Human Resources

Texas Woman's University Staff Handbook
Problem Solving & Rules of Conduct: Responsibility of Employees

Employees of the University have certain responsibilities in carrying out work assignments:

1. Employees are required to report to work on time. Being punctual is important for the orderly and productive completion of work. This includes returning from lunch and rest periods at the proper time. Failure to report on time can result in disciplinary action up to and including employment dismissal.
    
2. Employees are required to notify supervisors prior to absences. In the event of emergencies, when prior notification is not possible, employees are obligated to notify their supervisor of their absence at the earliest possible time. Job abandonment shall be cause for employment dismissal after the employee has missed three (3) consecutive, or three (3) non-consecutive work shifts, within a rolling year period, without notifying the employee’s immediate supervisor and/or the appropriate administrative officer of the reason for the absence. Employees are responsible for keeping their supervisor informed of the status of their absence and expected return date. 
   
   Staff employees are responsible for the appropriate use of sick leave. Sick leave abuse occurs when a staff employee uses sick leave for unauthorized purposes or misrepresents the actual reason for charging absences to sick leave. Abuse occurs when an employee establishes a pattern of sick leave over a period of time such as the day before or after a holiday, on Mondays and Fridays, after paydays, any one specific day, half-days, or continued patterns of maintaining a zero or near zero sick leave account balance. Staff employees who engage in sick leave abuse, and/or show a pattern of failing to notify their supervisor of absences maybe subject to corrective guidelines action up to and including employment dismissal. For additional information regarding sick leave, please review TWU University Policy 3.17 "Staff Attendance, Vacation, and Sick Leave".  Also review "Good Attendance Habits" for a definition of acceptable attendance.
    
3. Employees should know the standards of work performance for their jobs. It is the employee’s responsibility to be familiar with the work standards associated with his or her job performance. Standards for work performance may be obtained from the supervisor as well as a job description.
    
4. As representatives of the Texas Woman’s University and the State of Texas, employees are expected to provide friendly and courteous services to faculty, students, staff at all times including off campus events.
   
   In addition, TWU employees are expected to provide friendly and courteous services to the general public at all times.
    
5. University time, funds, property, and supplies are for University business only. University property may not be removed from the campus without prior approval of the immediate supervisor and the appropriate inventory personnel. For further information see TWU policy 7.09 on Off-Campus Use of University Property.
    
6. Employees are required to know and follow all safety work rules and procedures.

For further information see TWU policy 6.02 Occupational/Environmental Safety and Health.
 

7. All business should be conducted through proper channels. As questions, comments, ideas, etc., arise, an employee should discuss them with his or her supervisor and then up the appropriate chain of command.
    
8. Telephones. TWU employees may need to make personal telephone calls from time-to-time during working hours. Normally, such use does not result in additional costs or damage to TWU and generally will not hinder the day-to-day operations of an office. Incidental use of TWU telephones during working hours by TWU employees for local calls is not considered to be a misapplication of state property and is permissible so long as it does not unduly interfere with the employee's assigned responsibilities or the normal functioning of the department. Long distance phone calls, including the Tex-an lines, are restricted to official University business. Personal long-distance phone calls at the expense of the University are not permitted under any circumstances.
    
9. Staff Handbook and TWU Policies. Employees are responsible for reviewing and becoming familiar with the TWU Staff Handbook, the TWU University Policy Manual located within the TWU Portal.  Additional Human Resource related policies are located on the HR web site.

10. All Texas Woman's University computing and networking resources should be used in an effective, efficient, ethical, and legal manner.  This statement applies to microcomputer, mainframe computer, or computer network use and to computer files, programs, or data stored on floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or other storage media.  Computer facilities and files owned by others should be used or accessed only with the owner's permission.  Viewing or using another person's computer files, programs, or data without authorized permission is unethical behavior and an invasion of that person's privacy.  Such behavior, if used for personal gain, is plagiarism.  Ethical standards apply even when material appears to be legally unprotected. For further information see TWU Policy 9.01 Computer and Software Use

11. Reporting Fraud. TWU employees are to report incidents of fraud or suspected fraud in accordance with procedures outlined in the TWU Policy 2.07 “Fraud and Fraudulent Activities” .

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