DEPARTMENT: Human Resources / POLICY DESCRIPTION: Reference Inquiries
PAGE: 1 of 5 / REPLACES POLICY DATED: 9/1/2005
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2005 / REFERENCE NUMBER: HR.205
SCOPE: All Company-affiliated subsidiaries including, but not limited to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient imaging centers, physician practices, All About Staffing, Corporate Departments, Groups, and Divisions (collectively, “Affiliated Employers” and individually, “Affiliated Employer”).
PURPOSE: This policy provides guidance for the administration and dissemination of current and former employee reference information.
POLICY: All Affiliated Employers are torespond to requests to confirm the employment and/or income of a current employee orto provide the reason for termination as defined by this policy on a former employee.
PROCEDURE:
  1. Confirming Current Employment and Income Verification
The Work Numbernetwork delivers employment and income verification data for current employees of Affiliated Employers. To confirm employment only, the Affiliated Employer is to provide the entity requesting confirmation with the alternatives below and the ID number (10778)to access the information.
To confirm employment and verify incomefor current employees of Affiliated Employers, the Affiliated Employer is to provide the entity requesting confirmation with the alternatives below, the ID number (10778) to access the information and a salary key. A salary key may be obtained by calling the LifeTimes Connection at (800) 566-4114.
  1. For entities that are members of The Work Number network, call:(800) 367-5690.
  1. For entities that are not members of The Work Number network, call: (900) 438-9675.
  1. Both members and non-members of The Work Number network may access:
  1. Completing Termination and Reference Information
  1. Affiliated Employers must educate all employees that following an employee’s termination of employment, it is the Affiliated Employer’s intent to disclose the reason for terminationto an inquirer for a bona fide business reference.
  1. Eligibilityfor re-hire and future reference information is determined by this reason for termination code.
Eligibility for Re-Hire
Determined by
Legacy System
Reason for Separation
Eligible for Re-Hire / Not Eligible for Re-Hire
Code / Reason / Code / Reason
31 / Absenteeism / 52 / Death
04 / Advancement opportunity
05 / Benefits
53 / Commute/distance to/from work / The following reasons require consultation with the
06 / Compensation / Corporate Employment Law Department prior to use:
43 / Completed residency
29 / Conflict with co-worker
30 / Conflict with supervisor / 32 / Gross misconduct
15 / Continue education / 33 / Policy violation
44 / Contract expired / 35 / Unsatisfactory performance
60 / Delete, never started / 48 / Violation of drug policy
28 / Dissatisfied
39 / Divestiture
47 / End of temporary assignment
38 / Failure to return from LOA
49 / Failure to maintain license
18 / Family obligations
16 / Health concerns
02 / Inter-facility transfer
03 / Inter-facility transfer to SS
24 / Job abandonment
07 / Job security
41 / Lack of hours
09 / Lack of training
17 / Military
46 / Non utilized PRN
63 / Other – involuntary
61 / Other – voluntary
10 / Other job
36 / Outsourced department
50 / Personal reasons
40 / Practice closed
62 / Quit without notice
37 / Reduction in force
25 / Refused position or assignment
08 / Relocation
51 / Retirement
13 / Self employed
12 / Stay home
45 / Terminated contract
27 / Took job while on LOA
34 / Unsatisfactory appraisal period
54 / Work schedule
Eligibility for Re-Hire
Determined by
Lawson System
Reason for Separation
Eligible for Re-Hire / Not Eligible for Re-Hire
Code / Reason / Code / Reason
TV-ABAND / Job Abandonment / TI-DEATH / Death
TI-ABSENT / Absenteeism
TI-CLOSFAC / Closed Facility / The following reasons require consultation with the
TI-DIVEST / Divestiture / Corporate Employment Law Department prior to use:
TI-ENDASSG / End Temp Assignment
TI-MATCH / Mismatch / TI-GMISCON / Gross Misconduct
TI-NUPRN / Non Utilized PRN / TI-MISCOND / Misconduct*
TI-RIF / Reduction in Force / TI-PERFORM / Unsatisfactory Perform
TI-SVCELIM / Svc/Dept Eliminated
TV-ADVANCE / Limited Advancement
TV BENEFIT / Employee Benefits / *To be used for policy violations
TV-CAREER / Better Career Opportunity
TV-COMMUN / Communication Related
TV-COMMUTE / Commute Related
TV-CONTRACT / Contract Expired
TV-COWKRS / Co-Workers
TV-EEINPUT / Limited Employee Input
TV-FAIRTX / Inconsist Treat of EE
TV-FAMILY / Family Circumstances
TV-HEALTH / Health Reasons
TV-JOBSEC / Job Security
TI-LICENSE / Inactive License
TV-MAXLOA / Exhausted LOA
TV-MGMT / Supv/Mgmt
TV-MILITARY / Military
TV-MORALE / Morale
TV-NVRSTRT / Never Started
TV-OVRWKD / Overworked
TV-RECOGN / Recognition
TV-REFUSE / Refuse Assignment
TV-RELO / Relocation (non-HCA)
TV-RELOHCA / Relocation (HCA)
TV-RESIDEN / Completed Residency
TV-RETIRE / Retirement
TV-SALARY / Salary
TV-SCHOOL / Returning to School
TV-STANDRD / Unacceptable Standards
TV-TOOEASY / Unchallenging Work
TV-TRAIN / Insufficient Training
TV-UNKNOWN / Unknown Reason
TV-WKCOND / Work Conditions
TV-WKSCH / Work Schedule
Care should be given in coding terminations in these categories, due to the restriction guidelines that will be applied. Good business practice, appropriate documentation, approval and legal consultation must also support any termination decision based on one of these reasons.
Gross misconduct- code should be restricted to those behaviors or actions that are generally considered to be a violation of a community standard that would be widely considered unacceptable. Examples may include: violation of state or federal criminal statutes, violence or threat of violence, harassment, etc.
Misconduct/Policy violation- while these violations may not be generally considered “community standards,” they may be considered serious violations by the Affiliated Employer. Generally, employees new to the Affiliated Employerare made aware of these critical expectations upon employment via orientation, employee handbooks, or published policy guidelines. Depending on the circumstances of the violation, a first or repeated occurrence may result in termination. Examples may include: falsification of documentation, breech of confidentiality; rudeness to customers; violation of ethics or compliance guidelines, etc.
Unsatisfactory performance- this action is a result of following appropriate performance improvement efforts/management counseling. Failing performance generally includes behaviors which do not meet minimal performance expectations after an employee has demonstrated or been “checked-off” as competent to perform to standards.
Violation of drug policy- this policy has been specifically segregated from other policies due to the unique nature of our business to provide patient care. These policies are specifically spelled out and are intended to be strictly adhered to by all Affiliated Employers.
  1. Affiliated Employers must assignreason for termination codesbased upon a complete understanding of the facts available. Reason for termination codes must not be negotiated to permit an employee to avoid being declared ineligible for re-hire.
  1. Some terminations coded as not eligible for re-hire requires a Human Resources Department consultation with the Corporate Employment Law Department (615-344-1891) prior to system entry and must be approved by the Affiliated Employer CEO or Corporate Department Head.
  1. If an employee’s reason for terminationis coded as not eligible for re-hire, appropriate disclosures must be made to the relevant licensing board(s).
  1. Providing Former Employee Reference Information
  1. Affiliated Employers may access a database (referred to as TNT Referencing) to release reference information on former employees. Reference system user information is available on Atlas at:

  1. The identity of an inquirer must be confirmed by a letterhead request for a bona fide business reference on a former employee. If the inquirer’s identity cannot be confirmed, the language from Exhibit A should be printed on the Affiliated Employer’s letterhead and sent to the inquirer. Once identity is confirmed, the Affiliated Employer should access the database and search for the former employee’s record. The reference system user will be prompted by the system with instructions to respond to an inquirer.
  1. If a former employee’s reason for termination is mapped to eligible for re-hire, the inquirer will have access to that information and the process ends.
If a former employee’s reason for termination is mapped to not eligible for re-hire, the inquirer will have access to that information and may end the process or request further information. The reference system user will be prompted by the system with instructions to respond to an inquirer’s request for further information.
The Affiliated Employer may elaborate onlyfor the reasons indicatedafterconsultingwith the Corporate Employment Law Department.
REFERENCES: Personnel Action Requests Policy, HR.301

9/2005

Exhibit A

Date

Reference Inquirer

Inside Address

Inside Address

Re: Former Employee Name

Date youmade a reference inquiry on the above former employee of

Affiliated Employer.

We are unable to confirm the identity of your organization and for that reason cannot provide access to the reference information you have requested.

Attachment to HR.205