Staff Emergency Office Closure Procedures

All Staff Information Line

541-924-8434

1-888-777-5958

In our effort to be conscientious of employee safety during inclement weather and/or emergency situations that would make it dangerous to report to work, and still maintain continuous, professional client/customer service, employees are to follow these procedures:

Albany Building Procedure

1. The Executive Director will make the decision regarding office closure, or delayed opening by 6:00 am each severe weather day, or day in which driving or working would be dangerous.
2. If an office is to be closed, the Executive Director, or designee, will record information and instructions on the special Staff Information Line and post online at www.ocwcog.org, in the Breaking News section. The local news media will also be notified of any office closures.
   The Executive Director, or designee, will also change each main greeting for the General Administration, Senior and Disability Services, and the CED general reception lines to inform the public that the building is closed, or that the building will be opening at a different time.
3. The Executive Director, or designee will then notify each Program Director.
4. Program Directors will notify their management staff.
5. In the event of weather or other emergencies which may result in dangerous driving and/or working conditions, staff are to access specific instructions each day by dialing 541-924-8434, or toll-free 1-888-777-5958, or by accessing the information online at www.ocwcog.org, in the Breaking News section. The local news media will also be notified of any office closures.

Toledo Building Procedure

1. The Senior and Disability Services Program Manager, in coordination with the Program Director, will make the decision regarding office closure by 6:00 am each severe weather day or dangerous driving and working condition day.
2. The Program Manager, or designee, will change the main voicemail message informing the public and staff that the office is closed, or that the building will be opening at a different time.
3. Staff are to call the Toledo office at 541-336-2289 or toll-free, 1-800-354-1095, and then follow the appropriate voice mail instructions. Information will also be posted online at www.ocwcog.org, in the Breaking News section, and the local news media will be notified of any building closures.

Meal Sites and Satellite Offices

1. Meal Site staff have a separate procedure for weather related closures and are to refer to those procedures. If they have a special issue, for example they can’t get to their meal site, they are to call their immediate supervisor or the Meals on Wheels Program Manager.
2. Staff reporting to the Lincoln County Loan Office are to call the Loan Program Manager to report any inclement weather conditions or emergency situations to obtain consent to close the office. If the building where the Loan office is located is closed, but the Toledo Senior and Disability Services office is open, the Loan Program Manager may require staff to report to the Toledo office. In the event the Toledo office is to be used, the Loan Program Manager will coordinate the use of a vacant desk and computer with the Toledo Senior and Disability Services Program Manager.
3. The Corvallis Office will follow the same procedures for the Albany building.

Staff Responsibilities

1. Staff are to access specific instructions for the day as indicated above.
2. If an employee has a question or concern, they should call their supervisor. Managers will return the call as soon as possible.
3. If the office is closed, staff will change their personal voice mail greeting at all phones where they receive client calls.
4. Designated program support staff will check department voice mail at 8:30 am, 10:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 4:30 pm, and forward all voice mail messages to the appropriate staff person’s voicemail.
5. If the building is open and an employee cannot report to the office, they must contact their direct supervisor, as soon as possible, to explain their situation.

Compensation

1. If the office is closed at the Executive Director’s or Toledo Program Manager’s direction, employees will be paid for a normal workday, and are expected to be as productive as possible (phone calls, paper work, etc.).
2. If the office is open and an employee feels they cannot report to the office, they will need to use their own paid leave, or take leave without pay, if they have no leave. They must call their supervisor to inform them that they will not be reporting to work. Staff may use flex-time when they can’t report to the office to minimize the amount of leave time they must take. The use of flex-time has to be approved in writing in advance by their supervisor and consistent with State and Federal law.