Spotlight is on You: Human Resources
The Human Resources office at HSC Medical Center provides many services to HSCMC employees. However, there is one thing they do that we all might agree is paramount—and that is making sure we receive our pay checks!
Payroll is an important part of the responsibilities of Human Resources, but just one of many that are handled by this office. HR hires and fires; fields employment queries; provides benefit information; handles benefit enrollment; coordinates New Employee Orientation and Annual Orientation and Benefits Blitz; maintains general hospital policy handbook; witnesses discipline and counseling; and plans and coordinates special events such as Hospital Week activities and the Annual Awards Banquet. According to Kelli Hopkins, Human Resources director, “These are just to name some of the major responsibilities of HR. This department is involved on some level with nearly everything that touches the employees of this hospital!”
Since payroll is near and dear to the heart of all employees, Dana Winsauer, Payroll Coordinator, shared details about the 4-day process necessary to provide paychecks to HSCMC staff. On Monday before pay day, the payroll “time card report” must be printed and distributed to supervisors for review. On Tuesday, payroll is processed via an HMS program on computer. At this time mistakes are identified and must be corrected. At 2 p.m., payroll is transmitted to the hospital’s bank, after which another verification is required by HR with the bank.
On Wednesday morning, payroll processing is completed by computer and payroll checks and check stubs are printed. For those employees with automatic deposit, their pay is available in their personal bank accounts on Wednesday and they receive a pay stub for their records on Thursday. For those employees receiving real checks, these checks must be signed by accounting, before being distributed on Thursday.
On Thursday morning, HR delivers checks or stubs to all departments for distribution. “I wore a pedometer to measure the distance that I walked when delivering on Thursdays and discovered that I clocked 1.5 miles in the process!” says Dana. If an employee is not working on pay day, the employee’s check is mailed.
Besides payroll responsibilities, one probably thinks of hiring new staff as a major activity in Human Resources. Job openings are posted on the hospital website www.hscmc.org, as well as other web sites, such as Oodles.com and Jobkabob.com. Kelli notes that approximately 75% of job applications are received through web sites.
Job applications are available in the Human Resources office and at the hospital PBX in the lobby. Interviews are conducted by department directors; Kelli participates in all interviews except for those for nursing positions. Once a job candidate has been selected for hire, a background check and a drug screen must be completed. According to Kelli, “This process can take up to 7-10 days, so hiring of new staff rarely happens quickly.”
All new employees must attend a mandatory New Employee Orientation that is offered on the first Wednesday of each month. Although Human Resource sets up the Orientation and schedules the employees, Cindy Harp, Employee Health Nurse for HSCMC, facilitates the Orientation.
In recent months, Human Resources has changed its office hours, extending the hours from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday in order to better serve the different shifts at the hospital. On Friday, the HR office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Payroll and hiring of new employees may be the two activities for which Human Resources is best known but this department of only two employees is involved in a multitude of other HR responsibilities, as well as being willing participants in hospital-wide projects. Kelli and Dana plan the annual Hospital Week events, the annual Employee Awards Banquet, the Employee Christmas Party and gifts, the Fall Festival, all Retirement Parties and Farewell Receptions, and the annual Orientation and Benefits Blitz. They participate actively on the Relay for Life Team, with the annual Children’s Health and Safety Fair, and are always ready to offer a helping hand with other projects.
Spring is a busy time for Kelli and Dana! Kelli reminds everyone “that the Employee Awards Banquet is scheduled for April 24th, Hospital Week is coming up in May, and Relay for Life is May 2nd, so our employees have lots of events to look forward to!”
