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y her co-employees, not <strong>by</strong> the<br />

supervisor. The Arbitrator found that<br />

the Grievant exhibited disregard for the<br />

performance of her duties to care for the<br />

residents, a matter for which she had<br />

been amply warned on previous<br />

occasions. 1012<br />

The Arbitrator found that the evidence<br />

and testimony clearly established that<br />

the Grievant committed numerous<br />

violations of the computer use policy on<br />

a regular basis. These included:<br />

i. installing a Palm Pilot on her work<br />

computer.<br />

j. maintaining non‐work related files<br />

on her department computer.<br />

k. accessing two non‐departmental<br />

email accounts from her computer<br />

l. using the computer to actively<br />

access shopping sites<br />

The Arbitrator rejected the charge of<br />

insubordination. The Arbitrator held<br />

that “dishonesty” was not a proper<br />

charge. It implies serious misconduct<br />

where an employee’s motive is often to<br />

obtain pay that he/she is not entitled to<br />

receive. The Grievant’s timesheets<br />

suggest that she simply recorded her<br />

regular starting, lunch, and ending times<br />

regardless of the actual times and none<br />

involved a claim for extra<br />

compensation. Furthermore, all the<br />

timesheets were approved <strong>by</strong> her<br />

supervisor. The prior five-day<br />

suspension for computer misuse<br />

suggests that the Grievant was familiar<br />

with the computer use policy and knew<br />

that further discipline would result from<br />

continued computer misuse. It also<br />

indicates that she failed to take<br />

advantage of the opportunity to correct<br />

her behavior.<br />

Despite the Grievant’s 13 years of state<br />

service, the Arbitrator held that the state<br />

had the right to remove her. The<br />

Grievant’s extensive violations of the<br />

computer use policy combined with the<br />

other less serious offenses support the<br />

state’s actions. Her prior five-day<br />

suspension for computer misuse<br />

removes any doubt that the state acted<br />

pursuant to its contractual authority.<br />

1016<br />

While on a hunting trip and staying in<br />

Mt. Vernon, the Grievant was arrested<br />

for operating a vehicle while impaired.<br />

The Grievant became very belligerent<br />

and verbally abusive. A newspaper<br />

report regarding the incident was later<br />

published in Mt. Vernon. The<br />

Arbitrator held that the Employer had<br />

just cause to remove the Grievant. The<br />

Arbitrator was unwilling to give the<br />

Grievant a chance to establish that he<br />

was rehabilitated. Some actions or<br />

misconduct are so egregious that they<br />

amount to malum in se acts--acts which<br />

any reasonable person should know, if<br />

engaged in, will result in termination for<br />

a first offense. Progressive discipline<br />

principles do not apply in these<br />

situations and should not be expected.<br />

The Employer established a nexus for<br />

the off-duty misconduct. The<br />

Grievant’s behavior harmed the<br />

reputation of the Employer. It would<br />

be difficult or impossible to supervise<br />

inmates who may find out about the<br />

charges and their circumstances. This<br />

would potentially place other officers in<br />

jeopardy; an outcome the Arbitrator was<br />

unwilling to risk. 1025<br />

The Arbitrator held that the Employer<br />

had just cause to terminate the Grievant.<br />

The Grievant’s disciplinary record<br />

exhibited several progressive attempts<br />

to modify his behavior, with the hope<br />

that progressive penalties for the same<br />

offense might lead to positive<br />

performance outcomes. As such, the<br />

Grievant was placed on clear notice that<br />

continued identical misconduct would<br />

lead to removal. The Arbitrator also<br />

held that the record did not reflect any<br />

attempt to initiate having the Grievant<br />

enroll in an EAP program within five<br />

days of the pre-disciplinary meeting or<br />

prior to the imposition of discipline,<br />

whichever is later. This barred any<br />

attempts at mitigation. 1030<br />

The Grievant had entered into a Last<br />

Chance Agreement with the agency.<br />

She then violated the Corrective Action<br />

Standard, AWOL—No approved<br />

request for leave. The Arbitrator held<br />

that the Last Chance Agreement was<br />

fair, just, and reasonable. The Grievant

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