GMS Orientation Guide

Gilsanz Murray SteficekOrientation Guide

Welcome to Gilsanz Murray Steficek!

We hope that you find your first few days at the firm to be a positive

and enlightening experience.

Pursuing your career in a new environment can be a daunting and

sometimes overwhelming process, so we have compiled this packet

to help ease your transition.

In it, you will find a guide to the basics of employment at GMS, our

personnel policies, and other resources to help get you started in the

right direction.

If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask! We want to

make sure that you are fully equipped with all the information you

may need.

We wish you much success in all of your endeavors!

INTRODUCTION 1

ABOUT THE FIRM 2 What We Do Locations

PHILOSOPHY 3

CODE OF ETHICS 4The Fundamental Principles & Canons

THE BASICS 5Hours Payroll Leave DresscodeNew Employee Documents

COMPANY STRUCTURE 6

ACTIVITIES 7Lunch SeminarsHappy HoursEducation and Involvement

Contents

1 2 3OV

ER

VIE

W

NEW YORK 8Printers ScannersFax MachineKitchenOffice SuppliesLibraryCameras, Flashlights, and Tape Measures for Site Visits Recycling

USING THE TELEPHONES 12Setting Up a New Mailbox Changing Your Security Code and Name Recording Accessing Your Voicemail with the Office PhoneAccessing Your Voicemail Outside the OfficeReceiving CallsInter-Office CallsHolding a CallTransferring a CallConference CallBack Door Number

EMAIL WITH MICROSOFT OUTLOOK 14 Sending E-mail Writing E-mail The Master ListAdding ContactsE-mail OrganizationShortcuts/FavoritesDeleted ItemsSifting Through Spam and Junk MailSending Large Files and Setting Up an FTP SiteDrop BoxOther Ways of Organizing with OutlookChecking E-mail at Home

NEW

YO

RK

CO

MM

UN

ICA

TIO

N

4 5 6INTRODUCTION 18Introduction Network Backup Individual PC Workstations

NAVIGATING THE NETWORK 20 K Drive N Drive O Drive P Drive X Drive

CO

MPU

TER

& N

ETW

OR

KS

DELTEK TIMESHEET 22

EXCEL TIMESHEET 25

REQUESTING TIME OFF 25

FIRE 26Organization Chart for Fire Drill and Evacuation AssignmentFire Evacuation Plan

BURGLARIES AND TERRORISM THREATS

NY OFFICE LAYOUT AND EMERGENCY EXITS: FLOOR 4 29

NY OFFICE LAYOUT AND EMERGENCY EXITS: FLOOR 5 30

TRA

CK

ING

TIM

E

EM

ER

GEN

CY

IN

FOR

MA

TIO

N

1

1Overview

6

6Emergency Information

1

Introduction

Welcome to GMS. The GMS employee handbook includes the orientation guide, per-

sonnel policies, and job specific guide. Its intent is to establish the policies and practices

expected by the company of its employees, and to explain the resources that are avail-

able for the employee’s use.

The need for this document is in large part a result of the continuing success of this

company. When GMS was smaller, it was possible to disseminate the information con-

tained herewith by word of mouth. However, as the company has grown, it has become

apparent that there is a growing need for a medium such as this. When new employees

join the company, or when an established practice is changed, it is important to have a

reference document which collects a description of the company’s policies.

This manual should be treated as a living document, constantly under review and revi-

sion. There will undoubtedly be errors and omissions which will need correction. Please

keep it in a place where you can easily refer to it, and where you can update it as such

revisions are published.

Legally, we are required to state that there is no promise of any kind contained in this

manual. Regardless of what the manual says or provides, the employer promises nothing

and remains free to change wages and all other working conditions without having to

consult anyone and without anyone’s agreement. The employer is able to fire anyone

with or without good cause.

G I L S A N Z M U R R A Y S T E F I C E K

2

About the Firm

The partnership of Gilsanz Murray Steficek was formed in 1991 by Ramon Gilsanz, Philip

Murray and Gary Steficek to provide full structural engineering services. During that time

we have designed and managed many high profile projects and have grown to 65+ per-

son firm. The firm currently has six partners and grosses $12 million in fees and has won

over 300 awards. In the meantime, the firm has extended its service range to building

envelope design, blast control consulting and inspection and testing services.

WHAT WE DO

GMS provides structural engineering services for a wide range of new construction and

restoration projects. Our projects include tall office towers, theaters, housing, educa-

tional buildings, sports facilities and special structures. Renovation and rehabilitation are

a valued part of our practice. Our building envelope work (through our architectural divi-

sion) includes the design of new facades, roofs and waterproofing systems, construction

technology, and testing. Additionally, the firm offers special inspections, which is not

commonplace among engineering firms.

LOCATIONS

GMS is headquartered at 129 West 27th Street in New York City and maintains branch

offices at 744 Broad Street in Newark, NJ and 523 West Sixth Street in Los Angeles, CA.

Our New York and New Jersey offices form Gilsanz Murray Steficek, LLP, while our Cali-

fornia office is incorporated under Gilsanz Murray Steficek, Inc.

Each office’s contact information is as follows:

Gilsanz Murray Steficek, LLP 129 W 27th Street, 5th Floor New York, NY 10001 T (212) 254-0030 F (212) 477-5978

744 Broad Street, Suite 2060 Newark, NJ 07102 T (973) 273-0077 F (973) 273-0117

Gilsanz Murray Steficek, Inc.

523 West Sixth Street, Suite 810Los Angeles, CA 90014T (213) 943-4850F (213) 943-4851

3

O V E R V I E W

Philosophy

GMS’s fundamental philosophy is to produce a valuable product while maintaining re-

spect for the people involved, including clients, colleagues and the general public, where

a valuable product is one that is both safe and profitable, with primary emphasis on

safety.

GMS is committed to maintaining a high standard of ethical conduct and believes that

good business and sound ethics are complimentary and symbiotic. It is our goal to foster

an ethical climate that is conducive to morally responsible conduct. To that end it is our

intent to promote a combination of formal organization and policies, informal traditions

and practices, and personal attitudes and commitments that foster high standards of

excellence for our work and ethical commitment to the public good.

In pursuit of the above, we expect high standards from our employees in four funda-

mental areas: honesty, competence, diligence and loyalty, all of which are essential to

the company’s goals.

n Honesty, both in the negative sense of avoiding deception, and in the positive sense

of being candid in stating all relevant facts and in being truthful about how the facts

are interpreted.n Competence means being well trained and adequately experienced.n Diligence refers to carrying out tasks carefully and promptly.n Loyalty is serving the interests of both the company and our clients. That means

avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality, and in general showing

concern for the interests of the company and our clients.

GMS places a strong emphasis on providing high levels of service and standards in all of

the areas outlined above. We believe that this is key to both the professional and busi-

ness growth of the company as a whole and for the growth of the employees individually,

who are both the essential component of the company and ultimately its beneficiaries.


4

Code of Ethics

THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering pro-

fession by:.

n Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare;n Being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity the public, their employers and

clients;n Striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession; andn Supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.

THE FUNDAMENTAL CANONS

n Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the

performance of their professional duties.n Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.n Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.n Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful

agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interests.n Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and

shall not compete unfairly with others.n Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity

and dignity of the profession.n Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers and

shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers un-

der their supervision.

TAKEN FROM THE ACCREDITATION BOARD FOR ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

5

The Basics

Information from Personnel Policies is subject to change.

HOURS

The firm maintains standard business hours of 9 A.M. to 6 P.M., Monday through Friday

and employees are allotted an hour per day for lunch. Schedules are tracked via employ-

ee-submitted timesheets.

PAYROLL

Pay is provided on a bi-weekly basis and covers the previous two weeks. Please allow for

up to seven days after timesheets are submitted for payroll to be processed.

LEAVE

Vacation time is accrued at a rate of .833 days (6.67 hours) per completed month of em-

ployment from an employee’s first day of work, which totals approximately 10 days per

year. This amount increases after 5 and 10 years of service to 15 and 20 days, respectively.

Five days are allotted per year for paid sick or personal time off and may not be taken in

conjunction with vacation time.

DRESS CODE

The dress code is business casual; however, employees are expected to adhere to a business

dress code when occasion calls for it. GMS also maintains casual Fridays during the summer.

NEW EMPOLYEE DOCUMENTS

You’ve been hired, congratulations, and now its time to fill out some paper work. Below

is a list of forms that you have filled out recently or will be expected to fill out in the very

near future.

n Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification documents that you are eligible to

work in the country.n W-4 enables your employer, GMS, to withhold the correct federal income tax from

your payn Direct Deposit Authorization allows your pay check to be directly deposited to your bank.n Employee Acknowledgment of GMS Employee Handbook

O V E R V I E W


6

Company Structure

The management team is comprised of Partners, Principals, Associate Partners and Associ-

ates. They are responsible for strategic planning and project management. Their role as

mentors is especially important, as GMS does not hold a typical perspective concern-

ing work specialization. While other firms have employees that focus solely on specific

niches in the life cycle of a project, GMS believes that individually seeing a project through

from inception to completion enhances the professional development of our employees.

Our management reflects this perspective through its commitment to hands-on training

and open communication.

Our main divisions are Engineering, Architecture, Inspections, and Drafting. In terms of ad-

ministration, there are Accounting, Operations, Marketing, and Human Resource divisions.

MANAGEMENTPartnersPrinciples

Associate PartnersAssociates

EngineeringProject Engineers

Senior Engineers

Intern Engineers ArchitectureProject Architects

Senior Architects

Intern Architects

DraftingAccounting

Inspections

MarketingOperations

Human Resources

7

O V E R V I E W

Activities

LUNCH SEMINARS

Every so often, GMS hosts a lunch seminar on the fifth floor. At these get-togethers,

GMS usually provides a catered lunch. The seminars include topics concerning new de-

velopments and best practices. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended.

Employees who have an interesting topic that they would like to share are encouraged

to present their own seminars!

HAPPY HOURS

Each season, GMS hosts a happy hour at the office after work. Food and drinks are pro-

vided and they are great opportunities to relax and get to know everyone at the firm.

EDUCATION AND INVOLVEMENT

GMS is committed to getting involved in the community—Whether it be structural en-

gineering events or non-profit efforts, we try to stay informed and make a difference.

We like to encourage everyone to get involved in these efforts however they prefer, so

GMS maintains an education fund for employees who wish to continue their education or

attend seminars, in addition to sponsoring employees’ involvement in philanthropic work.

2

2New York

11

New York

PRINTERS

5TH FLOOR

n HP LaserJet 5200 Receptionn Copier on 5th—where large pdf files should be sent; is faster than Reception and can

print double-sided

4TH FLOOR

n HP LaserJet 5100 Architectn HP LaserJet 5200 Engineer

PRINTING IN COLOR

n HP Color LaserJet 5500 (on 4th)

SCANNERS

n The large scanner is on the 4th floor, opposite the drafting area—for all paper sizes;

can scan in colorn The Copier on 5th also scans—for 11x17 or letter sized paper; only black and white

scans. For detailed instructions on how to scan using the copier, refer to:

K:\Office Forms\scanguide.pdf.

*scanners are generally set to write files into the O:\SCANS folder. However, you can set them to write

directly into the network folder you are working in. Just be sure to set it back to the SCANS folder and

a generic file name (e.g. “scan”) when you are finished so that nobody accidentally overwrites your files

or saves to a random location in the network!