Police, each person called back, or the supervisor of persons called back will prepare another copy of the Callback-Work Order form.
Review of Callback-Work Orders
The supervisor and next level supervisor are required to review each Callback-Work Order. The supervisor and next level supervisor should review the actions taken to ensure that the emergency issue has been properly and completely corrected. If the work is complete, the callback report is forwarded to the appropriate Director. The supervisor is responsible for taking any action necessary to finish repairs that are incomplete.
Daily Time Sheet
The employee called back will complete a daily time sheet and appropriate callback report and turn it in to the supervisor.
Callback Pay
Please visit On-Call & Emergency Callback Pay for policies describing callback pay.
Compliance with On-Call Policy
It is imperative that employees of the Facilities Services Division comply with the policy and procedures outlined. Depending on the nature of the problem, failure to respond to emergency calls could result in great damage to University property and to the health and safety of persons on campus. Failure to respond to a telephone call or a page and/or refusal to report for duty when called by the UNC Police or an authorized Facilities Services supervisor during the period an employee is designated for on-call duty will result in loss of on-call pay for that shift, and may also result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
Contact Information
Primary Contact
Name: Tracy Agnew
Telephone: 336-260-3534