Reporting Technicians
jia
8 Posts
Our Company is a service oriented company and we would like to require our technicians to live within a certain reporting time from our main location. In the past we have not required this, however, we would like to implement this for new hires. Our technicians are covered by a labor agreement but there is nothing in that agreement that covers this particular issue. Our Union Rep is stating that we cannot stipulate where an employee can live but doesn't a Company have the option of requiring those employees who take service calls to live within 15 minutes (for example) of their reporting location due to what we feel we need for turn around time for service calls?
This all began when we had an employee retire in one of our communities and an employee in one of our other reporting locations wanted to have that job but didn't want to move (the employee lived 35 miles away). We were hiring someone who would be within 15 minutes of the reporting location due to the nature of the business and the turn around time to respond to service calls.
Does anyone know of a reason that a Company cannot do this or what pitfalls there might be to doing this? If implemented is it appropriate to put the reporting location/time in the job description? I would appreciate any feedback you can provide on this subject.
Thank you!
This all began when we had an employee retire in one of our communities and an employee in one of our other reporting locations wanted to have that job but didn't want to move (the employee lived 35 miles away). We were hiring someone who would be within 15 minutes of the reporting location due to the nature of the business and the turn around time to respond to service calls.
Does anyone know of a reason that a Company cannot do this or what pitfalls there might be to doing this? If implemented is it appropriate to put the reporting location/time in the job description? I would appreciate any feedback you can provide on this subject.
Thank you!
Comments
I believe you can expect a certain response time. However, you will need to carefully check the rules about on-call and how to pay these employees. If they are on 24 hour response and expected to report within 15 minutes, I think you are basically creating an "engaged to be waiting" position and will need to pay them accordingly. The criteria as I recall depends on response time and frequency of calls.
My other concern about saying you must live within 15 minutes has to do with adverse impact. Lets say your business is located in an upscale neighborhood that is mostly white. An applicant comes to you from across town and he wants to work for you. You turn him down because he doesnt live within 15 minutes. He may have a reasonable claim that your policy has an adverse impact on minorities because you expect your employees to all live in a certain area.
Just a few of my thoughts.