We’re right here – not in Bangalore, Ireland, the Maritimes or the southern U.S. – and we’re here to help you!
When people hear “call centre,” they sometimes picture workers in cubicles in some far-fetched corner of the globe, toiling in anonymity, linked to the caller seeking assistance only by a phone line.
That’s not how we work. HSAA’s call centre is in our new HQ in Edmonton. The Members’ Resource Centre (MRC) agents are direct, unionized employees of HSAA, not employed by a third-party contractor. We spend every day talking to you, the members, and to HSAA’s Labour Relations Officers (LROs) and senior staff.
The MRC is currently staffed with two full-time agents and two backup agents. The goal of the centre is to handle more basic contract-related questions, thus providing the LRO with more time to deal with crucial and complex items such as grievances, bargaining and complex union workplace issues. The centre reduces the call-back and wait times for general contract and workplace inquiries. It also means you always get to talk to a living human being, rather than get sent to voicemail.
With an average of 2,077 calls per month, we provide basic contract interpretation, guidance and advice on workplace issues, troubleshooting membership profile inquiries (which include database updates) and direct correspondence with the LROs. Whether you’re from Calgary, Taber, Fort McMurray or anywhere in Alberta, all calls to HSAA go to the MRC in Edmonton. This allows us to track all calls and wait times and assess how we are meeting your needs.
When an MRC call-centre agent receives a call, we confirm membership information and do our best to handle the inquiry.
If we are unable to handle it, we gather all the crucial details and correspond with the LRO to have him or her contact the member. Urgent calls from members, for example, regarding human-resources (HR) meetings, get directly handled by the Labour Relations Officers. If your LRO is not available and you need urgent assistance, we have coverage LROs in the office ready to assist.
MRC agents do not contact HR or managers/supervisors. The MRC agent role was designed to work directly with members and LROs. The Labour Relations Officers handle all contact with employers.
MRC agents can provide information on and contract interpretation on issues including:
Probationary periods; hours of work including rest periods and meal breaks; scheduling and shifts; overtime; salaries (increases and pay scales); overtime and premium entitlements; basic travel expense questions; vacation entitlements, vacation-planning processes; named holidays and entitlements; sick leave inquiries, including medical appointments; seniority; hiring and transferring processes; leaves of absence; evaluation and personnel inquiries; resignation processes; flexible spending account information; full-time equivalent (FTE) increase or decrease information; workplace health and safety (OH&S) concerns; bullying and harassment in the workplace – and almost everything else HSAA-related!
We really enjoy helping to resolve the issues our membership may face in the workplace.
Please call us at 1-844-280-HSAA (4722) for all your HSAA-related membership needs!
