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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Indian Health Manual

Clearance of Indian Health Service Personnel for Separation or Transfer

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Indian Health Service
Rockville, Maryland 20852

Refer to: OMS/DAS

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE CIRCULAR NO. 2011-02
Effective Date:  February 11, 2011

CLEARANCE OF INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE PERSONNEL FOR SEPARATION OR TRANSFER

  1. PURPOSE.  This circular provides updated guidance for employees and supervisors to use when an employee separates or transfers within the Indian Health Service (IHS).  Unless otherwise specified in a vendor contract, it is recommended this circular be used as guidance by project officers for vendors' separating or transferring contract employees who have been issued government furnished property or systems access.

  2. POLICY.  It is the policy of the IHS to ensure that the proper documentation and financial matters have been considered and resolved before an IHS employee separates or transfers from any office within the IHS.

  3. BACKGROUND.  Clearance procedures ensure that proper documentation exists when an employee separates from the IHS or transfers within the IHS.  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) uses Form HHS-419, "Clearance of Personnel for Separation or Transfer," to document all employee clearances within the HHS.  However, an HHS Operating Division or a Region may use an alternate clearance form if the form meets all the requirements contained in Chapter 1-90-60 General Administration Manual (GAM).  The IHS Circular Exhibit 2011-02-A, "Indian Health Service Clearance Checklist," meets all the GAM Chapter 1-90-60 requirements and must be used to document all IHS employee clearances.

  4. RESPONSIBILITIES.
    1. Employee.  Before separating from the IHS or transferring within the IHS, employees must do the following:
      1. Notification.  Notify their supervisor about their separation or transfer plans.
      2. Indebtedness.  Resolve all debts, and with their supervisor, obtain proper clearances.
      3. Property.  Return all property, including records, to the supervisor or accountable office.
      4. Forms.  Complete and return all required forms.
      5. Clearance Checklist.  (See completed example at Exhibit 2011-02-B)
        1. Sign and date the "Indian Health Service Clearance Checklist" (see Exhibit 2011-02-A), certifying they have completed the clearance process and resolved all applicable issues.
        2. If a Headquarters employee, return the completed original "Indian Health Service Clearance Checklist" to the DHR.
        3. If an Area Office employee, return the completed original "Indian Health Service Clearance Checklist" to the employee's Regional Human Resource Office (RHRO).
    2. Supervisor.  Upon learning that an employee is either separating or transferring, the supervisor must contact the DHR or the RHRO for instructions and:

      1. Clearance Checklist.  Ensure that "Indian Health Service Clearance Checklist" is completed, signed, and dated.

      2. Property Hand Receipt.
        1. Verify that specific assigned items or equipment listed on the property hand receipt have been requested or retrieved, i.e., a personal identity verification (PIV) card, a DataWatch proximity card, and a parking hang tag.
        2. Notify the employee if they must return items to the IHS workplace or to an alternate work site if they are working under the "Flexible Workplace Arrangements Program."
      3. Time Card.  Certify the employee's final time card.  Before the supervisor certifies the employee's final timecard, he or she must certify that the employee returned all personal property belonging to the IHS (including laptop computers, cell phones, pagers, etc).  The employee's supervisor must ensure that:
        1. All keys were returned (bathroom, building, office door, workstation, file rooms/cabinets, etc.)
        2. All PIV cards were returned.
        3. All proximity cards (building access) were returned.
        4. All parking passes and building-access credentials were returned.
        5. All phone cards were returned.
        6. The GSA SmartPay ® 2 Purchase Card was returned.
        7. Unused Transhare benefits (public transportation) were returned.
      4. Records.  Certify that all records are retained in the office of record:
        1. Records must remain in the official file station.
        2. All official Agency records belong to the Government, not to any person, regardless of the person's position.
        3. Records belong to the office or program that produced them and must be kept available in that office or program.
        4. Penalties for unlawfully removing or destroying records are outlined in 18 United States Code 641 and 2071.  (See Part 5, Chapter 15, Indian Health Manual, for the definition of records.)
      5. Employee's Work Station.  The employee's supervisor must access the Information Technology Access Control website and remove the employee's name to ensure that the employee's access is disabled: https://www.ihs.gov/itac/index.cfm?module=home&option=main
      6. Indian Health Service Headquarters.
        1. The employee's supervisor must verify that the employee's access is removed from all computer systems after the Division of Administrative staff captures the employee's PIV card.
        2. The employee's supervisor must notify the Director, Office of Information Technology, to remove the employee's access from all computer systems, i.e., the e-mail system, United Financial Management System (UFMS), Action Tracking System (ATS), etc.
      7. Area Offices.  The employee's supervisor must notify the Director of the Area Office IT program or the Area Office IT program Chief Information Officer to remove the employee's access from all computer systems, i.e., e-mail, UFMS, ATS, etc.
      8. Employee Travel (if applicable).  The employee's supervisor must verify that the:
        1. The General Services Administration (GSA) SmartPay® 2 for Official Government Travel is returned.
        2. All outstanding travel vouchers were completed and approved.
        3. All travel advances were liquidated.
      9. Departing Individuals Not Covered.  Individuals that do not fit the above criteria, such as facility employees, contractors, Tribal employees, etc., who have been issued a PIV card and have access to the IHS system, must complete, sign, and date the "Indian Health Service Clearance Checklist."
  1. EMPLOYEE INTEGRATED TIME AND ATTENDANCE SYSEM  Before the employee transfers within the IHS or out of the IHS:
    1. Division of Human Resources or Regional Human Resources Office.  The employee's supervisor must notify the Director of the DHR or the RHRO about transferring or removing the employee from the Integrated Time and Attendance System (ITAS).
    2. Director, DHR, or the RHRO.  The Director of the DHR or the RHRO will notify the ITAS Coordinator to transfer the employee to the new IHS organization or remove the individual's name upon transfer to an HHS organization in ITAS.
      1. The ITAS Coordinator will notify the individual's timekeeper to enter the employee's separation date in ITAS.
      2. Administrative staff will submit a request in Capital HR to document the employee's transfer or separation.  (Contact the DHR and/or the respective RHRO for further guidance.)
    3. Employee Advanced Leave.  The timekeeper must ensure that all advanced leave is accounted for and deducted from the employee's final paycheck.  If the employee is transferring to another Federal agency, the leave "debt" transfers with them.  If the employee separates from Federal service, then they will receive a bill for the advanced leave, however, in some cases, the advance leave will not be deducted from the final paycheck.
  2. INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE CLEARANCE CHECKLIST.  After completing the clearance procedures the supervisor and employee must sign and date the "Indian Health Service Clearance Checklist" (see Exhibit 2011-02-A).
  3. RECORD RETENTION.  The supervisor must issue a copy of the completed checklist to the employee, retain an administrative-record copy in the supervisor's office and forward the original to the DHR or the respective RHRO.  The checklist will be retained for one year after the employee departs or until any indebtedness is recovered, whichever is longer.  Disposition authority will emulate HHS retention authority until a record series can be added to the IHS Records Disposition Schedule.
  4. SUPERSEDURE.  Indian Health Service Circular No. 2002-06, "Clearance of Indian Health Service Personnel for Separation or Transfer," dated December 23, 2002.
  5. EFFECTIVE DATE.  This circular is effective on the date of signature.

/Yvette Roubideaux, M.D./
Yvette Roubideaux, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, IHS
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