Safety & Risk Management

Employee Grievance Investigators are tasked with receiving reports of and sometimes helping to resolve harassing and other interpersonal conflicts between employees.

• Brooke Joyce, x1386 (faculty)
• Tom Lockard, x1503 (staff)
• Britt Rhodes, x1623 (faculty)
• Matthew Bills, x1189 (HR)

Luther College maintains workers compensation insurance states in which we have employees, in accordance with state laws. This insurance covers medical and missed time costs for employees who get injured at work.

If you get injured at work:

1. If it is an emergency, seek medical care
2. Report the incident to your supervisor and Human Resources
3. Fill out the Workplace Injury Form online
4. If you think you might need medical treatment, schedule an initial evaluation at Winneshiek Medical Center’s Occupational Health Clinic by calling 563-382-2911

Drug and Alcohol Policy (Federal Drug Free Workplace Act¹ )

Luther College highly values its students and employees and is therefore committed to maintaining a safe and healthful learning environment and workplace free from chemical substance abuse. To help fulfill this commitment, the college has established a Lifetime Wellness Program. The following policy outlines ways the college will also fulfill this commitment while complying with the provisions of the Drug Free Workplace Act (1988) and the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986 and Amendments of 1989. This policy will be shared annually with all students and employees by the Student Life Office.

The college prohibits its employees (“employees” or “employee” includes student workers in this policy) from reporting to work or performing work for the college while impaired by or under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol.

The illegal use, possession, dispensation, distribution, manufacture, or sale of alcohol or other drugs by an employee in the workplace, or while the employee is on duty or official college business or by a student is prohibited. This standard of conduct applies to all college-sponsored on-campus and off-campus activities.

Federal law contains further prohibitions against the manufacture, possession with the intent to distribute, or distribution of controlled substances, including narcotic drugs, marijuana, depressant, or stimulant substances.

Iowa law prohibits the manufacture, delivery, possession with the intent to manufacture or deliver, and possession of controlled substances. Local and state laws prohibit possession of open containers of alcoholic beverages outside of a residence or licensed liquor establishment. Possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited for persons under the age of 21. Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated is also prohibited.

The college recognizes all these regulations in its commitment to maintaining a healthful campus and workplace. A summary of federal, state, and local sanctions applicable to violations mentioned above is on file in the Human Resources and Student Life offices.

Luther College promotes wellness and recognizes chemical dependency as a major threat to wholeness of personal health. The college is therefore committed to seeing that all its students and employees understand that:

• The use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs can interfere physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually with the ability to perform important functions
• These drugs impair physical coordination and mental alertness and may damage the immune system, resulting in irreversible health problems and death
• Social behavior following use of alcohol or illegal drugs may be destructive to
  relationships

A summary of the effects of using controlled substances is available from the Lifetime Wellness Program Office. This office coordinates programs to inform employees and students about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, the college’s policy, counseling or rehabilitation programs in the community, and penalties for violations.

The Luther College Counseling Service provides evaluation and counseling for students in relation to abuse of alcohol and other drugs and refers students to other resources that might be appropriate for them. Lists of community and area evaluation and counseling services are available from the following offices: Luther Clinic (x5400) and the Lifetime Wellness Program Office (x1020).

Violations of the standards of conduct described previously will result in:

• corrective action up to and including dismissal/termination as described in the respective staff, student and faculty handbooks, and students’ residence hall contracts and/or
• required satisfactory participation in a drug and alcohol abuse evaluation or rehabilitation program

Any employee or student employee who is convicted of violating any criminal drug statute in such workplace situations as described above, must report that conviction to the Office of Human Resources no later than five days after the conviction.²

Within 10 days after receiving notice of such conviction from an employee who is a participant in a federal grant or contract, the Office of Human Resources will notify the granting agency of an employee’s conviction for violation of the standards of conduct identified for the workplace. Within 30 days of the employee’s conviction the college will impose corrective action on the employee, and/or require satisfactory participation in the drug abuse assistance program.²

The Director of the Nena Amundson Lifetime Wellness Program will coordinate a biennial review of the policy with representatives from the Office of Human Resources, Student Life, Academic Affairs, Student Financial Aid, and President’s offices.

¹The Drug Free Workplace Act [1988] applies to employees of the college and students who are Pell Grant recipients. It requires the college to certify that as a federal grantee it will provide a drug-free workplace. The Drug Free Schools and Communities Act [1986] and Amendments [1989] require that as a condition of receiving funds or any other form of financial assistance under any federal program, an institution must certify that it has adopted and implemented a program to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or  distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students. While these are distinct regulations, the college is stating with this single policy its intent to comply with both.

²Stipulation of the Drug Free Workplace Act

To protect the wellbeing of our campus community, employees who are sick should not report to work. In those situations, staff should use paid time off and faculty should make arrangements with colleagues. If an extended absence is necessary, refer to the more detailed procedures in the staff and faculty handbooks.

Employees who are exposed to or diagnosed with COVID-19 should review CDC guidance when determining when to return to work. Employees are not required to report positive COVID-19 tests to Human Resources at this time.

Luther Colleges encourages employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Both the CDC and the Mayo Clinic recommend that all individuals who are able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine do so, deeming that the vaccines are both safe and effective. Please consult with your physician if you have questions about your individual health situation.

Please contact Human Resources at x1134 or hr@luther.edu with any questions or concerns.

The Luther College Whistleblower Hotline is designed to encourage you to report any concerns you might have about the way we are operating or to identify any workplace behavior that you believe violates laws or our Policy of Professional Conduct.

More importantly, the hotline is available for you to use 24 hours a day and if you prefer, you can have anything you communicate over this system be completely confidential and anonymous. An independent company, Lighthouse Services, LLC, operates the program.

Using the Hotline is Easy

Anytime you have something you feel the need to report, simply dial toll-free 1-877-409-0108. A trained specialist will promptly answer your call and guide you through an interview designed to detail as best as possible the concern you want to share with the college’s management. You will be provided with a case number that you will need to write down. To receive a response from the college’s management, you should call the hotline back after five business days and provide the person answering your call with the case number. At that time, you will read a message from the college’s management that will contain an update and possibly a request for additional information. You also might be asked to check back again one or more times.

Who to Talk to

Although we always prefer that you first try to resolve any questions or concerns with your supervisor or Human Resources, there may be times when you’re not comfortable doing that or you’re not satisfied with the outcome. That’s when you should consider using the hotline.

Luther College’s management is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and ethical working environment. If at any time you don’t feel that’s the case, we encourage you to use the hotline and let us know. In addition, we want to assure you that there will never be any retaliation against any individual for responsibly reporting a workplace-related concern.

You may also call the Director of Human Resources at x1134 if you have questions.