There are dozens of policies in the Duke Human Resources Policy Manual, ranging from paid parental leave to confidentiality. Duke Human Resources receives more than 5,000 calls per month on average from Duke employees and retirees with questions about health and retirement benefits, payroll, and other policies. “It’s important for university and health system employees to review the guidelines that help make Duke a safe, professional and diverse place to work,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration. “Employees should take the time at least once a year to review the Duke Policy Manual and keep it fresh in their minds.”Here’s a refresher on five employee policies:
When to change health benefitsBesides annual Open Enrollment in October, the only other time to make changes to health benefits elections and reimbursement accounts is when an employee experiences a qualifying life event such as marriage, divorce, birth of a baby and change in a spouse’s employment status. Eligible employees may enroll or make changes within 30 days of a particular qualifying event by notifying Benefits at (919) 684-5600.Use it or lose itThe total amount of accrued but unused vacation may not exceed two times a university employee’s rate of annual accrual. Health System employees follow the Paid Time Off policy, which combines vacation, sick leave, holiday and funeral leave. Carol Retsch-Bogart, an employee assistance counselor with Duke’s Personal Assistance Service, said vacations help refuel a person’s creativity and enthusiasm. “Not taking vacation can generally end up being a ticket to burnout,” Retsch-Bogart said. “What we all need to do is change the rhythm of daily life periodically. Taking a vacation is like pressing the reset button.”Got arrested?Sometimes decisions made outside of Duke can impact an employee’s work life. Duke employees arrested for a misdemeanor or felony must notify their supervisor no later than seven calendar days after the arrest. The same rules apply if an employee is convicted, including pleas of guilty and no contest.Report accidents within 24 hours On-the-job injuries and illnesses, even those that don’t require medical treatment, must be reported to Duke Workers’ Compensation within 24 hours of the incident, said Chip Kyles, director of Workers’ Compensation.Employees should tell their supervisor and receive medical attention, if needed. “One of the reasons employees most commonly say they didn’t report something on time is that they didn’t think it was serious enough,” Kyles said. “You need to report those minor incidents in case they’re not as minor as you think they are.”Keep records private Some positions at Duke require access to patient, student and employee records, and whether this information is on paper, online or overheard, it must be kept private. When new Duke employees first arrive, they sign a confidentiality agreement, and Health System employees routinely re-sign the agreement. “It’s effectively just showing respect for the person,” said Doc Muhlbaier of Duke’s Ethics & Compliance Office. “The other piece is protecting Duke’s intellectual property.”
View the Duke Human Resources Policy Manual online.
