4.29.1 Zero Tolerance of Abuse
A. Purpose
The University of Texas at Tyler and the Health Science Center at UT Tyler (UTT) is committed to ensure a safe, cooperative, and professional environment with working conditions that promotes collaboration and teamwork with the highest of ethical standards and mutual respect.
B. Authority/Persons Affected
This policy applies to all UTT, employees, students, volunteers, vendors, physicians, and other independent practitioners and practitioners-in-training and any other authorized persons.
C. Definitions
N/A
D. Policy
All individuals will be treated with courtesy, dignity and respect.
The policy is intended to cover interactions among all individuals at the UTT. Employees, students, volunteers, vendors, physicians, and other independent practitioners and practitioners-in-training and any other authorized persons are required to conduct themselves in a manner that enables the employees to perform their duties in compliance with all the UTT policies and procedures as well as state and federal laws and regulations.
The UTT will create an environment of mutual respect that supports our core values of Servant Leadership, Accountability, Diversity and Excellence. This is accomplished by encouraging the prompt identification and resolution of alleged disruptive behavior by all individuals or affected persons through informal collaborative efforts of counseling; by providing a formal procedure for the further investigation and resolution of disruptive behavior which has not been modified by the prior efforts; and by providing the appropriate discipline only after the informal efforts and the formal procedures have been unsuccessful in modifying the behavior in compliance with this policy.
Behavior that creates an unsafe, intimidating, hostile, offensive environment (work or academic) will be addressed in accordance with this policy. Unprofessional behavior is defined as any behavior that is contentious, threatening, insulting or potentially litigious or otherwise interferes or has the potential to interfere with an individual's or group's professional responsibilities, self-respect, or the ability to collaborate in a productive manner. Examples of unprofessional or inappropriate behavior include but are not limited to the following:
- Shouting or using vulgar, profane or abusive language
- Abuse behavior toward patients, visitors, staff, or students
- Intimidating aggressive behavior
- Physical assault
- Refusal to cooperate with other staff members
- Conduct that constitutes harassment
- Refusal to adhere to UTT policies
- Making or threatening reprisals for disruptive or inappropriate behavior
- Verbal abuse including behavior such as consistent or intentional language that is demeaning, sarcastic, designed to injure, intimidate, or embarrass.
E. Review
This policy shall be reviewed by the Office of Human Resources every five years or as legislation changes.