SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL

PURPOSE: 

To provide County-wide orientation for all new employees in budgeted positions within four months of their date of hire.

POLICY: 

The Personnel Department will track and arrange for all new employees (in budgeted positions) to attend the New Employee Orientation on a quarterly basis. The New Employee Orientation program is generally conducted on the third Thursday of the first month in each quarter (i.e. January, April, August, and October). It is scheduled from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm at the Government Center, 701 Ocean Street, in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, on the 5th floor. 

PROCEDURE:

1. Personnel Department/Employee Relations and Salary Administration Division (ERSA) Training staff person identifies the employees hired into budgeted positions since the last quarterly orientation was conducted. Copies of hiring letters from Personnel Services Division and the Transaction Statistics Report is used to identify the new employees.
   
   
2. ERSA Training staff uses the computerized training tracking system to generate invitations to the New Employee Orientation. Invitation notices for the New Employee Orientation will be sent out no later than two weeks before the orientation is conducted. Employees who do not work in the Government Center receive parking passes (for the Water Street employee parking area) with their invitation.
   
   
3. Upon receiving the orientation invitation, new employees must inform their supervisors that they are scheduled to attend the mandatory orientation session.
   
   
4. Supervisors should mark the orientation dates on their calendars and plan to send all newly hired employees to the next scheduled orientation session. Supervisors need to make all efforts to provide coverage for the new employee or adjust the employee's work schedule so the employee is able to attend the first scheduled orientation session after their date of hire.
   
   
5. If an employee is unable to attend the orientation session to which they have been invited, the employee must contact the ERSA Training staff to report their absence. The new employee will be told the date of the next quarterly orientation program, so the employee can plan to attend. The new employee should also notify their supervisor of this date. 
   
   
6. Departments should notify the ERSA Training Staff if they receive an invitation for an employee who has terminated, transferred to another department, or previously attended the orientation. This will prevent further invitations from being sent to that employee.

   THE AGENDA FOR THE NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION IS ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE.
   

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION AGENDA

8:00 - 8:10 Orientation Overview

8:10 - 8:20 Recycling Program

• Travel Reduction Incentive Program (TRIP) 

8:20 - 8:45 Health and Safety Training (BOS Mandated) 

8:45 - 9:00 Employee Organizations

• Deferred Compensation Plan

• Santa Cruz County Employees Credit Union

9:05 - 9:35 Panel Discussion on County Employment

• Providing Excellent Customer Service

• Role of the County Administrative Office

• Role of the Board of Supervisors in County Government

• Board of Supervisors member

9:35 - 10:00 Information Fair

Employee Benefits

• Employee Assistance Program

• Employee Organizations

• Career Advancement in County Government

• Deferred Compensation

• Travel Reduction Incentive Program(TRIP)

• Recycling Program

• Santa Cruz County Employees Credit Union

10:00 - 10:10 Welcome to County Employment!

• Personnel Director - Dania Torres Wong

10:10 - 11:05 Sexual Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policies

• Equal Employment Opportunity Office (BOS Mandated)

11:05 - 11:55 Driver Training - California Highway Patrol

11:55 - 12:00 Sum up Orientation and Collect Evaluations February 6, 2004