§ 86-45. Emergency disaster employment policy.

(a)

General expectations of employees. All employees are critical to the mission of county government during natural disasters or other emergency conditions and are required to work and be available to respond to work throughout the emergency. During times of natural disasters or emergencies, county employees are expected to maintain services and to meet new service needs brought about by the emergency conditions. Service demands may go beyond the scope of employees' regularly assigned duties, require employees to assume new responsibilities, perform new tasks, and remain on duty for extended periods of time. Essential services shall be staffed during hazardous weather or state of local emergency. All employees are subject to redeployment from their regular job assignments, according to administratively or operationally determined service needs and demands. This may require separation from family members for extended periods of time before, during, and after the natural disaster or emergency.

(b)

County manager authority. The county manager, or his designee(s), shall have the authority to order any and all employees under his authority to work assignments as he deems necessary during hazardous weather or a local emergency. The responsibility of the county to serve its citizens dictates that some essential services must be staffed during hazardous weather or state of local emergency. At the discretion of the county manager, all employees under his authority are subject to redeployment from their regular job assignments, according to administratively or operationally determined service needs and demands.

(c)

Employee personal emergency plan. The county recognizes that employees have personal and family responsibilities that may conflict with their obligations to fulfill their job requirements during hazardous weather or a state of local emergency. It is the county's intent to provide time in advance of a potential emergency to employees so they may secure their homes and see to the safety of their families, however, it may not always be possible. All employees shall have a personal emergency plan in place to address their family's safety in their absence since they may have limited time to respond to work.

(d)

Employees required to report.

(1)

Employees shall report to their assigned worksite when scheduled or summoned, and if necessary, be prepared to stay for an extended period of time. Employees shall not evacuate from the area during a natural disaster or emergency. It is every employee's responsibility to maintain contact with their supervisor or their designated point of contact and to know where and when they must report for duty. Employees who fail to stay in contact with their supervisor or fail to report to work when scheduled or summoned without the prior approval of their supervisor shall be subject to discipline, up to and including dismissal.

(2)

Employees not initially scheduled or summoned to work shall remain available in the local area (within one hour of their assigned duty location) during an emergency.

(3)

Employees who have had leave approved in advance of hazardous weather or a state of local emergency shall contact their supervisor to find out if their leave has been canceled and they must report to work. Either the employee's failure to contact the employee's supervisor, or the employee's continued unauthorized leave, shall subject the employee to discipline, up to and including dismissal.

(4)

Employees who are on leave in advance of hazardous weather or a state of local emergency must contact their supervisor to find out if their leave has been canceled and they must report to work. Either the employee's failure to contact the employee's supervisor, or the employee's continued unauthorized leave, shall subject the employee to discipline, up to and including dismissal.

(e)

Compensation for emergency disaster employment.

(1)

At his discretion, the county manager shall determine to award exempt and non-exempt employees, who are required to work during hazardous weather or a state of local emergency, leave, monetary compensation, flex time, or any combination in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

(2)

If the county is closed due to hazardous weather or a state of local emergency, any employee not assigned to work may use annual leave or personal leave, whichever is applicable, to cover the lost time if that day would have been a scheduled workday for the employee. In the event the county is closed due to hazardous weather or a state of local emergency, the county may give leave time to employees for partial or all of the time the county is closed due to hazardous weather or a state of local emergency.

(f)

Emergency child care shelters. At his discretion, the county manager shall determine if and when employee child care shelters are activated during hazardous weather or emergency.

(1)

Child care eligibility criteria. Only children between the ages of five and 15 years of age of on duty county employees are eligible.

(2)

Registration and pick up procedure. Employee/parent of eligible children shall sign a release of liability and complete an emergency child care registration form. Employee/parent shall personally register his child and show his county employee identification badge. Employee/parent shall provide emergency contact information and the name of an authorized adult, if any, to pick up the child. Only the employee/parent or a documented authorized adult designee presenting photo identification can pick up and sign the child out of the child care shelter.

(3)

Limitations. County employee child care shelters cannot accommodate children with special needs, on certain medications, in diapers, or children who have contagious conditions (cold, fever, lice, etc.).

(Ord. No. 2018-16, § I, 12-4-18)