Employee Relations Employee Relations Services The UHD Employee Relations team serves as a neutral third party, providing guidance and assistance to employees and managers in promoting a cohesive, effective, and highperforming work environment wherein employees feel respected and valued. In a fair, consistent, and timely manner, the Employee Relations team assists in: • • • • • •
interpretation of university and system policies compliance with applicable state and federal employment law workplace conflict resolution performance management behavioral issue correction grievance/appeal process
Please visit Employee Relations on HR’s website for contact information.
Discipline and Dismissal UHD is committed to fair, efficient, and equitable solutions to problems arising out of the employment relationship. Clear guidelines providing for both informal and formal disciplinary measures have been developed at UHD to ensure that fair and equitable treatment is provided; that requirements of the laws are met; and that the rights of both management and employees are honored during the discipline and dismissal process. It is UHD policy to formulate, publish, and enforce rules and regulations that are essential to the safe and efficient conduct of institutional operations. Supervisory personnel are responsible for informing employees of rules to be followed, standards of conduct to be met, and work performance to be achieved. Employees are responsible for learning and abiding by the policies, procedures, and standards of UHD and its departments and constituents. Employees who fail to abide by such rules, regulations, and standards may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
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Adherence to regulations and procedures provided in the Discipline and Dismissal policy will ensure a progressive system of discipline designed to remedy deficiencies when possible and practicable to the mutual advantage of the University and the employee; an orderly routine for fair, consistent, and impartial treatment of disciplinary matters; and a mechanism for ensuring that consideration is given to employee concerns in disciplinary matters. Responsibilities in Imposing Discipline The University is responsible for explaining why an employee should be disciplined. Since the purpose of the disciplinary process is to provide remedial action whenever possible, no disciplinary measures will be undertaken without the employee’s knowledge. Employees will be given the opportunity to respond, in writing, to any disciplinary action taken against them. When possible and practical, disciplinary action will follow a progressive sequence, including verbal counseling, written reprimand, suspension without pay, and dismissal from employment. Disciplinary measures and employee conferences shall at a minimum: • Identify the problem to be corrected, the standard to be met, or the rule, policy, or procedure that has been violated • Recommend a course of action to correct the problem • Provide a statement of the consequences in the absence of improvement • Provide notification that further disciplinary action, up to and including termination from employment, may occur if immediate improvement in the employee’s work performance or noted deficiencies does not occur and/or if new performance deficiencies surface. All documents pertaining to the disciplinary action will be signed both by the supervisory authority and the employee. The employee’s s ignature will acknowledge receipt of the disciplinary notice but may not necessarily indicate agreement with the action. If the employee refuses to sign the notice, that fact should be noted on the documents.
