VCOM Faculty Handbook

o Failure or Refusal to Perform Essential Functions of Employment: Employees who do not meet the expectations of their employment may also be terminated from employment. o Violation of Expected Professional and Ethical Behaviors: Employees who are in violation of expected professional and/or ethical behaviors required to work at VCOM as an osteopathic medical education institution may be terminated. Depending upon the nature of the violation, the employee may be required to correct the behavior immediately and be given a probationary period, or the infraction may be such to call for immediate termination. Employees may also be terminated for other inappropriate behaviors. Refer to the section on Professional and Ethical Behaviors in this manual. o Medical or Mental Condition Rendering the Employee Unable to Perform Essential Duties: Employees with existing or new medical or mental conditions that render them unable to perform essential duties may be terminated. The employee must inform Human Resources of any medical or mental condition rendering the employee unable to perform essential duties as soon as the information regarding the condition is known. The employee must contact Human Resources to discuss the process for a medical leave of absence, employee health and disability benefits, and/or the process for being considered for the next available position the employee’s health will allow. (See the section of this handbook on health and disability benefits). o In all cases above, prior to termination, a VCOM Officer and/or the Human Resources Director will notify the employee, either orally or in writing, of the reason(s) for the removal. If VCOM chooses to provide an opportunity to correct the behavior, the employee will be given a minimum of ten working days to respond. If the employee is not able to correct the circumstances preventing them from performing the job, final notification of termination will be in writing. Due Process for Employees Seeking to Improve Their Status Prior to Termination If there are conditions or circumstances the employee believes prevents him or her from performing their duties effectively or from completing their assigned tasks, these must be reported to the employee’s supervisor immediately, both verbally and in writing. Reporting these conditions prior to the notice of termination will avoid the perception that the employee is not performing their job duties. The employee must bring to the attention of his or her supervisor any unclear instructions or procedures they are assigned. Except as otherwise provided herein, all employees who have worked beyond the initial probationary period are provided with the following due process prior to termination: • Employees who are considered disruptive, threatening, or who have committed illegal activity are subject to immediate termination. • Notification of Poor Performance: o The initial discussion of poor performance may be verbal if immediate termination is not planned. The supervisor or officer should make a record of the discussion in his or her notes. An employee improvement plan will be discussed. o If improvement does not occur following verbal discussion, the immediate supervisor, the division officer or College administrator, and the Director for Human Resources will meet with the employee to review any additional incidents or information about the performance, conduct or

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