GAP NO. 101.3
Termination of Employees

I.	General
II.	Completing the Termination Form
III.	Termination Procedures for Biweekly employees
IV.	Termination Procedures for Faculty and Staff employees
V.	Inquires from the Employment Securities Commission
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I. GENERAL

This procedure explains the process to follow when individuals terminate their employment with Duke University. It is important that departments follow this procedure along with applicable Personnel Policy guidelines because the information provided is the University's only means of challenging unwarranted claims for the Unemployment Compensation Insurance Program. The administration, control and procedures for the University's Unemployment Compensation Insurance Program are discussed in GAP No. 200.200, Unemployment Compensation Insurance Program.

Questions relating to termination procedures should be directed to the Human Resources Information Center (HRIC).

II. COMPLETING THE TERMINATION NOTICE

The department should complete the Termination Form on the same or following business day after an employee gives notice of intent to terminate employment or on the fourth day of an unexcused or unexplained absence. The form and instructions are available on the web.

The Termination Form, once completed and appropriately approved, is submitted to the HRIC.

III. TERMINATION PROCEDURES FOR BIWEEKLY EMPLOYEES

A. RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUPERVISORS WHEN AN EMPLOYEE TERMINATES:

Determine the reason for the termination.

Obtain a written, signed and dated statement of the reason for the termination from the employee if possible.

Complete the Termination Form.

If the employee is being discharged, ensure that personnel policy D-15 Disciplinary Actions has been adhered to regarding written warnings, probationary periods, etc. prior to the termination.

B. RESPONSIBILITIES OF PAYROLL REPRESENTATIVES WHEN AN EMPLOYEE TERMINATES:

Inform terminating employees that they must sign a deduction authorization to stop voluntary deductions from being taken out of their final payroll check. Personnel Policy B-10 provides details regarding this process.

If an hourly-paid employee is being terminated from a primary job and the employee has a secondary job, contact the secondary payroll representative to determine if the secondary job should also be terminated. If the secondary job should not be terminated, the secondary department payroll representative must change the secondary department to that of the primary department by completing a Staff Change Form for the employee. Refer to General Accounting Procedure 101.2, Section II for more information. The payroll representative of the primary department must not process a Termination Form because it will completely remove the employee from the payroll system. If both the primary and secondary jobs should be terminated, the payroll representative in the primary department should process the Termination Form.

C. CALCULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE FINAL PAYCHECK FOR BIWEEKLY EMPLOYEES

All accrued vacation/PTO due the employee will be paid automatically when the Termination Form is processed. All discretionary holidays will also be paid automatically if the termination date falls within the current pay period. (Note: if the termination date does not fall within the current payperiod, the payroll representative must process a gross adjustment to pay the discretionary holidays.) These amounts will be included in the final payroll check if the Termination Form is received by the HRIC by the closing date for the pay period (all payroll representatives receive a schedule of closing dates from Payroll each year). No payment for accrued vacation/PTO and discretionary holidays can be made until the Termination Form has been processed. Note: manual checks cannot be written for accrued vacation/PTO and discretionary holidays prior to normal payment through the payroll system.

Time cards will continue to be generated for each pay period until the Termination Form is processed.

Biweekly employees will receive the final payroll check/voucher for hours worked, vacation/PTO accrual, and any discretionary holiday either:

Through the U.S. mail, based on the forwarding address on the Termination Form.
Or

From the employing department's payroll representative upon the employee's request.

IV. TERMINATION PROCEDURES FOR FACULTY AND STAFF EMPLOYEES

A. APPROVAL OF A TERMINATION

Medical School faculty termination's are processed through the Office of the Chancellor for Health Affairs.

Arts and Science's faculty termination's are processed through the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.

Professional School faculty termination's are processed through the Provost's Academic Budget Office.

House Staff termination's are processed through the House Staff Office.

The department processes all other staff terminations.

B. COMPLETING TERMINATION FORM

The Department must submit the completed Termination Form to the HRIC prior to the monthly closing date or an overpayment will occur (all payroll representatives receive a closing date schedule from Payroll each year). If the monthly closing date cannot be met, submit the Termination Form as soon as possible to ensure processing prior to the next month's closing date and notify the Payroll Office immediately so that a net overpayment can be calculated for collection. The employee's department will be responsible for collecting any salary overpayment made to an employee subsequent to termination because of failure to process the Termination Form on time.

The responsibilities of supervisors and payroll representatives are the same as those listed under Termination Procedures for Biweekly Employees.

C. CALCULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE FINAL PAYCHECK FOR MONTHLY EMPLOYEES

Any accrued vacation/PTO and discretionary holidays due to the staff member will be added to the final payroll check. Faculty will not receive accrued vacation upon termination.

The employee's payroll check/voucher can be received either:

Through the U.S. Mail, based on the forwarding address on the Termination Form
Or

From the employing department's payroll representative upon the employee's request.

V. INQUIRIES FROM THE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMISSION

University departments receiving any forms or inquiries from the Employment Security Commission must immediately forward the form or inquiry to the Duke University Special Counsel for Workers Compensation. Departments should not reply to any such inquiries directly.