human resources policies

»Policy Manual

Emergency Preparedness and Workforce Coverage

Policy no. II-18
Effective date: 07/01/2009
Scope: Faculty, staff, and student employees
Exclusions: none

Definitions:

"Emergencies" refers to that which imposes an immediate threat or risk to the health, life, property, or university environment.

Policy Statement

The university is committed to the safety and security of its students, staff, faculty, and property during emergency situations. Recognizing that emergencies, disasters, and catastrophic situations can occur, the university has established emergency procedures and response protocols for many types of emergencies including power outage, heating plant failure, severe weather, contagious disease outbreak, chemical spill, major fire, etc. The university has issued an Emergency Management Plan and Emergency Procedures Manual that should be followed in case of any emergency. Coordination of the emergency operating plan is the responsibility of Campus Services. Under the plan, executive leadership (the emergency management team) will establish the direction as to how the emergency will be managed.

Each management center and/or department will formulate a business continuity plan for their area to implement during an emergency. The plan will include a list of emergency services to be provided by the management center and of essential staff during an emergency. Each individual plan shall be submitted to the Associate Director for Emergency Management for review and archiving.

The university rarely closes; however, if a decision to close is made before the start of work, the university will provide specific instructions to employees via local television, radio, and print media in addition to posting on the university’s homepage, and, when possible, via departments or supervisors. Employees may be advised not to report to work for a specified period of time. Supervisors will determine which, if any, employees may work from home, or if it is necessary to implement alternative work schedules or locations. If the decision to close or evacuate is made after the start of work, each department will be notified by a member of the emergency operating team or the university’s email system, website, and the WARN system.

It should be assumed that the university is open, and employees should not be released with pay, unless an announcement is released to the contrary. Supervisors may decide that certain non-essential personnel are not needed and may grant the request of an employee to be released without pay, or with time charged to vacation. The employee must report to work, if the supervisor does not grant the request.

Certain essential services are required to be maintained in any emergency. The employees involved in these essential services are excused from work only with the specific authorization of their supervisor, regardless of television, radio, or other announcements. The supervisor will notify staff beforehand about who are essential employees in emergencies, what their obligations are, and establish procedures to notify them when they will be needed to work in an emergency. Essential non-exempt staff who work during a university declared state of emergency will be paid time and one-half for hours worked.

Failure to report to work during emergencies by employees required for essential services without specific authorization will be cause for corrective action up to and including termination.

See University Closings for Holidays and Other Events Policy and Procedures (II-13 and II-13a) for pay practices.

Policy Administration: All supervisors in coordination with the Department of Occupational and Environmental Safety, Protective Services

Reference:
Case Policies and Guidelines for Chemical, Biological, and Radiation Safety (5-15-91)
Emergency Procedures Manual
Safety and Security Policy (I-6)
Handling Safety & Security Situations Procedure (I-6a)
University Closings for Holidays and Other Events (II-13,13a)
Deterrents to Workplace Violence Policy (V-6)
EAP Program Literature