New employees are required to complete the Fire Safety and Ergonomics online training within their first 30 days of hire. Fire Safety training must be renewed every year. Ergonomics training needs be completed a the time of hire only. The purpose of the online training is to provide employees with the knowledge and tools necessary to reduce the risks associated with their work responsibilities to the lowest possible level.

Employees can access the online training module at safety.duke.edu. From this page, click on the “On-Line Training” link at the left. You will be prompted to enter your Duke NetId and password in order to log in. Each online module takes about 10 minutes to complete and is self paced.

Duke offers three types of leaves of absence to enable employees to temporarily leave active service for personal illness, illness and/or care of immediate family members, educational needs, military service, family issues and/or personal matters. Both paid and unpaid leaves of absence preserve the continuous service dates of employees who temporarily leave active service, but plan to return to Duke within the time frame specified by their leaves of absence.

Duke's leave-of-absence program allows for the continuation of applicable benefits coverage during approved leaves. Staff members should discuss leave options with their supervisor and agree upon the conditions under which a leave might be granted – with particular attention paid to expected conditions regarding return to work.

Employees and supervisors are encouraged to contact the HR Director, Richard Lee as needed. Leaves should be requested at least 30 days prior to the intended leave date or in cases of emergency, leave documents should be completed as soon as possible. All leave of absence requests are processed by the Student Affairs Financial Services and Payroll Office and should be submitted for review prior to approval.

For more detailed information on Duke’s policies, see Work Absences: Leaves of Absence.

Employees have three official files: personnel, payroll and medical (if needed). The files for non-bargaining unit employees are kept in the Office of the Vice President. Personnel file documents can include resume, transcripts, performance reviews, commendation letters and any disciplinary actions.  The payroll file typically contains annual salary letters, data sheets, and other documentation of pay history.  Medical files contain any medical documentation that is submitted for FMLA or other work-related purposes.

Employees have the right to review their personnel files and may do so by making a request at least one full business day in advance to hr@studentaffairs.duke.edu  Supervisors and managers wishing to review their employees’ personnel files should contact hr@studentaffairs.duke.edu to schedule a time.  Review of personnel files will be on site as files cannot leave the office.

Managing employee performance is critical to ensuring the ongoing success of Student Affairs and our employees.

At minimum, formal evaluation of employee performance is accomplished twice per year in Student Affairs.  The mid-year review is completed by mid-December and the annual review is finished by mid-May. Depending upon department processes, developing work goals and professional development goals for the following year is done before the end of September.  Performance evaluations are used in determining any annual pay increases, bonuses and other personnel decisions such as promotions.  Supervisors and managers with questions about performance management can address them to Resource Administration at financial@studentaffairs.duke.edu  For more information about the University's Pay & Performance process included a self-guided tour, forms, FAQs and manager toolkit, go to http://www.hr.duke.edu/managers/performance/University/index.php

The primary contact for supervisors, managers and employees with HR questions is Richard Lee, Director of Human Resources for Student Affairs.  Other members of the HR team are Caroline Nisbet, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for Resource Administration and Alma Jones, Director of Financial and Payroll Services.

The HR team conducts orientation for new, non-bargaining unit employees and assists departments with a variety of HR issues including recruitment and retention, workplace expectations, bargaining unit contract provisions, reclassifications, organizational development, workforce reduction and risk management. They also advise employees and managers concerning conflict resolution, performance issues, and the interpretation and application of HR policies and procedures.

Routine questions can be sent to hr@studentaffairs.duke.edu or for more complex issues, call Richard Lee at 684-3738.

Recruitment for vacancies occurring in budgeted positions due to the departure of an incumbent may begin once the appropriate Assistant Vice President or Executive Director has approved the search plan and a requisition has been opened in the University’s Human Resources system.  New positions (budgeted or not) are subject to additional review and approval through Duke’s Position Management system.  Once a search is authorized, the full recruitment process should be completed in 90 days or less.  Hiring managers who are new or have not previously managed searches in Student Affairs are advised to discuss the process in advance with a member of the HR team (Richard Lee, Caroline Nisbet or Alma Jones) and are advised to review Duke's Recruitment and Hiring policies prior to beginning a search.

Employees wishing to leave their position in Student Affairs in good standing are expected to provide sufficient written notice of voluntary resignation or retirement to their immediate supervisor.

• Nonexempt employees should provide notice at least two weeks prior to the effective date.
• Exempt employees are expected to provide notice at least 30 calendar days prior to the effective date.
• Supervisors must provide written acceptance of the resignation to the employee.
• Copies of the employee's resignation letter and supervisor's letter accepting the resignation must be forwarded to Resource Administration.

Employees will receive 100% pay for accrued and unused vacation and discretionary days if termination from Duke occurs after the orientation and evaluation period. Upon termination, the employee will receive a lump sum payment for unused vacation. Employees leaving Duke are advised to consult with the Duke Benefits Office to determine impacts on health plans and voluntary deductions.