Separation

Rationale for Separation Policy

There is often high turnover in the field of student affairs, whether for personal or professional reasons, particularly among entry level staff members. Departure of a staff member can upset the equilibrium of the remaining staff if the unit is unprepared for the vacancy, especially if the departure is unanticipated. Separation policy should, then, be directed toward the following objectives:

• Communicate openly with staff members regarding their career development and planning.
• Develop a staffing plan for coverage after the separating staff member has ended employment.
• Formalize separation policies and procedures for the unit.
• Acknowledge and respond to questions and concerns of remaining staff in an open, positive, and transparent manner.

Separation Policy Statement

All student affairs professionals will receive appropriate exit orientation for their position within the institution.
The nature of the exit orientation program may vary from unit to unit, but the primary focus will be to facilitate
the separation of the employee in such a way as to minimize the impact on the productivity and motivation of the
remaining staff members.

To the extent possible, departures will be planned, implemented, and evaluated to ensure that each employee is provided the opportunity to leave the position with his or her professional integrity in tact. Staff separations will be treated with care and dignity for both the departing individual and the remaining staff members. It is the responsibility of the director of each student affairs unit to facilitate the separation of the employee and strive to ensure that the separation does not negatively impact the motivation and productivity of the remaining staff members. The departure will be addressed to best meet the needs of both the institution and staff members.

Staff separations will be discussed openly and honestly as circumstances permit.

Supervisors should follow institutional policies regarding the separation of employees and subsequent reallocation of the departing staff member's responsibilities, temporary or otherwise.

Using the Staffing Model in Separation

Synergistic supervisors recognize that separation is an important component of successful staffing practices and a natural and frequent part of the career life cycle. As illustrated by the integrated staffing model separation is particularly influenced by staff development and performance evaluation experiences and should be openly discussed during these opportunities. Staffing practices that focus on the development of the whole
employee integrate the separation process into the day-to-day operations of the unit.

Address the Separation and Departure of the Staff Member

The reason for departure will largely determine how the supervisor will respond to the departing employee and the remaining staff and institutional community. For example, it is likely that more details regarding the separation of a staff member due to a job promotion will be disclosed publicly than if that staff member were asked to leave the institution because of poor or unethical performance.

An individual might leave the unit or institution for one of several reasons:

• Professional reasons such as job promotion, relocation, or career change.
• Personal reasons such as the decision to become a full-time mother or a return to school.
• Retirement.
• Involuntary separation such as being laid off or fired.
• Incapacitating illness or death.

Each of these types of separation involves different attitudes and emotions on the part of the student affairs professional who is leaving and the remaining staff members.

The following requests should be made of departing employees who are not involuntarily leaving the position:

• Provide a summary of the accomplishments made during length of employment and provide any recommendations that might strengthen the position or unit in the future.
• Provide adequate notice (it is recommended that a minimum of 30 days notice is given by individuals in a professional position).
• Provide a letter of resignation which includes an effective ending date.
• If the position is live-on/in provide an ending date of apartment or house occupancy.
• Meet with a representative of the personnel department to determine collection of benefits and remaining vacation days.

Assess the Needs of the Remaining Staff

Whatever the reason for the departure, turnover can have a significant impact on the morale and productivity of the unit. The departure of a staff member within a unit can be cause for anxiety among the remaining staff members if the separation is not handled effectively. Those individuals remaining will likely have many questions about what impact the departure will have on the unit. Most crucial will be how the responsibilities of the separating staff member will be assumed. Details of the staff departure should be shared with the remaining staff as appropriate. Confidentiality should be honored, yet the remaining staff should not have to function in an environment rife with secrecy, speculation, and rumor. It is important to address the following issues with the remaining staff:

• What are the circumstances of the staff departure?
• Will the position be filled or will the responsibilities be absorbed by other staff/areas?
• If the position is to be filled, when will recruitment and selection begin?
• Who will assume the responsibilities of the departing staff member until the position is filled or redirected?
  

As with entry orientation, whenever separation occurs within the unit or division of student affairs, the director or chief student affairs officer has an opportunity to review the existing organizational structure of the unit. The individual staffing plans may provide valuable information for the supervisor that will enable him or her to evaluate the reactions of the staff to the departure. To mitigate the stress of losing an employee supervisors can begin the process of doing a job analysis before the individual departs. A job analysis should be conducted even if the position that is being vacated may not be filled right away.

A Word About Retirement

The synergistic supervisor views the student affairs career as a developmental process. It is logical, then, that conducting exit orientation programs geared toward helping the student affairs professional transition into retirement will benefit not only the individual, but also the unit. Many professionals who enter retirement prefer to make the transition slowly. The more flexibility that divisions and units can offer, the more likely they will be able to continue to access the expertise that the student affairs professional has acquired during years in the profession. Because one of the primary goals of the student affairs separation policy is to minimize the impact on the unit and the motivation of the remaining staff members, minimizing the talent drain must also be seen as a primary goal of the unit.

Issues of Diversity in Separation

This section provides general information regarding separation of minorities.  For the purpose of this document, ethnicity will be considered part of the overall “diversity section”.  Because there were some areas where research was more readily available (Religion, Gender, and LGBT), specific information and tips for these populations will follow.  This document does not claim to be exhaustive but is an overview of things to consider.

 Overall Diversity Issues

• Ensure that staff are terminated for legal reasons
• Evaluate why staff of color and women are leaving positions.  Is it for career advancement, personal reasons, lack institutional support, or community support/resources? 
• Follow guidelines laid out by the specific Universities Human Resources Department
• In cases of termination of minorities, consult with Human Resources Department
• Provide an exit interview for all individuals
• Be sure to consult Human Resources or Legal Affairs if the dismissed employee gives any indication that they may seek legal recourse.

 Religion and Separation

Supervisors should be aware that:

• There is no legal standing for the involuntary separation of an employee based on religion.  All decisions must be based on violation of the terms of employment. 
• Based on supervisory style and reason for dismissal, religious holidays may be taken into consideration by the supervisor. 
• In cases of voluntary separation be sure the employee is not leaving under feelings of religious persecution or differences of opinion based on religious affiliation (Ex. An employee resigning from a religiously affiliated institution if they are not a member of the denomination.)

 Gender Issues and Separation

It is unlawful to terminate based on gender.  Additionally, women cannot be terminated because of pregnancy.

Remember the law: 

Civil Rights Act of 1991 – “This law made it easier for employees to win discrimination suits and allowed victims of sex, disability, and religious discrimination to collect punitive damages for the first time” (Karsten, 1994, p. 47).  The 1991 Civil Rights Act set up a Glass Ceiling Commission.  Its purpose is to remove invisible barriers that thwart progress of women and minorities who aspire to top positions in major U.S. firms” (Karsten, 1994, p 48). 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act - prohibits the unfair treatment of individuals based on race, color, and sex. National origin, or religion.  Discrimination is prohibited not only in hiring and firing individuals, but also in the recruitment, selection, training, pay, benefits, and other conditions of employment (Karsten, 1994). 

Precedent setting court cases

• Griggs v. Duke Power – (1971)
• General Electric v. Gilbert -
• Price Waterhouse v Hopkins (1989)
• Steelworkers v. Weber (1979)
• Johnson v. Santa Clara County (1987)
• Automobile Workers v. Johnson Controls (1991)

LGBT Issues and Separation

Ensure that supervisors are properly trained so that discrimination in the separation process does not occur based on sexual orientation.

Resources

This link opens some new material concerning separation recently added to the Staffing Handbook by graduate students at the University of Georgia.

Separation Resources on the Web

http://www.501click.com/mt_li_el_firing.html

This website, designed for non-proft entities, offers a checklist which supervisors may use when they have to dismiss employees.

http://www.aarp.org/

The American Association of Retired Persons website. Contains useful information and links for anyone who is planning a retirement or anyone who is supervising someone close to retirement. Topics include health, leisure, legislative issues, financial planning, and volunteering.

http://www.uslaw.com/problem.tcl?problem_id=118

This site walks employers through the process of dismissing an employee.

Employee separation checklists and forms (from colleges and universities):

http://planet.tvi.cc.nm.us/ppo/empsechk.htm (Alberquerque Technical Vocational Institute, New Mexico)

http://www.hr.uconn.edu/esinfo.html (University of Connecticut)

http://www.williams.edu/admin/hr/index.html (Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts)

http://www.shsu.edu/~acc_www/policies/forms/ (Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas)

http://www.ilrg.com/forms/employ-release.html (from The Internet Legal Resource Guide)

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