Dynamic Process

 The termination process at UPenn involves a dynamic process which is a carefully regulated series of steps to ensure transparency, fairness, and adherence to institutional policies. This process is further supported by the PennFor system which is a platform designed to streamline and standardize the key administrative actions. The process here begins with an assessment of the circumstances requiring the employee’s exit. This could stem from performance issues, violations of privacy, redundancy, and voluntary resignation. The initiating departments collaborate with Human Resources to evaluate the situations to then ensure compliance with university policies and state labor laws. A critical step of the process is to involve thorough documentation. Through involuntary termination, managers collect records including performance reviews, incident reports, and communications regarding any prior corrective actions. These materials are reviewed to confirm how the process is followed and that the termination is justified. 

Now depending on the complexity of the case, legal counsel may be involved to address any potential risks, such as wrongful termination claims. The compliance team ensures adherence to university-wide standards and regulatory requirements. Once the decision has been finalized the employee is notified. This is typically done in a private meeting where a representative from HR and the manager are present. The meeting addresses the reason for termination, effective date, severance, and any next steps such as returning to university property and accessing final pay. Now voluntary terminations often include an exit interview which would gather feedback about the employee's experience and identify areas for improvement within the organization. 

Administrative steps follow the notification, including deactivating access to university systems, updating payroll systems, and managing benefit-related matters like COBRA (health insurance continuation). Now to follow up there is post-termination. Human Resources tracks metrics such as turnover rates and reasons for termination to identify trends and areas needing intervention. 

PennFor is an all-inclusive platform that supports and enhances the termination process by integrating technology and data management at every stage. Its features ensure efficiency, consistency, and compliance. PennFor provides a single dashboard where departments and human resources can manage termination cases together, with documentation kept secure. It is accessible to authorized personnel, and all records are in one place. The platform automates steps like the creation of notification letters, system access updates, and the generation of severance payments. This cuts down on the possibility of human error and speeds up the process. This system also ensures that institutional policies are followed by embedding rules and alerts in the system. For example, it flags those cases where proper corrective action documentation is missing or where state and federal regulations may apply.

It comes with tools that can check for potential legal risks a termination could have. It can, for example, analyze data patterns for any evidence of possible bias to mitigate discrimination claims. PennFor provides resources through separate portals for managers and employees. Managers will find training materials and templates for termination documentation, while employees can get information on their benefits and final paycheck. The platform integrates exit interview data into the analytics suite, enabling Human Resources to expose systemic issues and further fine-tune retention strategies. PennFor generates real-time reports on terminations to help leadership make informed decisions. These reports can pinpoint patterns, such as at the departmental level, that would allow for interventions.