Page 123 - Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual

Section 800.038 Fitness-For-Duty Procedures

If, by observation of an employee’s behavior or by receipt of reliable information, Augusta, Georgia has
reason to believe that an employee may lack the ability to perform the essential functions of his or her
position due to a physical or mental condition, the following steps will be taken:

1. The supervisor or other appropriate department personnel will provide Human Resources with
detailed information regarding the reason for and circumstances leading up to the fitness-for-duty
referral, including information on essential job functions, evidence of the employee’s inability to
perform those functions effectively, and any attempts at resolving the matter.
2. The Director of Human Resources (or his/her designee) will review the information provided in the
referral, along with a current job description of the essential functions of the employee’s position.
If it is determined that a fitness-for-duty evaluation is necessary, the Director or designee will send
the employee a letter indicating the need for a fitness-for-duty evaluation, the fitness-for-duty
evaluation form, the current job description, and authorization for release patient medical
information.
3. Human Resources will determine the independent, third-party, licensed health care professional who
will perform the evaluation, which may be the employee’s personal health care professional.
4. Failure on the employee’s part to comply with a scheduled fitness-for-duty evaluation may
constitute insubordination and be cause for disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
5. If Human Resources picks a health care professional other than the employee’s personal health care
professional, all costs of the health care services performed by the health care professional as part
of the evaluation will be paid by Human Resources.
6. If Human Resources deems it necessary, the employee may be required to obtain a second opinion
from another independent, third-party licensed health care professional chosen by Human
Resources.
7. If Human Resources deems it necessary, the employee may be placed on temporary, paid
Administrative Leave until the evaluation is completed.
8. The employee will be requested to sign a voluntary written authorization allowing the health care
professional to provide certain information obtained through the evaluation to Augusta, Georgia. If
no authorization is executed, Augusta, Georgia may nevertheless obtain a description of the
functional limitations of the employee that may limit the employee’s ability to perform the essential
functions of his or her position, but no statement of medical cause may be disclosed.
9. Insofar as feasible, the results of the evaluation will be treated as confidential, kept in a separate file
within Human Resources, and the minimum necessary information will be shared only with those
who need to know the results for legitimate business purposes.
10. If it is determined that the employee is not able to perform the essential functions of his or her
position, Human Resources will attempt to determine if there is a reasonable accommodation that
will allow the employee to continue working. If an appropriate accommodation cannot be made,
other options will be identified and communicated to the employee.
11. If it appears that any functional limitations on the employee’s ability to perform the essential
functions of his or her position are the result of a work-related injury, the matter will be referred to
Risk Management for the processing of a workers’ compensation claim.
12. All action taken in carrying out this policy and these procedures will comply with federal and state
laws, as well as Augusta, Georgia policies and procedures and applicable contract provisions.

Evaluation and Results

All Rights Reserved – As approved by the Commission on 05-07-2019 123 | P a g e