Market Research Interviewer Policy and Procedure Manual

OPI FD (E) 0400. 06.04.12

Document Control Version Number: Written by: Updated by: Approved by: 4 Lisa James Allyson Little Yuk Ying Lee

Purpose and Scope: The purpose of this manual is to inform new and current interviewers of the policies and procedures of Opinion Search Inc. It will cover only those policies and procedures which apply to the Interviewing staff.

OPINION SEARCH INC. RESTRICTED Proprietary Warning The information contained herein is proprietary to Opinion Search Inc. and may not be used, reproduced or disclosed to others except as specifically permitted in writing by the originator of the information. The recipient of this information, by its retention and use, agrees to protect the same and the information contained therein from loss, theft or compromise.

Contents
1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 WELCOME TO OPINION SEARCH INC. 1.2 REFERENCE MATERIALS 1.2.1 INTERVIEWER POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL 1.2.2 INTERVIEWER TRAINING MANUAL 1.2.3 PRIVACY & SURVEY RESEARCH PART TIME STAFF BRIEFING MANUAL 1.2.4 INTERVIEWER PORTAL 1.3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1.3.1 INDUSTRY OVERVIEW 1.3.2 COMPANY OVERVIEW 1.4 EXPECTATIONS OF YOU 1.4.1 PROBATIONARY PERIOD 1.5 CONFIDENTIALITY 1.6 WHO DOES WHAT 2 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 2.1 ATTENDANCE 2.1.1 SHIFTS: 2.1.2 BREAKS: 2.1.3 PAUSES 2.1.4 ARRIVING AT WORK 2.1.5 ELECTRONIC TIME CARD 2.1.6 CANCELLATION OF SHIFTS BY OPINION SEARCH INC. 2.1.7 CANCELLATION OF SHIFTS BY INTERVIEWERS 2.2 BEHAVIOUR 2.2.1 DRESS CODE 2.2.2 DOS & DONTS 2.2.3 EQUIPMENT POLICY 2.2.4 ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR HARASSMENT 2.3 QUALITY 2.3.1 MONITORING 2.3.2 FIRST 3 REPORTS 2.3.3 EVALUATION 2.3.4 RECORDINGS 2.3.5 101 CLASSES 2.4 PRODUCTIVITY 2.5 PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE PROCESS 2.5.1 DESCRIPTION OF WARNING LEVELS 2.5.2 ATTENDANCE 2.5.3 BEHAVIOUR 2.5.4 QUALITY 2.5.5 PRODUCTIVITY 2.6 REWARDS 2.6.1 REWARDS POINTS 2.6.2 REFERRAL BONUS 2.7 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION ii 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 5 5 5 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11

2.7.1 2.7.2 2.7.3

INCREASES LOYALTY REWARDS WARNINGS

11 11 12 12 12 13 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 16 16 16 16 16 17 17 17 18 18 18 18

3 ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION 3.1 GRIEVANCES 3.2 PAYROLL 3.2.1 MY ADP 3.2.2 DIRECT DEPOSIT 3.3 HEALTH/SAFETY 3.4 SECURITY 3.5 TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT 3.5.1 VOLUNTARY 3.5.2 INVOLUNTARY 3.5.3 TERMINATION WITHOUT CAUSE 3.5.4 REACTIVATIONS 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 GLOSSARY ATTENDANCE BEHAVIOUR HUMAN RESOURCES ISSUES INTERVIEWER TOOLS MARKETING RESEARCH TERMINOLOGY PRODUCTIVITY QUALITY REWARDS WARNINGS

iii

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Welcome to Opinion Search Inc. Opinion Search Inc. is happy to welcome you to the Interviewing staff team. You have been selected because we feel that you are a suitable match with our expectations for this department. As a market research interviewer, you will play an integral role in the success of the company. We rely on our interviewers to collect accurate and dependable information. Please approach your supervisors at any time with questions that may help you become acquainted with our operations. 1.2 Reference Materials All reference materials are available to you on the Interviewer Portal should you have any questions. You may request a printed copy of the manuals from the Human Resources department. 1.2.1 Interviewer Policy and Procedure Manual

The purpose of this manual is to provide you with all the information that is needed to get you ready for the position of interviewer, and explain what is expected of you. This also serves as reference material when you have questions concerning matters that refer to Opinion Search Inc.s policies and procedures. These policies and procedures will apply to you throughout the duration of your employment with the company. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the material in this manual, as well as the other manuals available to you. Please note that it is subject to change at the discretion of Opinion Search Inc.. 1.2.2 Interviewer Training Manual

The Interviewer Training Manual is prepared for you in order to provide you with the information that you would need in day to day activities in your work tasks. The quality guidelines that you will need to adhere to will be described as well as instructions on scheduling and the computer software. You are encouraged to familiarize yourself with this information prior to your first shift. It is also suggested to bring this manual with you on this first shift so that you may follow along with your trainer when you are showed how to work our system. 1.2.3 Privacy & Survey Research Part Time Staff Briefing Manual

The purpose of the Privacy & Survey Research Part Time Staff Briefing Manual is to provide all staff with information regarding privacy and legislation required to perform the tasks associated with conducting social and market research interviews. 1.2.4 Interviewer Portal

The Opinion Search website (www.opinionsearch.com) has a link that all current interviewers can access to schedule, check quality infractions, order prepaid credit cards and more. When on the Opinion Search home page, click on Crew Log-in to access the interviewer log-in page, or bookmark http://crew.opinionsearch.com/crew/login.php. 1

Your log-in information consists of your interviewer ID (sent to you by the Scheduler) and a password (created by you).

1.3 Background Information 1.3.1 Industry Overview

The market research industry collects and organizes information in order to gather opinions. The information is gathered on behalf of manufacturers, advertisers, the media, service industries, local and national Governments, etc. From this information, Consultants can propose and evaluate the most appropriate course of action to meet the individual needs of clients. Research is used in many ways. For example: To determine how to best develop an advertising campaign To measure how successful an advertising campaign has been To assess the satisfaction of the public or business community with products and services To measure consumer awareness of companies products in the market place To determine reasons for selection/purchase consideration of products and/or services To track trends in lifestyle/purchasing habits/products and/or service usage Research projects can be broken down into 2 categories: Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Surveys: One way of collecting data is to ask respondents a series of questions from a scripted questionnaire and record the responses. There are no sales involved and everything discussed during an interview is completely confidential. This is classified as Quantitative Research because the results are put into aggregate or numerical form and run in frequency tables and cross-tabulations for analysis of trends and attitudes. Focus Groups: Individuals are invited to come into our facilities in person to give opinions and discuss a topic with other people. They are screened prior to the group to ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements. This is classified as Qualitative Research. 1.3.2 Company Overview

Opinion Search Inc. was originally created in May 1988 under the name Opinion Search, and later incorporated (in January 1990), as Opinion Search Inc. The Ottawa-based firm initially specialized in automated data collection for the market research community and experienced rapid growth in that sector, growing from a 10-seat call centre in one city, to 325 seats in three cities, and a USA sales office. On August 16th, 2007, we merged with Harris Interactive to create Harris/Decima, a company with which Opinion Search Inc. is a subsidiary and we are now at 224 seats in two cities. Our concentration has always been and continues to be providing clients with high quality fieldwork in the market research industry. We are known for providing excellent data within our clients requested deadlines.

Our Field Operations consists of the Interviewers, Supervisors, Monitors, Human Resources, Scheduling and Field Management. To find out more about the organizational structure of Opinion Search Inc., Please contact a member of the Human Resources department.

1.4 Expectations of You As an Interviewer, we rely on you to be our main point of contact with respondents. It is important that you show up for your assigned shifts on time and in a state where you are capable of completing your tasks. You are expected to be courteous and respectful to fellow staff members. We expect you to remain professional and unbiased in all interviews that you conduct, as you represent both Opinion Search Inc. as well as our clients. If you feel that you are missing anything to complete your work properly and on time, you are expected to seek further information from the appropriate source. 1.4.1 Probationary Period

During the first 3 months of employment, you will be on probation. Opinion Search Inc. will assess your ability to perform the duties of the position and may in its absolute discretion, terminate your employment without notice. 1.5 Confidentiality As an interviewer, you will be in constant contact with confidential information. Upon signing your contract, you have agreed to adhere to our confidentiality policy. We have a Zero Tolerance policy in regards to confidentiality agreements, and any case where there is a violation of this policy will result in immediate termination of employment. You are asked to not discuss surveys or related information in the hall, elevators, washrooms, outside on break or any non-work environment due to the fact that these areas are common areas that can be shared with clients, respondents and general public. Any mention of confidential information through internet media, including social networking websites is also a violation, as these websites are public and can be seen by our respondents, clients or their competitors. It is against our confidentiality policy to transfer or discuss any confidential information. If the company suffers any damages due to the information you release, legal action will be taken against you to recover these damages. Also related to confidentiality, a respondent may from time to time express concerns regarding the survey itself (e.g. length, nature of the questions or subject matter, structure of the survey, etc.). These concerns are useful information for the client and must therefore be taken seriously by each interviewer. While you are not to discuss the specifics of the survey instrument, etc. with the respondent, it is your responsibility to relay this information to the supervisor who will ensure it is provided to the client. Opinion Search Inc. has a Privacy Policy and it is a statement of principles and guidelines describing the level of protection of personal information provided by Opinion Search Inc. to employees, respondents and the general public. The objective of the Opinion Search Inc. Privacy Policy is to promote responsible and transparent personal information management practices in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA - Canada). 3

1.6 Who does what Field Supervisors occupy an important role in the motivation and supervision of interviewers. They are assigned projects with specific instructions and they are expected to pass along this information and ensure it is understood during sign in (e.g. bid rate, men first, etc.). Supervisors monitor sample, making sure interviewers have work at hand and that they are calling people in the right time zones at the appropriate times. They also monitor quotas, making sure we dont complete too many surveys for any particular category (e.g. 50/50 gender split, geographic location, income category, etc.). If you have any questions about your project, productivity or equipment, please see a supervisor for assistance.

Monitors have an integral function: coaching and motivating the interviewers. They are there to help interviewers improve their quality of work. Monitors are co-peers who have a lot of interviewing experience and are a resource to new and senior interviewers alike. Monitors must maintain a monitoring rate on all interviewers in accordance with Market Research industry standards. The monitors goal is to help all interviewers understand the nuances of the guidelines and reach their full potential. If you have any questions about the quality guidelines, the quality evaluation or the quality progressive discipline process, please see a monitor for assistance. Scheduler is responsible for scheduling over 300 employees per location on a weekly basis. The scheduler receives booking information from the Field Manager and approves shifts according to field requirements and tiers. The scheduler is also responsible for informing interviewers of shift cancellations, and assuring that minimum scheduling requirements are met. If you have any questions about your schedule, cancellations or scheduling requirements, please see the Scheduler. Human Resources department is responsible for recruitment, selection, training and separation of call centre staff. The department is also responsible for administering and monitoring field processes and programs. All members of the Human Resources department are familiar with all policies and procedures for Opinion Search Inc. If you have any questions about your pay, taxation level, access card, reward programs, etc., please see a member of the Human Resources department for assistance.

Policies and Procedures

2.1 Attendance Unless otherwise stated in your contract, you are required to schedule a minimum of 16 hours per week, as well as 20 hours of weekend work per month. It is also important to not over schedule, you can work a maximum of 40 hours per week in Quebec and 44 hours in Ontario. 2.1.1 Shifts:

The shift breakdown of what is available to you is as follows: Monday-Friday 8:00am 12:00pm 12:00pm 4:15pm 4:30pm 7:30pm 7:30pm 11:00pm Saturday Sunday 9:00am 1:00pm 1:00pm 5:00pm 5:00pm 9:00pm

2.1.2

Breaks:

All time spent away from your booth must be accounted for, and breaks are no exception. Abuse of breaks could result in a loss of pay for any time exceeding the allocated break time. There are two types of breaks: the 15-minute break which is paid, and the 30-minute break which is unpaid. Breaks cannot be taken in the first or last 30 minutes of your shift; they cannot be combined and must be taken at least half an hour apart. When taking a 30-minute break, please make sure to log it appropriately and inform your supervisor when you leave and return. If you are extending your shift, (e.g. doing a walkin), breaks you take must follow all policies in terms of frequency and length. When you are on break you must leave the call centre so as to avoid distracting other employees. If you are using the break room please throw out your garbage and clean up after yourself. There is a telephone located in the staff kitchen for outgoing personal calls. Please be courteous to fellow interviewers and keep your calls short (approximately 2 minutes). Below is an outline of what break options you have depending on the shifts you are working. If you are in for any one shift: One 15-minute break If you are in for any two consecutive shifts: Two 15-minute breaks or One 15-minute break and one 30-minute lunch If during the week you work from 8-7:30 or 12-11: Three 15-minute breaks or 5

Two 15-minute breaks and one 30-minute break (If this option is selected, the 30-minute break must be taken during the longer portion of the shift.)

If on the weekend you work from 9-9: Four 15-minute breaks or Two 15-minute breaks and one 30-minute break or One 15-minute break and two 30 minute breaks 2.1.3 Pauses

There are various types of pause, including; Water pause, Washroom pause, Human Resources Request, Supervisor Request, Monitor Request, Scheduler Request, Boardroom Training, Hardware problems, and Software problems. When going to place yourself on pauses, you must log the pauses accurately, be careful to select the correct pause type. You may not use these pauses to do as otherwise intended. If frequent or unexplained long pauses occur, it will result in an infraction. 2.1.4 Arriving at work

We suggest that you arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of your shift. This allows you to get a drink of water, find out what study you are working on, what booth youve been assigned and to review the study you are working on. You must be sitting in your booth and ready to work at the start of your shift. 2.1.5 Electronic Time Card Opinion Search Inc. has a digital sign-in system called Electronic Time Card which will adjust your timecard if you are late for a shift, log out early or if you stay late to help out on a project. You are allotted time to run through test-mode the first time you are on a project. If you run through test-mode on a project you have already been on before, you should finish test-mode before the start of your scheduled shift or you may be considered late. 2.1.6 Cancellation of Shifts by Opinion Search Inc.

In situations where Opinion Search Inc. has to cancel shifts, you will be notified 24 hours in advance. Do not assume your shift was cancelled unless you receive an e-mail or a phone call directly from us. If you have unreliable roommates/family members, a continuously busy contact number, or do not have an answering machine, we cannot take responsibility for confirmations or cancellations you do not receive. For your own convenience, we require your email address, which will be used for work related communication such as confirmations and cancellations. 2.1.7 Cancellation of Shifts by Interviewers

In order to cancel a scheduled shift you must speak with the Supervisors. All cancellations are recorded in your file and may adversely affect your eligibility for raises and promotions. Any messages left on voicemail or sent through e-mail are not accepted as notice of cancellation. Please ensure that you speak with a supervisor in order to ensure that your cancellation has been received. Messages left on the 2

schedulers voicemail (or via e-mail), receptions general voicemail or the Supervisor general voicemail regarding cancellations will not be forwarded or responded to.

2.2 Behaviour Staff members are expected to be courteous and respectful to fellow staff at all time. At Opinion Search Inc. we like to ensure a pleasant work environment for our staff. You will be expected behave in a professional manner while in the building (e.g. no swearing, running, etc). 2.2.1 Dress Code

Clothing worn must be appropriate for a business environment. It is important that if a client visits the office, that our staff appears professional at all times. It will be at Managements discretion to determine what is appropriate, and supervisors have the authority to send you home if your attire is deemed inappropriate. Please familiarize yourself with the following dress code policies: no hats can be worn while at work no sunglasses jeans are acceptable as long as they are clean and neat no ripped or torn clothing shoes must be worn at all times no rude or offensive clothing 2.2.2 Dos & Donts Do Have drinks at your desk if in a spillproof container (e.g. travel mug or water bottle) to ensure that there is no spillage on the computer equipment Keep your work area clean and free of clutter Respect the equipment policies (see Equipment section 2.2.3 ) Use cell phones while on break, in appropriate areas ( e.g. break room or outside) Have your access card on you at all times Do Not Have food in a booth, as it creates an unsanitary work space that is shared with others Read personal items in a booth Willfully damage company property Have personal electronic devices such as iPods or cell phone at your booth in the call centre, washroom and hallway Remove notices that are posted in booths and on bulletin boards

2.2.3

Equipment Policy

Telephone Equipment All phone cords and headsets must stay in the booth to which they have been assigned All phone cords and headsets must be connected to the telephone at all times All phone or headset problems should be reported to your supervisor immediately Computer Equipment and Furniture Defacing, vandalizing, or otherwise damaging any company property will result in immediate termination Chairs are to stay in the booth to which they have been assigned 2.2.4 Zero Tolerance Policy for Harassment

Opinion Search Inc. is committed to providing a positive and productive workplace free of harassment. If any Employee has concerns about the conduct or nature of others in the workplace, please contact a member of the Human Resource department. This policy applies to all employees of the company regardless of full-time, part-time or interviewer status. Harassment includes engaging in any course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome and includes: verbal abuse or threats; unwelcome remarks, jokes, innuendoes or taunting; displaying pornographic or other offensive or derogatory pictures; practical jokes which cause awkwardness or embarrassment; unwelcome invitations or requests, whether indirect or explicit, or intimidation; leering; unnecessary physical contact such as touching, patting, pinching, punching; and physical assault. The procedure for pursuing a harassment complaint is as follows: Speak with either a Manager or Human Resources Representative immediately. Ask to fill out a Dispute Resolution Request Form. Attach extra paper if needed, submitting your concerns in writing Be as detailed as possible in your report The procedure for investigating and responding to a harassment complaint is as follows: All disputes are handled by a senior member of the Human Resources department. Disputes are dealt with immediately, and a verbal communication is made in a timely fashion Confidentiality of the complaint and the information within it will be maintained. In cases where a third party (such as the accused) needs to be contacted, the employee will be informed in advance whenever possible.

It is important to note that discrimination does not have to be intentional for it to be in contravention of the Human Rights Act. It is the effect on the individual that matters. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure that our work environment is free from all types of harassment. Employees found to have breached our Zero Tolerance policy on harassment will face disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment without notice. 2.3 Quality Opinion Search Inc. is a well-known, well-respected firm in the industry because we have high standards and follow well-defined guidelines. The strict guidelines, rules, and regulations that govern market research must be followed consistently in order to ensure client satisfaction. 2.3.1 Monitoring

You will be monitored and your calls may be recorded as part of our quality control program. Opinion Search Inc. makes every effort to ensure that our interviewing staff, respondents, and where appropriate, international research participants are advised of call monitoring and/or audio taping procedures. You will be required to obtain the research participants consent for the call audio taping. Monitoring is an integral part of the interviewing and market research process. It has two main functions: Validation of surveys to ensure accuracy and quality data is being collected Ensure compliance of our quality standards and evaluate your skills in order to provide feedback, coaching and assessments (including training recommendations) Feedback on your quality of work will be provided on an ongoing basis in person or on the Interviewer Portal. You are required to meet the standards set out below. If you have any questions regarding the quality guidelines (see Interviewer Training Manual for more details), please feel free to speak to a member of the monitoring team. Each interviewer is evaluated on 8 specific areas: Sample Management Introduction Rapport Survey Management Verbatim Probing Clarifying Open-Ends 2.3.2 First 3 Reports

New employees are given three rookie monitoring reports, generally issued within the probationary period. This is done to ensure that the guidelines are being followed and that any questions or issues the 5

employee may have are addressed as soon as possible. Infractions issued on the first three reports are not active on an employees file, and are given as feedback, unless they are one of the following major subcategories: Rude to the respondent Uses profanity Receiving one of these infractions is cause for immediate termination. Reactivations (previous employees) are not eligible for the three rookie reports, unless they did not receive them prior to leaving the company. 2.3.3 Evaluation

Monitors will assess if you are or are not following each subcategory. If you are following a subcategory they will indicate this with a y on the monitoring report. If you are not following one, several, or all of the guidelines, this will be indicated with an x for every subcategory in which you make a mistake. An n indicates that a particular subcategory was not applicable on a given report. Please see the Market Research Interviewer Training Manual for a list of what constitutes as minor or major offence. Please refer to section 2.5.1 for further details on the warning levels. 2.3.4 Recordings

Opinion Search records the calls and completions that you make during your shifts and feedback or infractions are then issued to you, either in person or electronically through your crew log-in page. You are required to acknowledge any electronic reports that have been issued to you before you schedule again. 2.3.5 101 classes

If you find yourself struggling in any area of the quality guidelines, you have the option of taking an unpaid 101 class. The purpose of these classes is to provide you with the information that can help you to do your job better. Please check with a monitor for the category and the 101 class schedule. You may then schedule the class with the scheduler. Improving Your Minor Record You have the ability to remove a minor infraction from your record by attending and passing an unpaid 101 class in the category of the minor you would like to remove. Stipulations are as follows: Maximum of 5 minors can be removed per calendar year Only minors can be removed. You may only remove one minor per category per calendar year (e.g. 1 for probing, 1 for clarifying, etc.) You will only be eligible to remove minors with a 101 class if you are below the Verbal Warning level.

Verbal Warnings and Zero Tolerance Once youve reached the Verbal Warning level, you are strongly advised to take a 101 class, but it is optional. If you receive a Zero Tolerance, however, a 101 class in the category of the infraction is mandatory and is paid. To find out which 101 class you are eligible for, please check with a member of the monitoring department. 2.4 Productivity Productivity is based on the number of surveys you complete per hour, in comparison to the average of the group. To calculate your Productivity Rating, your individual Interviewer Completion Rate is compared to the Overall Completion Rate for all interviewers working on the same project. This is done for each individual project. The formula is as follows:

Productivity Rating = Interviewer Completion Rate/ Overall Completion Rate

A Productivity Rating of 1.0 means that on average you had completion rates that were right in line with the average number of completions by all interviewers. A Productivity Rating below 1.0 means that you had a lower productivity than the average. A Productivity Rating above 1.0 means that you had a higher productivity than the average.

Each month, a productivity report will be posted on the bulletin board near the supervisor station in Ottawa, and in the kitchen in Montreal. This report shows how well individual interviewers are performing in comparison to the rest of the group for projects worked throughout the month. If you are unclear on how to read the results, ask your Supervisor to explain. A Supervisor or Human Resources representative will meet with you privately if your productivity is an area of concern. 2.5 Progressive Discipline Process Behaviour, attendance, quality, etc. are demonstrated in Opinion Search Inc. by compliance with policies and procedures as outlined in this manual. These guidelines have been developed to promote efficient and effective operations; they define what Opinion Search Inc. considers to be reasonable expectations and compliance is expected. When these guidelines are not respected, the following progressive discipline process will be applied. 2.5.1 Description of Warning Levels

Opinion Search Inc. subscribes to the principal of progressive discipline in situations that affect the work environment. Our Discipline Process has several different possible warning levels. They are as follows: Verbal Warning This is the first level of formal warning, where you will be notified that your actions are unacceptable and then explained the consequences if such actions continue. 7

Written Warning This warning level is applicable to the discipline process for Productivity, where an account of the area of concern is documented, and you must sign the warning to acknowledge it was received. Once again, the consequences if this should continue will be explained verbally. Zero Tolerance This is the final level of warning for all processes and you will be explained that if another occurrence arises, your employment with Opinion Search Inc. will be terminated for cause. You must sign this warning to acknowledge it was received. If you refuse to sign the warning, you will not be permitted to work until you have signed the warning that was issued to you. All warnings are dated and recorded in your file to indicate a potential problem, and will be stored in your physical file. Unless otherwise specified, all warnings remain in effect for 350 working hours. Warnings are issued within 5 business days of your next scheduled shift by a senior staff member. The following describes the process for each different areas of discipline: 2.5.2 Attendance

Since you are given the opportunity to book your own shifts, we have a low tolerance for attendance infractions. Below is a list of attendance infractions to avoid: Late: You sign in after the start of your scheduled shift. Left Early: You do not work your full scheduled shift. Cancellation With Notice: You call to inform the supervisors that you are unable to work, giving more than 24 hours before the start of the shift in question. Cancellation Without Notice: You call in to inform the supervisors that you are unable to work, giving less than 24 hours before the start of the shift in question. No Show: You do not report to work nor do you call to cancel. This should never happen unless it is completely out of your control. You are expected to give us a call if you are unable to make a scheduled shift. Infraction No Show Cancelled without notice Cancelled with notice Late/Left Early Demerit(s) 4 3 2 1

The following is an outline of the actions that will be taken with regard to attendance: 1. Once 8 demerits are reached within 350 hours of work, a Verbal Warning is issued. 2. Any attendance infraction while on Verbal Warning will result in a Zero Tolerance being issued. 3. If the situation occurs again while on Zero Tolerance, your employment will be terminated for cause. Please note that an attendance infraction can be removed if a medical note is submitted for the date(s) of the infraction(s). Medical notes should be submitted to the Human Resources department or supervisors as soon as possible. Please note that prescriptions will not be accepted and any medical notes can be 8

verified at the discretion of the Human Resources department, and the infraction will stand until said note has been verified. 2.5.3 Behaviour

At Opinion Search Inc. we expect a high level of professionalism from our employees, and monitor their adherence to our behavioural policies. Infractions can be issued for such things as having food or non-spill proof cup at booth, break/pause abuse, cell phone use, etc. Below is a list of the type of behaviour infractions to avoid: Professional Behaviour: Interviewer does not adhere to a code of conduct that sets to achieve the vision and goals of the company. Pause/Break Abuse: See section 2.1.2 and 2.1.3 Call-Centre Policies: See section 2.2.2 Dos & Donts. Dress Code Policies: See section 2.2.1-Dress Code Scheduling Insufficient Hours: See section 2.1 Infraction Professional Behaviour Pause/Break Abuse Call-Centre Policies Dress Code Scheduling Insufficient Hours Demerit(s) 4 3 2 1 1

The following is an outline of the actions that will be taken with regard to behaviour: 1. Once 8 demerits are reached within 350 hours of work, a Verbal Warning is issued. 2. Any behaviour infraction while on Verbal Warning will result in Zero Tolerance being issued. 3. If the situation occurs again while on Zero Tolerance, your employment will be terminated for cause. 2.5.4 Quality

At Opinion Search Inc., interviewers are expected to adhere to all market research principles; you can find the quality guidelines in the Interviewer Training Manual. Infractions are valid for the subsequent 350 hours from the report in which the infractions were issued. Infraction Minor Major Demerit(s) 1 5

The following is an outline of the actions that will be taken with regard to quality: 1. Once 10 demerits are reached within 350 hours of work, a Verbal Warning is issued. 2. Once 15 demerits are reached, a Zero Tolerance Warning will be issued. 3. Once 20 demerits are reached, your employment will be terminated for cause. 9

2.5.5

Productivity

Warnings are issued to Interviewers who have not met the minimum monthly required productivity rating of 0.86. If you do not meet these requirements, you will be issued a warning. The following is an outline of the actions that will be taken in regards to behaviour. 1. If you fail to meet a monthly rate of 0.86, you will be issued a Verbal Warning. You then have the next 15 shifts to obtain an average rate of 0.9 or higher for those 15 shifts alone, and if this is obtained, you will no longer be on warning. 2. If you fail to reach a rate of 0.90 for these 15 shifts, you will be issued a Written Warning. You then have the next 10 shifts to obtain an average rate of 0.9 or higher for those 10 shifts alone, and if this is obtained, you will no longer be on warning. 3. If you fail to reach a rate of 0.90 for these 10 shifts, you will be issued a Zero Tolerance. You then have the next 5 shifts to obtain an average rate of 0.9 or higher for those 5 shifts alone, and if this is obtained, you will no longer be on warning. 4. If you fail to reach a rate of 0.90 for these 5 shifts, your employment will be terminated for cause. 2.6 Rewards 2.6.1 Rewards Points

This program uses pre-paid credit cards where one point is equal to $1. You must accumulate a minimum of 50 points before ordering a $50 prepaid credit card.* The points can be redeemed at increments of $50, $75 or $100. The cards function like any credit card and can be used at a select group of retail and travel suppliers. In order to redeem your points you must sign in to your account on the Interviewer Portal and click on the Withdraw Points tab found on the Rewards page.** Note: Human Resources will attempt to contact you when your points have arrived. If you do not pick up your prepaid credit card within the following three weeks of their arrival your points will be forfeited. * If an employees file is deactivated before meeting the minimum amount ($50), they will forfeit any accumulated points. ** If an employees file is deactivated while between stages, they forfeit their points accumulated past the lowest stage previously reached ( e.g. 68 points accumulated; only $50 card will be issued at employees request). The employee has 30 days after their last day of work to redeem their points, after which any unredeemed points are forfeited. Reward points are earned by achieving a pre-set target in different areas such as productivity. From time to time we will also reward points for taking initiative by staying late or working extra weekend shifts to help meet our field requirements. Specific points will be awarded as follows: 10 points to all interviewers who achieve a 1.10 to 1.19 for the month (employee must work on the phones for a minimum of 64 hours that month to qualify) 10

25 points to all interviewers who achieve a 1.20 or above for the month (employee must work on the phones for a minimum of 64 hours that month to qualify) 2.6.2 Referral Bonus

Any field staff member who refers a new employee to Opinion Search Inc. will receive a $50 referral bonus added to their paycheque. The new employee must work a minimum of 200 hours in order for the referral bonus to be issued. You must still be an active employee after the referral has worked the required hours in order to qualify for the referral bonus. If you refer a former employee, you will not be eligible for the referral bonus. 2.7 Performance evaluation Opinion Search Inc. values performance that supports efficient and effective operations. We have designed our compensation structure around these key areas: Productivity, Quality, Attendance, Behaviour and Loyalty. An evaluation will take place at increments of 500 hours worked as an interviewer. Eligibility for pay increase and / or rewards will be granted based on your performance throughout the last 500 hours. You will meet with a Human Resources representative in a structured meeting to review your performance, and to set goals and expectations for the next 500 hour period. This is an opportunity for you to discuss any questions, concerns or ideas and for the Human Resources representatives to provide valuable feedback and guidance. 2.7.1 Increases

At the end of the Performance Review period, you may be eligible for an hourly rate increase of 25 cents per hour or 50 cents per hour, depending on your individual Productivity Rating. Eligibility for increases is based strictly on Productivity Rating as follows: Rate 1.20 plus 1.00 to 1.19 Below 1.00 2.7.2 Reward Points Opinion Search Inc. recognizes that the longer you are employed by us, the more developed and therefore valuable your skills are. We encourage you to remain with us and reward those who do with a Loyalty Reward. This reward is awarded at each 500-hour evaluation once a minimum of 1500 hours has been worked; eligibility for this Loyalty Reward is calculated on total number of hours worked for Opinion Search Inc.. Reward Points can be tracked on your interviewer portal. The amount of reward points are distributed as follows: Loyalty Rewards Increase 50 cents 25 cents 0 cents

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Total Hours 7,500 + 5,000 to 7,499 3,000 to 4,999 1,500 to 2,999

Reward Points 100 60 45 30

2.7.3

Warnings

There are decrease levels connected to violations of policies and procedures established by Opinion Search Inc.. All warnings given for attendance, behaviour and/or quality will negatively impact your eligibility for a pay increase and/or loyalty reward. Below describes severity upon which your remuneration will be affected. Decrease Level Warning Level

3 Zero Tolerance 1 Verbal Warning Decrease levels first affect the pay increase and then the loyalty rewards. For example, if you have earned an increase of 25 cents, but have also earned a verbal warning, the increase will be reduced by one level to 0 cents.
Performance
Increase Productivity

Average Productivity Rating 1.20+

Increase

50 cents 25 cents 0 cents

1.07

$0.25

1.00 to 1.19 below 1.00

Administrative Information

3.1 Grievances Purpose Grievances help to establish a procedure for the fair, orderly and speedy resolutions of disputes that sometimes arise between staff members. Regular and forthright communication between employees and supervisors reduces the likelihood of the need for more formal review and is in the mutual best interest of all. You should bring any work-related problems to the attention of a supervisor as soon as possible in order to find an effective solution in a 12

timely manner. Should informal attempts at resolution not be satisfactory, then and only then, may you utilize this grievance procedure. Application Grievances are used to review any alleged violation or misapplication of company policies or rules pertaining to: Application of Pay Review process Application of disciplinary decision which results in a warning Complaints based on environmental or health/safety related issues Termination of employment for cause Process The grievance must be made in writing and signed by you then submitted to the immediate supervisor of the most senior employee involved in the incident within five working days. Step I The Field Manager and/or a member of the Human Resources Department will review all relevant documents and/or materials and interview all parties individually to determine the facts (within two working days of the presentation of the grievance). The immediate supervisor will make a decision based on the submissions of all parties and will issue a written report, which will be attached to the original complaint. If the issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of all parties, a referral will be made to Step II. Step II The Senior Human Resources Coordinator will review the file including the decision of the immediate supervisor. The purpose of the review is to act as a final filter and determine if any biases, intentional or unintentional, influenced the decision. The Senior Human Resources Coordinator will look at issues including but not limited to the completeness of the file, credibility of witnesses, accuracy of statements and the appropriateness of the penalty imposed in relation to the offence while taking into consideration the documented history of the employment relationship. Final determination will be made in writing within two working days of referral. 3.2 Payroll

You will be paid every second Thursday. The cut-off for each pay-period is the end of the previous Saturday. As an example using the calendar to the left, all hours worked between Sunday, January 6th and Saturday, January 19th, would be paid out on the following week (pay day) Thursday, January 24th. Your first pay statement will be issued as a paper copy available on payday after 2:00pm from the Human Resources department and all subsequent pay statements will be available online.

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3.2.1

My ADP

Pay statements and T4s/R1s will be made available in digital format on the ADP website (http://my.adp.ca).You will be given information for accessing the system via email. 3.2.2 Direct Deposit

Opinion Search Inc. has made direct deposit a mandatory method of payment. You must provide direct deposit information at your orientation. If you dont, you will not be able to schedule shifts until we have received a copy of your direct deposit information. You will be asked to submit the information by the end of the next pay period, and a manual cheque will be available for pick up with the Human Resources department for the payment before the direct deposit information takes effect. 3.3 Health/Safety Fire Alarms During a fire drill, you are expected to exit the building in an orderly fashion; a supervisor will be there to guide you to safety. Ottawa employees are expected to meet at City Hall near the Laurier St. entrance and await further instructions. Montreal employees are expected to meet across the street from the building in the parking lot for the church and await further instructions. Cleanliness All booths must be left clean and clear of all unnecessary papers at the end of each shift. Disinfectant is available at the supervisor station. You are requested to disinfect your headset, phone and mouthpiece prior to each shift. If you have any concerns about the health and safety of your environment, please see a member of the Human Resources department. 3.4 Security Access Card The interviewer entrance must be kept closed at all times for security reasons. An access card is required to enter the office. You must have your access card visible at all times. You will be issued an access card within two weeks of your employment start date. The card is property of Opinion Search Inc. A $25 deposit will be deducted from your pay as a deposit for the access card. Should you lose your card, you must inform the Human Resources department immediately. Another deposit will be deducted from your pay to replace your card. The supervisors have the right to ask to see your card at any time and should you be unable to produce it, you may be issued a Call-Centre Policy infraction and you may be sent home immediately for violation of the security policy. You are required to have your access card and/or picture ID on you when in the building. You are to present this identification upon request from building security. Ottawa You should use the Opinion Search Inc. main entrance when entering the call centre at all times. This entrance is located on the ground floor (1st floor), in the North/West corner of the building on 14

Gloucester Street. All other doors in the building are automatically locked after 6:00 pm during the weekdays and all day on the weekends. It is against security policy to hold doors open to allow people entry into the building or use any type of object to prop open doors for re-entry. Montreal When you exit the elevator, you are to use the wooden door to access the call centre. You will have a second wooden door to go through that requires an access card to open. The glass doors are client doors and are not to be used at anytime during your shift. Security Cameras and Video Taping Some of our offices and facilities have videotaping cameras. These security cameras are installed in the building to ensure all security measures are followed. They are also used to identify persons and actions should any Opinion Search Inc. employee or client property be damaged or stolen, or should anything untoward happen to staff, visitors, or clients and/or their property. The offices of Opinion Search Inc. are located in public buildings and while we have put many systems and processes in place to ensure restricted access, we cannot guarantee nor do we take responsibility for lost or stolen items. 3.5 Termination of Employment Upon termination of your employment, a Record of Employment (ROE) will be accessible through Service Canada. 3.5.1 Voluntary We require two weeks written notice should you decide to terminate your employment. Upon termination of employment with Opinion Search inc., you must return your access card within one month after your last day of work in order to receive reimbursement for your deposit. After receipt of the access card, your reimbursement will be issued on the next scheduled pay date. Your last pay will continue to be through direct deposit. If you do not book shifts for three consecutive weeks, this will be considered a voluntary termination and you will no longer be an active employee. Weeks that an employee submits a schedule but receives no shifts will not count as failing to schedule. Refer to your employment contract for further details.

3.5.2

Involuntary

Depending on the severity of the offence, terminations may be handled with either immediate termination or a series of warnings with the final warning resulting in termination. The following is a nonexclusive list of examples of what constitutes a serious offence which will lead to the termination of employment for cause without notice and what will prompt an employee to receive a series of warnings. Immediate termination without warning: Falsifying data Insubordination Using profanity/being rude to a respondent or justified respondent complaint 15

Harassment of other employees, either verbal, physical, or sexual Theft of company or personal property Defacing of company property

Please note that a justified complaint will be defined as one where the interviewers call was handled in an unprofessional manner that reflects negatively on Opinion Search Inc, or one of our clients. Progressive System: Behaviour Quality Productivity Attendance Any decision for involuntary termination will be communicated to you within 5 business days. 3.5.3 Termination without Cause

As stated in your contract, you may be terminated without just cause. If you are terminated without just cause, then you will be entitled to the minimum applicable statutory notice. If you have any questions or require clarification of these actions, please speak with the Human Resources Coordinator. 3.5.4 Reactivations

Any decisions regarding the reactivation of an employee after termination are made on a case by case basis, at the discretion of the Human Resources department.

Glossary

4.1 Attendance Cancellation with notice: You call to inform the supervisors that you are unable to work, giving more than 24 hours before the start of the shift in question. Cancellation without notice: You call to inform the supervisors that you are unable to work, giving less than 24 hours before the start of the shift in question. Late: You sign in after the start of your scheduled shift. Left Early: You do not work your full scheduled shift. No Show: You do not report to work nor do you call to cancel. This should never happen unless it is completely out of your control. Please give us a call if you are unable to make a scheduled shift.

4.2 Behaviour Call-Centre Policies: See section 2.2.2 Dos & Donts. Insubordination: Failure or refusal to recognize or comply with directions from a supervisor, monitor, scheduler or field management. 16

Merit: Volunteer to help by actions such as staying late to help finish a project, or taking on extra shifts. Pause/Break Abuse: Goes over allotted break time, extended pauses, logs incorrect pauses. Professional Behaviour: Interviewer does not adhere to a code of conduct that sets to achieve the vision and goals of the company. Scheduling Insufficient Hours: Failure to meet the minimum scheduling requirements.

4.3 Human Resources Issues Harassment: Harassment includes engaging in any course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome and includes: o verbal abuse or threats; o unwelcome remarks, jokes, innuendoes or taunting; o displaying pornographic or other offensive or derogatory pictures; o practical jokes which cause awkwardness or embarrassment; o unwelcome invitations or requests, whether indirect or explicit, or intimidation; o leering or other gestures; o unnecessary physical contact such as touching, patting, pinching, punching; and o physical assault. Pay Date: This is the day upon which you will receive payments. This occurs every second Thursday, and your pay will be deposited into your account at the beginning of the day. Pay Period: This is the time period for which you will be getting paid on the following pay period. You will be paid for the full two weeks prior, starting on a Sunday and ending on the Saturday just before the pay date.

4.4 Interviewer Tools Interviewer Policy and Procedure Manual: This manual provides you with all the information that is needed to get you ready for the position of interviewer, and explain what is expected of you. Interviewer Portal: This is a website where you can log into your employee account. This site is where you would check your tier and request shifts for the upcoming week. Also on this portal, you will be able to view memos, track reward points and change your settings (email address, cancellation notification method or password). Interviewer Training Manual: This manual provides you with the information that you would need in day to day activities in your work tasks. The quality guidelines that you will need to adhere to will be described as well as instructions on scheduling and the computer software. Privacy & Survey Research Part Time Staff Briefing Manual: This manual provides all staff with information regarding privacy and legislation required to perform the tasks associated with conducting social and market research interviews.

4.5 Marketing Research Terminology Qualitative Research: This is commonly known as focus groups, where respondents come in to conduct either one on one or group research. This is not as representative of the population due to the lower amount of respondents, but answers are more in depth and detailed. 17

Quantitative Research: This is commonly known as surveys or interviews. These are questionnaires that are done over the phone by interviewers where significantly more respondents can be reached, however results are delivered to clients in a statistical and aggregated form.

4.6 Productivity Productivity Rate: Productivity is used to evaluate your performance in regards to how your peers are performing. Productivity is based on the number of surveys you complete per hour, in comparison to the average of the group. This is based on an average rate of 1.0. Tier: Tiers are based on your cumulative average productivity rate of the previous 4 weeks. This is updated once a week, and is available on your interviewer portal. It is used to determine when you are able to schedule for the upcoming week. The tiers are divided as follows: o Tier 1 : 1.20 and above o Tier 2: 1.00-1.19 o Tier 3: 0.80-0.99 o Tier 4: 0.79 and below

4.7 Quality Majors: Infraction given for all serious offenses in regards to quality standards while conducting a survey. Please consult your Training Manual for a description of such infractions. Minors: Infraction given when you fail to meet the quality standards while conducting a survey. Please consult your Training Manual for a description of such infractions.

4.8 Rewards Reward points: This is a program where you accumulate reward points. These can be tracked on the Interviewer Portal. 1 point is equal to 1$, and can be redeemed for a pre-paid credit card at increments of 50$, 75$ or 100$ using your interviewer portal. Decrease Level: These are levels that negatively affect your eligibility for a pay increase and/or Loyalty Reward. These decrease levels are accumulated by accruing warnings for Quality, Attendance or Behaviour. Please consult section 2.7.3 for a breakdown of how many decrease levels are associated with various warning levels. Performance Review: This occurs every 500 work hours you have completed. Each Performance review will assess your performance over the previous 500 hours based on Productivity, Quality, Attendance and Behaviour. This is used to determine if you are eligible for a pay increase and/or Loyalty Reward.

4.9 Warnings Automatic/Immediate Warning: This is a warning that is given on the first occurrence of an incident without prior infractions. This is applicable in the area of Productivity. Demerits: Each infraction is worth a certain amount of demerit points based on the severity of the infraction. These are points that accumulate into a warning level which are used in the discipline process for Attendance, Behaviour and Quality. Warning levels are based on the number of demerits you have accumulated in a 350 hour timeframe. 18

Infraction: A comment placed on an employee file noting a contravention of policy including the date, the abuse area and a brief summary of what was discussed. Infractions can be issued for contraventions in Attendance, Behaviour or Quality. Progressive Warning System: A system whereby warnings are issued for an accumulation of infractions/demerits. For example, an accumulation of 8 Attendance demerits would result in a Verbal Warning being issued. Verbal Warning: This is the first level of formal warning. You are notified that your actions are not acceptable and then explained the consequences if such actions continue. Written Warning: This warning level is applicable to the discipline process for Productivity, where an account of the area of concern is documented, and you must sign the warning to acknowledge it was received. Once again, the consequences if this should continue will be explained verbally. Zero Tolerance: This is the last level of warning for all processes. It is the final warning, and you will be explained verbally that if another occurrence arises, that their employment with Opinion Search Inc. will be Terminated For Cause. You must sign the warning to acknowledge it was received.

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