Emergency Essential Roles Policy

1.  Applicability

This policy applies to all employees at the University. Where the terms of this policy are in conflict with Collective Bargaining Agreements, such agreements shall govern.

2.  Policy Statement

Stanford University is a leading research and teaching institution that operates continuously 24 hours a day. The University may change its operating status at any time, including during or in response to emergency conditions. In an effort to ensure the safety of the University community, these situations will be closely monitored and planned for, so that appropriate and timely decisions and announcements related to emergency and/or administrative suspension of activities and emergency essential roles can be made.

3.  Emergency and/or Administrative Suspension of Activities

An emergency and/or administrative suspension of activities is an unscheduled suspension of some or all of the University’s operations due to a natural or human-made disaster, the outbreak of pandemic illnesses, utility failure, severe weather conditions (e.g., expected or actual weather conditions that are severe enough to affect university vehicular traffic, schedules, and/or utilities), and/or any other unforeseen circumstances.

An emergency and/or administrative suspension may partially or fully suspend operations of the entire university or a designated subset of the university. 

1. Partial Suspension: All deferrable services/operations should operate with limited employees or close entirely. Curtailed operations may involve delayed opening, early closure, or cancellation of all but non-deferrable services/operations.
2. Full Suspension: A full suspension occurs when conditions warrant cancellation of classes and closing of schools/centers, except those providing non-deferrable services/operations.

Employees in Emergency Essential Roles (referenced below in section 4) may be required to perform non-deferrable services/operations, including ensuring the continuation of the University’s research or teaching mission, despite an emergency and/or administrative suspension.

 A non-deferrable service/operation is a service or operation that is necessary to maintain or protect the health, safety, or physical well-being of the University's students, staff, and faculty, critical administrative functions, academic and research mission, facilities and/or assets.

4. Emergency Essential Roles

Emergency Essential Roles

Emergency Essential roles are designated as such because their responsibilities include non-deferrable services that must be performed despite an emergency and/or administrative suspension. Positions may be designated as essential on an academic year, seasonal or situational basis, e.g., in the event of a weather emergency, a public health crisis, or other large-scale emergency. In addition, any position may be designated as essential at any point during an emergency, even if not designated as essential prior to the emergency, and may be asked and/or required to perform jobs or duties that fall outside of their normal job classification during an emergency event.  An employee serving in an Emergency Essential role may have to report to work even if the emergency and/or administrative suspension occurs during a time that they are not regularly scheduled to work.

Responsibilities of Employees in Emergency Essential Roles

Employees in Emergency Essential roles are expected to continue to work during an emergency and/or administrative suspension unless specifically directed by their department or by governmental or medical authorities not to report to work. An Emergency Essential employee may be required to report for an unscheduled shift, reschedule vacation leave and/or work more than their regularly scheduled hours during an emergency and/or administrative suspension. In addition, an emergency essential employee must:

• Maintain updated emergency contact information and primary work location in StanfordYou, and
• Establish alternative work arrangements with their supervisor in the event of an emergency, and
• Understand work assignments that must be completed during an emergency and/or administrative suspension, and
• Comply with all health and safety training and requirements prior to returning to work and each day you work on-site, and
• Continue to work during an emergency and/or administrative suspensions whether on-site, at another designated location, or off-site based on their designated Emergency Essential role.

Reporting Expectations

Employees in Emergency Essential roles may be required to report for work as outlined in the priority task list below. Employees in these roles may be required to work either onsite or offsite depending upon the situation.

• On-site: An individual in an Emergency Essential On-site role is required to report to their normal Stanford workplace (or an alternate site if necessary) for work that must be physically performed at a Stanford designated facility during an emergency and/or administrative suspension. Each school or unit must provide authorization for Essential On-site roles. Any individual authorized to work on-site must follow all university required health and safety training and adhere to all health and safety requirements in effect during the crisis or emergency.
• Off-site: An individual in an Essential Off-site role is required to perform non-deferrable work during emergency and/or administrative suspensions, and due to the nature of the work, it may be approved to be performed off-site from home or from another non-Stanford location. If a school or unit designates an Emergency Essential role as an Off-site position, the school/unit must ensure the employee has the appropriate computer access and security to work remotely, if required. In addition, Hybrid or Remote Work Agreements may need to be revised or established depending on the scope and duration of the emergency. The school or unit must provide authorization for Off-site roles designated as Essential.

Employees in Emergency Essential roles may also include other employees designated by each school or unit, who have the defined skills and knowledge needed to support and implement critical projects or programs, services, or administrative tasks in an emergency. These roles typically:

• work on tasks that must continue uninterrupted and may also be reassigned to emergency response and recovery tasks, and
• are required to continue to report for work on-site at a Stanford designated location during the emergency and/or administrative suspension (or partial suspension) and throughout the recovery process as needed, either as an On-site role in person at their usual workplace, at another designated facility, or in an Off-site role.

 All other employees are expected to stay in regular contact with their supervisor or manager throughout the emergency/administrative suspension because they may be expected to continue normal work responsibilities or be called upon to report for an emergency assignment, if needed.

On- call Responsibilities

Some employees in Emergency Essential roles may be assigned On-call responsibilities. This may include employees designated by the school or unit who have the defined skills and knowledge needed to support and implement the project or program, service, or administrative task. These roles typically: 

• are required to continue to be on-call for the duration of the emergency, and to check in at least regularly as agreed upon with their supervisor or manager, and
• at any time during an emergency and/or administrative suspension, employees in these roles may be called back to work on-site either at their usual Stanford workplace, at another designated location, or in an Off-site role (see definitions of On-site and Off-site roles above).

Employees who are assigned On-call responsibilities should not report to On-site locations during an emergency but should remain in contact with their manager or supervisor and wait until they receive instruction as to when and how they are required to work.

 5. Department Responsibilities

1. Ensure that the department is appropriately staffed during an emergency and/or administrative suspension. Determinations of appropriate staffing may vary based on the academic calendar, season, or situation.
2. Obtain required approvals and maintain the list of Emergency Essential roles using department continuity plan. Lists should indicate whether the position is approved as an Emergency Essential role including the timeframe for such designations.
3. Notify employees in writing that they serve in Emergency Essential roles.
4. Direct supervisors and their employees to define, document, and keep up to date a list of essential work that must be completed during an emergency and/or administrative suspension.
5. Create, maintain, and communicate business continuity plans to employees.
6. Plan for and provide flexible work arrangements during an emergency and/or administrative suspension to the extent possible.
7. Regularly communicate work expectations to employees.
8. Provide timekeeping instructions to employees in coordination with human resources.
9. Implement directives from University administrators and government or medical authorities.

6. Compensation

For details, see Guide Memo 2.1.8: Miscellaneous Authorized Absences, section 1, for the policy regarding paid leave during natural disasters and emergencies, and Guide Memo 2.1.5: Compensation of Staff Employees, as applicable.

7. Consequences for Violating this Policy

Failure to comply with this and related policies is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment in accordance with applicable disciplinary procedures.

Priority Task List