Appendix A: Scripts for requesting incumbent contact information
Interviewers will be given the following outlines to use when contacting respondents:
Feel free to use the wording or bullet points when talking to your respondents. The language highlighted in bold is what you are required to say.
Introduce self
Describe survey and past participation
Tell them why you’re contacting them
Answer any questions they have about the follow-up study
In-person visit or telephone call
Participation is voluntary
Data held confidentially and used only for statistical purposes
Purpose is to help us understand how to improve data quality for the survey
Questions are about education, physical and cognitive demands of the job, and work environment
Survey should only take 10 minutes of the incumbent’s time; no additional contact with the incumbent after participating
Once they give the incumbent’s information, there are no further questions for them to answer
Identify incumbents in the selected SOCs and collect incumbent contact information
Two job titles will be selected
Any two incumbents with each job title are eligible – there are no restrictions other than job title
Sample introduction with previous production respondent:
My name is __{name}__ and I am [an economist/a statistician] with the U.S. Department of Labor. We are conducting a follow-up study of occupational requirements for jobs in today’s economy. You participated in our survey in __{month}__ of __{year}__, and now I’m calling to speak with a few of your employees to ask follow-up questions about their jobs. I will need about 10 minutes of their time. Can you provide contact information for them?
Sample introduction with new respondent, in cases where the previous respondent changed jobs or is no longer at the establishment:
My name is __{name}__ and I am [an economist/a statistician] with the U.S. Department of Labor. We are conducting a follow-up study of occupational requirements for jobs in today’s economy. [Previous contact name] participated in our survey in __{month}__ of __{year}__, and now I’m calling to follow-up on that survey.
Let me give you a bit of background first. I’m calling for the Occupational Requirements Survey, which is a national survey about jobs and their education, cognitive, physical, and environmental requirements. Participation is voluntary. All data we collect are held confidentially and used only for statistical purposes.
What we need is to speak with a few of your employees to ask follow-up questions about their jobs. I will need about 10 minutes of their time. Would you be willing to help us out and let us ask them to participate?
If respondent says no and gives a reason, thank them and record the reason.
If respondent says no and doesn’t give a reason:
Ok, I understand and we will not contact anyone else at your business. For our records, may I ask the reason why you are not willing to let us ask them to participate?
If says yes and schedule has two SOCs:
Great! I have here that you have a job title at your company called something like “__{job title}__”, is that right? [What are the names of two of your employees/What is the name of the employee] with that job title? And what is their direct phone number? And direct email address?
And now, last one, I have here that you also have a job title at your company called something like “___{job title}__”, is that right? [What are the names of two of your employees/What is the name of the employee] with that job title? And what is their direct phone number? And direct email address?
Great, thanks very much for that.
If says yes and schedule has only one SOC:
Great! I have here that you have a job title at your company called something like “__{job title}__”, is that right? [What are the names of two of your employees/What is the name of the employee] with that job title? And what is their direct phone number? And direct email address?
Great, thanks very much for that.
If a sampled SOC is no longer present at the establishment, ask the respondent for the job title most similar to the originally sampled SOC.
If incumbent does not have a direct phone number or email address:
What is the best way to reach this employee directly?
Appendix B: Scripts for requesting incumbent participation in the survey
Interviewers will be given the following outlines for contacting incumbents:
Feel free to use the wording or bullet points when talking to your respondents. The language highlighted in bold is what we are required to say.
Before calling, check to see if a personal visit is possible for this case (these cases will be clearly marked).
Introduce self
Describe survey and past participation
Tell them why you’re contacting them
Answer any questions they have about the follow-up study
Name of the ORS respondent who provided the incumbent’s contact information
Participation is voluntary
Data held confidentially and used only for statistical purposes
Purpose is to help us understand how to improve data quality for the survey
Questions are about education, physical and cognitive demands of the job, and work environment; no identifying details about you
Employer’s portion was about requirements for jobs at the business; no details about particular employees
Survey should take 10 minutes and can be done on work time; no additional contact after participating
The wording about survey participation that is required to be read, including OMB control number, is in the survey introduction.
Telephone Introduction:
My name is __{name}__ and I am [an economist/a statistician] with the U.S. Department of Labor. We are conducting a follow-up study of occupational requirements for jobs in today’s economy. Your employer already completed their portion of the survey and now I need about 10 minutes of your time to collect information from your perspective as the person actually doing your job. Would you be willing to help us out and answer questions?
If says no and gives a reason, thank them, ask about web, and record the reason.
Ok, I understand and we will not contact you again. For our records, would you have been willing to complete the survey online if we had offered that option?
If says no and doesn’t give a reason, accept refusal and ask about web and the reason:
Ok, I understand and we will not contact you again. For our records, would you have been willing to complete the survey online if we had offered that option? And may I ask the reason why you are not willing to participate?
If says yes:
Great! Can we go ahead and get started now?
If says yes, then complete interview by telephone
If says no:
Can we set-up an appointment for me to call you later this week?
If says no or says yes but sounds like s/he may not follow through AND personal visit is possible:
If it would work better for you, I could come out to do the interview in-person.
If sounds like a soft refusal (“too busy right now”), then accept refusal, ask about web:
Ok, I understand and we will not contact you again. For our records, would you have been willing to complete the survey online if we had offered that option?
Email Introduction:
Dear __{Incumbent name}__,
I am an economist with the U.S. Department of Labor. We are conducting a follow-up study of occupational requirements for jobs in today’s economy.
Your employer already completed their portion of the survey and now I need about 10 minutes of your time to collect information from your perspective as the person actually doing your job. Would you be willing to help us out and answer questions?
The next step is to set up an interview appointment. Please let me know your availability and we’ll find a time that works.
I am happy to answer any questions. I look forward to speaking with you.
__{FE name}__
__{FE phone number}__
BLS Logo
Appendix C: Survey
Interviewers should read aloud the full question and response options as scripted; blue text indicates interviewer instructions or help material that may be read aloud at the interviewer’s discretion. Interviewers will make collection notes about any substantial deviations from script.
Mandatory confidentiality language to be read aloud before collecting information from the incumbent:
The purpose of the survey is for internal research only to improve our data collection efforts. The BLS will use the information you provide for statistical purposes only and will hold the information in confidence to the full extent permitted by law. In accordance with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (44 U.S.C. 3572) and other applicable Federal laws, your responses will not be disclosed in identifiable form without your informed consent. This collection is authorized under O.M.B. Number 1220-0141, which expires March 31st 2021. We estimate that it will take an average of 10 minutes total time to participate in this voluntary survey.
I will start by asking you a few questions about what it’s like to do your job.
Please consider only critical job duties, which are the main tasks you are required to perform.
Include all machinery and equipment you typically use.
Include all worksites where you typically work.
But do NOT include any work that you do that happens only once in a while or is not a required part of performing your job.
How many hours per day or shift do you usually work?
[open end, validate between 0 - 48]
Are you permitted to work from home or telework on a regular basis?
Yes
No
Not sure
What is the minimum level of education required for your job? The level required by your employer for your job may be different from your own level of education.
No minimum education required
High school diploma
Vocational high school diploma
Associate’s degree
Vocational associate’s degree
Bachelor’s degree
Master's degree
Professional degree (for example, M.D., D.M.D., J.D., Pharm.D.)
Doctorate (for example, Ph.D., Ed. D.)
Not Sure
On a typical workday, are supervisors or lead workers physically present in your work area and able to monitor your work?
Yes
No
Not sure
As part of your critical job duties, are you required to work with the general public, that is, anyone other than co-workers?
Yes
No
Not sure
As part of your critical job duties, must you be able to hear and understand others speak in person?
Yes
No
Not sure
Do you typically have the ability to choose whether you sit or stand while performing your critical job duties?
Yes
No
How many hours of a typical day or shift do you spend sitting or lying down?
[open end, validate between 0 – 48]
As part of your critical job duties, do you typically drive or operate motorized vehicles?
Yes
No
Not sure
As part of your critical job duties, do you use one or both of your feet or legs to move pedals, levers, or other controls on equipment?
Yes, one leg and/or foot only (go to follow up)
Yes, both legs and/or feet (go to follow up)
No
Not sure (go to follow up)
(If yes/Not sure) On a typical workday, how much time do you spend using at least one of your feet or legs to move pedals, levers, or other controls on equipment?
Very rarely (less than 10 minutes of a typical 8-hour workday)
Up to 33% of the time (up to 2.5 hours of a typical 8-hour workday)
Between 33% to 66% of the time (between 2.5 – 5.5 hours of a typical 8-hour workday)
More than 66% of the time (5.5 hours or more of a typical 8-hour workday)
Not sure
As part of your critical job duties, do you typically stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl?
Here are a few examples of what I mean:
-Stooping is bending down like a mechanic to reach under the hood of a car
-Kneeling is getting down on one or two knees like a floor installer laying tile
-Crouching is getting low like a baseball umpire during a pitch
-Crawling is moving on all fours like a concrete worker smoothing the surface of a sidewalk
Yes
No
Not sure
Which of the following best describes the noise level of your typical work environment?
Quiet (For example - art museum)
Moderate (For example - grocery store)
Loud (For example - heavy traffic)
Very loud (For example - jackhammer)
Not sure
As part of your critical job duties, do you typically spend time outdoors?
Yes (go to follow-up)
No
Not sure (go to follow-up)
(If yes/Not sure) On a typical workday, how much time do you spend outdoors?
Very rarely (less than 10 minutes of a typical 8-hour workday)
Up to 33% of the time (up to 2.5 hours of a typical 8-hour workday)
Between 33% to 66% of the time (between 2.5 – 5.5 hours of a typical 8-hour workday)
More than 66% of the time (5.5 hours or more of a typical 8-hour workday)
Not sure
As part of your critical job duties, do you typically come into contact with water or other liquids excluding weather, such as when washing hands?
Yes (go to follow-up)
No
Not sure (go to follow-up)
(If yes/Not sure) On a typical workday, how much time do you spend in contact with water or other liquids?
Very rarely (less than 10 minutes of a typical 8-hour workday)
Up to 33% of the time (up to 2.5 hours of a typical 8-hour workday)
Between 33% to 66% of the time (between 2.5 – 5.5 hours of a typical 8-hour workday)
More than 66% of the time (5.5 hours or more of a typical 8-hour workday)
Not sure
Thank you. Now we have a few final questions about what it was like to participate in this survey. You will NOT be contacted again but your responses now will help us improve this survey in the future.
Would you have preferred to be contacted by:
Phone
Letter in the mail
Would you have preferred to answer these questions:
Over the phone, talking to an interviewer
In person, talking to an interviewer
Online
Paper form, submitted by mail
Would you have been willing to provide more detailed information about the requirements of your job for this survey?
Yes
No
Would you have preferred us to ask your supervisor for permission before contacting you?
Yes
No
Thank you! Do you have any questions for me about this survey?
I can also provide contact information so you can get in touch with us later if any questions come up - [email protected].
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