The Employee Relations & Equal Employment Opportunity (ER&EEO) team treats employees with professionalism, compassion, courtesy and respect. We approach employee concerns with fairness, confidentiality and consistency. The ER&EEO team is committed to providing employees with guidance and support regarding university policies and procedures as well as identifying approaches for effective supervision, performance management and corrective action.
Introductory Period
All new hires, rehires, part-time staff who move into full-time positions and student employees who move in part-time or full-time positions are in an introductory period during their first six months of employment. It is an opportunity for new employees to demonstrate their skills to achieve a satisfactory level of performance and to determine whether the new position meets their expectations.
Managers are required to utilize the introductory period to train and evaluate the employee's job performance, including effective adjustment to work tasks, conduct, procedures, attendance and job responsibilities. Managers and/or employees experiencing issues within their introductory period should immediately consult with an ER&EEO representative.
Additional information may be found in the university's Introductory Period policy.
Progressive Discipline
The university employs a process of progressive discipline to collaboratively address issues of unsatisfactory conduct or performance. The disciplinary process may start at any counseling stage, taking into consideration the severity of the infraction and maintaining consistency in the administration of the disciplinary process. An ER&EEO representative should be contacted through all stages of the discipline process (except for a verbal counseling). An ER&EEO representative must be consulted prior to the issuance of a written or final counseling, an addendum to counseling, performance improvement plan and discharge.
In conjunction with progressive discipline, a formal mandatory referral can be made by the manager of a faculty or staff member through consultation with an ER&EEO representative. This usually occurs in instances where there is a significant decline in work performance or when there is a specific on-the-job incident that indicates the individual may benefit from the services offered through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
The EAP provides assistance to faculty, staff and their immediate family who may be experiencing difficult personal problems.
DePaul has contracted with ComPsych, an independent EAP vendor, to provide individual and family counseling, financial counseling, psychological evaluations and referrals, substance abuse treatment and similar services. All services are provided confidentially. Individual anonymity is always maintained.
Click here for detailed information on the EAP.
Workplace Issues
The Office of Human Resources aims to resolve work-related issues expeditiously and professionally. Employees with work-related issues may contact an ER&EEO representative directly to attempt to resolve their work-related concerns. The ER&EEO representative can act as a facilitator for meetings and discussions, and provides clarification and interpretation for written policies and procedures. The ER&EEO representative will offer the best advice and approach to DePaul employees in an effort to satisfactorily address their issues or concerns.
DePaul employees and their managers are expected to attempt to resolve all work-related issues. If the methods utilized do not result in a satisfactory resolution of the problem, or if the employee so chooses at the outset, they may choose to submit their
concerns by completing the
Workplace Issues Complaint Form. For specific details outlining the process recommended, please review the
Employee Workplace Issues Resolution Policy.