Resources for Prospective and Current Agency Placements

Holy Cross Associates is committed to providing quality placement sites for our volunteers year in and year out. We are always grateful to the employers who, through the hosting of an Associate, have been able to provide unique and valuable opportunities for development and learning that only come through hands-on experience. The Associate program is always open to the possibility of future placement sites interested in hosting an Associate in coming years. We encourage employers interested in hosting an Associate to read the following information carefully as you determine whether this unique opportunity is right for your agency.

An Employer's Guide to HCA

What is Holy Cross Associates (HCA)?

Holy Cross Associates is a program that places recent college graduates, men and women, in one-year service placements in the United States. It is sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross, a religious order of priests. The individuals, or Associates, are "volunteers", who receive a living wage and live in a community with other volunteers during their time in the program.

The Associates in the U.S. work a full-time position that, in most cases, has a high degree of direct service with the organization's clients or consumers. Associates may have positions that are also more administrative in nature, but there must be a direct contact part of the position.

What is the cost to the agency?

The cost to the agency is approximately $13,550 per year.

a. $1,700, payable in two parts annually to the HCA office, to cover costs of recruitment and training;
b. $9,000, gross living allowance (with employer's FICA, $9,690)
c. Health insurance costs for 12 months through our plan. The rate for 2005-2006 is $180/month, subject to annual increases in June of each year.

Associates are expected to perform at the level needed by the host site, and are to receive the same kinds of reviews and supervision as others on staff. While we hope to avoid the need, there are times when the Associate is not going to work out as a staff member. In these occasions, the program asks that the local Co-Facilitator(s) be involved at the earliest sign that a termination may be necessary.

In the event of situations where the Associate might be summarily dismissed, such as drinking on the job or another such offense, he or she might be subject to dismissal from the HCA program as well.

What hours can an Associate work?

While hours are negotiable, generally Associates work a "normal" workday (i.e., 8am to 4pm, 9am to 5pm). We recognize that there are times when an evening or weekend might be needed, but generally the hours should be predictably daytime.

Who is responsible for such things as worker's compensation, etc.?

The hiring agency is responsible for including all benefits required by state law that a regular employee receives. Usually, this includes state and federal taxes, worker's compensations, unemployment insurance, and other such items. Unless specifically negotiated with the home office of the program for a particular reason, the Associates are not to be paid as independent contractors.

What about minimum wage?

Host sites must determine from their local policies how they wish to handle minimum wages. It is the interpretation of the program that HCA living allowances are treated similarly to the member living allowances covered by the law creating the Corporation for National Service, which are exempt from minimum wage rules.

What about health insurance?

To be eligible for the program, organizations must agree to cover health insurance costs for Holy Cross Associates from August 1 of the program year through their termination. The program has a group plan that is provided for all its members. As some of the organizations where our Associates are placed do not have coverage due to their size, we require that all programs use our insurance.

If the organization wishes an exemption, it must request this. We are unable to grant most exemptions out of the concern that having many folks outside of our group plan might cause the plan to not be available for the remainder of the group. Please contact the Director for more information.

Our shop is covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Is this a problem?

It is no problem for us, but generally this means the agency has to pay the Associate the union wage.

How are Associates paid?

Associates are paid on the same schedules as everyone else on the staff. This can be direct deposited to the general checking account of the HCA program, for the employer's convenience.

What is the value to our organization?

First, we attract and select college educated, highly motivated individuals to our program. They are generally available to be on your staff for a year, which is, for some agencies, longer than the average "entry level" employee stays on board.

Do I trade the privilege of the entire hiring process for a limited number of potential applicants?

It is true that we generally match an Associate with your agency without you having a face-to-face interview. When we accept someone in the program, we ask their preferences about location and position types, find out their strengths and tolerances, and ask you to review their applications. If you wish, you may contact the person for a telephone interview before indicating your approval of their hiring. If there is a good understanding y HCA of what your agency needs and the qualifications necessary, we can generally make a good match.

For a few thousand dollars more, I can get someone permanently...

Maybe. The cost to the agency includes all taxes and benefits, so the comparison with the "market" rate needs to include all the costs of hiring a staff member. And unless you are contracting with a staff member for a fixed period of time, there is less predictability to their tenure than with a fixed year in which almost every Associate stays for the duration. To make a fair comparison, be sure to compare the agency's turnover rate in comparable positions.

Many of our Associates, after their year commitment, are hired by the agency where they worked; one example of such an agency takes it as their "failure" if they are unable to hire the Associate afterwards.

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July 30 to August 4, 2006	Associate Orientation, Notre Dame
Week of August 7	Tour of sites by local HCA Communities
August 14, 2006	First work day
September 1, 2006	First half Administration Fee due ($825)
Oct. 1 thru May 1	Site visits by program staff.
Sept. 2, 2006	2005-06 volunteer applications available
November/December	Overseas volunteer selection.
Nov. 22 - Nov. 27	Thanksgiving Holiday Retreats
January 1, 2007	Second half Administration Fee due ($825)
February 5-17, 2007	Overseas Reorientation program
February 17, 2007	Day of Reflection, South Bend (tentative; affects Indiana, and Massachusetts Associates)
March 1, 2007	Renewal announcements/applicants sent to host sites.
May 16, 2007	First placement determined.
May 24-29, 2007	Volunteer Retreat, Portland, OR
July 20, 2007	Final Placement Day
August 1, 2007	Health Insurance Renewal Date (increases generally occur)
July 29- August 3, 2007	Orientation for 2005-2006 Associates (tentative)

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Agency Request Form & Sample Contract

The following Agency Request Form and Sample Agreement are in PDF Format and require Acrobat Reader in order to be opened. If your agency does not have this program and would like to request a hard copy via mail or fax please contact our office.

• Agency Request Form
• Sample Agency Agreement
• Agency Calendar

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