UNMC employees soon will see changes in Environmental Services.
In an attempt to streamline EVS services in light of current budget concerns, all employees will soon be asked to take their trash and recyclables to a main waste and recycling receptacle, one of which will be located on every floor. The change, which is estimated to save $747,000 annually, will be phased in beginning on April 3.
At that time, EVS employees will not be emptying individual wastebaskets and recycling bins in every cubicle and office anymore.
No EVS employees will lose their jobs as a result of these changes, which will help address the budget reduction and sustainability options. UNMC EVS staff will have multiple opportunities to transition into other EVS open positions at UNMC, Nebraska Medicine, Nebraska Orthopedic Hospital and Bellevue Medical Center, as well as EVS positions for the food service and new buildings that will be opening soon such as the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.
“Reducing costs is of primary importance as UNMC contends with the budget challenges facing the university system and the state,” said Deb Thomas, vice chancellor for business and finance. “By helping to implement this new initiative, members of the UNMC community ultimately will be saving jobs by helping us reduce costs throughout the enterprise.”
The new changes will include:
- Offices will be cleaned once a month, compared to once per week currently. This will include dusting and vacuuming. Receptacles will be on the individual floors for waste stream management.
- Restrooms will be cleaned and stocked daily in all buildings five days a week. Hand sanitizers also will be kept stocked.
- Labs, conference areas, auditoriums, classrooms, and other educational spaces will be serviced on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
- Main hallways above the ground level will be cleaned Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
- Ground floor hallways and main entrances are to be cleaned daily.
- Floor care projects such as carpet cleaning and hard-floor refinishing will continue on the current schedule.
- There will be no weekend services.
- As new facilities open, they will have the same schedules.
Once a month for vacuuming?
What will be the cost of our folks, including vascular surgeons and gastroenterologists etc. spending 10 minutes a day to haul their trash. Did anyone calculate that?
In my 15 years with UNMC, I have never had the pleasure of having my office cleaned without my specifically asking for it- which was once or twice a year when I couldn't stand the carpets anymore. I did all my own dusting.
Also, I was always told that the paper recycling bin at my desk was treated in a secure manner. (although I continued to shred anything with sensitive personal information). Will this security also apply to the "main recycling receptacle" on each floor?
Some of our buildings have trouble with vermin. In exchange for hauling my own trash, could we please have the garbage emptied late in the day, preferably after 5, rather than in the early morning? Otherwise discarded food and beverage containers provide a tasty treat when left out overnight.
Our offices most certainly do not get vacuumed or dusted once per week. This is laughable! They get vacuumed when we make a specific request for vacuuming, and get dusted when we dust ourselves. So I guess switching to once per month won't change things much.
I"m curious as to what "serviced" means. In Sorrell we have many student interest groups daily that have lunches. This will be an issue for the classes that follow if no trash will be collected. What will their options be? And I agree with Mike Gleason – I don't want to add to a critter issue.
Would the university consider making brooms, vacuum cleaners, and dusting and cleaning equipment publicly available? It would be helpful at least to be able to do some cleaning on our own. (I already bring my own dust rags.)
If anyone has these issues as noted with services and desires to contact me for improvement or clarification of processes going forward please feel free to contact me. Their are hundreds of cleaners scheduled over the 80 buildings on campus and from time to time we have someone that needs attention. We are here to help. Respectfully, Paul Turner Phone: 9-6928
We do not have plastic garbage bag in the office trash can anymore. Therefore, all lunch wastes and other wastes make the plastic trash cans look really dirty. Now, when these will be emptied in a larger bin, a real mess is likely. Further, if these larger bins are removed at the end of the day, rotting food wastes will make the floor inhabitable. It happens many times during the weekend when garbage bins are not emptied promptly. Secondly, who empties the garbage bins in the laboratories? There are many regulations regarding lab trash. Therefore, it is important to know what mechanisms are in place to protect lab workers from getting exposed? Or are the new regulations only for offices?
This change is coming Monday and it seems like we are without a lot of answers to the questions many people posed. I don't think these were meant to be sarcasm. Maybe a follow up UNMC Today story is in order that answers some of the questions:
1) Phase in begins Monday according to the March 13 story — what are the phases? 2) Access to vacuums and brooms would be helpful and appreciated. is that possible? 3) Knowing whether or not lab waste pickup procedures are changing is vital. 4) What does 'serviced' mean? 5) When will we be advised as to the location of the centralized trash and recycling containers? 6) How will the paper recycling be secured?