[Publib] Questions about custodial service

[James Casey]

We used to have a team of cleaners in our building working from 9 PM
closing at Midnight to get our facility cleaned.  Unfortunately, the
persons hired to do the cleaning turned out to be a "mixed bag" in terms
of performance. Most were low wage, transient individuals who sometimes
ended up doing what they shouldn't (smoking, drinking, stealing).  The
evening supervisor couldn't be "everywhere at once" in a 65,000 square
foot building. There were times when doors were left open, beer cans
found the next morning and complaints about missing items from desks and
offices.   

We let the evening crew diminish to zero over time and replaced them
with a cleaning company that did the work from 6 AM to 9 AM when we had
more regular employees (Maintenance, Administrative and others) in the
building and able to oversee work of the company cleaners (many of whom
don't speak English) prior to our opening at 9 AM.  Actual supervision
is provided by the company.  The company manager hears about what our
cleaning needs are and conveys that to the cleaners (often from Eastern
Europe) who then come in and do their work in a businesslike manner.  

As a result of this outsourcing, we now secure the Library building
shortly after 9 PM (everything is locked down and alarms activated) at
that time.  Hence, the building is more secure during the evening.  The
disciplinary hassles involved with hiring, training and supervising
transient part-time staff has been eliminated and enormous amounts of
supervisory staff time have been saved.  Expenses have been shifted from
the personnel lines to contractual services lines.  On a dollar per
dollar basis, this looks good.  But the hidden, but very significant
costs of supervision of transient, part-time persons who work with very
low motivation and often a host of personal problems have been replaced
with single contact to a company owner who assumes the responsibility
for seeing that a team of cleaners is in our facility and doing the job
every morning.  

James B. Casey --- My own views.
Director of Oak Lawn Public Library
Suburban Chicago
ALA Council Member



-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Diedre Conkling
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 8:02 PM
To: PUBLIB
Subject: Re: [Publib] Questions about custodial service

I am not usually a fan of outsourcing but in this case I probably am.
(And this is why generalizations almost never work.)  The one person
library that I work with that is moving into a new and larger building
will need to be cleaned.  At the old building the one staff member
and/or volunteers have done the cleaning.  I am going to try to get a
reasonable contract with a local cleaning service to do this work in the
new building.  In this case it gives added employment to outsource and
lets current staff and volunteers do other activities.

--
Diedre Conkling
     
  Lincoln County Library District
  P.O. Box 2027, Newport, OR  97365
  Phone & Fax:  541-265-3066
  http://lcld.library-blogs.net/
  Work:  diedre at beachbooks.org
  Home:  diedrec at charter.net
   

---- kurrremkarmerruk <vesper555 at yahoo.com> wrote: 

=============
They will outsource anything they can to people with
low pay/no benefits.  Watch out, your job may be next!
 

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