Designated Employees

I. Scope

This policy applies to all university employees that are identified as Designated Employees

II. Policy Statement

Designated Employees may be required to work during inclement weather or emergency conditions in order to perform security functions, maintenance, snow removal, or provide other necessary services.

III. Definitions

Designated Employee: means employees who are required to work during an authorized closing because their positions have been designated by their supervisor and/or department head as necessary to the maintenance of operations and services to the university during emergencies. All employees identified by position in the university or department/unit emergency plans (e.g., Emergency Operations Plan, Continuity of Operations Plan, and department-specific emergency plans) are considered designated employees.

Routine Work Schedule: means the hours an employee generally works (e.g. 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday or the hours indicated on an employee flexible work agreement).

IV. Compliance

A. Supervisors and Department Heads

• Departments will inform Designated Employees in writing that their position is identified as a Designated Employee position, and will remind Designated Employees annually, in writing, of their status.
• Supervisors will inform Designated Employees that they may be asked to report to work when classes are cancelled and/or administrative offices are closed.
• Supervisors will inform Designated Employees that they may be eligible for compensatory leave or overtime in accordance with Commonwealth and Mason policies.
• Supervisors will include language identifying employees as Designated Employees in employee position descriptions and employee work profiles.

B. Designated Employees

• Designated Employees must provide current contact information to their supervisor (e.g., cell phone, home phone, and alternate email when available) and must have one or more cell phones registered with the university’s emergency notification system. Cell phones provided by the university or purchased with a monthly cell phone stipend from the university must be capable of receiving text messages.

• Designated Employees, depending upon the emergency, may be required to work outside their Routine Work Schedule.

• Designated status supersedes any flexible work agreement.

C. Classified Staff Compensation and Timesheets

• Compensation of classified staff will follow Virginia Department of Human Resource Management Policy No. 1.25, Hours of Work and Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) Policy No. 1.35, Emergency Closing.

• Exempt and non-exempt Classified Staff will receive compensatory time for hours worked. Classified Staff cannot earn more hours of compensatory time than the length of their customary shift (e.g. eight hours for the typical shift).

• Classified Staff must record compensatory hours on their timesheet, limited to the length of their customary shift.

D. Work Hour Guidelines

• The following guidelines only apply to classified employees engaged in manual labor (e.g., snow or debris removal, facilities management, housekeeping, grounds, dining services, or other activities that require repetitive or physically strenuous labor) and those positions identified as requiring ‘frequent physical effort’ in the position’s employee work profile. For the purposes of this policy, the calculation of total number of work hours in a shift includes any combination of consecutive regular work hours and additional hours beyond the normal shift. Supervisors should limit the hours an employee may work in one continuous shift to a maximum of 16 hours excluding breaks required by state policy (DHRM Policy 1.25).

• Supervisors should provide time off between shifts equal to at least 50% of the hours an employee works in one shift (e.g. an employee who works a 14 hour shift should be granted a minimum of seven hours rest).

• Employees may not operate university vehicles or motorized equipment after 11 consecutive hours of work.

V. Dates:

A. Effective Date:

This policy will become effective upon the date of approval by the Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance and the Provost and Executive Vice President.

B. Date of Most Recent Review:

7/20/2016.

VIII. Timetable for Review

This policy, and any related procedures, shall be reviewed every three years or more frequently as needed.

IX. Signatures

Approved:

______/S/____________             ____9/11/2015____
Jennifer (J.J.) Wagner Davis            Date
Senior Vice President for
Administration and Finance

_______/S/___________              ____9/11/2015____
S. David Wu                                  Date
Provost and Executive Vice President

Revision Approved: 8/2/2016