Emergency Operations and Employee Responsibilities
Republished September 28, 2026
Human Resources has partnered with Emergency Management to clarify roles and expectations for employees during emergencies, including adverse weather, campus closures, or other unforeseen events that may impact normal operations.
Overview
In event of an emergency, services related to the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and guests, and the security and maintenance of facilities are essential and must continue. Employees designated as 'Level 1' are considered essential and are expected to report to campus so that these services will continue without disruption. This will ensure that the campus remains functional, safe, and prepared to resume normal operations as soon as possible.
Level 1 employees will receive a designation letter from Employee Relations, Human Resources on a yearly basis. There are two categories of Level 1 employees:
- Level 1 FLSA Exempt: these employees are not eligible to earn overtime and will receive compensatory time on an hour for hour basis for each our of work beyond their normal daily working hours as part of the university's emergency response.
- Level 1 FLSA Non-Exempt: these employees are eligible to earn overtime and will receive overtime pay as applicable based on their collective bargaining agreement with New York State.
Level 1 FLSA Exempt
There is a new process for these employees to record compensatory time earned during their response to a university emergency:
- Complete the Level 1 FLSA Exempt Emergency Response Form.
- Send the form to their supervisor for review and approval.
- Supervisor sends the form to Human Resources.
- Human Resources will notate the number of compensatory days earned on the employee's next available timesheet.
This compensatory time is only available for use as a leave accrual, has no cash value and expires at the end of the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which it was earned.
Using Level 1 Compensatory Time
Employees will need to request and receive approval from their supervisor to use this time. Employees will record the time on their timesheet as a non-chargeable absence for 'Administrative Leave' and will type "L1" in the comments prior to saving the request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your immediate supervisor will notify you if you are Level 1 and required to report to work. You will receive a letter from Employee Relations, Human Resources indicating your status each year.
You are required to follow departmental call-in procedures if you are unable to report for your shift. In accordance with New York State policy, employee absences resulting from any change in scheduled operations including class cancellations, early departures, and closings must be charged to appropriate leave accruals.
Employees working at any location will receive regular base pay and overtime compensation when applicable. Employees, exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act, required to work beyond their normal shift by their supervisor, will receive compensatory time on an hour for hour basis. This compensatory time has no cash value and expires one year following the year in which it was earned. Employees will need to complete a special form to record any compensatory time earned.
Yes. Your immediate supervisor will notify you of any temporary change to your reporting location.
