Standards - Does your building have an Employee Handbook or other document defining what is expected of the staff? If, for example, there is no limit on unexcused absences, tardiness, or other unacceptable work behaviors, how could an employee be disciplined or terminated for being AWOL or late on a regular basis? And if an employee were terminated without being warned or given progressive discipline, could their unemployment claim be successfully denied or counter the union’s demand for reinstatement?
Supervision - In-house employees are generally supervised by the property manager or another member of the office staff. Since most management offices operate only 40-50 hours per week, how are after-hours door staff employees supervised - or even checked on - when the office is not open?
Instructions - Written instructions, easily understandable and available to all employees, are vital to providing consistently good customer service across shifts. Both full and part timers, as well as short-notice replacements, need to know what the building’s rules, policies, and procedures are, and how to communicate them diplomatically to residents, visitors, and others when necessary. Does one staff member correctly follow the rules for admitting process servers while others don’t, thereby exposing themselves to possible prosecution? Do some issue or hold residents’ keys according to the rules, but others do not, perhaps thinking they’re doing someone a favor?
Emergency Procedures - Knowing and correctly following emergency procedures can make a large difference in the outcome. For example, if a resident calls down to report smoke in the hallway, your employee should know to contact 911 immediately and remain at the Front Desk rather than run upstairs to investigate. Granted, no association wants to pay a false alarm fee, but that would be cheap compared to the risk of endangering residents and the property from a fire not promptly brought under control.
On-going Training - Finally, does the building have its staff periodically review tips and techniques for good customer service, OSHA-required blood borne pathogen training, dealing with mass shooter situations, workplace violence, and State-required sexual harassment training?
Trends - Over the past 20 years, numerous buildings have chosen to outsource management of their Door Staff, using licensed security agencies to assume the day-to-day burden of managing a 24/7 operation with major responsibilities for the community’s safety, security and general well- being.
Union contracts require retention of employees, so there’s little disruption for staff or the building. Boards gain the advantages of liability shifting, after-hours supervision and impartial work-rule enforcement. Greater ease in getting proper replacements when regular employees want to take vacations, sick leave, or other paid time off improves work/life balance for staff members. The majority of newer buildings included contracted staff in their development plans to be fully operational when the first residents arrived.
Regardless of a building’s exact requirements, or who employs and manages the Door Staff, boards are fiscally responsible to their associations to get the most from this substantial and on-going investment.
The changes over more than 100 years - from elegantly dressed elevator operators receiving residents’ visitors to Door Staff members sitting at a desk using computers to receive and track residents’ packages and keys - reflect the changes in society and technology as a whole. It would certainly be interesting to read a similar article in CAI’s Spring 2123 magazine, starting with the COVID 2020s.
50 | COMMON INTEREST®
• Spring 2023 • A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter
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