TERMINATIONS
The purpose of this section is to provide an overall view of the termination process and detailed information on completing and processing the termination related paperwork. This process is used to terminate employment/job for faculty or staff, or job(s) for student workers for any reason, (e.g., voluntary resignation, termination for cause, end of appointment, death). Also see Separation of Employment Policy # HR-038.
OVERVIEW
FORM(S) and DOCUMENTS:
- Personnel Action Form (PAF) Turnaround - (generated by system after latest change to records and kept in department) OR
- Personnel Action Form (PAF) - may be downloaded from the HR website at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/HRS/hrs.htm
Terminations must be processed immediately. Terminations are processed using the PAF Turnaround document. If available, please attach the resignation or termination letter to be kept in the HR file (faculty or staff only). If the position is being eliminated (in addition to terminating an employee), then refer to the Position Management section to "freeze" or inactivate the position if applicable.
TERMINATION REASONS
It is Vanderbilt University's policy to consider former staff members for rehire opportunities under the guidelines and conditions outlined in HR Policy # HR –034, Eligibility for Rehire. In order to assist department managers and administrators with the termination process and to ensure that the HR records of former faculty and staff reflect the correct termination reason and rehire eligibility; effective January 1, 2005; the following Termination Reasons will automatically reflect eligibility for rehire in the termination reason description and will print on the PAF turnaround form. These termination reasons have been carefully reviewed by Employee Relations and the eligibility codes can not be overridden by departments. The appropriate documentation for termination reasons that result in an “ineligible” for rehire status, may be documented on the termination PAF or with separate documentation submitted to HR Records to place in the terminated staff member’s file.
Please consult with your Employee Relations representative if you have questions or need additional assistance with the termination process.
You may contact Employee Relations at 2-7259.
Termination Reasons Eligible for Rehire:
- Attendance/Tardiness – Eligible
- Housestaff Termination – Eligible
- Resignation – Eligible
- Retirement - Eligible
- Unsatisfactory Performance – Eligible
- Failure to Return from Leave – Eligible
- Long Term Disability Expired – Eligible
- Elimination of Position
- End Date (University departments only)
- End of Contract (University faculty only)
- End of Temporary Employment
- FWS Award Exhausted (Processed by Student Employment)
- Transfer to Affiliate
- Work Authorization Expired (Work Authorization documents must be renewed and up-to-date before Rehire can occur)
- Discharge HR-035-Eligible (EAP contract)
Termination Reasons “Ineligible” for Rehire (HR Policy # HR – 015, Discharge):
- Dishonesty - Ineligible
- Insubordination – Ineligible
- Job Abandonment – Ineligible
- Falsified Application - Ineligible
- Violent/Threatening Behavior – Ineligible
- Confidentiality Breach – Ineligible
- Falsification of Records – Ineligible
- Harassment – Ineligible
- HIPAA-Level 4 – Ineligible
- Inappropriate Use of VU Resources – Ineligible
- Failure to Work Out Notice – Ineligible
- Resignation w/o Notice – Ineligible
- Theft – Ineligible
- Violation DFWP Policy-Ineligible (Drug Free Workplace)
- Sleeping on Job-Ineligible
- Policy Violation Other-Ineligible
* A former staff member who left employment from Vanderbilt University due to conduct that resulted in immediate discharge as described in the Discharge Policy (i.e. theft, violent conduct, falsification of documents, etc.) will not be considered for rehire without consultation with Employee Relations.
Processing the Vacation, Holiday, and Personal Day Payout for a Termination
Normally, employees should receive a payout for accrued and unused vacation time (and holidays and personal days for nonexempt staff only) at termination or at transfer from an accrual to a non-accrual position. These payouts should occur in accordance with the University Vacation Policy and the University Holiday and Personal Days Policy (see HR Policy -005). The payout is required regardless of the termination reason.
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Note: By law (Tennessee State Legislature House Bills 698 and 699, effective July 1, 1999) this payout must occur by the next regular pay day following the date of termination, or twenty-one (21) days following the date of termination, whichever occurs last. |
COMPLETING THE PAF TURNAROUND - Terminations |
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The numbers in the following instructions correspond to the numbers on the sample form immediately preceding. If the PAF Turnaround Document is not available, you may use a blank PAF to submit changes, first filling in the current information on the left side. |
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1-2. Initiator/Phone |
Enter the name and phone number of the person completing the form. |
3. Action |
Enter the action of "TERMINATION". |
4. Reason |
In the Reason or Comments section, enter one (only one) of the following reasons: |
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5. Effective Date |
Enter the first date the employee will be in a terminated status. This will be the first day not worked in the department or, in other words, the first day after the last day worked (or after an appointment ends). |
Do not use. No other actions should be noted on the terminating PAF. |
NOTE: On terminations due to death, enter the first day after the last day worked in the effective date field. Note the date of death in the Comments section. Contact the Benefits Office immediately to see if any additional information is needed, especially in regards to benefits for dependents. On all terminations due to death, contact the University Central Payroll Office (3-6606) so the final paycheck can be properly issued.
6. Obtain appropriate approval signatures.
EXEMPT STAFF VACATION PAYOUT
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To process a vacation payout for an exempt staff member, submit an Additional Pay Form for a vacation payout as outlined in the Holidays, Personal Days, Vacation and Sick section. A sample Additional Pay form and step by step instructions are provided in the section on Additional Pay. The Additional Pay form may be downloaded from the HR website: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/HRS/hrs.htm |
NON-EXEMPT STAFF VACATION PAYOUT
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To process a vacation payout for a non-exempt staff member, enter the total number of vacation hours (and holiday and personal day hours if accrued and unused) on the final timesheet submitted to Payroll. Vacation, holiday, and personal day hours reported on a timesheet do not impact overtime calculations for that pay period (overtime is only paid for hours worked over 40 per week). |
To determine the remaining vacation accrual balance, use the latest accrual balance on the timesheet. Add vacation hours accrued for each week after the "as of" date ([annual vacation accrual rate in hours] ¸ [52 weeks] x [hours worked per week up to 40] ¸ [40 hours]). Subtract vacation hours used since that "as of" date. See the following page for a table of accrual rates to determine the final balance. |
Vacation Leave Accrual for Hourly-Paid Staff
(used for determination of final vacation payout at termination)
Bi-weekly Pay Group
(based on 80 hours scheduled and 80 hours paid during pay period.)
Vacation Accrual Year |
Days accrued per year |
Hours accrued per pay period |
1st year |
10 |
3.08 |
2nd year |
11 |
3.38 |
3rd year |
12 |
3.69 |
4th year |
13 |
4.00 |
5th year |
14 |
4.31 |
6th year |
15 |
4.62 |
7th year |
16 |
4.92 |
8th year |
17 |
5.23 |
9th year |
18 |
5.54 |
10th year |
19 |
5.85 |
More than 10 years |
20 |
6.15 |
Sick Leave Accrual Year |
Days accrued per year |
Hours accrued per pay period |
All years |
12 |
3.70 |
Weekly Pay Group
(based on 40 hours scheduled and 40 hours paid during pay period.)
Vacation Accrual Year |
Days accrued per year |
Hours accrued per pay period |
1st year |
10 |
1.54 |
2nd year |
11 |
1.69 |
3rd year |
12 |
1.85 |
4th year |
13 |
2.00 |
5th year |
14 |
2.15 |
6th year |
15 |
2.31 |
7th year |
16 |
2.46 |
8th year |
17 |
2.62 |
9th year |
18 |
2.77 |
10th year |
19 |
2.92 |
More than 10 years |
20 |
3.08 |
Sick Leave Accrual Year |
Days accrued per year |
Hours accrued per pay period |
All years |
12 |
1.85 |
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
"What if a turnaround is not available? Do we just complete a new PAF to terminate the employee?"
Yes - complete a blank PAF with the current information on the left and add the action of "termination" on the right.
"Will vacation be automatically paid out at termination?"
No. If you are terminating a non-exempt employee you must add the hours to be paid to the final timesheet. If the employee is an exempt employee, you must complete an Additional Pay form. The payment will be made on the next regularly scheduled payroll.
"We put the incorrect termination date on the PAF for an exempt employee and they were short paid. How do we get the employee paid for the days that were missed?"
You will need to correct the PAF date by submitting a new PAF through the correct routing process and an Additional Pay form to the Payroll Office. Once the date is changed in PeopleSoft, the Additional Pay form will be paid on the next regularly scheduled payroll.
"Do we pay out Personal Days for exempt staff?"
No, personal days and holidays are not paid out for exempt staff.
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CHECKLISTS |
The Separation Process Checklist form can be downloaded from the HR website:
http://hr.vanderbilt.edu/temp/forms/index.htm
Vanderbilt University is committed
to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.
HR Express 2525 West End Ave Suite 218 Nashville TN 37203 Hours M-F 7:30 - 5:30 Last Updated: October 19, 2009 |
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