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Part of the research RTI International performs involves conducting nationwide surveys in residential homes, schools and other locations across the U.S., which we refer to as in-person field work. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented effect on our ability to conduct in-person field work.
Throughout our COVID-19 response, we have prioritized the health and safety of our employees, as well as the health and safety of the survey respondents with whom they interact in communities across the U.S. The work of RTI Field Data Collectors is conducted via in-person interaction, most often at survey participants’ homes. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic out of concern for community public health, RTI temporarily suspended in-person field work for all Field Data Collectors in RTI’s Data Collection Staff business segment. Consequently, effective March 19, 2020, most Field Data Collectors were placed on a temporary unpaid leave of absence and some have worked reduced hours.
RTI Field Data Collectors are a remote workforce that is geographically dispersed across the U.S. They do not work out of RTI’s headquarters in RTP nor out of any of RTI’s regional offices. Most of their work is conducted part-time and is dependent on cyclical project needs. The suspension of in-person field work and resulting placement of the Field Data Collectors on unpaid leave or reduced hours was initially anticipated to be temporary. Considering the current circumstances and in an abundance of caution, although we still expect these employment actions to be temporary, these measures are now likely to extend beyond six months from the initial actions taken in March. If the public health situation improves, employees may be able to resume work earlier. In addition, RTI discontinued the employment of a small subset of Field Data Collectors due to changing project needs on one particular project.
