
170.0 VI-12.00 - POLICY ON EMERGENCY CONDITIONS: CANCELLATION OF CLASSES AND RELEASE OF EMPLOYEES (Approved by the Board of Regents, May 1, 1992) I. Purpose and Applicability This policy governs work and the use of leave in the event of an emergency condition. This policy applies to all University of Maryland System Employees. II. Cancellation of Classes Each employee of the University is expected to report to work as scheduled, even if classes are canceled, unless the employee has been notified through established campus procedures not to report. III. Closing Facilities A. Before the Start of Work. When any facility is closed prior to the start of normal work hours or shifts, non- essential employees, except those on previously approved leave, are to be considered to be on Administrative Leave. The status of contractual employees will be determined by the terms of their contracts. B. After the Start of Work. When, as a result of emergency conditions any facility is closed after the start of normal work hours or shifts non-essential employees are to be placed on Administrative Leave. Non-essential employees who have not reported to work and are not on previously approved paid leave must be given the option to use appropriate accrued paid leave, or be placed in a no-pay status. The status of contractual employees will be determined by the terms of their contracts. IV. Essential Employees Employees who are required to perform duties after an emergency condition has been declared shall be compensated with compensatory leave or cash payment equivalent to the Administrative Leave granted to non-essential employees who are released from the same facility. Only extenuating circumstances of a most serious nature will warrant the exemption of an essential employee from the requirement to report for duty in a timely manner. V. Liberal Leave A Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or designee may declare a policy of Liberal Leave in which case non-essential employees who fail to report to work, or who report late, or choose to leave early, because of dangerous traffic or highway conditions, hazardous weather, civil disorder or other circumstance not yet declared as an emergency shall be excused. Such excused absence must be charged to appropriate paid or unpaid leave. VI. Evacuation of an Institution Facility In the interest of personal safety, nothing in this policy precludes the necessary, immediate evacuation of a campus facility by the person in charge or his/her designee. DEFINITIONS: "Emergency Conditions" - Those conditions which are determined by each campus CEO or designee to be serious enough to warrant the cancellation of classes or the release of employees. Such conditions may arise because of inclement weather, fire, power failure, civil disorders or other unusual circumstances which may endanger students and/or employees. "Essential Employee" - An employee of a facility who has been designated as vital to the operation of the facility, whose presence is required regardless of the existence of an emergency condition, and whose absence from duty could endanger the safety and well being of the campus population and/or physical plant. Examples of such employees are police, stationary engineers or other heating plant and maintenance personnel, snow removal employees, food service staff, hospital staff, etc. IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES: Each Chief Executive Officer shall develop procedures as necessary to implement this policy and submit a copy to the Chancellor. Replacement for: BOR VI - 18.00, Policy Relating to Emergency Conditions, page 1 UM Personnel Policies and Procedures for Classified Employees - Section VI Leave with Pay, page VI-21