Welcome to the April 2016 Q&A.
This is our monthly installment addressing questions and suggestions received through the online suggestion box (top menu bar on the intranet). We respond to questions with agency-wide relevance, and we cannot answer questions that may affect client or staff/personnel confidentiality protections.
Some questions/suggestions are summarized or simplified in the interest of clarity, brevity or to address tone.
Some questions require more time to answer than is available or are received after we started drafting this Q&A, so missed this installment. We’ll work to address them in later installments.
Suggestions/Questions list
- Label printers
- Travel voucher formatting
- Email etiquette
- Why no Mental Health II
- Office transfers
Suggestion/Question: Label printers
I was wondering whether we could get those small printers that print one label at a time that you could then put on a manila envelope for mailing. I have had them at other legal jobs before and they help a lot. Right now, our staff seems to often be wasting time and money by printing on a regular envelope and taping that to the manila envelope (and this can’t be done for mail going to a jail anyway).
Thanks for looking into it!
Response:
Yes. Finance has some approved label printers in the catalog that your AA can order for you. Purchase of these would come from office supply budgets at each location, which are managed by your AAs. You would not request these from IT. So, please work with your AA to order these. Models are also listed, below:
DYM1752264
https://eb.wbmason.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ItemID=DYM1752264&uom=EA&COID=
DYM1768960
https://eb.wbmason.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ItemID=DYM1768960&uom=EA&COID=
Division: IT – Daniel Saroff
Suggestion/Question: Travel voucher formatting
It seems like on a monthly basis when I submit my travel voucher I am receiving an email from “travel” tell me they’re unable to read what I typed out. To be frank, I don’t think this is the real issue. The reality, and many people would agree, the front on the document is too small. The voucher is very not user friendly and there must be a better way of creating a document and upping the font. Otherwise, we’re creating more work for everyone. Someone from accounting will have to email me to send a “more clear” copy and I would have to submit another copy. Why not have a voucher with larger font? Problem solved.
Response:
An updated form on the intranet is available with the font enlarged. It can be found here: http://intranet.publiccounsel.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/09/Empl-Reimbursement-Form-091815.xlsx.
The Finance Division is also testing a major improvement to the employee reimbursement system that will greatly enhance efficiency. We are piloting, with a small group of staff, a robust, online expense program. Please stay tuned for details on when it will be implemented for the entire agency.
Division: Finance – Lincoln Heineman
Suggestion/Question: Email etiquette
This may seem like a small thing but sometimes small things add up. . . .It would be nice if there was a gentle reminder sent to people about email etiquette. For example, when to hit reply all (if a person send the same email question to two people then the responder must hit reply all so that the second person knows not to duplicate efforts) and when to NOT hit reply all (when the email says specifically to email the person directly). A reminder to please respond to emails promptly even if you can’t do what the person is asking – send them a quick note (or put an automatic response saying you are busy and won’t be responding for a while). If someone sets out a doodle calendar – please respond promptly as people are leaving multiple dates open in their own calendars waiting for a response. Etc. There are publications on the internet about this that could be referenced.
Response:
Your question has some excellent tips already. In addition, I’ve linked to some useful guides on the web, and one useful guide IT created. The CPCS guide is hosted on our intranet. Besides “etiquette”, the CPCS guide also provides instructions in the use of Outlook’s features, like creating a signature for one’s email.
Below are some tips and recommendations for effective email and calendar use.
- Add a signature file to all emails and replies (including on your mobile device)
o About 30% of CPCS do not have signature files setup in email
- Include a person in the “To:” field when seeking an action from them
- Use “cc:” for an FYI. A person in cc: field is not expected to take an action
- Turn on and use grammar and spell checking
- Specific “Subject” descriptions, e.g.,
o “Need input” – Bad subject
o “Need feedback to finalize ERS report” – Good subject
- Clearly state the “ask” in 1st two sentences (people have short attention spans and don’t read)
- Be courteous and professional
- Respond within one business day, even if your response is nothing more than, “I’ll get back to you in two days on this.” Don’t be an email black hole.
- “Email Golden Rule”. If you have exchanged three emails without resolution of an issue, phone the person
Calendar
- Keep your calendar up to date
- Check other people’s calendars when scheduling a meeting
- If declining a meeting, propose alternate dates/times
- Use specific “Subject” descriptions, e.g.,
o “Chat” – Bad subject
o “Discussion to identify testers for time tracking program” – Good subject
- Provide a specific location (or at least “TBD”, if currently unsure)
- Provide a succinct agenda in the description
- Update the invitation to reflect changes. Don’t send email
- Attach documents for discussion to the meeting invite
- Don’t ignore an invite – respond (and quickly)
- Don’t wait until just before a meeting starts to accept a meeting invite
- Use Outlook to book rooms
- Cancel meetings if they won’t occur
A CPCS guide to using Outlook email and calendar, and best practices. (must be on the network to access)
http://read.bi/1WXRoGj
http://bit.ly/1UVEz1I
Division: IT – Daniel Saroff
Suggestion/Question: Why no Mental Health II
If there is a YAD and CAFL Counsel II, why is there not a Mental Health Counsel II? We also have cases (16b and 9b) that are in Superior Court.
Response:
The question of salary scales is being reviewed, and the MHLD is developing criteria that will allow lawyers to move from the Counsel I to Counsel II scale. This will include length of relevant practice (at least 3 years), type of proceedings handled (contested hearings, trials, appeals), use of experts, motion, appeals and quality of practice.
We remain committed to finding ways for all staff to advance on salary scales based on the quality, length and nature of their practice.
Hopefully we will be able to implement this process before the end of the current fiscal year.
Division: MH – Mark Larsen
Suggestion/Question: Office transfers
How do office transfers work, e.g. a district court attorney wanting to transfer to another office?
Response:
The Transfer Policy is set forth in the CPCS Personnel Policies Manual, Section 1.4 In addition to the written policy, the Public Defender Division will endeavor to approve a request for a non-hardship transfer if:
- The employee has served at least two years in the current office,
- The employee is in good standing and has no significant performance issues,
- There is an available position in the office where the employee is requesting to be transferred, and
- The transfer will have a negligible impact on the operational needs of the current office.
Currently, we are considering non-hardship transfer requests on a “first come, first serve basis.” If a transfer is requested, based on a compelling personal hardship, the two-year requirement may be waived. Hardship transfer requests are subject to approval from the Chief Counsel. Please see the CPCS Personnel Policies Manual, Section 1.4.
Please feel free to reach out to our Legal Hiring Coordinator, Kevin Ruderman, in our Human Resources Division, for any additional questions or comments.
Division: PD – Randy Gioia, Soudie Tahmassebipour; HR – Donna Leete, Kevin Ruderman