3C-01.5 Work Assignments and Compensation During Emergencies, Disasters, and Other Extraordinary and Adverse Work Conditions

 

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Valencia College Seal

Policy: 6Hx28: 3C-01.5

Responsible Executive: Executive Vice President, Administrative Services

Policy Contacts: Chief Human Resources Officer

Specific Authority: 1001.64, F.S.

Law Implemented: 1001.64, F.S.

Effective Date: 12-02-2021

Date of Last Policy Review: 11-14-2025

Policy:

Policy Statement:

  1. Valencia College (“College”) is committed to promoting a healthy and safe learning environment and workplace. Emergency situations, disasters, and/or adverse work conditions which impact the health and safety of the College community, disrupt College operations, cause physical or environmental damage, and/or present other threats to the College or the College community may occur. Examples include and are not limited to hurricanes, tornadoes, fire, active shooter, bomb threat, infrastructure failure, epidemics, pandemics and/or infectious diseases. These types of circumstances may range from an office or classroom being impacted to large scale impacts of an entire campus(es) and/or surrounding communities.
  2. In circumstances where emergency situations, disasters, or adverse work conditions impact the health and safety of the College community, including potential illness(es), communicable disease(s), epidemic, or pandemic, the College will review, evaluate, and respond appropriately. The College is committed to the protection of both public health and individual rights to the extent possible and will take into consideration recommendations from applicable public health authorities, recommendations from professional medical associations, and any other relevant resources and partnerships in responding to communicable diseases impacting the College community, as applicable. This includes and is not limited to medical information about the illness or communicable disease, transmittal of the illness or disease to others, risks to the College community, action plan for dealing with such circumstances, and available resources to the impacted individual(s) and the College community, as applicable. Illnesses and communicable diseases may include and are not limited to food borne illnesses, measles, influenza, hepatitis, tuberculosis, meningitis, chicken pox, mononucleosis, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), COVID-19 (Coronavirus), and/or any illness or communicable disease designated as a public health emergency by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  3. The College may implement plans to adjust operations to ensure resources are available to provide critical processes or continuity of services. These continuity of service plans may include temporary employee work assignments for which employees will receive their regular salary and benefits as may be applicable; or for large scale impacts or as determined to be appropriate by the College President or designee, the College may implement designated work assignments and emergency duty compensation for certain College employees before, during, and/or after emergency situations, disasters, and/or adverse work conditions. The College President, or designee, shall determine the need to partially or completely suspend College operations based upon the scope and nature of the event(s) to include implementing and deactivating this policy as appropriate.
  4. The College adheres to all applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations governing illnesses, communicable diseases, and designated states of emergency. The College President, or designee(s), shall establish procedures to implement this policy.

Policy History:

Adopted 6-26-19; Amended 12-02-21

Related Policies:

College Policy 6Hx28: 3C-01 Total Rewards: Compensation & Hours of Work for Employees of the College
College Policy 6Hx28: 3D-06.3 Workers’ Compensation and Illness or Injury In Line of Duty Leave
College Policy 6Hx28: 3D-10 Military Leave
College Policy 6Hx28: 3F-05.2 Abandonment of Position
College Policy 6Hx28: 10-01 Reporting Incidents or Injuries

Procedures:

  1. Communicable Diseases and Illness: There may be times when the College is open for business and will need to review, evaluate, and respond to any suspected or confirmed instances of certain communicable disease illnesses among members of the College community, or when an epidemic or pandemic may impact the health and safety of the College community. The College will implement plans to adjust operations to ensure resources are available to provide continuity of services or crucial processes, as appropriate, which normally may include temporary employee assignments for which employees receive their regular salary and benefits.
    1. Definitions:
      1. Epidemic: an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time
      2. Pandemic: a type of epidemic that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population
    2. Individual Illness: Certain communicable illnesses may require employees to quarantine or isolate themselves and be away from the workplace or program activity for a specified period of time in order to protect the health and safety of themselves and/or others. Employees with a suspected communicable illness or employees who come in close contact with someone who has or is suspected of having a communicable disease are encouraged to seek professional medical care or they may contact ODHR Leave & Access Services at leaveandaccess@valenciacollege.edu or via phone at 407-582-8032 for assistance with available resources.

      Employees who may need to request time off from work to quarantine or isolate themselves due to a communicable disease illness or exposure to someone having a communicable disease must contact their supervisor and a representative from ODHR Leave & Access Services at leaveandaccess@valenciacollege.edu or via phone at 407-582-8032 to discuss and evaluate their circumstances, submission of supporting documentation, utilization of applicable leave balances (for eligible employees), and other available resources, if applicable (e.g., Family/Medical Leave, Leave of Absence, etc.). The College protects sensitive medical information in a manner consistent with applicable law.

      1. Epidemics or Pandemics: During an epidemic or pandemic, employees with a suspected communicable illness or employees who come in close contact with someone who has or is suspected of having a communicable disease shall follow Procedures Section I. B. above in seeking medical care and making appropriate College notifications regarding the illness.

        Eligible employees who may need to be away from the workplace for a specified period of time or for other eligible communicable disease reasons (e.g., vaccine, etc.) due to an epidemic or pandemic may utilize applicable leave balances to cover the absence or the College President or designee may authorize a specified paid leave amount, as applicable, to cover the absence. If paid leave is approved by the College President or designee:

        1. full-time non-exempt employees shall record this leave used as “Leave with Pay” in the web time entry system and submit a corresponding certificate of absence (COA) in the Request and Manage My Leave System for supervisor review and approval.
        2. part-time non-exempt employees need to submit only a COA “Leave with Pay” in the Request and Management My Leave System for supervisor review and approval.
        3. Full-time exempt employees do not complete web time entry and shall submit a COA “Leave with Pay” in the Request and Manage My Leave system for supervisor review and approval.
    3. The College has the discretion to impose mandatory preventive and/or infection control measures as needed to maintain the health and safety of the College community. These may include and are not limited to:
      1. Closure and/or partial closure of campus(es), building(s), area(s), and/or workspace(s);
      2. Sending home on-site employee(s) who may be exhibiting signs of a contagious illness or excluding a member of the College community with a known communicable disease from the workplace, campus, or program to protect the welfare of the person and/or the welfare of others;
      3. Cleaning and disinfecting potential contaminated area(s);
      4. Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched areas (i.e., door handles, hand rails, elevator buttons, etc.);
      5. Providing information and training to employees;
      6. Implementing social distancing practices, including protective equipment (i.e. facial masks, gloves, etc.), hand washing, etc.;
      7. Making available cleaning/disinfecting equipment such as hand sanitizing stations, etc.; and/or
      8. Establishing flexible work hours or temporary work assignments to minimize contact between employees or alternate work sites (i.e. remote setting).
    4. Employees must obtain proof of exposure to a communicable disease in the workplace in order to substantiate a workers’ compensation claim.
  2. Emergency or Disaster Work Assignments for large scale impacts or as deemed appropriate by the College President or designee
    1. Essential Employee Designation and Positions
      1. The College President or designee shall identify department operations to maintain before, during and/or immediately after an emergency or disaster where the College or portions of the College may be partially or completely closed for operations. In collaboration with senior leadership, departments are responsible for designating essential employee positions required to work before (Preparedness Phase), during (Response Phase) and/or immediately after (Recovery Phase) an emergency or disaster as applicable.
      2. Before, during, and/or after an emergency or disaster, employees may perform duties relevant to their current positions, may be temporarily reassigned to a different location, and/or may be temporarily reassigned to duties other than the duties associated with their current positions. Designated essential employees shall be notified of their schedules and roles in advance of the emergency or disaster, as soon as possible in the event of an immediate emergency or disaster, or as necessary based upon operational needs.
      3. Designated essential employees are required to report to work as directed and are not excused unless they are on approved leave by the supervisor or leadership designee...
      4. For applicable resources (e.g., emergency duty pay, workers’ compensation, etc.), the Chief Human Resources Officer or designee, in collaboration with senior leadership, shall compile a list of designated essential positions and associated employee names who have been authorized to work during College closures.
    2. Non-Essential Employee Designation and Positions
      1. Employees whose positions are not identified as essential positions are excused from reporting to work during the designated emergency or disaster where the College is partially or completely closed...
      2. Based upon the nature and scope of the emergency or disaster, positions may change from non-essential to essential designation either before, during and/or immediately after an emergency or disaster, as determined by the supervisor or leadership designee.
  1. Emergency or Disaster Compensation During College Closures: To receive essential or non-essential employee compensation during a designated emergency or disaster that resulted in a complete or partial College closure as approved by the College President or designee, employees must have worked in their essential position; non-essential position when assigned alternate work locations or other arrangements for business continuity; or employees whose work has been temporarily suspended during the timeframe of the College closure. (Note: During emergency situations, disasters, or adverse work conditions that may impact the health and safety of the College community, alternate work arrangements may be identified for business continuity as applicable. If alternate work arrangements are unable to be identified or work temporarily suspended by the supervisor or leadership designee, only areas impacted shall be eligible for essential or non-essential employee compensation as deemed appropriate by the College President or designee.) Emergency or disaster compensation for eligible employees is as follows:
    1. Non-Essential Employee Designation
      1. Designated non-essential full-time non-exempt (hourly) employees, part-time non-exempt employees, part time instructors who complete timesheets, institutional work study students, and federal work study students who do not have alternate work arrangements or whose work is temporarily suspended by their supervisor are excused from working and may be required to submit timesheets in accordance with Procedures Section III. A. 1. a. and b. below. These employees shall monitor the College social media accounts/website, local media website, and television and radio stations for information and instructions on when to report back to the worksite.
        1. Designated non-essential full-time non-exempt employees, part-time non-exempt employees, part time instructors who complete timesheets and institutional work study students who were scheduled to work where the College was partially or completely closed shall document the hour(s) they would have worked as “Emergency College Closure” in the web time entry system. Only hours needed to bring the work week up to 40 hours for full-time employees shall be recorded in the web time entry system. Overtime shall not be paid on “Emergency College Closure” hours. With supervisor approval, schedules may be adjusted within the work week as necessary and based upon when the College reopens to account for the “Emergency College Closure” hour(s). A leave request is not required for these hours.
        2. Designated non-essential federal work study students who complete timesheets shall document the hours scheduled to work during the College closure as “Emergency College Closure” in the web time entry system only if the College closure is considered a designated emergency or disaster by the State of Florida or other federal agency, or in accordance with applicable federal regulation. With supervisor approval, schedules may be adjusted within the work week as necessary and based upon when the College reopens.
      2. Designated non-essential faculty (full- and part-time) paid via contract and exempt staff who do not have alternate work arrangements or whose work is temporarily suspended by their supervisor are excused from working during the College closure and are granted “Emergency College Closure” hours. These employees shall monitor daily the College social media accounts/website, local media website, and television and radio stations for information and instructions on when to report back to the worksite. Designated non-essential faculty (full- and part-time) paid via contract and exempt staff do not complete web time entry and shall receive pay commensurate with their scheduled hours during the College closure. A leave request is not required for these hours.
      3. Designated non-essential grant employees who do not have alternate work arrangements or whose work is temporarily suspended by their supervisor are excused from working during the College closure. These employees shall monitor the College social media accounts/website, local media website, and television and radio stations for information and instructions on when to report back to the worksite. Grant employees shall be paid in accordance with specific requirements and limitations of the grant. Once the College reopens for normal business, grant employees shall be notified as to how they shall document the hours scheduled to work during the applicable College closure.
      4. Any employees on approved leave (i.e., vacation, personal, sick leave, or unpaid leave) prior to the College closure would still be considered on approved leave (as applicable) during the closure. Employees on approved leave (paid or unpaid) are not eligible for “Emergency College Closure” hours since those employees were not scheduled to work and, therefore, are not impacted by a College closure. Employees who planned vacation, personal, or sick leave that was to begin during the closure may work with their supervisors to cancel the COA in the Request and Manage My Leave system and submit a new COA for review and approval as appropriate. Employees whose vacation, personal, or sick leave may need to be extended after the College reopens for business may submit new COAs in the Request and Manage My Leave system for review and approval as appropriate.
      5. When applicable, supervisors have discretion to approve or deny COA requests from employees who request to take additional time off to prepare for the emergency or disaster or who request to take additional time off after the College reopens for normal business to recover from the emergency or disaster. For approved additional time off, eligible employees would need to use their accrued personal leave or accrued vacation leave. If no applicable accrued leave is available, the employee’s next available pay will be reduced for the additional time taken off work.
    2. Essential Employee Designation: The College President or designee shall submit to ODHR the names of designated essential employees who worked during any of the phases where the College was partially or completely closed along with each employee’s total number of hour(s) worked during that period. Designated essential employees who are required to work during the College closure shall be paid “Special Pay” as follows:
      1. Designated essential full-time non-exempt (hourly) employees shall document all hours worked as “Hours Worked” in the web time entry system. Documented time shall include hours worked during the applicable College closure as approved by the College President or designee. Designated essential full-time, non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a week shall be paid time and a half for any hours over 40 in each work week. Designated essential full-time, non-exempt employees shall also receive additional straight time pay (regular rate of pay) for all hours worked during the applicable College closure.
      2. Designated essential part-time non-exempt (hourly) employees shall document all hours worked as “Regular Pay Part-Time Employee” in the web time entry system. Documented time shall include hours worked during the applicable College closure as approved by the College President or designee. Designated essential part-time, non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a week shall be paid time and a half for any hours over 40 in each work week. Designated essential part-time, non-exempt employees shall also receive additional straight time pay for hours worked during the applicable College closure.
      3. Designated essential full-time exempt employees do not complete web time entry. Designated essential full-time exempt employees who worked during the applicable College closure shall receive additional straight time pay at the normal salary rate for time worked during the applicable College closure.
      4. All additional straight time pay for time worked during the applicable College closure shall be paid out in a one-time, lump sum payment to be included in employees’ regularly scheduled pay within ninety (90) business days after the institution returns to normal business. (The lump sum payment will be reflected on the paystub as “Special Pay”). Manual separate checks shall not be issued.
      5. In preparation for College closure and when possible, designated essential employees who complete web time entry timesheets shall have all hours worked documented in the web time entry system up until the College closure or as soon as possible and no later than once the College reopens for normal business.
  1. Additional Leave for Emergency or Disaster Related Issues
    1. The College President or designee may authorize additional paid leave as applicable to eligible employees for resolving personal emergency or disaster related repairs or issues. If approved by the College President or designee:
      1. full- and part-time non-exempt employees shall record this leave used as “Hurricane Leave” or other appropriate leave type as communicated by the College in the web time entry system and submit a corresponding COA in the Request and Manage My Leave system for supervisor review and approval.
      2. exempt employees do not complete web time entry and shall submit a COA for “Hurricane Leave” or other appropriate leave type as communicated by the College in the Request and Manage My Leave system for supervisor review and approval.
    2. Employees may be approved to use available and applicable leave balances or unpaid leave to resolve disaster or emergency related issues if the College does not authorize additional paid leave or leave may be needed beyond the approved “Hurricane Leave” or other appropriate leave type as communicated by the College. Employees shall discuss with their immediate supervisor any additional time needed to resolve personal emergency or disaster related issues and submit a COA as appropriate for supervisor review and approval.
  1. Adverse Work Conditions
    1. Work Assignments: At times, immediate situations such as power failures, water failures, or similar types of situations adversely impact a department, area, building, and/or campus and disrupt normal business operations. Due to these adverse work conditions, departments shall evaluate operational needs and have the discretion to offer flexibility in work schedules to enable employees the opportunity to continue working in order to maintain or resume operations to the extent possible. Interim measures may include and are not limited to facilitating working from home or other remote location; allowing full-time employees to work part-time or providing flexible work schedules; working at a different campus; or other appropriate interim solutions until the area is able to resume normal operations. The department may work in collaboration with ODHR for other appropriate options or potential identification of “Emergency College Closure” hours for a short duration until an interim solution becomes available or the area is able to resume normal operations.
    2. Compensation: If it is determined that “Emergency College Closure” hours is a short term interim solution, the Chief Human Resources Officer shall evaluate the recommendation and authorize as applicable. These rare events may occur due to circumstances outside of the department’s control and no other available interim measure(s) is (are) available to maintain or resume operations to the extent possible. If approved, Payroll Services shall be notified and provided with a list of impacted employees to include the affected timeframe.
  1. Work-Related Injury or Illness During College Closure
    1. ODHR shall communicate available workers’ compensation resources to Safety and Security Services prior to a designated College closure for employees who may need to seek treatment for a work-related injury during a College closure. For more information, see College Policy 6Hx28: 3D-06.3 Workers’ Compensation and Illness or Injury In Line of Duty Leave.
    2. Designated essential employees who incur a work-related injury during a College closure shall follow the normal reporting procedures by contacting their supervisor (if available during the emergency or disaster) or leadership designee and a representative of Security Services at the Emergency Operations Center (407-582-1000) for completion of the “Security Incident Report.” See College Policy 6Hx28: 10-01 Reporting Incidents or Injuries for reporting a work-related injury or illness.
  1. Employees Called to Active Duty Supporting Emergency or Disaster Situations
    1. College full- and part-time employees who are part of the uniformed services and called to active duty to provide support during an emergency or disaster shall promptly provide notice to their supervisors and submit a COA for Military Leave Granted along with supporting documentation. Those employees who do not have supporting documentation at the time of initial notification shall provide the documentation as soon as possible and no later than upon their return from the short-term service. See College Policy 6Hx28: 3D-10 Military Leave for additional leave and health benefit information for full-time employees with military assignments. 【1-d7b12e】【2-8b00a4】
    2. Eligible full- and part-time employees who are called to active duty to provide emergency or disaster support prior to the College closure and complete web time entry shall document their regularly scheduled hours as “Military Leave”. Employees who are called to active duty to provide emergency or disaster support during the College closure and complete web time entry shall document the hours scheduled to work during the College closure as “Emergency College Closure” until the active duty commences unless they are a designated essential employee and are working until their active duty commences. Those employees would record their hours worked instead of using “Emergency College Closure” hours. Once active duty commences, the hours scheduled to work shall be documented as “Military Leave” until the military leave ends. 【1-8174db】【2-b2dd51】

Procedure History: Adopted 6-26-2019; Amended 11-12-19; Amended 12-2-21; Amended 9-8-22; Amended 11-14-25

Date of Last Procedure Review: 11-14-2025

 

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