The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is committed to ensuring that Employees are Fit for Duty while also respecting Employee privacy. Georgia Tech is interested in the wellbeing of its employees and endeavors to provide a safe workplace for the benefit of all members of its community. This policy covers only those situations in which an employee is having observable difficulty performing assigned work duties in a manner that is safe for the employee and/or for the employee’s co-workers or is posing an imminent safety threat to self or others. This policy prescribes the circumstances under which an employee may be referred for a fitness for duty examination.
All Georgia Tech employees are expected to report to work fit for duty and able to perform their job duties in a safe, appropriate, and effective manner. Employees who have responsibility for on-call shifts must remain in a fit-for-duty condition for the entire on-call period. Employees are responsible for notifying their supervisor when they reasonably believe they are not fit for duty. In such instances, the employee should use available leave to seek proper medical or other attention and give proper notice regarding their absence.
A fit for duty determination process is initiated by the Institute when an employee’s behavior causes reasonable suspicion that an employee may not be able to safely perform the essential functions of their job, with or without reasonable accommodation. Employees who are not fit for duty may present a safety hazard to themselves, to other employees, to students, or to the public.
This policy applies to all Georgia Tech employees.
| Direct Threat | A direct threat is a significant risk of substantial harm that cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation. |
| Employee | All employees, including any faculty or staff member, whether part-time, full-time, or temporary, and students. |
| Fitness for Duty | An employee is fit for duty when they are able to perform their essential job functions, with or without reasonable accommodation, in a manner that does not pose a direct threat to themselves, to other employees, to students, or to the public. For all jobs at the Institute, regular attendance, ability to work without disruption to the workplace, and ability to comply with applicable conduct standards are essential job functions. |
Employee
Employees are responsible for complying with all aspects of the fitness for duty and evaluation procedures. Non-compliance may be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Employees should notify their supervisor(s) when they observe a coworker acting in a manner that indicates the coworker may not be fit for duty. If a supervisor’s behavior is of concern, an employee may inform the next level of management up to senior leadership and/or contact GTHR-Employee Relations or the Chief Human Resources Officer.
Supervisor
Supervisors are responsible for following this policy’s procedures when presented with circumstances or knowledge that indicate an employee may be unfit for duty. Supervisors are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of circumstance and protected health information.
| Revision Date | Author | Description |
| 10.14.2024 | GTHR | New Policy |