Lindsay KofflerApplications, Interviews and Selection
Applicant
Every external applicant for a position must receive and complete an Application Packet. Do not write any notes or make any marks on the completed Application.
If you determine, from an initial review of the applicant’s Application, that the applicant is eligible for the position, you may proceed to interview the applicant.
Existing employees who are interested in applying for an open position within the Company should contact the individual specified in the job posting, and may be required to complete an Application Packet. Otherwise, the procedures set forth below apply equally to internal and external candidates.
Keep all applications for a period of one year, in proper filing order and in a secure cabinet and location.
Application Documents include:
- Application
- WOTC
- Applicant Self Identification
WOTC
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a program designed by Congress to encourage employers to hire and retain applicants from nine economically disadvantaged target groups. WOTC is designed to help people move from economic dependency to self-sufficiency by encouraging employers to hire job seekers with barriers to employment.
Target groups include categories such as:
- Food Stamp Recipients
- TANF Recipients (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
- Qualified Veterans
- Long Term Unemployed
A tax credit of up to $2,400 is available to the company for most eligible workers and up to $9,600 for select target groups.
Ernst & Young (EY) is Sodexo Live!’s third party provider for the WOTC program.
After the job offer has been extended, when other pre-employment steps are being completed by the new hire, please access the WOTC forms on Sodexo Live!’s Spark.
Instruct the new employee to call EY at 1-844-218-1435 and complete a brief survey.
The EY representative will provide the new hire with instructions if any additional documentation is necessary which will be indicated on the Instruction Page of the WOTC forms.
Email or fax any required documentation to EY immediately at wotc.docs@ey.com OR 1-800-929-0989 to help meet strict government deadlines.
When requested, the unit number is an eight digit number, starting with 100 followed by your unit number. For instance, Corporate Human Resources would be 10048082.
Interview
In advance of any interview, be sure to familiarize yourself with the Interview Guide. It is important not to “wing it” in an interview, since you may subject the Company to liability if you ask the wrong things. If you have any questions as you are reviewing the Interview Guide, please contact the Corporate Human Resources Department for clarification.
During interviews, proceed with questions that are consistent with the Interview Guide. Give special attention to each applicant’s relevant skills and previous experience. Stick to job-related topics. Asking open-ended questions is also a good technique.
Be sure you use the same hiring criteria for all applicants for a particular position.
Take notes during the interview. Review your notes and rank the candidates in order of preference.
Selection
Preliminarily select the most qualified applicant for the position, based upon education, qualifications, training, work experience, interview results, and other job-related criteria.
If the results of the reference checks are satisfactory, you may hire the individual; provided, however, that you must first obtain the following approvals:
Hourly employees — Department Head and General Manager
Salaried employees — General Manager, Vice President or Regional Vice President and Corporate Human Resources
General Manager — CEO, Senior Vice President, Vice President or Regional Vice President and Corporate Human Resources
Offer Letter
Only individuals being offered salaried/exempt positions are provided with written “offer letters” identifying the specific terms and conditions of employment. An offer letter does not constitute an employment contract or alter the “at-will” employment status.
Use the Recruitment Action Form and send it to your Regional HR Director to generate an offer letter. No variations to this form may be made, and no alternate letter may be used, without the prior approval of the Corporate Human Resources Department. If you wish to make changes to the form (including adding information), submit the changes to the Corporate Human Resources Department. An offer may be conditioned upon completion of a satisfactory background check and/or a medical examination to establish that the applicant is capable of performing the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, if necessary. Failure to submit to a background check or complete a medical examination, if required, is viewed as rejection of the offer of employment.
Accommodating Disabilities
If an applicant that you have selected, or that you would like to select, indicates that he or she needs some form of accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job because of a physical or mental disability, contact the Corporate Human Resources Department. Such accommodation will be provided if it is reasonable, allows the individual to perform the essential functions of his or her job, and is not an undue hardship to the Company.
An individual who cannot be reasonably accommodated for a job without undue hardship will not be extended an offer. In addition, any applicant that, in the Company’s reasonable determination, poses a direct threat to the health or safety of himself or herself, to other individuals in the workplace, or to customers, and which threat cannot, in the Company’s reasonable determination, be eliminated by the provision of some form of reasonable accommodation, will not be hired.
Testing Job Applicants
Appropriate Criteria and Approvals
If you feel it is appropriate, you may test job applicants as part of the hiring process. You must obtain prior approval from the Corporate Human Resources Department. You should administer all tests fairly, consistently and in a non-discriminatory manner without regard to an applicant’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other protected status as defined by law.
Decisions
You should never base your hiring decisions on testing results alone, but rather testing results should be one of several relevant factors you consider in evaluating candidates.
Skills Test
One type of test you may choose to administer is a skills test to measure an applicant’s ability to perform the essential functions of the particular job in question. Examples of skills tests include typing, math, spelling, physical skills and sales demonstration tests. You do not need to obtain the approval of the Corporate Human Resources Department before administering a skills test that is appropriate for the job in question. Of course, if you have any questions regarding the proper scope of skills testing and how to administer such tests, you should consult with the Corporate Human Resources Department.
Accommodating Disabilities in Testing
When administering skills tests, you must reasonably accommodate job applicants with physical, mental and learning disabilities. The answer to the question “What is a reasonable testing accommodation?” will vary with each job applicant and will depend upon the skills needed to perform the essential functions of the position in question. In some cases, there may be no way to reasonably accommodate a job applicant. For example, you might give a person with a learning disability the opportunity to take a written test orally or with the assistance of a reader; however, if the ability to read without assistance is an essential job function, then you can require that the person with the learning disability take the written test without any accommodation. The following are other examples of testing accommodations you might consider depending on the circumstances (this list is not intended to be exhaustive):
- Substituting a written test for an oral test for persons with learning disabilities or impaired speaking or hearing skills
- Administering a test in large print
- Administering a test in Braille
- Allowing persons with limited use of their hands to record test answers by tape recorder or dictation to an individual or a computer
- Simplifying test language for a person who has limited language skills because of a head injury
- Scheduling rest breaks for a person with a mental disability who requires such relief
- Assuring that a test site is accessible for a person with a mobility disability
If an applicant requests any testing accommodation due to a disability, you should consult with the Corporate Human Resources Department.
When Approvals are Required
Other than skills tests, no test may be administered to a job applicant without the prior review and approval of the Corporate Human Resources Department. You must submit to the Corporate Human Resources Department a copy of the proposed test, explaining its intended purpose and how and by whom it will be administered.
Medical Tests
In appropriate cases, all of which must be discussed with, and approved in advance by, the Corporate Human Resources Department, an applicant who has received an offer of employment may be required to undergo a medical examination. Only candidates who have received offers of employment may be asked to take a medical examination. Of course, any such offers should be conditioned on the outcome of the medical examination.
Remember that you can always ask an applicant if he or she is able to perform the essential functions of the job and with what accommodation, if any.
Drug and Alcohol Testing
Many states have specific regulations regarding drug and alcohol testing. You should consult with the Corporate Human Resources Department, and refer to the relevant state law addendum for the particular legal requirements of your state.
Reference Checks
When Appropriate
In order to verify the qualifications of job applicants, and to ensure a safe work environment, you should check the references of any job applicant that you are seriously considering hiring. However:
If a candidate is currently employed and it would violate the confidential nature of his or her job search, you should not contact the applicant’s current employer unless and until a conditional offer of employment has been extended to the individual. The conditional nature of the offer (i.e., that it is subject to a satisfactory reference from the current employer) should be made clear to the prospective employee. If the offer is made in a written Offer Letter, the written Offer Letter should state this fact.
If you are considering an internal candidate for a position, call the Corporate Human Resources Department for direction regarding obtaining relevant references.
Telephone References
Unless one of the above two exceptions applies, when you have preliminarily selected a particular candidate for a position, conduct a phone reference check of the candidate’s former employers and other references, using the Sodexo Live! Telephone Reference Check Form.
Written Verification
If the telephone reference checks do not generate adequate information, you may need to obtain a written verification of employment.
Rejection of Candidate
If the results of the reference checks or employment verification are unsatisfactory, you should not select that candidate for the position. Consider the next best candidate from the pool of applicants. If you do not believe any other candidate is suitable, contact the Corporate Human Resources Department for assistance in exploring other options, such as broadening or extending your applicant search.
Rehiring Former Employees
Procedures
If you are interested in filling an open position by rehiring a former employee:
You must contact the individual’s former manager at Sodexo Live! for a reference and to ascertain the former employee’s rehire status. If the former manager is no longer with the Company and is not otherwise reachable, contact the Corporate Human Resources Department for information regarding the former employee’s rehire status.
If the employee is eligible to be rehired, follow the other policies in this Manual regarding hiring new employees.
Vesting Calculations
If a former employee is rehired, the date of rehire is usually used to determine eligibility for severance pay, health benefits, vacation, sick days, and tuition assistance, unless the former employee is rehired within six months of separation. Vesting under the 401K plan is determined by the length of the rehired employee’s total service (length of the employee’s previous service plus the length of the employee’s current service). In all cases, contact the Corporate Human Resources Department, which will verify the employee’s original hire date, original termination date, rehire date, and adjusted service date in order to calculate vesting issues and eligibility for various benefits.
Employing Relatives
Restrictions
Because of the potential for actual or perceived conflicts of interest:
Relatives of employees who are at the General Manager / Corporate Director level and above should not be employed in any capacity, even if there is no direct reporting relationship with the existing employee; and
Otherwise, managers should not employ relatives in any positions in the same department or location in which a direct reporting relationship between the related individuals will exist.
“Direct Reporting Relationship” Defined
A “direct reporting relationship” is a relationship in which one person has direct influence over another’s status or job. A direct reporting relationship exists when a relative reports to you. It can also exist in other situations, such as when a relative reports to someone who reports to you.
“Relatives”
Defined “Relatives” are two or more persons who are related by blood, marriage, or operation of common law. This includes children, spouses, parents, parents-in-law, grandparents, grandparents-in-law, siblings and cousins.
Correcting Existing Problems
In the event that you discover a situation that is contrary to the above policy, you must promptly transfer or reassign one of the affected individuals to eliminate the problem. If you have questions or need assistance, contact the Corporate Human Resources Department.
Eligibility to Work in US
Legal Requirement
You may only hire individuals who are entitled to work in the United States. The local General Manager or Human Resource Manager, as the case may be, is responsible for making sure that an individual’s eligibility to work in the United States has been verified in a thorough, uniform and non-discriminatory manner.
I-9 Form for Every Employee
All employees (this includes full-time, part-time employees, managers, individuals being rehired by the Company and employees from union halls) must complete the first section of the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (“Form I-9”) located in the electronic onboarding and provide the required original documents establishing identity and eligibility to work within three business days of hire.
Tracker I-9
The Form I-9 is designed to help employers verify that an individual is authorized to work in the United States. To comply with the law, employers must verify the identity and employment eligibility of each person they hire and refrain from discriminating against individuals on the basis of national origin or citizenship.
The paper Form I-9 process is highly error-prone. Electronic solutions can process compliant Form I-9s in a fraction of the time it takes to process paper forms. Tracker I-9 Complete™, also integrated with E-Verify, allows employers to submit information about new hires to government databases instantly and securely in real-time.
Using Form I-9 management software that supports E-Verify, organizations that include E-Verify in their new hire onboarding process can simplify their work and perform all tasks with a single password and a single user interface to learn. By automatically filling information from the electronic Form I-9 record to open an E-Verify case, duplicate data entry and subsequent errors can be avoided right from the start. These systems can:
Offer verification of social security numbers against government databases
Integrate with a company’s existing office and HR management software
Help employers avoid costly errors and liability
Catch mistakes commonly made when filling out paper I-9s
In addition to these features, Tracker I-9 Complete:
Automates audit trails of all required actions and simplifies I-9 self-auditing through easily-customized reports.
Reduces audit risk exposure by automatically purging Form I-9s that should be eliminated according to the three-year/one-year rule.
Prevents over-documentation by showing only the ID documents applicable to the selected status.
All I-9s must be completed via electronic onboarding. Paper I-9 forms are not to be utilized.
Termination for Failure to Comply
Individuals who do not complete a Form I-9 and provide the requisite documentation within three business days of hire must be terminated.
Responsibility for Obtaining and Reviewing
In each case, the General Manager or the Human Resource Manager is responsible for completing the Form I-9 and obtaining and examining the requisite original identification documents provided by the prospective employee. Documents provided by individuals to establish eligibility for employment should be reviewed against The Guide to Selected U.S. Travel and Identity Documents.
All List A Documents must be scanned into Tracker I-9 for the E-Verify process. Both List B and C Documents must be reviewed by the Human Resource Manager, but copies of these documents are not to be scanned into Tracker I-9.
Guidance
Please refer to the U.S. Department of Justice Handbook for Employers, Instructions for Completing Form I-9 when completing Form I-9. If you have any questions or concerns, you should consult with the Corporate Human Resources Department.
Processing New Hires and Rehires
Security Procedures
In addition to determining an individual’s eligibility to work in the United States, the Company will verify the identity of all prospective employees prior to an individual’s commencing work at a location.
Sodexo Live! utilizes E-Verify to verify the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees through the use of Tracker I-9.
E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) in partnership with SSA. E-Verify electronically compares information entered on the Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9, with records contained in SSA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases to help employers verify the identity and employment eligibility of newly hired employees.
Background Checks
The Company may request a background check for all prospective employees. At a minimum the Company will request a background check for anyone applying for a (i) position in a cash room; (ii) security position; (iii) General Manager position or higher; or (iv) a Corporate/Staff position. Prospective employees for these positions may not be hired until a background check has been completed with satisfactory results.
Once a conditional offer has been extended, provide the candidate with the Background Check Packet to complete.
- Paper Background Check Forms
- Background Check
- Summary of FCRA Rights
Sodexo Live Employee Background Check Authorization Form
Sodexo Live Manager Background Check Request Form
New Hire Documents
These are the limited number of paper new hire forms not yet included in the electronic HCM onboarding program. Must be completed by all new hire candidates.
- New Hire Packet
- Employee Self Identification
- Paycard/Direct Deposit Form
- Consent for W2 Access
- WOTC
Sodexo Live New Hire Paperwork
The remainder of new hire documents are to be found within the HCM electronic onboarding portal.
- Personal Information Form
- Emergency Contacts
- Self Identification
- Federal Withholding
- E-Verify Information
- I-9
- Employee Handbook Acknowledgement
- Guide to Business Conduct
- Confidential Information Policy
- Electronic Communications and Social Media Policy
- Electronic Systems Policy
- Pay Check Disclosures
- Pay Check Guide
- Epaystub Access
- Employee Safety Rules
- Responsible Alcohol Policy
- Employee Responsibilities
- FMLA
- COBRA
- ACA
- Vacation Policy
The location must check all materials in the hiring package to ensure completeness and forward to the individuals specified on the forms or otherwise in this Manual. If the information is incomplete or does not conform with Company policy, the location should contact the originator and obtain the required information.
Process for Hiring a New Employee
Within HCM, using the Resources List, search for the New Hire to verify Hire/Rehire status.
Email address is required for all new hires/rehires. If needed, contact the new hire to assist in process of creating an email account if they do not have one.
Complete Request to Hire (or Rehire) Form in HCM.
The Department Manager approves the Hire as part of an automated approval process flow.
Corporate Payroll then approves the hire and assigns Lawson # by way of automated process.
A link to access HCM and login credentials is emailed to the candidate.
Dashboard status in HCM informs the unit when the new hire has completed the onboarding paperwork.
The Human Resource Manager schedules a meeting with new employee to complete I-9 verification and to fill out all other required paper documents, i.e. direct deposit, pay card, local or unit specific forms.
The unit completes the Tracker I-9 E-Verify processing.
The unit inputs state withholding values into Lawson.
The unit enters the Direct Deposit into Lawson.
Create an Employee Folder for collecting remaining paper forms.
COBRA New Hire Notice
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (“COBRA”) requires that employers provide employees and their spouses or beneficiaries with written notice of their rights under COBRA at the time plan coverage commences, which is generally within thirty-one (31) days following the date of hire. The Corporate Human Resources Department will timely deliver all COBRA Notices.
Orientation
Orientation of Each Employee
Each newly hired, promoted or transferred employee should be properly introduced to his or her supervisors and co-workers, instructed in job duties, and advised of relevant policies and benefits.
Employee Information Packages
In the orientation of an employee, provide the employee with:
- Pay Period Schedule
- Paystub Access
- Employee Handbook
- Parking Information
- Information in connection with vacation, sick leave, health benefits, etc. (Full-time employees)
Sodexo Live! Handbook – English
Sodexo Live! Handbook – Spanish
Signing Acknowledgment
All employee acknowledgment forms must be signed by the new employee. Any paper forms should be placed in the employee’s personnel file. In addition, you should sign the Orientation Confirmation to acknowledge that you conducted the orientation. That should also be placed in the employee’s personnel file.