A&L Emergency Closing Information

Attendance & Leave

Emergency Closing Information for USF Employees

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who decides if the University will close for a storm or emergency?

A. The President has the authority to determine if the University needs to close for emergency circumstances, like a hurricane. There may be times when the President will authorize that some, but not all, of USF’s campuses will close, so please pay careful attention to which locations may remain open.

Q. Where should I go to find out if the University will close?

A. Employees may visit the main USF home page here to get current emergency-related information. You may also call the emergency hotline at 800-992-4231 or visit local news stations, including WUSF (89.7 FM), for updates on closings.

Q. Who should be on campus during an emergency closing?

A. Only employees who have been identified as Essential Personnel should report to work when the campus and its business operations are officially closed. For safety and accountability, the University must know who is on campus and their locations during an emergency closing. It is critical that all non-essential personnel stay away from USF when the University is officially closed.

However, if non-essential personnel work during an emergency closing, they will be paid regular time for the hours worked.

Q. How do I know if I’m considered Essential Personnel?

A. The University has prepared a list of essential personnel employees, and your supervisor will notify you if you are part of this group and are required to come to work during an emergency closing.

Q. If the University has closed for a hurricane, will I get paid?

A. The following guidelines will determine if you are paid for an emergency closing:

· In addition to receiving compensation for the hours worked during an emergency closing, essential personnel will receive special compensatory leave time in an amount equal to the number of hours they worked during the closing.

· Regular employees and Professional & Salaried Temporary/OPS employees will receive administrative leave for the hours missed during an emergency closing (no more than 40 hours or your appointed hours in the work week), unless:

o The employee is on an approved leave of absence, including sick and annual leave.

o The employee had an unauthorized absence the day before the emergency closing. In these cases, the employee will continue to remain on unauthorized leave on the day(s) in which the University was closed.

· Hourly Temporary/OPS employees will not receive paid leave time during an emergency closing, but if the workload requires a supervisor may adjust an employee’s schedule to allow the employee to work additional hours in the work week.

Q. What happens if USF is open but I can’t come to work because I live in an evacuation zone or have to stay home with my children whose school was closed?

A. The University understands that circumstances like an evacuation or school closing may impact your ability to come to work during a storm situation. Although the University monitors school closings, we cannot guarantee that USF will close its business operations, even if other schools close. For extenuating circumstances such as these, you may request to use your annual leave to cover your absence.

Q. When should I return to work, and what time should I arrive?

A. The USF web site and media sources will provide you with updates on how long the University will be closed. On the day the University reopens, you should report to work at the time you would normally start your shift. If the University opens later than the start of your scheduled start time, you should report to work as soon as the University reopens.

Q. I work a 4 day work week, 10 hours each day. How many hours of administrative leave do I get for an emergency closing, 8 hours or 10 hours?

A. You would receive up to10 hours of administrative leave, which is equal to the number of hours in your regular work day, not to exceed your appointed hours in a work week.

Q. I am designated to be on-call. Will I continue to receive on-call pay during the closing?

A. Yes, unless your supervisor advised you in writing prior to the emergency closing that you were not on-call during the closing.

Q. When I am on-call during an emergency closing, which rate do I receive?

A. If the closing is on a regular work day, then your on-call rate is the one for the workday. However, if the closing is on a holiday or the weekend, your on-call rate would be the one specified for holiday/weekend.