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Voluntary Termination/Retirement
When an employee leaves the University voluntarily for any reason, supervisors should notify their human resources department immediately. Your HR representative will provide you with guidance on the process within your campus, college, or unit.
Please note the timing for account termination outlined by the Office for Information Technology reference guide. This guide outlines timing for access to WiFi, Virtual Private Network, Microsoft Office 365, UCard, Google Workspace, and Zoom to end for Faculty, Staff, and Persons of Interest (POI) account holders who leave the University voluntarily or are terminated.
This can include a checklist that covers all of the administrative changes that will be made locally to coordinate this change. You may also want to ask your HR representative if an exit interview will be conducted.
Death of an Employee
If the death resulted from a workplace injury
Supervisors must submit the First Report of Injury promptly in accordance with the Administrative Policy: Reporting Workers' Compensation Related Injuries.
If you are contacted by the employee’s family
If you are contacted by the family of a person whose work you oversee, there are four things that supervisors should do:
- Notify your local HR representative. If an employee who reports to you dies, notify your local HR representative as quickly as possible. Local HR staff will work with central HR to connect the family or representative of the deceased employee to a Case Manager in the Office of Human Resources.
- Develop a plan with HR to share the information. It is important to respect the wishes of the family when sharing information with others, particularly regarding the cause of death. Work with your local leadership team and HR to develop a plan about how to communicate this information. The plan should include how this news is shared with those who worked most closely with the employee and the timing for notifying others.
- Direct the family or representative to central HR. A Case Manager in the Office of Human Resources will work with the family, or the legal representative, to coordinate the employee’s final paycheck, vacation payout, benefits and serve as a resource. The family can reach out to benefits@umn.edu or call 612-624-8647 or 800-756-2363.
- Share the Life Events page with the family for Case Manager contact information. The page has information that the Case Manager will need to begin processing their loved one’s pay and benefits and contact information in case they need to find it in the future.
Coordinate the return of University and personal items
Your unit HR may ask for your assistance in arranging with the family for the return of University equipment, files, keys, or other property that the late employee may have had with them when they passed away.
Additionally, you may need to assist with gathering personal items of the late employee from the workplace and coordinating the return of these to the family or personal representative. Be sensitive about the timing of the request and work closely with your HR staff as needed.
Support your colleagues and direct reports
The death of a coworker can have a significant impact on those who worked closely with the individual.
Your college or unit may bring an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselor on-site to meet confidentially with faculty and staff as they process the loss of their colleague. Support is available in-the-moment, 24 hours a day, for University employees and their families who participate in Benefits through the EAP vendor, Lyra. It’s important to continue to share information about the EAP with colleagues both one-on-one and in department meetings.
Take care of your emotional health
As a supervisor, you serve an important role at this time for the family, coworkers, and others impacted by the death of your employee, including students and community members. It is important that you take time to get the support and help if needed to deal with this change and assist those around you. The University offers a range of resources to support mental and emotional health and overall wellbeing.