Life Threatening Illness

The College is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. The College recognizes that employees with life-threatening illnesses including but not limited to cancer, heart disease, AIDS, and other serious diseases may wish to continue to work as their condition allows. The College also has a commitment to provide employment for physically handicapped people who are able to work. This policy provides guidelines when a question concerning a life-threatening illness or related condition arises.

Employees who are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness may continue to work if they are capable of performing the essential functions of their position with or without a reasonable accommodation and in a safe and efficient manner. The College will provide reasonable accommodations if necessary to enable these employees to continue working.

The College recognizes the importance of education in limiting the spread of AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses. To reduce the fears concerning these, the College will provide appropriate information to employees concerning the risks of contracting AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.

Supervisor's Responsibilities

Reasonable protection for the health and well-being of all employees must be maintained and reasonable accommodation for the medically impaired employee with a life-threatening illness must be provided as long as the employee is able to meet acceptable performance standards. To ensure these goals are met, the following guidelines are to be followed:

1. Any employee diagnosed with a life-threatening illness is entitled, as is any other employee, to confidentiality of his/her medical condition and medical records.

2. When a supervisor receives information that an employee has or is suspected of having a life threatening illness, the Director of Human Resources should immediately be contacted for consultation.

3. If an employee with a life-threatening illness requests job accommodation for his/her medical condition, the Director of Human Resources should be contacted for consultation. The employee must obtain a written medical opinion signed by a physician designated by the College attesting to the individual's ability to perform the job without posing a reasonable probability of substantial harm to others.

4. If it is deemed medically necessary, based on a current physical impairment, the supervisor will work with the Director of Human Resources to offer a reasonable job modification for the employee with a diagnosed life-threatening illness.

5. If an employee refuses to work with another employee who has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness but is medically approved as able to work, other work accommodations for the (concerned) employee will only occur when medically indicated. Authorization requesting this modification must be signed by a physician designated by the College.

Continued absenteeism resulting in poor job performance may result in dismissal.

Effective Date: 1/1/91