Policy Author:
Employee Engagement
Responsible Office – Department:
Employee Engagement
Effective Date of Policy:
February 7, 2023
Essential staff include all staff working in Facilities, Dining Services and Campus Safety. Some IT staff may be considered essential staff.
Effective February 2023, as part of the Emergency Response Team strategy and to better manage onsite staffing for extraordinary events, a Standby addendum policy has been created supplemental to the Essential Staff policy. It is as follows:
I. Standby Scope
This policy applies to intentionally-designated hourly staff and salaried administrative personnel, Operational and Classified non-exempt (as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act) employees of Daemen University (the “University”).
II. Standby Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish governance regarding the process and procedures for standby. Being in standby means that when a known potential emergency is identified (e.g., a reported impending blizzard), designated staff and admin employees will be notified and scheduled to be on campus to address a potential threat. This policy will go into effect upon the designation of a ‘state of alert’ declared by the chair of the ERT (or designee)
III. Standby Policy and Procedures
A. Identification and Notification
Departments have identified positions and employees who are required as a condition of employment to be available to serve in standby rotation outside of the employee’s regular shift. When scheduled for standby, the employee will come to Daemen’s Amherst campus for a period indicated and wait to react to an emergency if it does unfold.
These employees are notified in writing that the essential functions of their job requires the employee to maintain a standby status when scheduled. The employee’s position description is also updated accordingly.
Standby employees will, in advance, receive a notification and schedule for when they are in standby. During that period, they will be compensated (noted below) for being ready to respond, and responding should the emergency occur.
B. Standby Requirements
Management provides employees who are required to be in standby with a schedule of the time and date that the employee must be in standby physically located at the Daemen Amherst Campus. In addition, the following guidelines apply:
- The employee is required while in standby to remain on the university’s premises, whether or not the standby is in their regularly scheduled shift. The employee must be available to respond to any emergency that develops while in standby. While officially in standby, an employee is expected to follow all workplace policies.
- The employee is necessarily required to restrict their activities while in standby.
- If the employee is unable to be in standby during their assigned time, it is the employee’s obligation to pre-arrange with their immediate supervisor for a replacement to cover the employee’s standby assignment.
- As indicated, performing in standby is an essential function of select University roles. Employees who fail to attend their schedule once engaged and report on the Amherst Campus or who fail to find a replacement are subject to disciplinary action.
C. Standby Pay
- A salaried employee scheduled to be in standby in addition to having worked their full schedule will receive a premium of up to $150/day depending on the time they are scheduled in standby. Should a salaried employee shift their schedule to accommodate a standby scheduling it is understood that the change is net neutral and no further compensation would be provided beyond biweekly wages.
- Hourly employees in standby will be compensated while on Amherst campus as hours worked.