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Policy 1314
Transfer or Separation from Employment

Date of Current Revision: August, 2009
Responsible Officer: Director, Human Resources
Secondary Officers: Assistant Vice President for Information Technology, Director of Payroll

1. PURPOSE

This policy protects the university's interests by establishing procedures for supervisors, Human Resources, the Student Work Experience Center (SWEC), the Department of Information Technology, the Payroll Services Office and other departments to use in ensuring that proper security is maintained when an employee transfers or is separated from employment.

2. AUTHORITY

The JMU Board of Visitors has the authority to enact personnel policies for all university employees. Where the board has not exercised this authority, it is delegated to the president.

3. DEFINITIONS

Separation:
When a full-time or part-time employee of the university ceases to be an employee for any reason.

Transfer:
When a full-time or part-time employee of the university moves from one position to another , either voluntarily or involuntarily.

4. APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to all employees, including student employees and Graduate Assistants (GA).

5. POLICY

When an employee is no longer employed by the university, or moves from one position to another, action must be taken to ensure that the separation/transfer process protects the university's rights, security and property.

6. PROCEDURES

6.1 Procedures for Supervisors

When a full-time, part-time or student employee or GA is separated from employment, the employee's supervisor must:

  • For full-time or part-time faculty or staff: Submit a PAR form to Human Resources within three business days after the supervisor becomes aware of the employee's separation. The supervisor should keep a copy of the PAR form to certify that it has been sent. Human Resources personnel will date stamp incoming PAR forms to help ensure compliance.
  • For student employees and Graduate Assistants: Submit a PAR form to SWEC within three business days after the supervisor becomes aware of the employee or GA's separation. The supervisor should keep a copy of the PAR form to certify that it has been sent. SWEC personnel will date stamp incoming PAR forms to help ensure compliance.
  • Ensure that all items of university property (such as electronic equipment, JACards, travel cards, keys, parking permits, uniforms, etc.) are retrieved from the employee being separated.
  • For instructional faculty: Academic unit heads shall obtain grade books for the preceding academic year from separating faculty members in accordance with Faculty Handbook section III.A.2.b(15).

It is very difficult to retrieve property and information after an employee/student/GA separates from the university. Therefore, supervisors are responsible for ensuring immediate compliance with this policy before the employee leaves the university. This applies to all full-time faculty members, all classified employees, all wage employees, student employees and graduate assistants.

When an employee is transferred, the employee/student/GA's former supervisor must perform the following prior to the transfer date:

  • Ensure that items of university property associated specifically with the position from which the employee is transferring (such as electronic equipment, keys (notify Lockshop at 568-6796, fmlockshop@jmu.edu), uniforms, etc.) are retrieved from the employee being transferred. The employee will keep his or her JACard. Notify Parking Services when an employee is transferring to another department. A new zone  permit may be necessary.
  • Ensure that the employee/student/GA's access to systems, including PeopleSoft applications (student, finance, and/or HR), the advancement system, Maximus and Novell, are terminated if not required for the new position. This includes submitting an IIS Access Form to the appropriate data manager(s).
  • Notify the building coordinator for the building in which the employee formerly had an office that the employee no longer has an office in the building.

For classified employees, an Interim Performance Evaluation form should be completed prior to departure if, after six months into the performance cycle, an employee transfers, promotes or demotes into a new position with a different supervisor within an agency or between state agencies. The employee's new supervisor should consider this information in assessing the employee's performance at the end of the performance cycle. Reference JMU policy 1305 Performance Evaluation for Classified Staff, section 6.4. When an employee is transferred, in addition to submitting a PAR to HR or SWEC, the employee/student/GA's new supervisor must:

  • Disburse appropriate property for the new position, such as electronic equipment, keys (notify Lockshop at 568-6796, fmlockshop@jmu.edu), uniforms, etc. This will include arranging for a new parking permit if necessary.
  • Ensure that new PeopleSoft, Novell and/or other systems access is initiated as required. This includes the submission of an IIS Access Form to the appropriate data manager(s).
  • Notify the building coordinator for the building in which the employee now has an office that the employee should be listed in the emergency plans for the building.
  • Notify the Division of University Advancement so it can correctly count gifts from employees and retrieve equipment/access codes as appropriate.
  • For classified employees, an Interim Performance Evaluation form should be completed prior to departure if, after six months into the performance cycle, an employee transfers, promotes or demotes into a new position with a different supervisor within an agency or between state agencies. The employee's new supervisor should consider this information in assessing the employee's performance at the end of the performance cycle. Reference JMU policy 1305 Performance Evaluation for Classified Staff, section 6.4.

6.2 Procedures for Human Resources

When informed of a full-time or part-time employee's separation by receiving the separation PAR form, Human Resources will be responsible for the following actions:

  • Within three business days, forward the separation PAR form or a copy of it, to the Payroll Office.
  • Within three business days, e-mail notification of the employee's separation to the following offices:
    • Accounting Services
    • Accounts Payable
    • Advancement Information Services
    • Business Services (Computer Loan Program)
    • Card Services
    • Carrier Library
    • Computing Support
    • East Campus Library
    • Facilities Management (Maximus Access)
    • Financial Services
    • IDC Cost Recovery
    • IIS Security
    • Lockshop
    • Parking Services
    • Payroll Services
    • Procurement Services
    • Residence Life University Business Office
    • Technical Services
    • Telecommunications
  • Conduct the employee exit interview with those separating full-time, classified employees who volunteer to participate.
  • Send a "Benefits Information for Exiting Employees" memorandum to separating full-time employees. This memo includes information concerning the following:
    • A reminder that all university property shall be returned to the employee's supervisor before leaving the university.
    • Health insurance and COBRA information.
    • Life insurance, long-term disability and tax-deferred annuities.
  • Send the employee's supervisor a link to the Separating Employee Checklist to inform the supervisor of their responsibilities under this policy.

When informed of an employee's transfer from one position to another by receiving the transfer PAR form, Human Resources will provide notification to the former supervisor and the new supervisor informing them of their responsibilities under this policy concerning transfers.

Human Resources will contact the director or department head of supervisors who fail to provide timely separation notifications.

6.3 Procedures for SWEC

When informed of a student employee or Graduate Assistant's separation by receiving the separation PAR form, SWEC will be responsible for the following actions:

  • Within three business days, forward the separation PAR form or a copy of it, to the Payroll Office.
  • Within three business days, e-mail notification of the employee's separation to the following offices:
    • Accounting Services
    • Accounts Payable
    • Advancement Information Services
    • Card Services
    • Carrier Library
    • Computing Support
    • East Campus Library
    • Facilities Management (Maximus Access)
    • Financial Services
    • IDC Cost Recovery
    • IIS Security
    • Lockshop
    • Payroll Services
    • Residence Life
    • University Business Office
    • Technical Services
    • Telecommunications

When informed of a student employee/GA's transfer from one position at the university to another by receiving the transfer PAR form, SWEC will provide notification to the former supervisor and the new supervisor informing them of their responsibilities under this policy concerning transfers. SWEC will contact the managers of supervisors who fail to provide timely notifications.

6.4 Procedures for Departments Receiving Notification of Separation or Transfer

All departments, particularly those specified in 6.1 - 6.3, that receive notification of a particular employee's separation (or transfer) are responsible for taking necessary actions (i.e., pertaining to their department) on or before the employee's separation (or transfer) date.

7. RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervisors have primary responsibility for adherence to this policy by closely and quickly overseeing the process of employee separation or transfer. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that Human Resources or SWEC is notified of a separation within three business days after they first become aware of an employee separation. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the Human Resources or SWEC receives the separation PAR form. Supervisors are also responsible for collecting university property (such as electronic equipment, JACards, keys, parking permits, uniforms, etc.) from the employee being transferred or separated and performing additional notifications as specified in this policy for transfers.

Human Resources and SWEC are responsible for distributing appropriate information within three business days after becoming aware of an employee separation (or transfer) and for ensuring that the separation (or transfer) PAR form is expedited to the Payroll Office. Human Resources and SWEC are also responsible for providing written notification to the former supervisor and the new supervisor of a transferring employee to inform the supervisors of their responsibilities under this policy concerning transferring employees. In addition, Human Resources and SWEC are responsible for contacting the director or department head of supervisors who fail to provide timely notifications.

All departments that receive notification of an employee's separation (or transfer) are responsible for taking necessary actions (i.e., pertaining to their department) on or before the employee's separation (or transfer) date.

Information Technology is responsible for ensuring that the separating employee's access to all university technical accounts and data is ended in accordance with this policy.

Payroll is responsible for processing separation PAR forms for all departing employees to ensure that employee pay is terminated in a timely manner.

8. SANCTIONS

Sanctions will be commensurate with the severity and/or frequency of the offense and may include termination of employment.

9. EXCLUSIONS

When there are less than three business days between a notification and the employee's separation (or transfer) date, or if a separation (or transfer) has occurred prior to the notification, the actions required in this policy shall be performed on the day notification is received (instead of the three day period normally allowed).

This policy does not apply to those part-time faculty members who are expected to return to the university. (Part-time faculty members are under separate separation procedures because of the unique nature of part-time faculty employment.) For instance, because the majority of part-time faculty members for whom separation PAR forms are submitted to Human Resources have already agreed to return to their part-time assignment the following semester, they will not be removed from the system until 120 days following the separation date. This will allow them to keep their e-mail access, course website, course Blackboard, etc., unless they are not returning the following semester.

Students often retain their access to some or all services because of their continuing status as a student.

The employee's access to the J-Ess and e-mail systems will end 30 days after the date of separation. However, the 30-day window will not apply to employees who are terminated for cause. Employees in this category will have all access to university-wide systems terminated immediately. In this case,Human Resources or SWEC will contact Information Technology to inform them of the need for immediate termination.

10. INTERPRETATION

Authority to interpret this policy rests with the President but is generally delegated to the Director of Human Resources.

Previous version: June 2009
Approved by the President: January 2009

Index Terms
Employee separation