Attention Faculty & Staff: Out-of-State Programs & End of the Flu Season

Attention Faculty & Staff: Out-of-State Programs & End of the Flu Season

The below messages are important messages from Duke University and Duke University Health System...

Out-of-State Programs Review Process

When Duke University and Duke University Health System departments are planning to establish out-of-state programs and activities, various organizational and individual reporting, withholding and compliance requirements accompany each one. Failure to comply can result in penalties to Duke and/or its employees. Accordingly, a review process will be established and approval will be required before launching a new out-of-state program.

For this purpose, an out-of-state program is defined as any Duke-related business performed outside of North Carolina by a Duke employee. Examples may include clinical or training rotations, agreements for program development and support, and training agreements with facilities outside of the State of North Carolina. We have commissioned a team (Robin Miller, AVP Disbursement Services, and David Smithwick, AVP Rewards and Recognition) to work with departments to review potential compliance obligations. They will partner with departments, legal counsel, and all applicable parties to ensure there are no issues with proceeding with the implementation. Any approval for new programs will be coordinated by this team. All existing and proposed out-of-state programs, including telecommuting arrangements, should be coordinated through them. This procedure is not required for faculty or staff attending conferences or off-site meetings.

The following factors should be considered to avoid potential financial penalties to an employee and/or Duke:

  • Withholding rates: Some states require withholding of local city/county taxes in addition to state taxes.
  • Requirement by some states to file multiple tax returns.
  • Employer taxes and reporting requirements.
  • Business registration requirements.

In light of the complexity of the wage and hour requirements by state, nonexempt (biweekly paid) Duke employees should not be engaged in out-of-state programs.

As departments are evaluating new programs and initiatives, they should consider these options:

  • Conducting programs remotely from within North Carolina (Duke has available on-site resources, e.g., videoconferencing equipment, that may be used for this purpose).
  • Employment of local resources through a Duke-approved staffing agency.
  • Coordination with the host institutions to hire our employees for short term. (Duke would then reimburse the host institution.) 

If you have specific questions regarding this new process, you may contact Robin Miller at 919-668-5801 or David Smithwick at 919-684-5061.

End of the 2015-2016 Flu Season

There has been a progressive decline of new influenza cases reported over the last few weeks. Therefore, after consultation with the Duke Program for Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology, we are establishing Saturday, April 30, 2016 as the designated end of the 2015-2016 flu season for the purposes of the DUHS Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination policy.  This means that new hires/volunteers who are joining DUHS on or after May 1, 2016 will not be required to be vaccinated against the flu, but will be required to get the vaccine during the Fall flu vaccination period. The Fall flu vaccination period generally begins in September and ends in November.

Your leadership helped us vaccinate a record number of team members throughout an active flu season.   

Thank you for your commitment to safety and to caring for our patients, their loved ones and each other.

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