Operating Policy and Procedure
HSC OP: 70.36, Communicable and Transmittable Disease Control in the Employee Workforce
PURPOSE: The purpose of this Health Sciences Center Operating Policy and Procedure (HSC OP) is to establish the TTUHSC policy and procedure for handling team members with communicable and/or transmittable diseases in a manner fair to affected employees and to provide a safe work environment for all.
REVIEW: This HSC OP will be reviewed on May 1st of each even-numbered year (ENY) by the Associate Vice President for Human Resources, with recommendations for revisions forwarded to the Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations by May 15th.
POLICY/PROCEDURE:
1. Definition of Terms.
a. Communicable Disease: A disease easily spread by casual contact and poses a threat to others.
b. Transmittable Disease: A disease not easily spread by casual contact but which may be bloodborne, transmitted sexually or through other bodily fluids, or transmitted in other ways as to pose only a limited threat to patients, other employees, and/or students.
c. Noncommunicable Disease: A disease not considered transferable from person to person so as to pose no threat to patients, other employees, and/or students.
2. Policy.
a. TTUHSC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals, including those exposed to communicable and/or transmittable diseases. TTUHSC is also committed to providing a safe workplace and environment for all in a manner that meets or exceeds federal, state, and local regulations.
b. TTUHSC is legally and ethically required to refrain from releasing any information pertaining to a person diagnosed as having a serious medical illness. Knowledge of any affected person will be confined to those with a direct need to know.
c. This policy applies to all areas of TTUHSC and personnel administration, including, but not limited to, hiring, job assignment, opportunities for training and development, pay, benefits, promotions and demotions, layoffs and terminations, and standards of personal conduct.
3. Procedures - Communicable and/or Transmittable Disease.
a. An employee who is a victim of a communicable or transmittable disease as determined by medical certification may elect to utilize sick leave, vacation leave, holiday compensation, and temporary disability leave without pay benefits in accordance with HSC OP Employee Leave 70.01.
b. An employee who is a victim of a communicable or transmittable disease that poses a threat to patients, other employees, or students may be required by the applicable administrative officer to utilize additional sick leave, vacation leave, and/or leave without pay benefits until such threat is removed. TTUHSC may also require the employee to obtain a medical certification that the employee does not represent a threat to patients, other employees, and/or students before being permitted to return to work at the discretion of the applicable administrative officer, Institutional Health, or Human Resources.
c. The employee may also be reassigned to other work or work areas to reduce or remove the threat posed to patients, other employees, and/or students.
d. Each case will be evaluated based on that particular case, taking into consideration the needs, desires, and rights of the employee, the safety of the workplace, and the needs of TTUHSC.
4. Procedures - Noncommunicable Disease.
a. An employee who is a victim of a noncommunicable disease as determined by medical certification may elect to utilize sick leave, vacation leave, and temporary disability leave without pay benefits in accordance with TTUHSC policies.
b. Such employees may be permitted to work as long as the employee is able to work a regular schedule and fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the position.
5. Right to Change Policy. TTUHSC reserves the right to interpret, change, modify, amend, or rescind this policy in whole or in part at any time without the consent of employees.