Managing your Research Staff

1. Managing your Research Staff Presenters: Julie Horne, Lawson Health Research Institute Elana Whelan, Western January 24, 2013 Declaration: Julie Horne and Elana Whelan have no actual or potential conflicts of interest in relation to this educational program.

2. Objectives • To highlight points to consider when hiring research staff; • To highlight the supervisor’s role and responsibilities for research staff; and • To review the approval process and requirements for conducting clinical studies in the hospitals, prior to hiring staff.

3. Hiring Research Staff • Type of Research i.e. Clinical or Academic • Relationship • Lawson/Hospital (LHSC or SJHC) • Western • Terms of Employment • Temporary employment (one-year renewable contracts) • Research job titles are determined by the relationship • Compensation - based on funding or UWO Collective Agreement

4. What to consider when hiring Research Staff • Length of funding • Responsibilities and duties • Hours of work • Union vs. Non Union • Job posting requirement • Salary pay scales

5. What to consider when hiring Postdocs • Letter of appointment for immigration purposes • Determination of the Relationship • Pay rate guidelines • Maximum length of a Postdoc

6. Hiring Clinical Research Staff • Hiring process • Recruitment (Internal or external candidates) • Non-union Research positions • Employee Action Form • Standards of Business Conduct/Conflict of Interest • Employment Standards Act (ESA)

7. Supervisor Responsibilities for New Research Staff • Review role and expectations • Ensure that outcomes are understood • Review hours of work, how breaks/lunches and absences will be handled and tracked • Regular check-ins • Probationary period • Performance management • Termination/Severance Obligation and (ESA)

8. Staff Requirements You have hired your research staff and completed the necessary documentation. You have heard that there are expectations for research staff by the employer, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Labour.What are the mandatory requirements that you need to pay attention to?What are some specialty training requirements that may apply to your research staff?

9. Staff Requirements • Documentation and identification • Health requirements (if applicable) • Privacy & confidentiality – education, agreement • Employee orientation - policies and procedures; code of conduct • Reporting illness/injuries - Occupational Health & Safety Services departments at each site

10. Required Staff Training Mandatory Legislated Health & Safety: • WHMIS • Fire Safety (hospital) Clinical Research (with Patient Contact): • N95 Fit Test • Infection control • Electronic Patient Record (EPR)

11. Western/Lawson Health & Safety Laboratory: • Faculty/Supervisor Responsibilities Seminar • General Laboratory Safety & Hazardous Waste Management • Biosafety (if applicable) • X-ray Safety (if applicable) • Health & Safety Committee

12. Required Approvals You are interested in starting a clinical trial at LHSC or SJHC. You are anxious to start consenting participants. You know that you are able to start recruitment once you receive your….

13. Approval Process • Signed clinical trial agreement with sponsor • Research Ethics Board (REB) approval • Lawson approval form (R number) • Health Canada approval

14. Important Contacts – Priceless! • HR Lawson – Julie Horne ext. 78953 • HR Western (Schulich Staff) – Elana Whelan ext. 80388 • LHSC HR – Alycia Hummel ext. 32566 • SJHC HR – Patricia Melo ext. 64147