Maryland Judicial Center Handbook

Maryland Judicial Center Handbook

MARYLAND JUDICIAL CENTER HANDBOOK

187 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401

The Maryland Judicial Center Handbook Guidelines for our open, collaborative workplace

This handbook, developed by a team of employees who are dedicated to deriving maximum benefit from our new building, outlines important considerations regarding etiquette and professionalism at the Maryland Judicial Center (MJC). Many are common sense expectations that, when met, greatly enhance our overall work experience. The new MJC, located at 187 Harry S. Truman Parkway in Annapolis, brings together under one roof, the District Court Headquarters and most of the Administrative Office of the Courts, which enhances opportunities for collaborative engagement at a highly professional level. This new building is state- of-the-art and is designed to maximize the value that the Judiciary places on efficiency, effectiveness, productivity, safety, and professionalism. All employees share in our collective responsibility to uphold these values in our daily work. The MJC is more than just a workplace. It is a destination for judges, magistrates, judiciary employees, justice partners, and other stakeholders attending meetings, educational conferences, retreats, training programs, and other events. It is a place for teamwork, collaborative problem-solving, creativity, and innovation. It is a place for building camaraderie and promoting a sense of satisfaction regarding the important work we do together every day to support the Judiciary in its mission to provide fair, efficient, and effective justice for all. Those of us who work at the MJC may, at any time, have opportunities to engage with judges and other officials at the highest levels of the justice system and other branches of government. Thus, we must

project always, and in every area of the building, a sense of professionalism and self-awareness. This extends to the care that must be taken to make sure that our workspaces, meeting rooms, and common areas are maintained in a way that reflects positively upon the Judiciary and supports productive professional interactions among colleagues. Scope ������������������������������������������������������ 2 General workplace etiquette ������������� 2 Spaces ������������������������������������������������������ 4 Gym ���������������������������������������������������������� 9 Building hours, health screenings, and security �������������������������������������������� 9 FAQs ������������������������������������������������������� 10

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A. Scope This document is organized to provide guidance regarding the workspaces, shared spaces, services, and technologies available to you and how to best utilize these in the workplace. The building has been designed to support various functions of Judiciary business and the space is intended to balance a variety of work patterns. B. General workplace etiquette

1. Health and Wellness

a. Please be aware of how your health, hygiene, and habits affect those around you in the workplace. Do not report to work if you are sick. b. Please be mindful that the MJC is a shared space: if at any time during the day you are feeling unwell or believe you may be contagious, speak with your supervisor to determine if you should go home. c. Please only use the sanitizing wipes provided by Facilities Administration (Facilities) or a damp cloth to keep offices clean. Sanitizing wipes can be found in all kitchens, supply and copy rooms, conference and training rooms. Please leave all containers of wipes in their designated areas for all to use.

d. Kitchens, coffee stations, and sanitizing wipes are re-stocked weekly on each floor.

e. Strong smells in open spaces including, but not limited to, strong perfumes or colognes, foods, and air deodorizers should be avoided. f. Cigarettes and smoking/vaping devices are to be used only outside at least 50 feet away from the building in designated smoking areas. Cigarettes are to be disposed of in the appropriate, designated receptacles. Please refer to the Administrative Order Pertaining to Smoking in Judicial Branch Facilities for additional information. g. First Aid Kits are available in the central supply room on each floor and in the catering room on the first floor.

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2. Noise and Distraction a. Be aware of your noise level and remember, if you can hear other people, they can hear you. Keep in mind that everyone’s threshold for noise/distraction is different. Engage your colleagues politely with any concerns you may have related to noise or other distractions. b. We should all attempt to reduce background noise in the office by practicing the following: i. Turn cell phone sounds to vibrate, silent, or low volume (ringer, notifications, touch sounds). ii. Turn desk phones to a low ring tone and place on “Do Not Disturb” when out of the office. iii. Only use speakerphones behind closed doors. iv. Mute audio sounds on laptops, computers, and other electronics. Use headphones if needed. c. Sound masking audio levels will be reviewed on a quarterly basis and adjusted if needed. Facilities can adjust sound masking for specific meetings if needed.

3. Tidiness

a. It is important to work together to keep shared spaces clean and to maintain a tidy work surface.

b. Please be courteous and ensure that the shared spaces are well maintained and clean for the next user. Please wipe down the counter space and kitchen appliances after use. c. Care should be taken to avoid damage to the furniture, floor, carpet, walls, and equipment. Please clean up crumbs, spills, and dirty dishes. Food scraps should be disposed of in designated trash rooms. d. Window blind louvers can be opened and closed to filter light, but blinds should not be raised or lowered. Blinds should always be lowered as close to the windowsills as possible. e. File storage is finite. Therefore, teams are limited to using their assigned storage cabinets. Adopt a "paper-light" way of working and regularly clean out your desk and shared team storage areas. f. Interoffice mail (within the building) should be hand-delivered to the mail bins in the central mailroom on each floor or delivered directly to the individual or department. The mail courier delivery services are for mail delivery outside of the building.

g. For safety reasons, walkways must be clear of all items.

h. Some of the workspaces have whiteboards. Please remember to erase and clean your white board periodically with the supplies provided by Facilities.

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i. If there is a significant spill or any damage to the working area, immediately report that to Facilities at 410-260-1577. j. Any safety concerns should be reported to the Security Administration (Security) at 410-260-2525. The contact number

for the Security desk is on the sticker on your desk phone.

4. Visitors and Guests

a. There is a visitor's log located on the first floor of the MJC at the security desk. Visitors and guests who are going to secure areas in the building must sign in and receive a visitor’s badge. The visitor's log includes the date, name, phone number, and department of the person visited, and time in and time out. b. All visitors and guests who are going to secure areas in the building must always be escorted during their visit. Visitors must return their badge when leaving the building.

c. Judiciary employees should inform guests about building and office etiquette as needed.

C. Spaces

1. Workstations and Offices

a. Live plants (except for fresh cut flowers), fish tanks, aquariums, and other similar items are prohibited in the building.

b. Small, artificial, desk-size plants are permitted with the understanding that the individual will keep them dusted and maintained. Large artificial plants larger than 12 inches are prohibited.

c. Outside or personal furniture that was not purchased by the Judiciary is prohibited in the building.

d. Eating and drinking are permitted throughout the building. All containers must have a secure lid while in transit and while in conference and training rooms.

e. Nothing should be taped to building surfaces.

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f. Holiday decorations and artificial trees are allowed but must be removed once the holiday season ends. For example, employees cannot bring trees into the office or workstation before December 1st and must remove them by December 31st. Trees cannot be taller than 4 feet and should not restrict movement within the individual work area. i. Seasonal decorations are allowed but they must adhere to all guidelines in subsection C. (Example: a string of lights is a non-work-related item and may not be plugged into the workstation electrical outlets, and decorations may not be taped or tacked to glass and building surfaces). g. Please do not plug non-work-related items into the workstation electrical outlets. Space heaters, large or standing fans, radios, personal coffee machines, cup warmers, air fresheners, string lights, etc., are prohibited. h. Please utilize the fabric boards with office tacks to display items in workstations. Items should be work appropriate and refrain from being offensive or vulgar in nature. Do not use tape. i. A clear, clutter-free, visual sightline should be maintained by keeping the workstation free of items and boxes. This includes the glass and floor space.

j. No items should be placed on top of the workstations or file cabinets.

2. Conference Rooms

a. Use Outlook or Room Wizard to reserve conference rooms.

b. If a meeting time changes, revise the reservation as soon as possible. c. Be mindful of meeting times/duration to enable others to use the meeting rooms. d. If the room is not occupied within 15 minutes of the start time on the Room Wizard, the room may be released for other users.

e. Desk pads should be used by each meeting participant.

f. Coasters should be used for drinks.

g. At the end of the meeting, the host must ensure that the space is reset and ready for the next user. This includes: i. Erasing the white board; ii. Cleaning and returning coasters and desk pads to the credenza, if available; iii. Wiping off the equipment keyboards;

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iv. Cleaning furniture surfaces with the wipes provided; and, v. Returning furniture to its original position.

h. Catering is available for meetings that meet the requirements stated in the Policy and Procedures on Catering Requests. i. Training rooms can be reserved for gatherings (i.e. holiday parties, retirement parties). Noise levels should be monitored so as not to interfere with surrounding rooms. The room must be completely cleaned, surfaces wiped down, and trash placed in the appropriate receptacles after the event.

j. Room Wizard devices should not be covered up with paper, signs, or any other items.

3. Kitchen

a. General i. Everyone shares in the responsibility to keep the kitchens sanitary and well maintained. ii. Facilities provides coffee for the air pots, creamer, sugar, cups, cup stirrers, utensils, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, dry cloths, sponges, and hand/dish soap. iii. Kitchen and building supplies are re-stocked at least weekly. There should not be a need to take kitchen and building supplies from one floor to another. iv. Re-stock kitchen supplies as needed from the stock maintained in the kitchen cabinets. When the back-up supplies are low, floor liaisons should notify Facilities. v. When making coffee, only one (1) coffee pack should be used per carafe. A Keurig coffee maker is also available in each kitchen for those people who prefer different flavors or stronger coffee.

b. Refrigerators i. Employees should store food and lunches only in the refrigerators on their assigned floor. ii. Each floor is responsible for preparing and maintaining a refrigerator cleaning schedule. iii. Refrigerators should be cleaned at least monthly in accordance with the schedule. iv. Employees should label personal items and remove items that may be thrown away. I. Items should be labeled with the employee’s name or initials and the date the item was placed in the refrigerator. II. Lunch containers should be labeled and taken home daily.

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v. Condiments will be removed after the expiration date. vi. All unmarked items without an expiration date will be thrown away. vii. Items that are expired and/or moldy will be thrown away. c. Sink i. The area around the sink should be wiped down after use. ii. Dishes should not be left in the sink. iii. The drain should be clear of food particles after use.

d. Cabinets/Drawers i. Cabinets and drawers should be free of crumbs, coffee grounds, empty boxes, and wrappers and should always be kept tidy. e. Counter Space and Lunch Tables i. Counter space and lunch tables should be kept clear of personal items. ii. Food and drink residue or spills should be immediately cleaned. The users are responsible for wiping down the table where they lunched. iii. Lunch tables, when available, are for shared use and cannot be marked as “reserved” for any group or event.

f. Appliances i. Each kitchen has at least one microwave, plumbed/dedicated water line, coffee maker (including a Keurig), water cooler, and toaster oven. All appliances must be kept clean and turned off when not in use. ii. Appliances should not be left unattended when in use.

iii. Please note: K-cups are not supplied by Facilities. iv. There is an industrial-sized ice machine located in the catering room on the first floor. Employees are encouraged to use the ice buckets provided by Facilities to store ice in the freezer on their floor as needed. v. Signs should not be taped or posted on appliances or in the kitchen area.

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g. Trash/Recycling i. Each floor has a designated trash room that includes trash cans, recycling bins, a broom, and a dustpan. ii. Please recycle, whenever possible. Recycling guidelines are located near the recycling bins for reference. I. Mixed paper recycling - Please dispose of paper in the recycle bins rather than in the trash. II. Trash recycling - Please empty and rinse all containers that are placed in the recycle bins.

4. Other Shared Spaces

a. Bathrooms i. Please be courteous and check that the facilities are well maintained and cleaned for the next user. ii. Hand dryers and paper towels are provided by cleaning services. iii. Signs and notices should not be taped or posted in the bathrooms or on the stall doors. iv. Perfumes and sprays should not be stored or used in the bathroom. v. Personal hygiene products should be placed in appropriate receptacles.

b. Supply and Copy Rooms i. Please note that it is everyone’s responsibility to maintain the supply levels. The copier paper trays should be refilled as needed, especially after large print jobs. ii. Copier toner should be refilled when the notification is displayed. iii. Compact shred bins are provided. Existing shredders may be used. Empty the collection bag when it is full and pick up the shred bits that fall on the floor. Dust Busters are provided for cleanup.

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c. Additional Shared Spaces i. Additional shared spaces include but are not limited to: ii. Coffee stations which are located on the Judicial College floors; iii. Seating areas; iv. Second floor lunch area; v. A Personal Care Room is available on the first floor for use as a Mother's Room, for prayer, or other authorized use. Please limit the time to the authorized need. The room should be reserved through Room Wizard; and vi. An outside pavilion behind the building.

D. Gym The gym located at 187 Harry S. Truman Parkway is owned and operated by the landlord, St. John Properties, and is available for the exclusive use of the tenants of the Annapolis Corporate Park Complex. The rules and regulations established by St. John Properties allow Maryland Judiciary employees designated to the Annapolis Corporate Park Complex to use the gym facilities during designated hours only. The Judiciary does not operate or monitor the gym, and neither requires nor encourages nor discourages employees’ use of the gym. An employee who chooses to use the gym must do so on his or her own time and risk and must follow and abide by any rules, regulations, and hours set by St. John Properties for use of the gym. Any questions, comments, or concerns about use of the gym should be directed to Dave Peters, St. John Properties Building Engineer, at [email protected] or 443-571-0059.

E. Building hours, health screenings, and security

a. Normal building hours are 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

b. Authorization must be provided by a supervisor to gain entry into the building after or before normal business hours or on weekends. c. Security is on site from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Fridays.

d. The building is alarmed after hours.

e. The Security desk can be reached at 410-260-2525.

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f. Judiciary employees and visitors must follow the directions, instructions, and orders given by Judiciary Special Police Officers while in or on the grounds of the MJC. g. Special building protocols issued in response to a potential or actual emergency take precedence over any other instructions in this handbook. FAQs

1. May I use my own supply of cleaning products? No. A dry or damp cloth may be used to clean surfaces. Only cleaning supplies provided by Facilities may be used in the building. 2. May I use a space heater? No. The property manager prohibits the use of space heaters due to safety and security concerns. The facility’s mechanical system is fully balanced and temperature control should not be an issue. Contact Facilities with any questions or concerns. 3. I have a work announcement that I would like to display. May I tape a flyer or notice somewhere on my floor? There is a glass surface on the wall behind the sink in each kitchen. Authorized notices can be written on the wall using the dry erase markers. You can also speak with your supervisor or department head about sending an email with the information. Tape is not permitted on any surface in the building as the glue on the tape can ruin surfaces. Non-business-related announcements may not be posted, unless otherwise authorized.

4. I need to charge my personal cell phone. May I plug in my charger at my work station? Yes.

5. Why are we not allowed to have plants? Although plants can enhance the workplace environment, if not properly maintained, they can also take away from it. Improper plant maintenance can result in unsightly foliage and dying plants that breed gnats and other pests. Overwatering can result in fungus spores that can spread, as well as containers that leave water/soil marks on floors, carpets, and desks.

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6. What about departmental events such as a going away, retirement party, etc.? You can use the Room Wizard to reserve a space for your event. See the guidelines above under Meeting/Conference Rooms. 7. I will be joining my colleagues in the second-floor lunchroom. Can I heat up my food in the microwave on my floor and then go to the second floor with my food and drink? Yes, however, all food and beverage containers must have a lid secured while in transit.

8. I am expecting a delivery. Will it be brought up to my workstation/office? No. All US mail will be delivered to a central mailroom on each floor. Deliveries of packages (UPS, FedEx, etc.) will be delivered to the main lobby, and you will receive a phone call to pick it up. Please hand deliver mail going to another department in the building. 9. Who is responsible for resetting the shared spaces after large group events? The host is responsible for setup and clean up. If the shared space is a Judicial College training or conference room, the host should work with Judicial College Facilities Services to ensure the room is returned to its original state. 10. The projector in the meeting room is not working properly. Who do I contact for technical issues? Please contact the Judicial College Facilities Services at 410-279-9302 or 410-271-0681. 11. What do I do if a meeting is running over in a meeting/conference room that I have reserved next? Let the meeting attendees know that you have the meeting room reserved. If another meeting room is available, consider relocating your meeting.

12. Who do I contact for: a. Maintenance and Repair (general building and repair requests); b. Space Management (personnel or asset relocations, space changes); and c. Furniture Requests (general furniture - repair or replace)?

Please submit your requests through the Facilities Administration website located in CourtNet under Administration > Facilities Administration > Facilities Service Requests. Refrain from going directly to the building engineer and/or cleaning personnel.

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