Staffers question UNT’s proposal

University of North Texas staff members expressed concerns about the university system's consideration of an employment policy that would make it simpler to terminate employees. ON THE WEBB

•  For more information about at-will employment, click here

During a meeting Tuesday, staff members wondered why UNT Chancellor Lee Jackson felt the current employment policy needed to be changed.

The at-will employment policy the UNT system is considering would allow the university to fire employees for any reason as long as it was lawful, according to an e-mail Jackson sent to employees Nov. 4.

Under the current policy, employees can be terminated only for cause, after going through certain procedural steps.

"All major policies should be re-examined periodically, particularly where peer reviews indicate improvements and changes are being implemented at other Texas universities," Jackson said in an e-mail Tuesday.

While the policy change would not affect faculty or employees who are under contract, it would affect more than 2,500 full-time staff members and 393 part-timers on the Denton campus.

About 200 employees attended the first of two meetings at UNT's Denton campus Tuesday. They expressed concerns not only about being terminated under the at-will policy, but also that the university would use it as a way to reduce benefits.

Richard Escalante, vice chancellor of administrative services for the UNT system, looked into the matter after the meeting and said that adopting an at-will employment policy would not affect employee benefits or leave packages, adding that the two are set by state law.

Five meetings were set up at the three campuses that would be affected - the UNT system in Dallas, UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth, and the Denton campus.

UNT Dallas is already operating under the at-will employment policy.

"The purpose of these meetings is to hear comments from you," said Escalante, who was in charge of the meetings.

He reminded staff members that no decision about the at-will employment policy has been made.

But Escalante said it was not the purpose of the meeting to answer questions about why this policy was being considered.

"I will answer procedural questions," Escalante said.

Attendees clapped when a couple of staff members suggested giving the chancellor a vote of no confidence.

But some staff members did say that it is impossible to dismiss employees under the current for-cause employment policy. They said there are parts of the current policy that could be refined - they just aren't sure if at-will employment is the answer.

Escalante responded by saying the chancellor is open to hearing recommendations.

Scott Windham, vice chairman of the Staff Council, which was helping the administration gather questions and comments at the meeting, encouraged staff members to offer a solution if they were going to identify a problem.

"With all due respect, we're not aware of what the problem is," one staff member replied.

Some in attendance asked why Jackson wasn't there to answer the questions himself, since he will make the final decision on whether the policy is changed.

When making his decision, Jackson will consider comments and questions from staff members as well as recommendation from the committee, which was put together in 2010 to review the employment policy.

The committee included Escalante; Jean Bush, senior associate vice president for finance at UNT; Rand Horsman, vice president for human capital management at UNT Health Science Center; and Warren Kennedy, director of human resources at UNT Dallas.

The chancellor will also look at the best practices of Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University, Texas Woman's University and other universities using an at-will system.

"It's getting real old hearing how other institutions are doing it," a staff member said during the meeting, adding that the University of Texas and University of Houston don't have at-will employment. "Be a trendsetter rather than follower."

Staff employees were worried about talking with members of the media. Some were even concerned about attending the meetings because of possible repercussions.

The UNT Staff Council has been helping foster communication between the UNT administration and staff members, Windham said.

"We are a communication vehicle," he said.

The council's job is not to bargain on behalf of the staff, and it can't take a position on the topic, Windham said. It is trying to provide the staff with as much information as possible and encourage them to make comments and ask questions, he said.

Staff members have until 11 a.m. Thursday to submit their questions and until 5 p.m. Monday to make comments about the at-will employment policy.

The Staff Council worked to extend the deadline for commenting.

 "UNT has a whole lot of dedicated employees, and they just need to participate in the process," Windham said.

The university system will be answering questions from staff members on the at-will employment website: http://untsystem.unt.edu/information_at-will.htm

RACHEL MEHLHAFF can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is rmehlhaff@dentonrc.com .

ON THE WEB

For more information about at-will employment, visit http://untsystem.unt.edu/information_at-will.htm .