Beyond Broom Pushing
By Thomas J. Dykiel
Years ago, custodians were individuals who were good with their hands in repairing just
about anything that broke, in addition to emptying trash, mopping floors and cutting the
grass.
With the creation of the skilled union labor force, the custodian who made necessary
repairs to facilities was less common due to labor contract agreements. Things that were
previously repaired by the custodian now became the contracted responsibility of
carpenters, laborers, electricians and pipefitters.
Similarly in today's marketplace, the custodian is no longer just responsible for emptying
trash and mopping floors -- they have acquired various skills that make them skilled
workers. They can have responsibility for multi-million dollar facilities and have
knowledge in computers, payroll, personnel, budgets, energy, facility management, repair
work and, of course, cleaning.
COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE
With new technology, custodians are responsible for controlling heating, ventilation and
air conditioning for their facilities through the use of energy computers. Computer
training can require five to 10 days of intensive training on the operation of the
computer and the equipment.
For the custodians of the School City of Hammond, IN, computer training for the HVAC
system included instruction on increasing and decreasing temperature in rooms for daytime
or nighttime activities, turning fans on to draw inside or outside air, and the actual
operation and cleaning of the equipment and preventive maintenance, which includes
replacing filters and oiling motors, among other procedures. The training stressed that
proper ventilation is essential in adequately
regulating indoor air quality.
Administrative duties are also handled through computer programs. Hammond administration
requires their custodians to input their payroll directly into the computer on a daily
basis and then transmit it to payroll personnel, with a copy going to the custodial office
for final review. Again, the custodians attended an eight-hour course on the operations of
the computer and the software.
All of the work orders for repairs to the facilities are computerized. The custodian
inputs the work order directly into the computer and sends it to the maintenance
department, to be directed toward the department that is responsible for the repair.
Computer training for this function consisted of three hours of training for each
custodian on how to access the system, input the work order, make necessary corrections
and transmit the work order to the maintenance department.
Even determining the annual custodial department budget is related to computer use.
INCREASED INFLUENCE
A committee of Hammond custodians has the responsibility of evaluating cleaning equipment
and supplies. For instance, the Hammond school district purchases a case of cleaning
supplies to be evaluated and distributes them to the committee members to be used. The
committee members then prepare a written evaluation of the products and submit it to the
operations administrator for review.
When the purchasing department is ready to extend the bid for cleaning supplies, they meet
with the operations administrator to finalize the supply list. In this meeting, the final
supply list depends heavily on the report of the custodial committee evaluation team.
Custodians are also held responsible for their monthly and yearly budgets. In the monthly
custodian meeting, a detailed school-wide financial budget is given to the custodians that
includes every school expenditure (excluding food service) from salaries, substitute
teacher and custodial costs to equipment costs.
In these budgets the custodians know exactly what the school's monthly expenditures are,
and they can keep track of their own budgets to control costs. In November, facilities
administration requires a budget projection report from each custodial department to help
determine their next calendar year budget.
Increased authority also carries increased responsibility. A custodian who is not familiar
with their building could cause additional damage to a facility during times of emergency.
For example, during a time of cold weather, a sprinkler head in the principal's office at
one of Hammond's elementary schools was dripping during the night. While cleaning the
office, the custodian on duty noticed the drip and placed a bucket under it. That evening
the sprinkler turned on and saturated everything in the office and left nearly 2 inches of
water in the principal's
office, main office, nurse's office and hallway. The custodians on duty were unable to
stop the flow of water because they didn't know the location of the water cutoff valves.
After this incident, facilities administration provided a floor plan of each facility,
identifying all emergency water, electrical and gas cutoffs, and made it available to all
custodians. To avoid this future situation, custodial staff now periodically review the
function and location of each emergency cutoff. Mounted stickers on the cutoff valves also
describe this information.
"QUASI-MANAGEMENT"
In some organizations, head custodians are looked upon as being
"quasi-management." They are responsible for the operation of the building,
payroll and personnel. When grievances are filed by a staff custodian, they are usually
directed at the head custodian regarding overtime, job description, among other issues.
Though the head and staff custodian pay union dues, the union will almost always take the
side of the staff custodian against the head custodian. Union representatives may assume
that the head custodian's opinion on a grievance issue would represent management's view
and would not even consider speaking with the head custodian (though the head custodian
also belongs to the same union).
Custodians must have excellent people skills due to the fact that, on any given day, they
come in contact with administrators, teachers, students and the general public. Custodians
must be properly trained in "people skills" because they meet such a variety of
people.
At the Hammond schools there is an in-house training course for head custodians regarding
personnel management. Staff and head custodians have attended seminars on conflict
resolution, total quality management, supervising skills, progressive discipline and team
building.
Also, videotapes on these topics, among other personnel issues, are reviewed during
monthly custodian meetings. Training staff and head custodians in "people
skills" also helps them resolve various personnel concerns on their own that they
handle on a daily basis.
The role of the custodian has changed dramatically in the past 20 to 40 years. No longer
is the custodian required to just clean as an unskilled worker. Previously, a custodian
was promoted on the basis of their ability to clean. Now, issues of leadership,
"people skills," computer knowledge and ability to clean are all looked at in
the promotion decision.
So the next time you see a custodian, don't think of them as an unskilled worker who
simply mops, waxes and empties garbage. Think of them as skilled professionals who control
the environment that we live and work in.
Thomas J. Dykiel is director of Financial Services for the School City of Hammond, IN.
Copyright © 1995 National Trade Publications, Inc.
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