Staff Handbook
Employee Conduct
Conflicts of Commitment and Conflicts of Interest
The participation of employees in external activities that enhance their professional skills and constitute public service can be beneficial to Indiana University as well as the individual employee. However, external activities can lead to conflicts of commitment or conflicts of interest with regard to an employee’s university responsibilities, along with the misuse of university resources.
Conflicts of commitment are prohibited. Conflicts of commitment occur when the time or effort that an employee devotes to external activities interferes with the employee’s fulfillment of assigned university responsibilities, or when an employee makes unauthorized use of university resources in the course of an external activity. External activities not related to university responsibilities shall take place outside of the employee’s designated work activities or during periods of authorized leave.
Conflicts of interest occur when an employee or immediate family member receives personal financial benefit from the employee’s university position in a manner which may inappropriately influence the employee’s judgment or compromise the employee’s ability to carry out university responsibilities or could be a detriment to the university’s integrity. An employee shall disclose to his or her unit head any situation in which the employee has a real or potential conflict of interest so that it can be properly managed.
Consensual Relationships
The university recognizes the potential for a conflict when a consensual romantic and/or sexual relationship occurs between a supervisor and his or her employee. Whenever such a relationship exists, it is the supervisor’s responsibility to disclose it to his or her supervisor. The employee may disclose it to the next level of management.
The supervisor or the next level of management is responsible for objective decision-making and for making arrangements to eliminate or solve the potential or real conflict.
Firearms and Weapons Prohibitions
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| Policy: Firearms and Weapons Prohibitions |
Unauthorized firearms, weapons, ammunition, explosives and other items that the campus police consider to be dangerous are prohibited on university premises and at IU events. This policy includes activities such as introducing, possessing, using, buying, or selling firearms. Even if you have a valid state permit to carry a firearm, you are not authorized to carry the firearm on university premises. Only law enforcement officers and others in exceptional circumstances who have prior approval by the police chief are authorized to carry a firearm on university premises.
If you know of a violation of this policy, immediately notify the campus police department or your supervisor. Anyone violating this policy can be immediately terminated.
Fiscal Misconduct/Ghost Employment
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| Policy: Fiscal Misconduct/Ghost Employment |
It is against Indiana law for the university to assign and pay you to perform duties not related to university business. Likewise, it is unlawful for you to accept payment for performing non-university work during working hours. For example, a supervisor may not ask a graphic designer to prepare a church brochure during work hours using university facilities, or report you as being at work when you are not here. If you believe that you have been asked to perform such work, contact the Internal Audit department or your campus Human Resources director.
Employee Responsibility
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| 812-855-3361
Poplars 319 Bloomington www.indiana.edu/~iuaudit/ |
IU financial institutional policy states, “If any employee knows or suspects that other university employees are engaged in theft, fraud, embezzlement, fiscal misconduct, or violation of university financial policies, it is their responsibility to immediately notify the Internal Audit department or the appropriate campus police department.”
An anonymous reporting hotline is also available. See the Internal Audit Web site.
Personal Dress and Appearance
Although there is no university-wide policy that outlines a dress code for most employees, many departments call for certain standards of dress for a particular work area due to business reasons such as safety or services provided. Dress according to what is appropriate for your area and what is considered good grooming. Departments that require uniforms have policies and practices about them. If you have questions about appropriate dress for a particular situation, or about uniforms, consult your supervisor.
Political Activity
You can participate in political activity as long as it does not conflict with your work performance. In your participation, you must make it clear that you are acting as a private citizen and that you do not represent the university.
Following are some guidelines for participating in political activity:
- You must use your own time or accumulated paid time off benefits when participating in political activities.
- If the activities prevent you from fully accomplishing your job responsibilities, you must request a leave of absence for the period of activity.
- If participation conflicts with your job duties, you must inform the department head.
- If you and an administrative officer disagree about your ability to fulfill university obligations, you can appeal through the grievance procedure.
Tobacco-Free Policy
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| Tobacco-Free IU |
Smoking and the sale of tobacco products are prohibited on all university property. In addition, violation of university policy may also result in a violation of state law and a police-issued citation. Each IU campus has an individually tailored policy that provides for a smoke- or tobacco-free campus.
Information about each campus policy, as well as cessation programs and resources for employees and students, are available at smokefree.indiana.edu.
Substance-Free Workplace Policy
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| Policy: Substance-Free Workplace |
The university prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance or alcohol on university premises or while conducting university business off university premises.
Violation of this policy may result in immediate termination of employment.
- Controlled substances are those usually referred to as illegal drugs listed under the federal Controlled Substances Act.
- Lawful dispensation, possession or use of alcoholic beverages on university property is limited to specifically authorized events.
In addition, all employees must notify the campus chancellor, provost, or office designated for the campus of any conviction under a criminal drug statute for violations occurring on or off university premises while conducting university business, within 5 days of the conviction.
- When the campus chancellor’s or provost’s office receives notice of such a conviction, it will coordinate efforts to comply with the reporting requirements of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988.
An employee who is (1) found to be under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance while on university property or in the course of a university activity, or (2) convicted of a criminal alcohol or drug statute violation occurring on university property, is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Employees requiring assistance in dealing with the use of alcohol or a controlled substance are encouraged to seek assistance from the university’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or a community-based support program.
There are numerous criminal penalties and health risks associated with alcohol and drugs. A partial description of these is contained in the Substance-Free Workplace Policy.
Threatening or Violent Behavior in the Workplace
It is the goal of Indiana University to promote a safe, respectful, and productive work environment in which to deliver quality academic programs and administrative services. To this end, the university will not tolerate, condone, or ignore threatening or violent behavior in the workplace.
Each department head, manager, supervisor, and employee is responsible for keeping the workplace free of threatening or violent behavior. This includes threatening or violent behavior by employees or non-employees (vendors, job applicants, visitors, spouses, etc.) against self, others, university property, or property on university premises belonging to others.
This policy covers all university premises and university-sponsored events as well as off-campus sites should an incident occur that is shown to have an adverse impact on the university. The campus Human Resources department and the campus police will coordinate the investigation of all reports of threatening or violent behavior promptly, impartially, and as confidentially as possible.
Whistleblower Policy
Indiana University has a responsibility to conduct its affairs ethically and in compliance with the law and university policy. IU employees who make a good faith effort to “blow the whistle” on suspected wrongful conduct are protected under Indiana Code 21-39-3 and IU’s Whistleblower Policy. An anonymous reporting hotline is available at the Internal Audit Web site www.indiana.edu/~iuaudit/.
Confidentiality of Student, Medical, and Personnel Records
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| Policy: Confidentiality of Student, Medical, and Personnel Records |
In your job, you may have access to confidential information such as, student grades, financial aid amounts, employee records, family data, and medical records. This information is for university business only and cannot be used for personal reasons or gain. Employees are to follow federal law and any additional policies and procedures specific to their position and work applications used in the position.
As a University employee, you and your designated representative have access to your university human resource records including personnel, benefit program and medical records. This includes access to your department personnel records. Requests for access to these human resource records are made through the campus HR office.
