Handling Staff Issues and Early Departures

Problems With InterExchange Camp USA Participants

While we arrange every placement with the best of intentions, we understand that no hiring system is foolproof. Should you experience a problem with an InterExchange participant, we ask that you take the following steps:

1. Speak to the participant as soon as you feel there is cause for concern. Describe the problem in an honest and straightforward manner and then listen to what he or she has to say. Once you feel you completely understand the situation, tell the participant specifically how he or she can improve matters.
2. Contact InterExchange immediately. Please do not wait to call us when you’re already at the point where you want to fire a participant. Regardless of how trivial or serious any situation may seem at the time, we like to know what is going on with our participants. If necessary, we may ask you to have the participant call us. Often, we are able to remind participants of their purpose at camp, help eliminate misunderstandings and resolve any problems.
3. Document any and all conversations and incidents involving the participant. Have the participant sign off on all write-ups and evaluations so there is no question as to his or her understanding of the situation.
4. Should you ultimately decide to terminate a participant, please let us know exactly when you are asking that person to leave camp. We need to speak with the participant before he or she leaves the grounds. Early, unexpected departures are a valid reason to call our emergency phone line, described below, so that we can ensure all procedures are followed and the participant is prepared for what’s next.

Early Departures

We understand that not every staff issue can be resolved, and also that sometimes participants choose to leave early themselves. In these cases, we ask that you contact InterExchange before the staff member has departed from camp. Participants should be paid for their time worked before departing camp. You will receive a refund for any placement fees based on their arrival and departure dates.

We know camps are unique communities and that you may want them to leave camp property as soon as possible, but please remember that they are young people in a foreign country and some time is required to ensure a safe transition. If at all possible, if you dismiss someone in the evening, please allow them to depart the following morning. We also ask that you allow them time to make plans for what they are doing next, and take them to a bus station, airport, or hotel upon departure from camp.

Please remember, these are young people who may be in the U.S. for the first time, and the prospect of suddenly being alone can be daunting. If you can provide advice on their travel, that would be appreciated. Consider how you would want your own child treated if they were abroad in a foreign country, and treat your former staff members with the same consideration.

Note: If you need any assistance calculating prorated compensation, please review the job offer you sent and they accepted and/or ask InterExchange for assistance. One way to calculate this is to divide the compensation amount by the number of days they were supposed to work. This will give you a daily rate that you can use to calculate the amount they earned for the actual number of days worked. At a minimum, participants must be paid $31.75 per day of work but please review the offer you sent them for the most accurate daily rate. 

Re-placement after early departure

If a participant is leaving your camp early, they may have an opportunity to receive a new placement. This could occur when a placement does not work out due to no fault of the participant, or when you as their original host would recommend them for another camp. The participant is responsible for lodging until they have secured another placement. We do not guarantee that a participant, regardless of reason for leaving, will find a second placement.