Emergency Personnel

Emergency personnel are identified by their departments and are considered necessary to the maintenance of the vital operations and services of Virginia Tech. Emergency personnel are required to work during periods of authorized closings.

• Depending upon job assignments and tasks, occasionally non-essential employees may be designated as emergency personnel. This change in status will normally be made by the department head.
• Emergency personnel should be informed of the emergency communications plan for their particular department and follow those specific instructions

Salaried emergency employees are granted compensatory time for hours worked during authorized closings up to the maximum number of hours of their normal work shifts, whether or not the authorized closing occurs during the employee's regularly scheduled work shift and whether or not the authorized closing is for an entire or partial work shift. All hours worked in a workweek, including hours worked during an authorized closing, will be counted for purposes of determining if overtime pay is warranted for non-exempt employees.

Salaried emergency employees who fail to report to work during an authorized closing will be required to apply the entire time of the shift to annual or compensatory leave balances or, if such balances are not sufficient, to go on leave without pay. Hourly employees will only be paid for hours worked.

Emergency employees should address any safety concerns with their supervisors, particularly when hazardous weather conditions are anticipated, so that management will be aware of potential problems that could prevent them from reaching their place of work. If employees find themselves in situations where they feel their safety may be compromised, they are strongly encouraged to make reasonable and rational choices when deciding whether to come to work or stay home. These decisions must, however, be communicated with the supervisor as soon as possible. Management has the right to determine whether the conditions were sufficient to warrant not reporting to work, and will determine whether the emergency employee may be subject to disciplinary action and/or required to charge leave for the missed work.

Note: Authorized closing applies to the Blacksburg, Virginia campus or other specific campus locations across the state. Non-emergency personnel who telework on authorized telework arrangements are expected to continue working their normal schedule during an authorized closing and will not receive compensatory leave. If employees who telework on authorized telework arrangements are not able to do so due to a power outage or other condition preventing the ability to work during an authorized closing, they should consult immediately with their supervisor.