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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Closure Disaster Wage Policy 2026CITY OF Sf J3ASTIAN HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND Document ID Title: Emergency Closures and Print Date Disaster Wages January 2, 2026 Revision Prepared By Date Prepared September6,2017 Cynthia Watson, January 2,2026 June gust 21, 18 2019(Revis August 21, 2019 (Revised) Human Resources Director June 14, 2024 (Revised) March 27, 2025 (Revised) November 17, 2025 (Revised) January 14, 2026 Effective Date Reviewed By Date Reviewed January 15, 2026 Karen Miller January 2, 2026 = - Approved By Date Approved = -- - /Signature: ;Sebastian City Council) - January 14, 2026 Fred Jones, Mayor Bob McPartlan, Vice Mayor --_ - -- Fred Jones, Mayor Ed Dodd, Council Member - - Sherrie Matthews, Council Member = Chris Nunn, Council Member Disasters, whether natural or manmade, can have a severe impact on City operations. Therefore, we must be prepared to keep our employees safe and minimize disruptions to operations. Policy familiarization is the responsibility of each employee Scope: This policy applies to all City of Sebastian employees during a declared state of emergency and/or emergency closure. Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to establish a comprehensive plan for pay, leave and reporting requirements during an emergency declared by the Mayor as written in Ordinance 0-15-07. PoIjN: This policy is intended to comply with Florida Statute 252.36 covering short-term critical incidents, lasting less than seven calendar days. Critical incidents lasting more than seven calendar days will necessitate re-evaluation. CM OF SIE13ASTInAN HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND Authority to Declare Emergency Closure 1. When a state of emergency is declared the City Manager or designee is authorized, based on the nature and severity of the emergency, to close normal operations of the organization, whether in part or whole. This time period is defined as an emergency closure. 2. The City Manager's designation ensures clear communication, consistency, and proper administration of emergency operations, including the activation of essential personnel and the implementation of any special pay or staffing measures required to support critical city functions. 3. 3. Local authorities' recommendations (e.g., State Governor, County Authorities, City Council, police, fire department, public health officials) will be taken into consideration. Criteria for,F.aiergency Closure The following is a list of Emergency Closure criteria: 1.- Natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes) 2. Severe weather conditions (e.g., extreme temperatures) 3. Security threats (e.g., bomb threats, active shooter situations) 4. Health emergencies (e.g., pandemics, outbreaks) 5. Utility failures (e.g., power outages, water supply issues) 6. Any other situation deemed hazardous to safety and operations. Notification 1. The City Manager will authorize department directors to communicate with employees to identify and coordinate the required essential workforce during an emergency closure. This workforce will be determined based on each emergency. Employees will be informed whether to report or not to report to work. 2. Employees who are required to report to work, will be advised by the department director or designee of the time, date and place the employee is to report. Communication 1. Communications will be immediately through, but not limited to, the following channels: a. Email b. Text messages; c. Phone calls d. City's website and social media, and e. Local news outlets. 2. A designated spokesperson will handle all communications to the general public in order to ensure consistent and accurate information dissemination. CITY OF Sf]3ASTJAN HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND General 1. During an emergency closure, payment provided to employees for their regularly scheduled work time, that is not performed due to the closure, is defined as emergency leave pay. Emergency leave pay is not contingent on FEMA reimbursement, nor are any other payments made to employees. 2. An employee who is on a regularly scheduled day off and not required to reportfor duty will not receive emergency leave pay for these days. 3. An employee, who is on approved leave and is not required to return to work, shall be charged the leave for which they were approved and will not receive emergency leave pay during the closure period. 4. Employees that are in lockdown shall receive their regular pay rate for any other time they cannot leave the facility due to inclement weather. 5. For pay calculation during a critical incident a day shall be from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM unless specific times are designated, and the week is from Sunday,12:00 AM to Saturday,11:59 PM. Employee Meals During an emergency closure, meals will be provided to all mission critical employees. Mission Critical Employee Any employee (exempt, non-exempt or part-time) deemed mission critical and directed to report for work during an emergency closure within a declared state of emergency. Exempt Employees 1. During an emergency closure within a declared state of emergency, exempt employees released from duty, will be provided with paid emergency leave pay (base wages). Exempt employees designated as essential and required to report to work during critical incidents will receive additional compensation above the emergency leave pay for the time they are required to be on duty.) a. This additional pay reflects the critical nature of their responsibilities and the expectations that essential, personnel report to work to support vital operations during emergency conditions. b. Additional compensation is not classified as overtime and will be calculated based on the additional hours worked at a rate of pay equal to the employee's hourly salary. 2. Exempt employees will be required to document their time and work performed both on their timesheet as well as the required forms. Non -Exempt 1. Non-exempt employees, including part-time employees, will receive hourly pay for their normally scheduled hours during an emergency closure for up to one work week unless they are required to report to work while the city is closed. 2. Additional paid weeks are at the approval of the City Manager. 3. Non-exempt employees required to complete their shiftwill be paid forthe remainder of their normally CITY OF Sf]3ASTJAN HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND scheduled shift at two times their regular rate of pay. 4. If an employee only works part of their normal shift, the non -working hours that fall within their normal work schedule will be paid as emergency leave and the working hours will be paid at two times their regular rate of pay. 5. Time that extends beyond the normal shift will be paid at time and one-half. 6. Absences from work while on paid leave, to include sick leave, will be counted as time worked, solely for overtime computation within the pay period. This will only apply to the period in which paid emergency leave is granted. Failure to Report for Duty When Assigned Any employee required to report for duty during an emergency operation period who fails or refuses to report and/or perform duties as directed may be subject to disciplinary actions, up to and including termination. The only exception to this policy will be for those employees medically unable to report or perform as directed, or where an employee is on pre -authorized FMLA during the emergency operations period. Leaving the Area 1. Employees that choose to evacuate the area shall inform their supervisor of their intentions to do so in advance. 2. Employees that choose to evacuate the area and therefore cannot respond to the City shall be required to use Personal or Vacation Leave and will not receive emergency leave pay. Extended Emergency 1. Critical incidents with emergency closures lasting more than seven calendar days will necessitate re- evaluation and approval for additional paid workdays by the City Manager. 2. For an emergency that extends beyond one work week, employees will be expected to use paid time off (Vacation/Personal/Comp Time Leave) to cover additional days that the city may be closed to ensure they continue to receive their pay. 3. During this extended period emergency leave wages will no longer apply. 4. During an extended emergency, exemptemployees who cannot safely report to City Hall or an assigned emergency location will be required to continue working from home at their regular rate of pay. 5. All critical mission employees are expected to remain available and perform their assigned duties until the declared emergency has been lifted and regular City business and operations resume. 6. Notice of commencement of regular City business will be released and communicated via phone calls, text messages, voicemail, email, social media and available local media. CrrY OF S STLAN HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND Benefits Coverage for Employees The City will continue to provide insurance coverage for all employees enrolled in the benefits program during a declared emergency. This includes the city's standard health, dental, and vision insurance plans as well as the life insurance, short term disability, and long-term disability for up to 30 days. The number of days may be altered by the regulations of the insurance companies and/or by Federal or State law. Extending Employee Leave 1. All employees are expected to report to work when the emergency closure has been lifted and regular City business and operations has resumed. At that time a declared state of emergency may still be in effect as it pertains to other operations of the City. 2. Employees who cannot return to work at the end of the city closure must arrange additional time off with their manager. If the employee has no available leave, they will be required to apply for an extended unpaid leave of absence which may or may not be granted. Part -Day Closure 1. If an emergency event such as inclement weather or a power outage occurs, the City Manager may determine that the City will close mid -day. When the City closes mid -day, employees are encouraged to leave immediately so not to affect their ability to travel safely. 2. Exempt employees who were, working at home with prior permission, or at the office on the day of the partial day closure, will be paid their normal salary. 3. Non-exempt employees will be paid for their scheduled hours of work. No overtime will be paid unless employees are requested to stay and deal with the emergency, and if after completing their scheduled hours they are required to work additional hours. 4. Employees who had taken the day off will have the day subtracted from their allotted leave bank as would have occurred if the City did not close. Return to Work 1. Individual employee circumstances may affect an employee's ability to come to work. The key to assessing the situation on a case -by -case basis is communication between the employee and his or her manager. The City recognizes that a severe disaster may cause some methods of communication to be unavailable but requires employees to exhaust all means to contact their supervisor to discuss their return to work. Failure to do so may be interpreted as job abandonment. 2. The City is aware that in emergency situations or inclement weather emergencies, employees may lose family members, their home, and all regular activities such as school and daycare. Should personal emergencies prevent an employee from returning to work this policy will no longer be in effect once the emergency closure is lifted and regular City business and operations has resumed. General pay, CITY OF Sfj3ASTIAN HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND leave, attendance and bereavement policies will apply during further employee absenteeism. Post -Closure Procedures 1. The city will communicate reopening plans and any modifications to operations through the same channels used for closure notifications. 2. A debriefing meeting will be held to review the response and identify areas for improvement. 3. Support services, such as counseling, may be provided to employees affected by the emergency through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Emergency Closures and Disaster Wages I have received, read and understand the Emergency Closures and Disaster Wages Policy. Signature Print Name Date