Return-to-Work Policy

  • Responsible Oversight Executive:ÌýVice President for Human Resources, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • Date of Current Revision or Creation:ÌýJune 6, 2023
  • Download Policy PDF

The purpose of this policy is to provide a return-to-work environment that accommodates an employee's transition to full duty following an injury, illness, or other medical condition that precludes the employee from performing his/her assigned, regular duties.

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, grants authority to the Board of Visitors to establish rules and regulations for the institution. Section 7.01(a)(6) of theÌýÌýgrant authority to the President to implement the policies and procedures of the Board relating to University operations.

Adjunct FacultyÌý- Employees appointed to academic adjunct ranks who teach part time and whose compensation is based upon the number of credit hours taught.

Administrative and Professional (AP) FacultyÌý- Employees who perform work directly related to the management of the educational and general activities of the institution, department or subdivision or whose professional positions serve the educational, research, athletic, medical, student affairs, and development functions or activities of the institution.

Classified EmployeeÌý- A salaried employee whose terms and conditions of employment are subject to theÌý, and who is employed in a classified position.

Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM)Ìý- State agency tasked with providing policies that govern the management of the State's workforce.

FacultyÌý- Employees whose work assignments primarily involve instruction, research, and scholarly activities, and who hold academic rank/titles (with departmental designation) of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, senior lecturer, lecturer, instructor, or the equivalent of any of these academic ranks.

Hiring SupervisorÌý- The management level with the authority to hire, assign work, manage work schedules, approve leave, evaluate employees, and discipline employees.

Personal Injury, Illness or Medical ConditionÌý- An injury, illness or medical condition not arising from the course of an employee's employment or performance of assigned duties.

Regular DutyÌý- The duties assigned to an employee in his/her position description or in the case of faculty as defined in the Faculty Handbook.

Wage EmployeeÌý- A non-salaried employee who receives pay for hours worked and is not covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act. (Wage employees are sometimes referred to as hourly employees.) Wage employees have no guarantee of employment for a particular term or a particular daily or weekly work schedule; they serve at the will of the designated hiring official and may be terminated at any time.

Work-related InjuryÌý- An injury arising from the course of an employee's employment or performance of assigned duties.

This policy applies to all employees. Employees include all staff, administrators, faculty, full- or part-time (including adjunct faculty), and classified or non-classified persons who are paid by the University.

Â鶹´«Ã½ is committed to providing temporary return-to-work duty assignments and, to the extent possible, assisting employees by temporarily modifying work assignments or duties or arranging for a temporary transfer until the employee is medically released to resume regular duties.

This policy shall be applied throughout Â鶹´«Ã½ in situations when a salaried, full- or part-time faculty member (including adjunct faculty), AP faculty member, or classified employee is temporarily restricted in the performance of his/her regular duties due to personal injury, illness or medical condition, or a work-related injury.

This policy may be applied, at the discretion of the supervisor, in situations when a wage employee is temporarily restricted in the performance of his/her regular duties as directed by an authorized medical provider, due to personal injury, illness or medical condition, or a work-related injury.

Classified and wage employees shall not be assigned to return-to-work assignments above their pay band.

Return-to-work assignments shall not jeopardize the employee's healing or recovery process or in any way go beyond prescribed medical restrictions.

Refer toÌý.

Return-to-work notifications sent to employees are retained for five years and then destroyed in compliance with theÌý.

Assistant Director of Human Resources for Benefits Services

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Policy History

Policy Formulation Committee (PFC) & Responsible Officer Approval to Proceed:

/s/ÌýBrenda M. Johnson


Responsible Officer


May 16, 2023


Date


Policy Review Committee (PRC) Approval to Proceed:

/s/ÌýDonna W. Meeks


Chair, Policy Review Committee (PRC)


February 21, 2023


Date


Executive Policy Review Committee (EPRC) Approval to Proceed:

/s/ÌýSeptember Sanderlin


Responsible Oversight Executive


May 17, 2023


Date


University Counsel Approval to Proceed:

/s/ÌýAllen T. Wilson


University Counsel


June 5, 2023


Date


Presidential Approval:

/s/ÌýBrian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.


President


June 6, 2023


Date

Previous Revisions: May 1, 2001; April 15, 2005; February 1, 2006; December 8, 2009; March 30, 2016; June 6, 2023

Scheduled Review Date: June 5, 2028