Facility Disruption Procedure
PURPOSE
To establish procedure to effect University building shutdowns due to power and utility disruptions, fires, bomb threats or other conditions that may result in the closure of a University building.
AUTHORITY
Board of Trustees Series 35, Board of Trustees Series 57, West Virginia State Code 12-3-13
ELIGIBILITY
Full-time regular classified employees, and faculty or FE/AP employees with 12 month contracts are covered under this policy.
INELIGIBILITY
Part-time and temporary classified employees, casual, student, and non-classified employees are not eligible under this policy.
Work-study students are not classified employees, and therefore are not eligible under this policy. For further information regarding work-study concerns, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 293-2809.
FACILITY BUILDING EVACUATION/CLOSURE
The president/designee has the authority to close any part of the institution, for any length of time, or to limit the use of certain parts of the institution and its facilities to ensure the health and safety of staff and students.
The decision to close a building or facility will be made after an evaluation and discussion of the situation with public safety officials, which may include state, local and University personnel.
The president/designee will determine when to re-open a building or facility that has been evacuated or closed. Official start/end times for the facility closure will be determined by the president/designee.
REASSIGNMENT/CONTINUATION OF OPERATIONS DURING A FACILITY DISRUPTION
When extended facility/utility disruptions occur, administrators may make arrangements for employees to work at alternate work locations in order to continue operations. Employees may also be temporarily reassigned to work in different units until normal operations can resume.
If administrators determine that options for alternate work sites, schedules, or units are not available employees may be released from work duties and required to charge accumulated annual or compensatory/substitute leave for the duration of the facility/utility disruption. Employees will be required to report back to work as scheduled upon notification of reassignment or reopening of the facility/building.
COMPENSATION DURING A FACILITY/UTILITY DISRUPTION
Employees who are reassigned or work at alternate work locations during a facility/utility disruption will be compensated at their regular rate of pay.
Work time lost by employees who are not reassigned/relocated or provided alternative work schedules will be considered regular work time for pay purposes and will require time charged to accrued compensatory time off, substitute time off or annual leave. At the supervisor’s discretion, time lost from work may be made up by employees within the same work week.
Employees not expected to work during a facility/utility disruption shutdown due to standing schedules, pre-approved or emergency annual or sick leave will not be required to alter their means of accounting for time away from the work site for the designated period.
An employees absence from work during time not designated by the president/designee as a facility/utility disruption must be charged to an appropriate leave bank by that employee.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information or questions regarding this policy can be obtained by contacting the Employee Relations Unit in the Division of Human Resources at 304-293-5700.
WVU POLICY REFERENCE:
WVU-HR-13 Facility Utility Disruption
Effective: August 1, 1999