Corrective Action

Policy Statement

Dartmouth College
Employment Policies and Procedures
Policy last reviewed:  March 2019

Applies to: All employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement

Situations sometimes arise in which an employee's job performance does not meet the College's standards. Examples include but are not limited to: performance that does not meet expectations, inability or failure to perform duties, disruptive behavior, poor attendance, misconduct, or violation of College policies. Often, corrective action can be taken by the College to assist the employee in identifying and overcoming work-related difficulties, performance deficiencies, or behaviors that violate College policies, procedures, or practices.  

"Corrective action" refers to a remedial plan of action that is developed by the supervisor in consultation with the applicable Dean/VP's office and the division's Human Resources Consultant to achieve targeted outcomes to resolve effectively behavior and performance-related issues.  Such plans usually include a timeframe for achieving the stated objectives.  The use of such plans is not appropriate in all situations. When appropriate, various approaches to corrective action may include: clarification of expectations, oral or written counseling or warning, a Performance Improvement Plan, and/or termination of employment.

Nothing contained in this policy is intended to alter the at-will employment relationship between the College and its employees or to create legally enforceable contractual rights. Despite the availability of the corrective action process, the College reserves the right to terminate a staff member's employment at any time when it is in the College's best interests to do so, as determined by the supervisor in consultation with the applicable Dean/VP's office and the division's Human Resources Consultant.

Procedure:

Because an employee's unsatisfactory performance can result in serious consequences, up to and including the termination of employment, the supervisor should contact their Human Resources Consultant in the Office of Human Resources as soon as possible when a problem arises to discuss the appropriate action.

In general, after consulting with Human Resources, the supervisor should inform the employee involved of the nature of the problem and, in most cases, give the employee a reasonable opportunity to correct the situation. Supervisors may consider several approaches when dealing with unsatisfactory job performance. The approach taken should be based upon the facts and circumstances of each case after consultation with the appropriate Human Resources Consultant.

After consulting with the Office of Human Resources, a supervisor may immediately suspend an employee or may place an employee on paid administrative leave during an evaluation or investigation of a given behavior or performance situation.

Documentation:

A written record of corrective action will be maintained in the employee's central personnel file.