Purpose

This policy permits up to 80 hours of paid leave annually to qualifying employees who are called away from their regular jobs to provide specific kinds of emergency services during defined times of State and/or national disaster. This policy also permits up to 80 hours of paid leave annually to employees who are victims of disasters that meet the criteria specified in this policy.

Authority

Virginia Code Section 23.1-1301, as amended, grants authority to the Board of Visitors to make rules and policies concerning institution. Section 7.01(a)(6) of the Board of Visitors Bylaws grants authority to the President to implement the policies and procedures of the Board relating to University operations.

DHRM Policy #4.17 - Emergency Disaster Leave

Definitions

Administrative and Professional (A/P) Faculty - Employees who perform work directly related to the management of the educational and general activities of the institution, department or subdivision or whose professional positions serve the educational, research, athletic, medical, student affairs, and development functions or activities of the institution.

Classified Employee - A salaried employee whose terms and conditions of employment are subject to the Virginia Personnel Act, Code of Virginia Section 2.2-2900 et seq., as amended, and who is employed in a classified position.

Emergency Services - The preparation for and carrying out of functions to prevent, minimize and repair injury and damage resulting from natural or man-made disasters. These include fire-fighting services, police services, medical and health services, rescue, engineering, warn­ing services, communications, radiological, chemical, and other special weapons defense, evacuation of persons from stricken areas, emergency welfare services, emergency transportation, emergency resource management, existing or properly assigned functions of plant protection, temporary restoration of public utility services, and other functions related to civilian protection. See Va. Code § 44-146.16.

Major Disaster - An official status declared by the President of the United States when they deem that Federal assistance is needed under the Strafford Act (P.L. 93-288 as amended) to supplement State, local, and other resources to deal with the effects of a variety of natural or man-made catastrophic events.

Man-Made Disaster - An event caused by the action of one or more persons that imperils life and property and produces danger or the imminent threat of danger through exposure to biological, chemical, or radiological hazards, as defined in Va. Code § 44-146.16. Examples include large spills resulting from transportation or industrial accidents and effects of terrorist acts. Some man-made disasters may also be called technological disasters.

Natural Disaster - An event of nature that causes extensive and/or severe threat to or destruction of life and/or property, as defined in Va. Code § 44-146.16. Typically, such situations are the result of wind, earth­quake, blizzard, ice storm, widespread fire, or flood.

Primary Personal Residence - The home or apartment in which the employee resides most of the time. This does not include vacation or second homes, nor property owned but not occupied by the employee. Normally, this location will bear the employee's official address as recorded by the city or county where the dwelling is located.

Specialized Skills or Training - Specific, definable skills or training that enable an individual to provide certain identified services needed during periods of state or national emergency or disaster. These skills and training may or may not be related to the qualifications used in the employee's State job.

State of Emergency - The status declared by the Governor of Virginia (see Va. Code § 44-146.17) or of another State for conditions of sufficient severity and magnitude that assistance is needed to supplement the efforts of localities and other relief organizations.

Teaching and Research Faculty - Employees whose work assignments primarily involve instruction, research, and scholarly activities, and who hold academic rank/titles.

Wage Employee - A non-salaried employee who receives pay for hours worked and is not covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act. Wage employees are sometimes referred to as hourly employees. Wage employees have no guarantee of employment for a particular term or a particular daily or weekly work schedule; they serve at the will of the designated hiring official and may be terminated at any time.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees of the University, including all staff, administrators, faculty, full- or part-time, and classified or non-classified persons who are paid by the University. This policy is not applicable to wage or adjunct employee classifications. Employees activated under military orders, whether by State or Federal authorities, are not covered by this policy. See Military Leave, Policy 4.50.

Policy Statement

This policy grants an eligible employee to continue to receive their normal salary for up to 80 hours while using approved Emergency/Disaster leave under the provisions of this policy.

Qualifying Events

1. The affected area(s) is covered by an official declaration of major disaster by the President of the United States, or a declaration of a State of Emergency by the Governor of Virginia or the governor of another state.

2. Public officials at the site of the disaster have requested the assistance of individuals with specialized skills or training and the employee possesses the required specialized skills or training requested by the authorities.

3. Employees present written requests to provide emergency services and obtain approval prior to using leave under this policy.
   

4. Employees asked by emergency/relief service authorities to extend their service beyond 80 hours for the same event may request approval from their agencies to use appropriate accrued leave or leave without pay. Approval is at the discretion of the supervisor.

5. Employee who has sustained severe or catastrophic damage to or loss of their primary personal residence, or has been ordered to evacuate that residence, as a result of a natural or man-made emergency or disaster. Supervisors have sole discretion for authorizing up to 80 hours of leave annually under this provision for employees who meet all criteria shown below:

   1. The event resulted in a formal declaration of a State of Emergency or of a Federal disaster status.
      

   2. The employee's home was located in the officially declared disaster area.
      

   3. Formal documentation from recognized disaster relief organi­zations or insurance companies verifies severe, extreme, or catastrophic damage to or loss of personal property as a result of the declared emergency in which the damage or required evacuation rendered the employee's home temporarily or permanently uninhabitable.

   The University will not pay for expenses related to provid­ing emergency service, such as travel, food, or lodging.

   The University will not pay for expenses incurred by the employee in recovering from the personal effects of a disaster.

Procedures

Employees are responsible for requesting leave as required by University policy and for providing the required documen­tation or verification as listed above. Employees are also responsible for ensuring that all leave is accurately reported in Web Time Entry (WTE).

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that all employees' leave is accurately reported and approved in Web Time Entry.

Records Retention

Applicable records must be retained and then destroyed in accordance with the Commonwealth's Records Retention Schedules.

Responsible Officer

Assistant Vice President for Human Resources and Strategic Initiatives

Related Information

DHRM Policy #4.50- Military Leave

University Policy 6301 - Bone Marrow and Organ Donation Leave

University Policy 6302 - Civil and Administrative Leave for Administrative and Professional Faculty, Classified Staff, and Wage Employees

University Policy 6304 - Military Leave

University Policy 6305 - School Assistance and Volunteer Service Leave

University Policy 6306 - Immediate Recognition