Laundry Worker

Under supervision, to perform a variety of duties and coordinate the services in a County laundry unit.

The Power of WE : Together, we can make a greater impact. Bringing better care and expanding healthcare services across the community.

Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) is the second largest public health care system in California and includes three acute care hospitals, 14 clinics and 60+ specialty and sub-specialty services. Our mission is to provide high-quality, accessible healthcare and excellent service to everyone in Santa Clara County.

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center - SCVMC is a full-service tertiary acute care teaching hospital with 699 licensed beds providing a wide range of specialized services, including Rehabilitation, Burn, Trauma, and NICU. SCVMC was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as #6 Rehabilitation Hospital in the nation and #1 in the West and designated as a 2024 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care, Heart Failure, Stroke, Hip Fracture, and Pneumonia.

O'Connor Hospital - O'Connor Hospital (OCH) is a 358 licensed bed acute care facility offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical, surgical and specialty programs to residents of Santa Clara County. It was founded in 1889 as one of the first hospitals in the county. OCH has grown significantly over the past five years in both its inpatient volume and its Emergency Department visits. Along with these volume increases other ancillary and clinical departments like imaging, lab, pharmacy, and respiratory have seen growth as well.

St. Louise Regional Hospital - Since 1989, St. Louise Regional Hospital (SLRH) has been caring for the residents in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties, offering a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical specialties. SLRH has 93 beds, is a Designated Primary Stroke Center, and is the only acute care hospital in the area. Located in Gilroy, SLRH maintains a CALSTAR 2 emergency helicopter base on the premises.

Regional Medical Center Regional Medical Center (RMC) is a 258-bed hospital that is the main emergency healthcare provider for East San Jose, treating a wide range of critical and life-threatening conditions for more than 60 years. Since the SCVH integration of RMC effective 4/1/25, RMC has expanded the critical services including Level II trauma, Thrombectomy capable Stroke Center and STEMI care, and has been seeing an increased number of emergency visits and inpatient volume.

Typical Tasks

The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

• Shakes out soiled laundry, sorts laundry into piles of similar articles, including the separation of heavily stained and/or torn garments or linens, and routes laundry for rewashing or mending;

• Loads, unloads, and operates commercial type washers and dryers; regulates the timing of wash and dry cycles to maintain an efficient workflow; prepares loads of laundry by adding all applicable washing solutions; selects the proper wash cycle and sets timers and temperatures for dryers;

• Places laundry clean articles into designated carts for sorting and folding;

• Folds and sorts clean laundry;

• Maintains and updates distribution log according to daily needs of the department;

• Ensures the distribution of linens and garments and makes adjustments in the daily operation as necessary, to meet distribution deadlines;

• Safely replaces laundry chemical containers, as necessary;

• Collects bags of soiled laundry from various sites;

• Transports clean laundry to various sites;

• Takes inventories of unit's par levels, utilizing computerized systems for inventory control and recordkeeping;

• Unpacks, sorts, and stores laundry items on shelves and in other storage areas;

• Communicates with appropriate departmental staff to establish correct laundry par levels and to requisition and order laundry and supplies; addresses and resolves special departmental requirements;

• Monitors and responds to email and telephone messages regarding laundry operations;

• Resolves conflicting priorities relative to daily work activities;

• Keeps laundry machines and facility clean by cleaning lint traps, dusting, sweeping, mopping, and emptying wastebaskets;

• Stays up-to-date on new or revised regulations and procedures; follows daily work procedures;

• Completes forms and other paperwork;

• Operates materials handling equipment, including pallet jacks, laundry carts, and forklifts;

• May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW), as required*;

• Performs other related duties, as required.

Employment Standards

Sufficient education, training, and experience to demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks, plus the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities:

Training and Experience Note: The required knowledge and abilities are attained through training and experience equivalent to a high school diploma or equivalent;

and
One (1) year of full-time work experience performing routine manual laundry operations in an institutional or commercial setting, and/or performing manual labor, such as pushing heavy carts, moving pallets and boxes, and/or other duties that require physical exertion.

Special Requirements

• Some positions may require possession of a forklift operator's certification.

• Ability to travel to alternate locations in the course of work. If driving, possession of a valid California drivers license prior to appointment and the ability to qualify for and maintain a County driver authorization.

• *As a condition of employment, pursuant to California Government Code Section 3100-3109 and Local Ordinance, all County of Santa Clara employees are designated Disaster Service Workers, including extra help. A DSW is required to complete all assigned DSW-related training, and in the event of an emergency, return to work as ordered.

Knowledge of:

• Commercial or institutional laundry equipment and the methods and procedures used for washing laundry;

• Practices and procedures of laundry facility operations and distribution;

• Safe lifting, carrying, moving, and general safety precautions used to move materials and supplies;

• Basic mathematics;

• Principles and practices of effective communication;

• Principles and practices of effective customer service and telephone etiquette;

• Common computer systems and applications;

• Heavy equipment used in the movement of heavy and/or bulky items.

Ability to:

• Prepare and use soaps, bleaches, scouring, and brightening agents, and other chemicals used in washing and rinsing;

• Read and understand materials safety data sheets, sign, labels, dials, and instructions;

• Operate large washers, including loading and unloading large, wet bundles of laundry;

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures;

• Perform simple mathematical calculations;

• Distinguish between differences in shapes, widths, stains, tears, or worn spots in laundry items;

• Adapt quickly to changes in assignments and priorities;

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, at all levels, including colleagues, the public, and representatives of other agencies;

• Utilize specialized departmental computer programs;

• Work in a safe manner;

• Operate a cargo van, including the lifting mechanism.

Physical Requirements

• Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when performing job duties;

• Exercise motor coordination and finger and manual dexterity;

• Lift, push, pull, and carry up to 50 pounds.