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Human Resources

Termination Policy

The primary categories Bentley uses for terminating employees are voluntary and involuntary.

Voluntary Terminations (Resignations)

We hope you will be happy and productive in your work at Bentley. Should you decide, however, that it is in your best interest to resign, Bentley would like to make your transition as smooth as possible.

While employees may resign at any time, for any reason, written notice must be sent to your supervisor before leaving Bentley. This written notification, which must be signed, should include the effective date of your resignation, the reason(s) for your resignation, your position title and the department in which you work. Whenever possible, non-exempt employees are encouraged to give at least two weeks' notice, and exempt employees are encouraged to provide at least one month's notice. ID cards, keys and Bentley property must be returned to the employee's immediate supervisor upon termination, and unless other arrangements have been made, access to computer systems and email will discontinue. Employees who resign will be entitled to any accrued, unused vacation time, but are not eligible to receive any payment for accrued but unused sick or personal time.

Once a resignation letter is submitted, we encourage you to meet with Human Resources for an exit interview. These interviews provide a valuable opportunity for us to learn more about your experiences, and provide insight into how we can continually improve the experiences of all Bentley employees.

Voluntary Terminations (Retirement)

An employee may retire voluntarily at any time, although whether or not you are eligible for any retirement benefits depends on your length of service at Bentley and age. Employees considering retirement should contact Human Resources for information and guidance about potential retirement benefits.

Involuntary Terminations (Position elimination, Re-organization, Lay off)

The following policy applies to all employees at the executive director level and below. It does not apply to tenured faculty (refer to Faculty Manual), or to employees with whom we have an individual contract.

If an employee is terminated because his or her position has been eliminated due to a re-organization or as a result of a lay off, Bentley will provide written notice of such termination according to the following schedule:

Employees will receive 2 weeks' notice for every year of completed service up to a maximum notice period of 52 weeks. At Bentley's discretion, severance pay may be substituted for all or a portion of the notice period. Employees will be entitled to any accrued, unused vacation time, but are not eligible to receive any payment for accrued but unused sick or personal time. Employees and their eligible dependents, step children, and/or spouse, will be allowed to continue their tuition remission benefit for any course(s) in which they are currently enrolled at the time written notice is sent to the employee.

In cases where severance payment is offered to the employee by Bentley, the employee must sign a general release of claims to receive any payment, and their medical benefits will be continued under COBRA. In addition, employees covered by the collective bargaining agreement may only receive severance pay if they waive the right to recall at the time of the layoff or if they are laid off for a period in excess of two years in which they will be paid severance in accordance to this plan.

Involuntary Terminations (for Cause)

The following policy applies to "all employees." Tenured faculty should refer to the Faculty Manual.

Involuntary termination for cause - as distinct from position elimination, re-organization, or a reduction in staff - occurs when Bentley initiates an employee's termination. For "at will" employees, this can occur with or without advance notice, for any reason. Some of the reasons for involuntary termination include, but are not limited to: unsatisfactory job performance, unacceptable workplace conduct, insubordination, falsification of employment records, falsification of employment credentials, excessive absenteeism, excessive tardiness, theft, dishonesty, disrespect and/or harassment toward others, and/or violation of Bentley Policies and/or our Code of Ethics. Unused earned vacation will be paid out to employees in their final paycheck following termination for cause.

Regardless of the reason for termination accrued vacation time cannot be used to extend employment. Employee's last day needs to be a work day.

This policy may be amended at any time.

Last revised November 2011