Terminating the Clinical Mentorship Arrangement
The contract/work agreement Terminating a work agreement is simplest if the terms for employment and discharge were articulated in the mentor’s contract. The work contract and/or terms of reference should outline the responsibilities of each party in case either party wishes to terminate the agreement. For example, if the clinical mentor is a foreign national to the country where he or she is mentoring, the terms of how the employee will be repatriated is important to include in the work contract. This will eliminate any questions as to which party will purchase the ticket home and under what circumstances this is done. Additionally, the terms under which the contract can be terminated should be outlined in the original agreement, along with the consequences of the termination. If, for example, your organisation has paid a significant amount of money to house and train a mentor, there may be financial consequences to the mentor if he or she chooses to terminate the agreement in a certain amount of time (e.g., repay living expenses to date if contract is broken within the first 3 months of mentorship assignment). Although these terms may seem extreme and probably unnecessary, it is always best to have it articulated before the need arises. This will save your organisation as well as the clinical mentor a great deal of unnecessary stress and confusion should unfortunate circumstances present themselves. Reasons for terminating a work agreement Generally, terminations fall into 3 different categories: misconduct, progressive, and nondisciplinary. Non-disciplinary terminations result at no fault of the employee; for example, when there is a lack of work for the employee to do. This could be due to a change in the terms of a project, political evacuation, or non-renewal of project funding. Misconduct terminations, in contrast, result from gross wrongdoing by the employee, i.e., fighting, abuse, or theft. The progressive termination occurs as a result of several instances of minor misconduct or infractions that have not been corrected. This would include several instances of violating work rules, poor work performance, insubordination, and/or general personal unacceptable behaviour without there being a correction of the misconduct. When instigating a progressive termination, it is critical to have warned the employee of the infraction and also made clear the progressive discipline process. Articulating your rules as well as how many chances an employee has before he or she is terminated will eliminate any questions that may arise if a termination eventually occurs.
Terminating the Clinical Mentorship Arrangement
I-TECH Clinical Mentoring Toolkit
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Overall, some general guidelines that can be used in creating a working relationship and discipline policy: 1. Put rules in writing and make sure employees understand them. 2. Be prompt, objective, and consistent. 3. Discipline in the privacy of an office. 4. Educate - do not humiliate. 5. Keep a file of all employee infractions. 6. Follow due process.
Terminating the Clinical Mentorship Arrangement
I-TECH Clinical Mentoring Toolkit
Page 2 of 2