Hennepin County members:
Hennepin County is offering temporary reassignments to contact tracing positions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to make sure that you received notification of these positions and have the information needed to determine your interest in these roles.
We don’t know how long buildings will be closed and the $600 from federal government for unemployment will end July 31st.
If you are interested in doing this work, make sure to email [email protected] or call 612-543-3591 by Wednesday June 10th. Find the letter and job description below.
Letter from Hennepin County Human Resources
June 2, 2020
Employees,
About two months ago, you received communication from David Hough stating, due to COVID-19 service interruptions, you would need to start using leave balances effective April 5, 2020. You were also given the opportunity to indicate your willingness to accept a temporary reassignment. Since then, some employees have been temporarily reassigned or have returned to their department, and others remain on leave.
Why are you receiving this letter now?
You are being contacted again to determine your interest in a temporary reassignment to a contact tracing position. Contact tracing is a temporary assignment that was recently created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In most cases, this particular temporary reassignment can be performed completely at home and is expected to last for several months.
See the enclosed Contact Tracing job description for details about the duties and requirements.
If you previously did not express interest in accepting a temporary reassignment or indicated interest but did not take the steps at that time to enter your information into the ALADTEC system, we wanted to give you an opportunity to reconsider whether or not you are willing to accept a temporary reassignment, specifically to do contact tracing.
How many positions are available?
There are limited contact tracing jobs available, and not everyone who indicates interest is guaranteed a contact tracing reassignment or other temporary reassignment. Rather, the purpose of this letter is to solicit interest in such reassignments.
If you are concerned about returning to on-site work due to being in a high-risk category for contracting COVID-19, a temporary contact tracing reassignment may be a good option for you, if one is available and you meet the qualifications.
What next?
You have two options:
- If you would like to be considered for a temporary reassignment to do contact tracing, contact Megan Baer, HR Reassignment Team, at 612-543-3591 or [email protected] by Wednesday, June 10.
This is an urgent need and we will be filling reassignments as quickly as possible. From the pool of those who are interested and have a completed profile in ALADTEC, reassignments will be made based on availability, qualifications (listed on the enclosed), and seniority. - If you do not want to be considered for any temporary reassignments, you will continue using leave balances and/or other pay options available during this crisis. Also, with the ever-changing and evolving nature of this pandemic, we cannot definitively state when you will return to work in your original Library or Service Center position.
Questions?
For more information on temporary reassignments due to the COVID-19 crisis please view the Human Resources policies, practices and frequently asked questions (FAQs). You may also contact Megan Baer, HR Reassignment Team, at 612-543-3591 or [email protected] with any questions.
We are hopeful you will consider indicating interest for this temporary reassignment opportunity.
Hennepin County
Human Resources
612-348-7855
[email protected]
Hennepin County Contact Tracing: Job Description
The Department of Public Health-Epidemiology team is looking for interested Hennepin County employees to conduct COVID-19 Case Interviews and tracing of case contacts. The work involves contacting confirmed cases of COVID-19 via phone, completing a detailed interview and completing data entry of completed interviews into an online web application in a timely manner. This work will be conducted under close supervision of a lead Epidemiologist.
Location and hours:
This work will take place in a virtual environment on your county-issued laptop. Interviews will need to be conducted 7 days a week, during the hours 9am - 8pm. Flexibility is permitted during those hours to accommodate family/work balance. Looking for individuals to work up to 30 hours per week; a shift of interviewing cases would be a maximum of 6 hours long; likely working on this project 4 days per week. Some evenings and weekends will be necessary.
Requirements for this work:
- You must be a current employee of Hennepin County
- Completed the annual Data Practices Training within the past year (if not completed within the past year you will be required to do so prior to your start date)
- Have a county issued laptop or one will be provided to you
- Ability to make phone calls (that may be anywhere from 20 min-2 hours in length) in a private / closed door room
- Have reliable internet access
For this position, you need:
- To be comfortable speaking with clients on the telephone
- Experience with interviewing/gathering data from clients over the phone
- Skill in data entry and accuracy
- Available to work on weekends and in evenings (calls made 7 days a week between 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
Nice to have:
- Public health knowledge preferred, but not necessary, training will be provided
- Ability to speak languages other than English preferred (priority languages include Spanish, Somali, Oromo and Hmong).