PERFORMANCE CORRECTION NOTICE

DISCIPLINARY LEVEL

Verbal Correction—(To memorialize the conversation.)

Written Warning—(State nature of offense, method of correction, and action to be taken if offense is repeated.)

Investigatory Leave—(Include length of time and nature of review.)

Final Written Warning

Without decision-making leave

With decision-making leave (Attach memo of instructions.)

With unpaid suspension

SUBJECT:Substandard work performance, excessive telephone usage, unwillingness to perform properly assigned work, refusal to follow proper work instructions, persistent infraction of properly established work rules

Policy/Procedure Violation

Performance Transgression

Behavior/Conduct Infraction

Absenteeism/Tardiness

PRIOR NOTIFICATIONS

Incident Description and Supporting Details: Include the following information: Time, Place, Date of Occurrence, and Persons Present as well as Organizational Impact.

Mary,

There are multiple, serious performance transgressions that you have committed over the past three months that have recently come to our attention as a result of a departmental audit.

They are as follows:

• Issue 1: You were instructed to follow up on two special cases that were greater than $10,000 and to make first-level appeals to Medicare. We were already over the ninety-day guideline to file an appeal. You ignored that fact and filed the appeal anyway. This is a consistent oversight on your part and is one of your essential job responsibilities. Because you failed to meet those requirements, the case will not be considered on its merits, as the timeliness requirements were not met. In two particular cases (Scozzaro, Account #11236, and Seidman, Account #91423), your lack of judgment in taking the next appropriate step to “save the claim” caused our company to lose the right to collect moneys due. The direct loss of income equals approximately 20 percent of $14,200 ($10,000 + $4,200), or $2,840.

• Issue 2: Descanso, Account #91355. Your supervisor, Debbie Gaertner, instructed you in November of 2017 to follow up on this post-ninety-day claim in order to remove it from your books. To date, you have taken no action on this claim. Note that you were placed on a final written warning for this very claim in November of 2014 when it was discovered that your lack of follow-through had barred our company from collecting $1,578. You changed supervisors in January and in April, so this file was not audited until this month. When I asked you why you hadn’t taken care of it or reported to management that it was still open, you admitted that, for various reasons, you “just didn’t do it.” It is evident that you did not take your former warning seriously.

• Issue 3: Personal phone calls. Following is a list of frequently called personal telephone numbers:

In May, you made only one phone call to Medicare for the entire month. Medicare is the only payer you deal with, and this is your primary job responsibility. June’s and July’s numbers above reveal an excessive number of personal phone calls on company time. This clearly violates numerous warnings that you received for improper telephone usage in the past. It likewise reveals that you did not take your prior warnings as seriously as you should have.

• Issue 4: Failure to follow instructions. On Wednesday morning, August 26, at approximately 9:00, your supervisor, Linda Huntley, instructed you to stop your billing and to begin your Invoice Activity Report (IAR) project. At 11:00, Linda asked you how you were doing. You told her that you were not doing that assigned work but were preparing billing for a coworker. That violated your supervisor’s immediate instruction. Linda told you that she needed the IAR by 1:00, but she left the office until 3:00. When she returned at 3:00, you still had not completed the project. You became angry at that point and were rude to her, stating, “Why don’t you stop riding me about this already?” You also complained to your coworkers about your supervisor’s “hostility” toward you, and they, in turn, complained to Linda about how difficult it is to work with you. Failure to meet deadlines and to communicate appropriately with your peers are ongoing problems that are thoroughly documented in prior performance evaluations and disciplinary write-ups.

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN

1. Measurable/Tangible Improvement Goals: Mary, I expect you to adhere strictly to your job duties from this point forward. I expect you to meet all deadlines, and I expect you to inform your supervisor if, for whatever reason, you will not be able to meet a deadline. You are not to make any more personal telephone calls without your supervisor’s approval; if emergency calls become necessary, you must inform your supervisor immediately after the call about the nature of the emergency. You must meet all company productivity standards and follow all instructions. You must follow all properly established work rules. Finally, I expect you to complete all the necessary paperwork on the long-overdue Descanso account so as to remove it from our books. This must be completed within four weeks (by September 30).

2. Training or Special Direction to Be Provided: Linda will meet with you twice a week for the next month to ensure that your desk activities meet departmental production standards. Each meeting will last from 15 to 30 minutes and will occur as close to the beginning of your shift as possible. Please take advantage of this one-on-one instruction time by preparing questions that you have on your most difficult files.

In addition, a copy of your job description is attached. Please review it immediately and discuss any questions you have about it with Linda.

Finally, you are now being placed on a one-day paid “day of contemplation” to consider your future with our company. A handout is attached explaining your instructions for this day off and the assignment that will be due should you choose to return to work.

3. Interim Performance Evaluation Necessary? No. Your past two annual performance reviews show that you have not met performance expectations. I believe that you are not currently meeting performance expectations.

4. Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, Prime Behavioral Health Group, can be confidentially reached to assist you at (800) 555-5555. This is strictly voluntary. A booklet regarding the EAP’s services is available from Human Resources.

5. In addition, I recognize that you may have certain ideas to improve your performance. Therefore, I encourage you to provide your own Personal Improvement Plan Input and Suggestions:

(Attach additional sheets if needed.)

OUTCOMES AND CONSEQUENCES

Positive: I will remain available to help you and discuss areas where you require additional support. If you meet your performance goals, no further disciplinary action will be taken regarding this issue.

Negative: We are choosing not to terminate you at this time, but are, instead, giving you another chance. If in the next ninety days you fail to follow properly established operational procedures, if you make one more personal phone call on company time without my advance approval, if you fail to follow through on your case load, if you fail to follow immediate instructions, or if you fail to meet any other established company policies on performance and conduct, you may be immediately dismissed. Finally, if you fail to complete the Descanso paperwork by September 30, you may likewise be dismissed. A copy of this document will be placed in your personnel file.

Scheduled Review Date: Thirty days (September 30)

EMPLOYEE COMMENTS AND/OR REBUTTAL

EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT GOES HERE

Note: Since this is a final written warning with decision-making leave, add the following sentences to the Employee Acknowledgment: “I have also been advised to discuss this with a union steward or any other person that I deem appropriate. I understand that my position is now in jeopardy of being lost and that this is my last chance. Should I fail to abide by the terms and conditions of this agreement, I will voluntarily resign or be discharged for cause.”