Emergency Leave

Disaster Leave is provided only if the Emergency Management Strategic Advisory Council or their institutional designee suspends any or all operations due to an emergency.¹

For short term events in which the institution is in an open or delayed/modified patient appointment status, all employees should report to work if they can safely do so. If employees are unable to work their assigned schedules and the institution has not declared eligibility for Disaster Leave, then employees should follow normally established time off procedures to utilize any eligible leave balances.

Eligibility

All regular full-time and part-time (at least .5FTE/20 hours per week) benefits eligible employees and educational appointees are eligible for Disaster Leave.

Process for Use 

STEP 1: The Emergency Management Strategic Advisory Council or institutional designee will grant the leave when considering the weather conditions, facilities or unforeseeable events would place employee safety in jeopardy.¹

If the Emergency Management Strategic Advisory Council or institutional designee believes they have a more localized emergency, they will determine as soon as reasonably possible if Disaster Leave may be used or if Paid Time Off or other applicable leave accruals must be used in accordance with Institutional Employee Reporting Requirements During Emergency Conditions Policy (UTMDACC Institutional Policy ADM0297).

STEP 2: As each disaster or weather emergency provides unique challenges and may encompass different time frames, an emergency plan to handle patients, work schedules and paid or unpaid leave will be developed and approved by the Emergency Management Strategic Advisory Council or their institutional designee. Disaster leave plans will be developed in advance (when possible) of the event to comply with FEMA requirements. As some events may involve both FEMA and non-FEMA leave, communications about management and employee responsibilities as well as timekeeping instructions will be communicated at the time of the actual event.

Rules & Exceptions

• Employees/educational appointees are not required to request such leave.²
• All employees who work through a declared emergency will be paid in accordance with established emergency guidelines.
• Departments may only use Disaster Leave coding when it is approved by the Emergency Management Strategic Advisory Council or their institutional designee.
• Employees scheduled to take an approved leave of absence (Ex: PTO) during an emergency event as designated by the Emergency Management Strategic Advisory Committee or their institutional designee will use leave accruals instead of Disaster Leave. Absences that are not approved by management may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination in accordance with Corrective Action Policy (UTMDACC Institutional Policy # ADM0256).

Sources:
¹Texas Government Code Section 661.902(b)
 ²Texas Government Code Section 661.902(c)

Management Designated Leave may be used in the following situations when:

• A faculty, staff, or educational appointee is separating from the institution, but has not officially separated from the institution;
• A new hire receives a “Tentative Non-Confirmation” status under the E-Verify process; the law requires the employer to provide paid time off to resolve the discrepancy; or
• A requested use of Management Designed Leave is approved by the department and Human Resources based on the following criteria:
  • The administrative head of the agency or their designee determines that the employee has demonstrated good cause for taking Management Designated Leave (emergency leave), and
  • The administrative head of the agency or their designee believes in good faith that the faculty, member, staff member, or educational appointee intends to return to the employee’s position with the agency at the end of the emergency leave.

This leave designation and duration is made on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility

All regular full-time and part-time (at least .5FTE/20 hours per week) benefits eligible employees and educational appointees are eligible for Management Designated Leave.

Process for Using

STEP 1: A supervisor/manager seeking to place an individual on MDL, must contact their assigned HR Business Partner within the Division of Human Resources Strategic Partners Department to discuss the appropriateness of the request.

STEP 2: Upon review and determination that MDL should be authorized, HR Strategic Partner leadership will direct the HR Business Partner to submit the following information to HR Leave & Accommodations to ensure appropriate timekeeping:

• the request (including the classification of the need for MDL)
• the total number of hours requested
• the requested dates for leave

Sources:

¹U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
²Texas Government Code Section 661.902(b)

Leave provided when the Employee Health and Well-Being Medical Director, or other governmental authority, requires an employee's quarantine due to a work-related exposure to an infectious disease.¹

Eligibility 

All regular full-time and part-time (at least .5FTE/20 hours per week) benefits eligible employees and educational appointees are eligible for Quarantine for Infectious Disease Leave.

Process for Using

STEP 1: Employee Health, or another governmental authority, will determine when employees need to be quarantined from work due to a work-related infectious disease in order to protect the safety of patients, research, research animals, employees and/or the public.

STEP 2: Employee Health will advise the department management and each employee about the quarantine process, timeline and requirements.

STEP 3: Employee Health will notify the HR Business Partner via email with the following information about the leave:

• a brief statement as to the reason why the faculty member, staff member or paid educational appointee remains on leave,
• the total number of hours and  
• range of dates the Leave Center should enter as Quarantine for Infectious Disease Leave in the timekeeping system. 

STEP 4:  During the quarantine period, if the employee becomes ill with the suspected infectious disease, the employee will utilize accrued leave banks and any federal and/or state mandated leave requirements (ex: Family Medical Leave). 

Source:

¹Texas Government Code Section 661.902(b)