Illness and Death Notification and Acknowledgements

Purpose:

To provide guidelines for the notification and/or acknowledging the illness or death of a full-time or part-time college employee, family members, significant other, board member, or friends of the college.

Definitions:

Family: includes spouse, children, parents, siblings, and domestic partner.

Full-time employees: administrative and professional faculty; 9-month and 12-month teaching faculty, and classified staff.

Part-time employees: adjunct teaching faculty and wage/hourly employees.

Other individuals with affiliations to the college: appointed College Board members, individuals who have made significant contributions to the college.

Policy:

Notification

Any announcement of an employee’s death shall be handled by the Office of Human Resources.

Any announcement of the death or illness of an employee’s spouse or family member to the department staff or school shall be made by the individual department head/dean. Announcements are not to be sent college-wide. Additionally, no announcements should be sent unless the person affected, or that person’s family or representative, gives his or her permission.

Any announcements of the death of individuals affiliated with the college are to be handled by the Office of Human Resources in coordination with the Office of the President.

Acknowledgement

An acknowledgment in the name of Reynolds Community College, in the form of a card, flowers, plant, or where appropriate a donation to a legitimate non-profit entity shall be sent from the college in the event of a death or hospitalization of an employee, family members, significant other, or other individuals affiliated with the college. Acknowledgments shall be sent in other special cases as deemed appropriate by the college president. The Office of Human Resources shall coordinate with the Office of the President the acknowledgements.

Procedures:

Illness or Hospitalization

• Individuals who are notified of an illness or hospitalization of an employee are to immediately notify their department head/dean, who in turn will notify their executive cabinet member and the Office of Human Resources at (804) 523-5249. Human Resources will need the information to manage the employee’s benefits.

• Individual department head/dean may need to notify their individual department of the employee’s status, but must do so without disclosing any private health information.

• If an acknowledgement from the college is requested, the department head/dean shall provide detailed information to the Office of Human Resources. In turn, Human Resources will coordinate with the president’s executive assistant on the appropriate acknowledgement.

Death of an Individual

• Individuals who are notified of the passing of an employee, employee’s spouse or family member should notify their department head/dean, who in turn will notify their executive cabinet member and the Office of Human Resources at (804) 523-5249.

• If an acknowledgement from the college is requested, the department head/dean shall provide detailed information to the Office of Human Resources. In turn, Human Resources will coordinate with the president’s executive assistant on the appropriate acknowledgement.

• The Office of Human Resources will communicate the employee’s passing to the college community.

• The individual department head/dean shall make any announcement of the death or illness of an employee’s spouse or family member to the department staff or school only. Announcements are not to be sent college-wide. Additionally, no announcements should be sent unless the person affected, or that person’s family or representative, gives his or her permission.

• The passing of an individual with affiliation to the college shall be coordinated by the Office of Human Resources with the Office of the President. Acknowledgements shall be sent as appropriate.

Other Information:

Employee Support

The Office of Human Resources is available to discuss the need for on-site grief counseling or other support needed as provided by local agencies and/or the Commonwealth’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP),

Employee Records

In the event of an employee’s death, department managers shall take the necessary steps below. The Office of Human Resources is available to provide assistance.

1. Refer the deceased employee’s family and/or representative to the Office of Human Resources for information regarding pay, benefits, insurance, retirement, etc., at (804) 523-5249.

2. Request from the deceased employee’s family and/or representative the return of all collegeissued items.

3. Coordinate with the deceased employee’s family and/or representative, the retrieval of personal effects from the workplace.

4. Supervisor/department manager are to complete the employee separation checklist, Separating Employee Checklist – Part A or Separating Employee Checklist for Wage/Hourly and Adjunct Faculty.