Hourly Employee Responsibilities

As an employee of the Rutgers University Libraries, you are expected to perform all of your work responsibilities to the best of your abilities.  Your specific training will introduce you to these tasks and how they relate to overall library service.

Working in the libraries provides you with the knowledge to use library computers and online databases. You are only entitled to use the equipment and functions on which you have been trained and are authorized to use.  Unauthorized use of library equipment or online functions may result in your immediate dismissal.  Any student dismissed for misuse of library resources will be reported to the appropriate Dean of Students and the Office of Student Conduct for further disciplinary action.  If you have any questions about what you are authorized to use, please ask your supervisor.

The following are important responsibilities that apply to all student employees in any job situation.  A separate section dealing with general reminders and the “Work Schedule” will follow.

• You are responsible for completing the necessary forms for employment. Failure to do so could result in no paycheck!

• Keep social conversations and visits brief.  If conversations with friends are unavoidable, they should not interfere with your work. As a general rule, keep conversations at service desks or on the phone with non-patrons, i.e. your friends or family, to less than five minutes.

• No food is permitted at any service desk while working, with the exception of covered drinks or water bottles.  The consumption of food and drinks are permitted in public areas of the library, except in designated areas (see below). Library users must avoid consuming items that create messes, smells and/or noise. Users whose food disrupts others will be asked to put their food away or enjoy it outside the Libraries. All library users are expected to act responsibly and courteously by disposing of their trash and recyclables and cleaning up spills and crumbs. Please report major spills to library staff as soon as possible. 

Areas with restricted food or drink policies:

• Special Collections and University Archives: No food or drink
• Computer classrooms, labs and workstations: No food or drink

• The Rutgers University Libraries require library users to set electronic devices, including cell phones, on non-audible signals. The use of these devices disturbs those engaged in quiet reading and other scholarly pursuits. If you notice patrons engaging in loud conversations, please ask them to go outside the library to use their phone. If you do not feel comfortable approaching a patron for any reason, refer the situation to your supervisor.

• All hourly employees are expected to dress appropriately for working at a service desk or in the stacks. If you are scheduled to work soon after class and will not have time to go home and change, be sure to wear the appropriate attire to class. Please be mindful of any inappropriate phrases or graphics that may appear on your clothes. If you are unsure if something you are wearing is appropriate or not, always ask first. For safety reasons, shoes should be worn at all times.

• When you have completed your assigned tasks, check with your supervisor or other staff member on duty for another assignment.  There’s always work to be done in the library.

PAYROLL POLICIES

As a new hourly employee, you may not begin working until all necessary paperwork has been completed.  This includes providing your original Social Security card or a receipt from the Social Security Office that a request for a card has been processed.

Tampering with WebClock, your timesheet, or any other means used to keep track of an employee’s work hours or schedule is grounds for immediate termination. 

Class 5 hourly employees (Rutgers full-time students)

• Cannot work more than 20 hours in one (1) week when classes or exams are in session.

• Cannot work more than five (5) consecutive hours without taking at least a 15 minute unpaid break.  You must clock out for your break.

• Cannot work more than 35 hours in one (1) week during the summer or during holiday breaks or intersession when classes or exams are not in session.

• As a state employee you will be earning one (1) hour of sick leave for every thirty (30) hours of work.  Speak to your supervisor for more information on how to use your New Jersey Earned Sick Leave (NJESL).

THESE POLICIES WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.

Distribution of Pay Checks

Direct deposit is available to all hourly employees with an established savings or checking account. If you are interested in having your paychecks directly deposited to your bank account, see your supervisor for instructions. If you do not set up direct deposit your paycheck will be mailed to your permanent home address on record.

Ask your supervisor where a payroll schedule is posted. The pay cycle covers a two-week period; beginning on a Saturday and ending on a Friday. (This cycle changes periodically – refer for the payroll schedule during holiday and early cut off pay periods.) Paychecks are distributed every other Friday during the month.

WORK SCHEDULES

Your available work hours and your supervisor’s departmental needs determine your work schedule.  Some departments may have specific requirements regarding the work schedule.  However, all hourly employees should adhere to the following guidelines when working in the libraries:

• Report to your workstation at your scheduled time or a few minutes early, particularly if you are to assume the next shift.

• Ask for an excused absence from your supervisor as far in advance as possible; for illness, as early in the day as possible.

• You’re responsible for working the schedule agreed upon by you and your supervisor.  THIS INCLUDES THE WEEKS OF MIDTERMS AND FINALS.  If your schedule conflicts with an exam, arrangements can be made to adjust your schedule.  Only those requests made in advance will be honored.

• Inform your supervisor at least two (2) weeks before the end of the semester whether or not you are interested in working the following semester or summer term.

PUBLIC SERVICES

You may be assigned to a position in a public service area where you are highly visible; at times you are the first person the library user approaches when entering the Library. If you find yourself assigned to such a position, remember that the image you project to the public is extremely important.

The Library is a place of research and work; you should respect the users’ rights to a reasonably quiet environment and speak in low tones.  In keeping with this, listening to music (personal headphones) and cellular phones (including text messaging) should not be used while on duty.  Many library users feel reluctant to ask for assistance because they do not want to “disturb” your listening or phone conversations.

While working at a service desk you are permitted to use the internet and your email, but you are not permitted to use any form of messaging or play online games. Also, keep desk and phone conversations with friends as brief as possible. Cell phones should be turned off when entering the library and personal phone calls should be made during your breaks. General reading and minimal homework may be permitted at a service desk when time allows, but you should not come to work expecting to get homework completed.  Your work-study job does not mean you get paid to study while working on campus. At this job you will be expected to work and complete all the tasks assigned to you.

At any public service point in the Library, you will be asked questions.  Be friendly and polite.  Question the user in a courteous manner until you understand exactly what is being requested.  Some users’ requests are simple and direct while others are more difficult.  If you don’t know the answer, direct the person to an appropriate staff member or the Reference Desk for information.  Keep in mind that you should leave users with some kind of answer; “I don’t know” is not a satisfactory answer and giving wrong information is even worse. 

When answering a phone call at a service desk, always state the library name and or/department. Speak clearly, slowly, and politely. Refer to the “Basic Phone Skills” section for library phone etiquette.

At times you may encounter a user who may be difficult, even rude.  If this occurs, maintain a calm, friendly manner and refer the user to your supervisor or other staff member.

New Jersey law prohibits the library from disclosing details of a user’s library record to anyone except the user. All circulation transactions including checkouts, returns, renewals, recalls, and financial transactions are to be kept confidential and to only be discussed with the user. Do not answer questions pertaining to user records asked by someone from a law enforcement agency. If you are approached by law enforcement personnel or an attorney with a request to obtain a user’s library record, see a supervisor immediately. 

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND BUILDING EVACUATIONS

Fire Alarm

When a fire alarm is activated, even if it’s a planned drill or false alarm, everyone must exit the building. You’re not required or advised to coax reluctant patrons to exit the building, nor is it your responsibility to walk through the library to be sure that everyone has exited the building. You should leave the library by the nearest emergency exit.

Upon discovery of a fire, activate an alarm by pulling the manual alarm box. This will sound the alarm bells throughout the building, automatically notifying Campus Police. If a supervisor or full-time staff person is present, please alert them immediately to the location of the fire if possible. The party responsible for sounding the alarm should meet the Emergency Services Personnel at the main entrance to the building. This will save valuable time in assessing the nature and location of the problem.

Once safely out of the building, all staff should gather at a central location or your designated “safe spot” to have a head count. A “safe spot” location for each library has been established by Rutgers University Emergency Services. If you are not aware of your library’s “safe spot” please ask your supervisor. Do not attempt to go back into the building unless Emergency Services has cleared the building and allowed staff and patrons to re-enter.

Bomb Threat

         

If a bomb threat is called into the library, you must call RUPD immediately.  Do not pull the fire alarm. If a supervisor or full-time staff person is available, please alert them to the situation.  Do not evacuate the building unless RUPD has instructed you to do so. If it is necessary to evacuate the building, please take all your personal belongings with you and go to your designated “safe spot”.

         

If a suspicious device or package is discovered or brought to your attention, please alert your supervisor or staff person immediately. If no staff person is available, you should contact RUPD to report the suspicious package.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

Supervisors of hourly employees may complete periodic performance evaluations of student assistants in their departments, especially if a promotion is offered.  This process is also helpful in identifying any performance problems students may have and in clarifying job expectations. Generally, the criteria for evaluation are quality of work, quantity of work, interpersonal skills, attendance, and reliability.

Your supervisor will be more than happy to discuss your evaluation with you.  This is particularly important if you are having problems with the work assigned to you or if you have already been informed of the need for performance improvement.  You can be dismissed for non-performance of duties, continued absence, disciplinary problems, or for other reasons. If an employee is not performing up to the level of expectation, the student will receive a warning.   For example, if an hourly employee fails to show up to work without notice they will automatically receive a warning letter. Failure to improve after a written warning may warrant an immediate dismissal. There are some circumstances where an immediate dismissal is warranted without first receiving a warning such as tampering with WebClock, falsifying your work hours, and unauthorized use of library equipment or software. An immediate termination of employment may also be up to the discretion of the supervisor for other reasons not listed or mentioned specifically.

The Library is often asked for employment references for new graduates applying to their first full-time jobs, an internship, or graduate school. Knowing this, it is in your best interest to do all the work that is assigned, conduct yourself in a professional manner and alert your supervisor of any changes to your work schedule in advance.

BASIC TELEPHONE SKILLS

Incoming Calls

Telephones at a service desk should always be answered using a pleasant tone of voice. Speak clearly, slowly and with confidence. When answering the telephones identify your library name and or department. For example:

• “Math and Physics Library, how may I help you?”

• “Douglass Library Circulation”

• “Alexander Library Graduate Reading Room”

Always try to answer the phone within 3 rings. If you are currently helping another patron, excuse yourself before answering the phone and ask the patron on the phone to please wait if possible and then place the call on hold. Do not leave the call on hold for an extended period of time.

Always refer phone calls to another staff member or to another library if you are unable to help or answer a question. Never tell the patron that you do not know or that you can’t help them especially if it is related to library policies or functions.

Transferring Calls

When transferring a call to another department or staff person always offer the telephone number to the caller so they can make the call themselves in the future or for cases when the transfer does not work.

Phone Messages for Staff

If the person receiving the call is not available always ask to take a message. If a staff person is not in for the day or any other period of time, do not state the reason why the staff is out simply state, “S(he) is not in today. May I take a message or is there some way I can help you?” When taking a phone message try to include the following information:

• Name of caller (first and last name)

• Date and time of call

• Callers phone number

• Brief message

• When caller can be reached

Public Use of Telephones

Patrons may not make phone calls from the library phones at a service desk or in the back office. Even if the call is a campus number, library phones are for library staff and library business only.

Cell Phone Use and Personal Phone Calls

Personal phone calls are to be short and kept to a minimum. Lines must be kept clear for incoming calls. Personal cell phones should only be used during a break and should never be answered when working on a service desk. Leave the ringer off or to a non-audible sound. If a phone call is unavoidable, ask to take a break and go to an appropriate place to continue the call. Generally, cell phones should be used outside the library.

We realize that your primary reason for being at Rutgers is to get an education and therefore your top priority is to complete your classes. By accepting employment with us you agree to be available to work throughout the academic semester. Expect to work during the library’s extended hours for final exam periods. We will arrange your work hours around your exam schedules, and we will try to make whatever work schedule adjustments are necessary to allow you sufficient time to prepare for those tests, but do not expect to be excused from work during those times.

If you hold another job in addition to this one, we expect that it will be subordinate to this one. Again, we will try to be flexible, but your commitment to this job must take precedence over other jobs.