Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi

Research Corporation
of the University of Hawai‘i
3.285 RCUH Termination of Employment
I. Policy
Continuation of employment at RCUH is dependent upon program/operational needs, satisfactory work performance, availability of funds, and compliance with applicable federal/state laws.
All RCUH regular/probationary and non-recruited (i.e., temporary, intermittent, and student assistant) employees are at-will and may be involuntarily terminated from employment at any time.
Regular/non-probationary employees may be involuntarily terminated from employment in accordance with the procedures outlined below. All employees may also terminate employment on a voluntary basis.
II. Responsibilities
A. RCUH Employee
1. If the termination is voluntary, the employee shall submit a notice of resignation or complete Part I of the Termination of Employment Form.
2. If the termination is involuntary, the employee shall be provided ten (10) calendar days’ notice of termination. Employee will be provided appeal rights and instructions.
B. Principal Investigator
1. Submit a request to the RCUH Director of Human Resources for the involuntary termination of a regular, non-probationary employee.
2. Initiate an online termination via the Human Resources Portal when termination notice from employee is received (or after RCUH approval for involuntary terminations).
3. If the employee appeals the termination of employment, consider the employee’s response in light of the facts and arguments already considered.
III. Applications
This policy applies to Principal Investigators who employ RCUH employees. This policy also applies to all RCUH employees regardless of FTE employment category.
IV. Details of Policy
A. Two (2) Types of Termination
1. Voluntary Resignation: Separation initiated by the employee.

2. Involuntary Termination: Separation initiated by the Principal Investigator. This includes separation due to program/operational needs (e.g., lack of work), unsatisfactory work performance, inability to successfully pass the probation period, unavailability of funds, misconduct, violation of an RCUH policy, or applicable law or regulation and other reasons deemed to be legitimate by the RCUH Director of Human Resources.
All involuntary terminations must be reviewed and approved by the RCUH Director of Human Resources or designee.
B. Terminations of Non-Recruited Appointments – Employees hired in a non-recruited category (i.e., temporary, student assistant, and intermittent hires) are at-will and may be involuntarily terminated at any time.
C. Terminations of Student Assistants – Student employees must be terminated when they no longer qualify as student assistants.
D. Mahalo Survey – All RCUH employees (all employee categories) will be provided an exit survey (i.e., the RCUH Mahalo Survey). This survey will solicit confidential feedback (e.g., comments, recommendations, etc.) from all terminating RCUH employees relating to their work experience.
V. Procedures
A. Procedures for Processing Voluntary Resignations (All Employees)
1. RCUH Employee
a. Submit a notice of resignation or complete Part I of the Termination of Employment Form.
b. If there is a change in address, the employee must provide a forwarding address for W-2 reporting purposes via the RCUH Employee Self-Service (ESS) System.
2. Principal Investigator (or a University of Hawai‘i Dean/Director or Institutional Executive, in Absence of the Principal Investigator)
a. Initiate an online termination action utilizing the Human Resources Portal.
b. The notice of resignation provided by the employee should be uploaded onto the Human Resources Portal. If a notice of resignation is not obtained, the Principal Investigator shall confirm the employee’s resignation in writing. This document should be uploaded onto the Human Resources Portal. The Principal Investigator may also choose to have the Human Resources Portal send out an email to the employee confirming the employee’s resignation from the project.
C. Procedures for Processing Involuntary Terminations (Regular, Non-Probationary Employees)

1. Principal Investigator (or a University of Hawai‘i Dean/Director or Institutional Executive, in Absence of the Principal Investigator)
a. Submit a request to involuntarily terminate an employee using the Human Resources Portal or by sending a memo to the RCUH Director of Human Resources. The written request should include reasoning and justification for the termination.
b. For matters relating to misconduct or performance, the Principal Investigator shall ensure the reason(s) for termination are valid (i.e., there is documentation to support action) and consistent with RCUH policy. As necessary, the Principal Investigator will conduct an investigation of the particular incident or circumstances giving rise to the contemplated dismissal action. If the facts support a dismissal action, the Principal Investigator shall consult with the Director of Human Resources before taking any action.
c. Upon RCUH approval, the employee shall be provided ten (10) calendar days’ notice of termination (University of Hawai‘i Marine Center employees are exempt from this requirement). The Principal Investigator will present the employee with an official termination letter as provided by the RCUH Human Resources Office. The letter will include the following:
i. Date of dismissal action
ii. Statement of the reason for termination
iii. Statement providing the employee with the opportunity to appeal the termination in writing to the Director of Human Resources by a specified date
d. An online termination action must also be initiated by the Principal Investigator using the Human Resources Portal.
e. If the employee appeals the termination of employment, the Principal Investigator shall consider the employee’s response in light of the facts and arguments already considered. If a rescission or modification of the dismissal action is warranted, a written notice will be issued to the employee by the Director of Human Resources.
2. RCUH Employee
a. Must be provided ten (10) calendar days’ notice of termination.
b. Must be given an opportunity to appeal the termination. Appeals may be submitted in writing to the Director of Human Resources by the specified due date.
VI. Contact
RCUH Information Systems: (808) 956-6318
[email protected]

VII. Relevant Documents
RCUH Mahalo Survey
Termination of Employment Form Benefits FAQ for Project Terminations Employee Self-Service System (ESS) Human Resources Portal
Date Revised: 4/25/17