Employee Relations
The Office of Human Resources Employee Relations unit is responsible for all aspects of employee relations to include the University of North Carolina System awards and recognition programs, consultation and training opportunities, employee conduct and performance management, investigations of complaints and grievances, disputes and conflict resolution, and Worker’s Compensation claims. We strive to maintain positive and productive employer-employee relationships through transparent communication that contributes to a safe work environment and to satisfactory employee productivity, motivation, and morale. We assist employees adhere to all laws, policies, regulations, and procedures; and we endeavor to respond to communications and investigations in a timely and effective manner.
Employee of Concern
The Employee Relations unit is committed to assisting employees who may be experiencing challenges. Any concerned individual can refer an employee who may be experiencing personal or emotional challenges or who may be demonstrating concerning or disruptive behavior to the Employee of Concern Team (ECT) via employee.concerns@uncp.edu Submitting an email simply means you have a concern about an employee's well-being and receipt of an email initiates the Employee of Concern outreach process.
Dr. Nicolette Campos, Director of Employee Relations and Workforce Development, and Sheila Hardee, Employee Relations Consultant, will receive the referral. An initial assessment will be made on every referral, and, in many cases, the outcome will be to offer support and resources to either the individual who reports the concern, the employee of concern, or both. In most cases, the employee of concern will be contacted and invited to meet with an Employee Relations staff member to collaborate and determine which resources, referrals, or services might best meet the employee's needs and goals.
An Employee of Concern referral should NOT be used for emergency situations.
If you or a colleague is experiencing an emergency situation, please call UNC Pembroke Police and Public Safety (910) 521-6235 for on-campus emergencies or 911 for off-campus emergencies, or 911.
When and What to Report
If you are worried about the health or safety of a colleague, are witnessing a colleague struggle, and/or if you are you unsure of how to assist, there is help available and it begins with sharing information with the ECT. In general, any behavior that disrupts the work environment or causes concern for an employee's well-being should be referred. The ECT can help coordinate assistance for issues that include:
- Personal Safety Concerns: Verbal or written threats or expressions of violence towards self or others (including online), threats of a weapon on campus, talk of or observed self-harm, suicidality, significant substance abuse, bias incidents, traumatic events, etc.
- Work Performance Concerns: Excessive absences, sudden or significant decline in functioning or performance, workplace disruption, unusual social isolation in the office, etc.
- Behavioral Concerns: Incoherent or irrational behavior, uncontrolled anger, extreme rudeness, excessive crying, disordered eating, significant change in appearance, mood and/or social functioning, significant emotional distress.
- Resource Concerns: Housing, food, clothing, finances, etc.
BRAVES Asset Map:
Link to UNCP's CARE page: BRAVES Asset Map
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Dr. Nicolette Campos at (910) 775-4341 or nicolette.campos@uncp.edu
Prevention of Workplace Violence
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) is committed to providing a workplace that is free from workplace violence by establishing preventative measures, holding perpetrators of violence accountable, and providing assistance and support to survivors. Types of violent acts that are prohibited include, but are not limited to, threats, intimidation, bullying, physical attack, or property damage by or against employees. An Employee Concerns Team (ECT) has been established to evaluate both immediate and potential threats of workplace violence. Any form of violence as defined in this policy may form the basis for disciplinary or other administrative action and may result in criminal charges.
Violent acts, occurring while on-duty or off-duty, can affect the ability of all employees to perform their work. The University will take seriously any reports of actual or potential violence in an effort to ensure a safe work environment for all employees. Therefore, employees acting in good faith who report real, implied, potential, or perceived violent behavior will not be subject to sanctions, retaliation, or harassment based upon their report. However, deliberately false or misleading claims of violence (actual, potential, or implied) that appear to have been filed with the intention to harass, or that appear to be frivolous, or an abuse of the violence reporting process, may be subject to disciplinary action as allowed by applicable personnel policy.
The Director of Employee Relations and Workforce Development is designated as the Workplace Violence Prevention Coordinator and is responsible for proactively implementing prevention programs, conducting investigations in collaboration with other departments as appropriate, and for maintaining records for purposes of data reporting. All incident reports shall be confidential, and details may be released only as permitted by applicable law.
UNCP Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
Workplace Violence Reporting Form
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Dr. Nicolette Campos at (910) 775-4341 or nicolette.campos@uncp.edu
Grievance Policy & Procedures Administration
UNC Pembroke encourages direct communication between employees and supervisors in an attempt to address grievances in the spirit of cooperation and compromise. The Office of Human Resources - Employee Relations administers the Grievance Policy to ensure a prompt, orderly, and fair response to an employee's grievance or complaint. Employee Relations employees work to assure that employees have access to grievance procedures to that address grievable issues rapidly and fairly, without fear of retaliation. For assistance or advice, please contact Employee Relations at Ext. 6587.
Training for Supervisors
The Office of Human Resources offers training within the area of Employee Relations to include required compliance training on grievance procedures, performance management, the SHRA disciplinary process, Equal Employment Opportunity, and prevention of workplace harassment.
For additional information contact: Sheila Hardee, Human Resources Consultant at ext. 6587