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APPENDIX: Eligibility Review Path (Phone Interview) 
Eligibility Review Path — Phone Interview Script
Use this path when:
    • The respondent answered “Not sure” to one or more energy activity items and did not answer “Yes” to any item.
    • The respondent selected or described “Other energy-related activity.”
    • The respondent’s answer suggests possible energy-related work, but the interviewer cannot code it.
    • The respondent says the company supports energy customers but is unsure which category applies.
    • The respondent answered “No” to all items, but the sample record or prior answers suggest possible energy-related activity.

ER0. Transition to Eligibility Review
READ:
Thank you. I want to ask a few quick follow-up questions to make sure we classify this business location correctly. Some energy-related work does not fit neatly into one category, especially if the location provides services, makes parts, or supports energy customers.
This should only take a few minutes.

ER1. Confirm the Business Location
READ:
First, are your answers about the business location at [ADDRESS]?
    1. Yes
    2. No — answers are for another location
    3. No — answers are for the whole company
    4. Not sure
    5. Refused
INTERVIEWER ROUTING:
    • If “Yes,” continue to ER2.
    • If “No — another location,” collect the correct location and route to case review.
    • If “No — whole company,” say: “For this survey, we need answers for the sampled business location if possible.” Then continue if the respondent can answer for the sampled location; otherwise route to callback or case review.
    • If “Not sure,” continue and flag for review.

ER2. Main Business Activity
READ:
In one or two sentences, what are the main products or services provided at this business location?
RECORD VERBATIM:


INTERVIEWER NOTE:
Listen for energy-related terms, such as electricity, power, utility, grid, transmission, distribution, batteries, storage, fuels, oil, gas, coal, nuclear, hydrogen, solar, wind, energy efficiency, HVAC, heat pumps, insulation, vehicles, EV charging, carbon capture, mining, refining, recycling, or energy customers.

ER3. Direct Energy-Related Work Check
READ:
Does this business location do any work that directly supports energy products, energy services, energy facilities, or energy infrastructure?
This can include research, design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, distribution, installation, construction, operation, maintenance, repair, professional services, or administrative support for energy-related work.
    1. Yes
    2. No
    3. Not sure
    4. Refused
If Yes, ask ER4.
If No, ask ER7.
If Not sure, ask ER4.

ER4. Identify the Energy Area
READ:
Which energy area does that work support? I can read a short list.
Does it support any of the following?
a. Electric power generation
b. Electric power transmission or distribution, including EV charging
c. Energy storage, including batteries
d. Process heat for industrial or manufacturing uses
e. Energy efficiency, including heating, cooling, hot water, insulation, lighting, or building envelope work
f. Fuels, such as oil, gas, coal, nuclear fuel, biofuels, or hydrogen
g. Transportation vehicles or vehicle parts
h. Carbon capture, carbon utilization, or carbon storage


k. Other energy-related work
RECORD ALL THAT APPLY:
☐ Electric power generation
☐ Electric power transmission or distribution / EV charging
☐ Energy storage / batteries
☐ Process heat
☐ Energy efficiency
☐ Fuels
☐ Transportation vehicles
☐ Vehicle component parts
☐ Carbon capture, utilization, or storage


☐ Other — specify: __________________________
☐ Not sure
INTERVIEWER ROUTING:
    • If any category is selected, code the business location as potentially eligible and continue to ER5.
    • If “Other” is selected, record the verbatim description and continue to ER5.
    • If only “Not sure” is selected, continue to ER6.

ER5. Confirm Work Is Done at the Sampled Location
READ:
Is that work performed by employees at this business location?
    1. Yes
    2. No, it is done at another company location
    3. No, it is done by contractors or another company
    4. Some of the work is done at this location
    5. Not sure
    6. Refused
INTERVIEWER ROUTING:
    • If “Yes” or “Some,” code as eligible and continue to the next survey section.
    • If “No, another company location,” route to case review and ask for the correct location if available.
    • If “No, contractors or another company,” continue to ER7 to confirm whether this location has any other energy-related work.
    • If “Not sure,” flag for review and continue if the respondent can answer the remaining questions.

ER6. Professional Services and Support Work Probe
READ IF NEEDED:
Some locations are energy-related because they provide services to energy companies or energy projects, even if they do not make, install, or operate energy equipment directly.
Does this location provide research, engineering, consulting, legal, financial, administrative, staffing, logistics, software, customer support, or other services mainly for energy-related customers or projects?
    1. Yes
    2. No
    3. Not sure
    4. Refused
If Yes:
What type of energy customers or projects does this location support?
RECORD VERBATIM:

INTERVIEWER ROUTING:
    • If the service is tied to one or more energy areas, code the applicable activity or route to case review if unclear.
    • If “No,” continue to ER7.
    • If “Not sure,” route to case review unless another eligible activity has already been identified.

ER7. Parts, Equipment, or Supply Chain Probe
READ IF NEEDED:
Does this business location make, sell, distribute, install, maintain, or repair parts, equipment, software, materials, or components used in energy-related activities?
    1. Yes
    2. No
    3. Not sure
    4. Refused
If Yes, ask:
Are those products or services used exclusively or primarily for energy-related activities, or are they general-use products that can serve many industries?
    1. Exclusively or primarily energy-related
    2. General-use products or services
    3. Both energy-related and general-use
    4. Not sure
INTERVIEWER ROUTING:
    • If “Exclusively or primarily energy-related,” code as potentially eligible.
    • If “Both,” record the energy-related portion if known and continue.
    • If “General-use products or services,” do not code as energy-related unless another eligible activity applies.
    • If “Not sure,” route to case review.

ER8. Final Confirmation Before Out-of-Scope
Use only if no eligible activity has been identified.
READ:
Just to confirm, this business location does not do work related to electricity, energy storage, energy efficiency, fuels, vehicles or vehicle parts, carbon capture, EV charging, hydrogen, pipelines, offshore wind, or other energy infrastructure. Is that correct?
    1. Yes, that is correct — no energy-related work
    2. No, this location does some energy-related work
    3. Not sure
    4. Refused
INTERVIEWER ROUTING:
    • If “Yes, that is correct,” code as out of scope and route to termination.
    • If “No,” return to ER4 and identify the energy area.
    • If “Not sure,” route to case review or schedule a callback with a more knowledgeable respondent.

ER9. More Knowledgeable Respondent Callback
Use when the respondent cannot confirm eligibility.
READ:
It sounds like someone else may be better able to confirm whether this location does energy-related work. Who would be the best person to ask about this location’s operations, payroll, or human resources?
Name: __________________________
Title/role: ______________________
Phone: _________________________
Email: __________________________
Best time to call: _______________
READ:
Thank you. We will follow up to make sure the survey is routed correctly.

Eligibility Coding Summary
Code as eligible and continue if:
    • The respondent confirms any energy-related activity at the sampled location.
    • The location provides professional, technical, administrative, logistics, software, research, legal, financial, or other services for energy-related customers or projects.
    • The location makes, sells, installs, maintains, repairs, distributes, or supports parts, equipment, materials, software, or infrastructure used exclusively or primarily for energy-related activities.
Code as out of scope only if:
    • The respondent confirms no energy-related work at the sampled location after the final confirmation question.
Route to case review or callback if:
    • The respondent is unsure.
    • The activity is unclear or difficult to code.
    • The work may occur at another company location.
    • The respondent provides an “Other” activity that may be energy-related.
    • The respondent cannot answer for the sampled establishment.
APPENDIX: Example Case Review Path 
Case Review Path for USEER Eligibility Screener Questions
Purpose
The case review path is used when the interviewer cannot clearly determine whether the sampled business location performs energy-related work. The goal is to avoid incorrectly screening out an eligible establishment.
Scenarios for a case to review
The case review path is potentially appropriate if any of the following occurs:
    • The respondent says “not sure” and no clear eligible activity is identified.
    • The respondent describes “other” work that may be energy-related.
    • The respondent gives an unclear business activity description.
    • The respondent appears to answer for the whole company instead of the sampled location.
    • The respondent says the energy-related work is done at another location.
    • The respondent describes professional services, supply chain work, or general-use products that may support energy activities.
    • The interviewer is unsure how to code the case.
    • The respondent is not knowledgeable enough to answer eligibility questions.

What the interviewer should say to the respondent
If the respondent is unsure:
“Thank you. To make sure we classify your business location correctly, we may need to review this information or follow up with someone who knows more about this location’s operations, payroll, or human resources.”
If a better respondent is needed:
“Who would be the best person to answer questions about this location’s operations, staffing, payroll, or human resources?”
Record:
Name: __________________________
Title/role: ______________________
Phone: _________________________
Email: __________________________
Best time to call: _______________
What the interviewer should record for review
Record as much detail as possible:
    1. Sampled location name and address.
    2. Whether the respondent answered for the sampled location, another location, or the whole company.
    3. Respondent’s title or role.
    4. Main business activity, recorded verbatim.
    5. Any “other” activity, recorded verbatim.
    6. Any energy terms mentioned by the respondent.
    7. Whether the work is done at the sampled location.
    8. Whether the work is done by employees, contractors, another company, or another company location.
    9. Whether products or services are used mainly for energy customers or are general-use products.
    10. Interviewer notes explaining why eligibility was unclear.

Case reviewer actions
The case reviewer should review:
    • Respondent’s verbatim description;
    • Selected “yes,” “no,” and “not sure” answers;
    • Any “other” activity;
    • Sample frame information, if available;
    • Business name, location, industry, website, NAICS code, or prior survey information, if available;
    • Whether a callback to a more knowledgeable respondent is needed.

Case review decision codes
Use one final decision code:
    1. Eligible — continue survey
Use when the establishment performs energy-related work at the sampled location.
    2. Potentially eligible — callback needed
Use when the case appears energy-related, but a more knowledgeable respondent is needed.
    3. Out of scope — no energy-related work
Use only when the evidence clearly shows the sampled location does not perform energy-related work.
    4. Wrong location / location mismatch
Use when the respondent answered for a different location or the sampled location cannot be confirmed.
    5. Company-level response only
Use when the respondent can answer only for the full company and not the sampled establishment.
    6. Insufficient information
Use when eligibility cannot be determined after review.
Decision rules
Code as eligible if the sampled location performs any work related to energy products, energy services, energy facilities, or energy infrastructure. This includes research, design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, distribution, installation, construction, operation, maintenance, repair, professional services, logistics, software, administrative support, or other services for energy-related customers or projects.
Code as out of scope only if the case clearly shows that the sampled location does not perform energy-related work.
Do not code a case as out of scope only because the respondent selected “Other,” “Not sure,” or “Don’t know.”
Callback script after case review
“Hello, this is [NAME] calling about the U.S. Energy Employment Survey for [ESTABLISHMENT NAME]. We are following up to make sure we classify your business location correctly. We have a few short questions about whether this location performs work related to energy products, energy services, energy facilities, or energy infrastructure.”
Then return to the eligibility review questions or the main activity screener, as needed.
Final case notes
Reviewer decision: __________________________
Reason for decision: ________________________
Need callback? Yes / No
Callback respondent name: ___________________
Final eligibility code: ______________________
Date reviewed: _____________________________
Reviewer initials: __________________________