Preparing for a Pandemic or Major Infectious Disease Outbreak at Washington State University

Transcription

1 Preparing for a Pandemic or Major Infectious Disease Outbreak at Washington State University Introduction As the likelihood that the current strain of avian flu that is causing concern, worldwide, could mutate into a pandemic flu became more of a possibility, both Washington State University and local agencies began meeting to make plans and preparations to best manage a local disease outbreak. Beginning in October of 2005, WSU and local agencies formed Task Forces to address the impacts that a pandemic or other major infectious disease outbreak would have on both the University and the local communities. The WSU Pandemic/Infectious Disease Task Force consists of representatives from key units and areas across the University. The Regional Task Force consists of representatives from WSU, the City of Pullman, Whitman County, local school districts, local hospitals, health care agencies and local businesses. The WSU Task Force s primary focus has been determining the scope of the issues facing the University if a pandemic or other major infectious disease outbreak threatened or began impacting the University s operations. Recognizing that focusing only on preparing for the avian flu would be too limiting, the focus of institutional planning has been broadened to include other major infectious disease outbreaks. WSU, like any other large, residential, research institution faces many complex issues if a pandemic/infectious disease outbreak occurs. Identifying all of these issues became the first priority of the planning efforts. Throughout the remainder of this document, the term unit will be used to describe any size or type of administrative organization within WSU The WSU Task Force clearly recognizes the H5N1 avian flu may not become a pandemic and if a pandemic or other major infectious outbreak takes place, it may not be anytime soon. The planning process recommended in this document is still an important step in better general emergency preparedness for WSU. The Continuance of Operations Planning (COOP) template and planning process is a vital element to prepare the University to maintain critical functions during and after any type of major emergency affecting the institution and is a normal element of emergency planning at colleges, universities, businesses and state and federal agencies throughout the country. I. Mission and Goals of the Pandemic/Infectious Disease Planning process for WSU Mission Prepare plans and procedures that during a pandemic or major infectious disease outbreak best provide for the safety and health of all students, faculty and staff; provide for the safety and care of all essential animals; maintain critical research; provide for the 1

2 continuing functioning of essential operations and services; integrate all emergency functions with local and regional agencies whenever possible; and establish a framework for speedy recovery and return to normal operating procedures after the crisis has passed. Goals Identify mission-critical and essential functions, services and operations Identify mission-critical and essential personnel, resources and vendors/contractors to maintain the essential functions, services and operations Identify non-interruptible critical research and how it will be maintained Develop Business Continuity Plans for all essential operations Establish procedures for the continuing safety and care of all essential animals that are in the University s safekeeping Provide guidelines for the suspension of classes and closure of non-essential parts of the University Provide guidelines for restoration of all University functions and recovery to predisaster status Establish procedures for full documentation of disaster-related expenses for potential recovery from State or Federal sources Coordinate, whenever possible with local and regional agencies and governments for the continued welfare of the community during and after the crisis To accomplish this mission and to reach these goals, the Pandemic/Infectious Disease Task Force has developed an overall University Pandemic/Infectious Disease Plan that will guide WSU and identified units of the institution through the different steps to be taken at specified trigger points for the disease outbreak. This plan will provide the primary framework for the University s actions during the crisis. WSU units will be provided with information, guidelines and a Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) Template to assist them in preparing plans specific to their unit s operational structure and needs. Incorporated into the COOP Template are questions that will assist the unit in identifying the resources, personnel and assistance from other units needed for them to maintain mission-critical and essential functions, services and operations. 2

3 Materials and resources will also be provided for unit s to use in educating their staff on the concerns and issues the University will face during a Pandemic/Infectious Disease outbreak and how to best plan and prepare for them. Guidelines will also be provided for unit s to exercise their plans and test their preparedness activities so they may be fine tuned prior to need. II. Purpose The purpose of these guidelines is to prompt all campuses, colleges, divisions, schools, departments and units of Washington State University to action in the development of pandemic preparedness plans for the institution. Whether the current threat of the H5N1 flu virus evolves into the next pandemic virus or not, emergency preparedness planning is essential because it affords organizations and institutions an opportunity to respond more effectively to a number of emergency situations including a future pandemic or major infectious disease outbreak. This document is not intended to offer detailed information about the nature of viruses or H5N1. Rather, it is to assist WSU administrators in engaging in thoughtful discourse with personnel on their campus in the formulation of a flexible, adaptive response plan that is tailored to the needs and resources of the individual campuses, colleges, divisions, schools, departments and units. The first part of this document will offer an overview of the pandemic threat, the importance of pandemic preparedness planning, and how to get started. The second part will outline the specific areas that should be included in planning, starting first with planning to meet the health care needs of students, and then, addressing planning for the broader campus wide response. III. Pandemics-An Overview Scientific and Medical Background A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. Pandemic flu occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine yet available. With pandemic influenza the disease spreads easily from person to person, causes serious illness, and can spread across the country and the world in a short period of time. It is important to distinguish between the terms pandemic flu, seasonal flu and avian flu. Seasonal flu is the flu that comes around every year in the late fall/winter and for which a vaccine is available. Seasonal flu is caused by viruses that have previously circulated in humans and for which some immunity has been built up from previous exposure. While seasonal flu can be serious for some individuals, there is generally only a modest impact on society as a whole. Avian (bird) flu is caused by an influenza virus that occurs naturally in birds. Wild birds worldwide carry avian influenza viruses in their intestines and generally do not get sick from them. However, occasionally an influenza 3

4 strain arises, like the current H5N1 virus that is capable of causing a pandemic in the bird population. The H5N1 virus first appeared in 1997, has persisted in the bird population and is spreading along the flight paths of migratory birds. Moreover, this virus has crossed species and infected humans, tigers, leopards, cats and birds. While there have been a few cases where human to human transmission is believed to have occurred, it has not spread beyond one contact. The emergence and persistence of the H5N1 pandemic in birds, coupled with its current limited capability to cross species has elevated concern among public health experts that this virus could potentially mutate and become capable of causing a pandemic in humans. Moreover, influenza pandemics are a part of human history, occurring approximately three times in a century. There were three pandemics in the 20 th century in 1918, 1957 and The most deadly of the three was the pandemic of 1918, which was caused by H5N1 and killed approximately 50 million people worldwide. Three conditions must be met for a human influenza pandemic: a new influenza subtype emerges for which there is little or no immunity, the virus infects humans and the virus gains efficient and sustainable transmission from human to human. Currently, with H5N1, the first two conditions have been met, the third has not. The third condition could be met either through mutation or a reassortment event, in which the bird virus exchanges genetic material with a human virus during co-infection with a human or a pig, there by gaining the ability to be passed efficiently from human to human. Characteristics of a Pandemic Influenza Seasonal influenza generally peaks between December and March in North America. It causes approximately 36,000 deaths a year and 200,000 hospitalizations a year in the United States. A pandemic influenza can occur at any time of the year and resurges in waves that can last from 18 months to two years. The 1918 pandemic had four such waves; the most lethal was the second wave that swept through the United States between August and December. Therefore, planning should include recovery and response to more than one wave. The normal influenza attack rate is 5-10%. In a pandemic, an attack rate of 25% is appropriate for planning purposes. Approximately 4-12% of the work force could be ill at any point in time and absent from work for 1-14 days. The sickness rate for seasonal flu is in the range of 2-6%. In addition to work force absences due to personal illness, persons may call off to take care of ill family members. High absenteeism will affect the delivery of services and goods, nationally and internationally, as transportation and manufacturing staff call out due to illness. High absenteeism will present challenges to campus leadership and delivery of services as human resources are strained in all aspects of the operation. Campus leaders will not be spared the possibility of succumbing to illness. Plans need to consider issues of depth 4

5 charting for leadership positions, cross training personnel, and teleconnectivity that allows employees to work from home. If a virus were to meet the three criteria for a pandemic, the public health strategy would focus on slowing the spread because it would be virtually impossible to stop it. Slowing the spread of disease would allow for better allocation and a more even use of limited resources by flattening the surge of cases. Interventions for Pandemic Influenza Non-pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) such as social distancing, isolation, quarantine, protective sequestration, and public health education that includes practices employed to reduce individual risk of contracting the disease (i.e., hand washing, cough etiquette) comprise the list of NPIs that could be employed in a pandemic situation. While the effectiveness of any of these strategies for preventing the spread of illness is unknown, employment of a combination of NPIs, as deemed appropriate for the individual college or university setting, may slow the spread of disease. As mentioned above, the advantage to slowing the spread is important as it relates to the surge capacity of health care resources. Social distancing refers to actions taken to discourage close social contact between individuals, including cancellation of classes, sporting events, worship services, and other social events. This intervention would be most effective when instituted early in the pandemic and before infection takes hold in a community. Given that the 1918 pandemic swept across the country in 3-4 weeks at a time when fewer people traveled and modes of transportation were more limited and slower, the window for taking action may be limited to a few days in today s highly mobile society and with the prominence of international air travel. Isolation refers to separating individuals with illness from the general population and restricting their movement within the general population until they are no longer infectious. Plans for isolating ill students and providing care for them by either utilizing campus resources or partnering with community resources will be necessary because some students may not be able to go home. Hospital resources will be strained and decisions for admission will be made based on assessment of those most in need. Provisions should be made to care for students who are not ill enough to require hospital care but are too ill to take care of themselves. Quarantine is the separation and restriction of movement of those who are not ill but believed to have been exposed. The duration of quarantine will be dependent upon the length of the incubation period and period of contagion prior to onset of symptoms. Both the incubation period and period of viral shedding are difficult to know prior to the actual emergence of the pandemic virus. Protective sequestration involves efforts taken to protect a healthy population from infection by isolating the community from the outside world. Restricting entry of outsiders into the community and restricting reentry of those community members 5

6 who choose to leave during the period of time when protective sequestration is in place are measures utilized in this intervention. It requires the community to stockpile resources and become self-sufficient for some period of time in the case of a pandemic, a minimum of 8-12 weeks. Pharmaceutical Interventions: Vaccines and Antiviral Medications Because a vaccine needs to closely match an influenza virus, it is unlikely that a vaccine would be available early in a pandemic and, due to current production techniques; quantities would be limited once the vaccine was developed. An effective vaccine may be available to more adequately address second or third waves but, even then, there may not be enough to vaccinate everyone. Oseltamivir and Zanavir are antiviral medications that are effective in reducing the severity and duration of illness in seasonal influenza and are believed to be effective against H5N1. Clinical data on use in H5N1 are limited and dosing for optimal benefit is uncertain. These drugs are expensive and production capacity is limited. Amantadine and Rimantadine could offer some benefit but because resistance to these drugs develops quickly, their use may be limited. If vaccine and/or antivirals become available, it is unlikely there will be sufficient quantities to cover the entire population. Therefore, schools should discuss how decisions would be made for determining who would be on the priority list for receiving immunization antiviral prophylaxis first. The Importance of Accurate Information Public health education that communicates accurate, clear information regarding reducing personal risk, the role of quarantine, transmission, symptoms, treatment, when to seek care, and community efforts to assist those in need, is critical to empowering the public and decreasing panic and despair. The messages should be consistent with those being issued by other public health authorities and crafted in advance to meet the needs/concerns of various campus audiences, including students, staff, faculty, parents, and members of the surrounding community. Given the anticipated increase in communication needs, all available means of communicating with the campus public must be assessed and tested to determine the capacity for managing the surge. IV. Understanding the Pandemic Preparedness Challenge While the main thrust of preparedness should address health and safety issues, Continuance of Operations Planning (COOP) must follow closely on its heels. Identifying key functions and key players in charge of those functions is the first step in addressing this area. WSU as a whole, as well as each unit making up WSU needs to consider what is critical and essential to their and the university s survival. 6

7 An example of a key area of the university that must be maintained and that has been identified by almost all staff and faculty, when asked, is Business Services. WSU personnel will not come to work if they don t get a paycheck. Purchasing of supplies will need to be expedited. Other key areas are Facilities Operations and Informational Technology as building and infrastructure maintenance will need to continue and computer systems and operations must be maintained. It is anticipated that a pandemic will result in interruption of services and a shortage of supplies and fuel. Identifying contingency plans for sustaining basic functions in case of loss of telecommunications, utilities, and IT capability needs to be included. WSU is in the business of education. Do academic departments and faculty have contingency plans for completion of courses if classes must be cancelled for some period of time? How about providing courses through distance education methods? Ultimately, the question is how will the heart and soul of WSU be maintained during a crisis of this type? A hurricane or flood is primarily a crisis of the physical structure of a university. If buildings and infrastructure are damaged, then alternate locations and equipment can be found to keep things going until repairs are made. A pandemic is a crisis of people. WSU facilities won t likely be damaged, but the continued functioning of WSU as an institution of higher learning could be indelibly impacted as students, staff and faculty are affected by the disease, unless adequate advance preparations are made. Planning for a pandemic can be a daunting task given that there are a number of factors that are unknown. Looking at past pandemics can give us some clues on how to prepare for both the medical response as well as the COOP response. Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge of exactly how a pandemic will manifest itself makes some aspects of preparedness a situation of a best guess. This deficit in knowledge makes it challenging to develop specific protocols and plans. Any planning that is done at this time is based on what we currently understand about seasonal influenza and past pandemics as described in historical documents. Therefore, any planning, protocols, and policies developed to fashion a response must be flexible, resilient, and adaptable in a way that allows the planning to evolve in step with the evolution of the situation. Planning is not enough; the plan must be tested and exercised. Exercising various scenarios offers individuals an opportunity to act out their roles and identify the types of information and communication that is critical for them to function effectively in the situation. It also allows the participants to identify gaps or weaknesses in the plan that need to be worked on. 7

8 V. Getting Started Certain information will be required from WSU units to continue work on the institutional plan for a response to a pandemic/ major infectious disease outbreak. Each WSU unit will also need to be preparing their own response. This information packet has been prepared to assist you in this process. Besides the general information provided, you will find additional resources including information on links to where you can access other important information that can assist with your unit and personal planning efforts. A key document included in this packet is the Continuance of Operations Planning (COOP) template. The COOP template directs you to provide specific information on your unit as well as other questions that by determining the answers will serve to identify the essential and mission-critical aspects of your unit, your unit s critical needs during a major crisis. The COOP template information, once completed will serve as the basis for your unit s planning, provide critical information to the leaders of your college or division for their broader planning efforts, and provide vital information to university planners so that your unit s essential needs can be considered in institutional preparations. This latter point is emphasized so that Facilities Operations, Information Technology and other institutional support units can make all efforts necessary to provide services to maintain your identified essential functions. Once completed, use the template information to outline your unit plan. The template must also be copied to your college or division leaders as they have directed as well as to the WSU Emergency Management Office for additional processing. The first planning element is to identify chain of command and appropriate channels of communication. The plan should also indicate the appropriate level of authority given to alternate leaders during the emergency. For example, a Dean or Director may be the only one in the unit authorized to do certain functions. If these functions are essential during the emergency, the backup personnel identified to serve in the Dean or Director s position if the Dean or Director is not able to function in that role, need to have the same level of authority granted to them as the Dean or Director had so the essential functions can be authorized. Another important planning element for a unit is identifying who will be the key spokespersons for the unit. Reliable and accurate communications during a crisis are vital. Primary and backup communicators for the unit need to be specified. The next factor you must determine is essential functions and personnel. The key elements in any plan are based on understanding and defining the essential functions that must be maintained and the essential personnel responsible to maintain those functions. You need to focus on the truly mission-critical and essential functions that must be maintained during a major emergency affecting WSU. For example, while class and laboratory instruction is one of the most mission-critical elements of WSU during normal times, during a major emergency such as a pandemic, the most prudent course of action may be to suspend classes until the emergency has passed. Under these circumstances listing classroom or lab instruction as a mission-critical or 8

9 essential function that must be maintained during the crisis is counter-productive. An example of a mission-critical function that must be maintained during an emergency could be a critical research project that, if disrupted, would cause the research to be lost or damaged, possibly at very high cost in both dollars and hours of work. Identifying the truly mission-critical and essential is a critical planning issue and will take some effort on your part to determine. The key issue to think about as you identify the mission-critical and essential is that these are the functions of your unit that must be maintained during a major emergency, no matter what the difficulty in doing so. Be sure to identify the personnel needed to maintain the identified essential functions. Depth charting of essential personnel becomes critical given that individuals who are typically in charge of various functions may become ill or otherwise unable to perform their duties. Who takes over in their stead? Internal and external communications procedures will need to be considered as a critical part of unit planning efforts. Unit staff and faculty will need to know what unit leaders expect of them; the impact of the disease on the unit and campus as a whole; directives and information from University leaders; and critical information necessary for their safety and well-being. Units will need to be able to communicate with unit personnel in a variety of ways-land-line phones, cell phone, , fax, etc. Likewise unit personnel need to have access to information in a variety of formats. Units should consider use of hot-lines and web-sites containing information on the status of the unit and what employees are expected to do to support the unit during the crisis. These systems should be established and tested well in advance of need. Procedures and systems for units to maintain contact with College/Division/Area leaders during a crisis also need to be established and tested. Information exchange will be a key element of the University s ability to maintain itself during emergencies including a pandemic. University leaders will need accurate and up-to-date information on the status of the units under their direction in order to make good decisions on behalf of the University as a whole. Another aspect of communications during an emergency that is critical will be the flow of information from WSU to external sources. The Media, parents of students, alumni and other stakeholders will want to know what the impact of the crisis is on the University and what is happening to the students, faculty and staff. It is critical that information provided to external sources is accurate and reflects a consistent message. External communications is the responsibility of WSU University Relations and they will have systems in place for these purposes and will expect all units to have a pipeline established to feed information to them on the status of the unit, its personnel and its essential functions during the emergency. There will be many personnel, ethical and legal issues to consider in unit planning. Human Resources issues will generate many questions that will need to be answered. Unit personnel will want to know what the impact of the crisis will be on their jobs, their pay, their health benefits and their future. University leaders will work with the State to determine the answers to these questions. College or Division leaders should be consulted when plans and guidelines are being discussed and written, especially in 9

10 the areas of human resource management, safety and security, and rationing of scarce resources. All unit planning must be consistent with University plans and procedures. The guidelines included in this document should provide you with answers to many questions. If in doubt, check with the Pandemic/Infectious Disease Task Force and they will try to assist you. Contact It is recommended all Colleges and Divisions as well as other units as appropriate establish a committee or work group to address the planning issues for a pandemic/infectious disease outbreak specific to that unit. Planning for the complexities of this issue will benefit from multiple points of view. Cooperative planning efforts also leads to consistency throughout the College or Division on critical issues. VI. Triggers for Moving Plans to Action WSU planning efforts to this point have identified specific triggers for taking actions in regards to a pandemic/infectious disease outbreak: Response Levels Activation Criteria 1. Confirmed cases of sustained human-to-human transmission of pandemic flu or other similar threat or serious infectious disease risk, somewhere in the world 2. Confirmed cases of pandemic flu or other similar threat or serious infectious disease within a 400 mile radius of Pullman 3. Confirmed case(s) of pandemic flu or other similar threat or serious infectious disease in a 50 mile radius of Pullman Each of these response levels correspond to identified actions the University will take at that level. It is recommended you use these same trigger points for your unit planning. Using the 1918 pandemic as a basis for determining timing, it appears that implementing social distancing measures early, well before infection enters the community, is a better strategy for educational institutions. Likewise, for WSU-Pullman, due to our location, the complexity of the institution and the time necessary for students to get back to their homes from here, the decision to suspend classes and/or limiting operations on-campus is one best made well before infection is prevalent in the area. As stated earlier, there will likely be a very short window for critical decision making regarding a pandemic or major infectious disease outbreak. The economic and social ramifications of canceling classes and social and athletic events and closing research operations are not insignificant, and could delay the decision making process in a way that has major consequences for the school. Once closed, the decision of when to reopen will need to be addressed. The best information at this time indicates that to avoid a resurgence of infection, WSU would need to suspend operations for a minimum of 8-12 weeks, with 12 weeks being optimal for a first wave of an outbreak. Again, using the 1918 pandemic as an example, the possibility exits for multiple waves 10

11 of a pandemic to occur (three distinct waves separated by several months in the case of the 1918 pandemic), each requiring a possible suspension of operations. Reducing the number of students remaining on campus by canceling classes and sending students home early in the pandemic may be the best strategy given the limited resources schools will have available to support those who remain. For example, if the decision is delayed to the point that students begin to fall ill and are unable, WSU would be expected to provide the resources to care for, at least, the students who live in on-campus residence halls throughout the pandemic, which might be an unreasonable expectation given available resources. One aspect of institutional level discussions has been what is meant by suspending operations at WSU and/or conversely staying open. There may be gradations or stages to suspension of operations that may be determined in advance. Does suspension of operations mean cancellation of classes and all social gatherings while research and other University operations continue and students who cannot go home continue to receive dining, housing, and health services? Does suspension of operations mean a lockdown of all buildings? As these issues are clarified at the institutional level, additional information will be provided to units to assist in their planning. VII. Summary of Recommended Unit Planning Steps for Pandemics/Infectious Disease Outbreaks Form a unit Pandemic/Infectious Disease Planning Team-This team should have adequate members to represent the different aspects and issues of the unit Review the Pandemic/Infectious Disease Planning Information Packet materials Work through the Continuance of Operations Planning (COOP) template- Consult with unit, College, Division or other leaders in your chain-of-command to determine answers specific to your needs. Be sure to carefully address the issues of mission-critical and essential operations and the resources necessary for your unit to maintain those mission-critical and essential operations during a major emergency. Remember to submit completed copies to your College/Division/Area leadership and the Emergency Management Office. Utilize your answers to the COOP template to develop your unit plan (see examples in packet materials) Review and fine tune unit plans with unit staff and faculty Work through the Pandemic Tabletop Exercise (in packet materials) with your unit staff and faculty-use your unit plan as the basis for your response to the exercise questions 11

12 Fine-tune your unit plan based on the Tabletop Exercise-Review and update your plan as additional information and directives are released. VIII. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Pandemic/Infectious Disease Planning Process Q. Are all units required to prepare a pandemic/infectious disease plan? A. There is no current institutional requirement for units to prepare a plan, but your College/Division/Area may require it. The COOP template, though, requests vital information and decisions from each unit including their mission-critical and essential functions as well as the services and support necessary to maintain those functions. If support units like Facilities Operations and IT are not aware of your specific needs during a crisis situation, they may not be able to provide for those needs. If you do no other planning at your unit level, complete and submit the COOP template, Q. Everyone in my unit is really busy, why can t WSU just prepare this plan for us? A. WSU is a very complex entity. Each unit s mission-critical and essential operations and needs can be so different from the other units that creating one plan for all would be ineffective. The information, templates and guidelines included in this packet are designed to make the task as easy as possible for your unit planning efforts. Q. I have heard many scientists do not think the avian flu will become a pandemic, why must we worry about this now? A. There are different points of view about a possible avian flu pandemic from scientists just as there is for many other issues. The H5N1 strain of avian flu may or may not be the virus that becomes a pandemic, but it has served to wake up the world on the potential health threats of pandemics or major infectious disease outbreaks. It has also served to remind colleges and universities across the country of the special vulnerability they have to pandemics and infectious diseases. The planning WSU does now for a potential pandemic or infectious disease outbreak is a vital part of the University s emergency preparedness activities and the institutional and unit planning done for this issue will serve for other potential emergency issues that WSU could face in the future. Q. Isn t everything we do in our unit mission-critical and essential for WSU? A. The issue is not about whether what your unit does is mission-critical or essential to the mission and strategic goals of WSU during normal times but what is mission-critical and essential during the unique circumstances of a major emergency affecting the institution. During a major emergency, WSU may face a situation of limited personnel and resource availability. The process of identifying the truly mission-critical and essential functions that MUST be maintained during an emergency, no matter what the circumstances, is a critical part of emergency preparedness. 12

13 Q. How will we know then, what is mission-critical or essential? A. For some units this will be easier to determine than for others. For example, in a pandemic, the University will likely suspend classes to help prevent the spread of the disease. If classes are suspended then that part of a unit that provides classroom/laboratory instruction would not be mission-critical or essential until classes resumed. You will need to consider this issue very seriously and get the input of your College/Division/Area leadership to ascertain what is truly mission-critical or essential during times of major emergencies. 13

14 Washington State University PANDEMIC EMERGENCY Departmental Personnel Administration Information The following is intended to provide information to university department administrators regarding personnel administration should a Pandemic emergency situation occur. In the event that a Pandemic emergency is declared, the emergency may, with varying degrees, necessitate suspension of University operations. Should this occur, departments will need to have contingency plans in place in order to be able to respond to operational needs and personnel administration in an effective and timely manner. In developing these contingency plans, consideration should be given to the following: Identification of essential functions; Delegation of authority; Communication/messaging plans; Alternative work schedules; Telecommuting; Infected Employees Return to work processes; Special duty assignments; Paid Leave (Annual leave, compensatory time off, and personal holidays); Payroll and Employee Benefits The policies and procedures for the university are to be followed in regards to each employee type. Refer to appropriate Washington Administrative Code (WAC), BPPM, EPM, SPM, Faculty Manual, Administrative Professional Handbook, 1) Identification of Essential Functions Essential functions would be those functions/job duties that must continue during an emergency situation. Examples: WSU Police, Steam Plant operations, and processing of departmental payroll/human resource information. The discharge of certain essential functions may be specific to the time of month, season, or year, or month or may be dependent on other factors directly affecting the essential function(s). Departmental Checklist: 14

15 Identify essential functions; Identify personnel who perform the essential functions and the minimum number of staff necessary to perform the essential functions; Identify essential functions that may be done on a less frequent basis than would otherwise occur under normal conditions; Identify the location of where these essential functions must be performed. Is it possible for the essential function be performed at alternative location other than the worksite? Identify non-essential functions (functions that can be suspended during the duration of an emergency event); Identify secondary personnel who have skills and abilities to perform other functions. Secondary personnel may include: o Employees in the same classification series as those who normally perform the function; o Employees who have previously performed the work and are currently employed elsewhere in organizations within the University; and o Employees who can be trained either in advance or on-the job if/when the need arises. 2) Delegation of Authority Departmental Checklist: Establish a management line of succession plan. (A line of succession provides a list of predetermined alternates for key leadership positions in each department, division or work unit.) o The personnel identified for the management line of succession should know the operations of the work unit; o Have the ability to effectively perform his/her duties with minimal or no supervision; o Consider if the individual is designated as an Appointing Authority o Clearly understand the scope of the powers and duties delegated to him or her; o Clearly understand the constraints, if any, of the powers and authorities she or he will be delegated; o The line of succession plan should be updated whenever a pertinent staff change occurs; o Communicate the names and order of succession of designated personnel to division and work unit personnel. The management line of succession plan should clearly identify: o The names of designated personnel; o Their title(s); and o How they can be contacted (phone, work cell-phone, pager, and/or ); 15

16 In the event no personnel identified for the line of succession are available, the department should have an alternate line of succession plan that identifies other personnel who can assume the powers and duties outside of the work unit; Departments should determine if those in the line of succession may need to be cross-trained in other areas in advance and provide such training where needed; Departments should construct a method by which those in the line of succession will have access to information and needed items (i.e. computer passwords, calendars for employee approved time off, office keys, file cabinet keys, etc); 3) Communication/Messaging Plans A key element in responding to any emergency situation is having effective and timely communication processes in place prior to the occurrence of the emergency situation. This will enable departments to provide clear, accurate, and meaningful communications to their employees at all levels within the department, other departments/individuals within the University, and to other related stakeholders. Departmental Checklist: Develop communication plans/processes that: o Provide accurate and timely information; o Encompass all pertinent individuals within and outside the department; o Determine the type(s) of information that may need to be communicated to each affected audience ; o Effectively responds to the circulation of any conflicting information, misinformation, and/or rumors. Communication resources: o Determine whether sufficient personnel will be available to carry out a sustained communications plan; o Prepare for resource contingencies by training extra staff for emergency communications responsibilities; o Identify and communicate to others which employees have authority to communicate directly with employees; o Communicate which employees have the authority to issue news releases or communicate with the media; o Schedule crisis communication training for all employees who will have a communications role; o Establish procedures that will ensure that technology such as networks and servers are readily available, tested, and backed up; o Ensure access to laptops, fax machines, and other hardware for appropriate personnel. Communications needs: o Develop and regularly review the emergency communications plan with employees; o Familiarize key management with available communications resources; 16

17 o Where possible, prepare basic templates and other communications materials in advance, and update them as needed; o Monitor the effectiveness of communication messages, vehicles, and timing and refine them as necessary. o Identify and communicate the department s critical functions and the employees who can perform them. o Ensure that authority (such as hiring or purchasing) is delegated to appropriate employees and that such authority is fully communicated. o Update employee contact lists, addresses, and phone numbers; o Develop/maintain employee emergency contact information. 4) Alternative Work Schedules Alternative work schedules may be preferred or necessary during an emergency situation to enhance social distancing, operational and business continuity, and other emergency response goals. Follow policies for employee type or applicable bargaining unit contract. Departmental Checklist: Review normal business hours and work schedules to determine if they can be modified in a manner that best promotes social distancing (Social distancing refers to actions taken to discourage close social contact between individuals, including cancellation of classes, sporting events, worship services, and other social events. Work place methods could include: work stations 3 feet or more apart; eliminate face-to-face meetings-use phone and instead; encourage respiratory etiquette and frequent hand-washing) Operational and business continuity or other response goals during an emergency; Identify essential functions and non-essential functions that may be staffed with personnel on alternative schedules. Ask for employees to volunteer to work hours other than their usual schedule. Where certain work schedules cannot be staffed with volunteers, department management may direct staff to work the schedules necessary; Civil Service employees must be provided two calendar days notice for any temporary (less than 30 days) work schedule changes, and seven calendar days notice for any permanent or longer than 30 days work schedule changes (WAC ). Less than two days notice may be given in emergency conditions, for safety reasons, or if scheduled change is requested by the employee. Refer to the applicable contract for bargaining unit covered employees. Work with staff to minimize the impacts of decisions affecting schedule changes. For overtime eligible employees rest and meal period requirements continue no matter what type of work schedule is assigned; Alternative work schedules may be initially processed via , fax, or telephone and shall also be formally documented (in accordance with applicable rules or bargaining unit contracts); 17

18 When appropriate, employees may be assigned back to their regular work schedule. 5) Telecommuting Telecommuting means that an employee is working one or more days each work week from home instead of commuting to his or her regular worksite. Arrangements for telework agreements and assignments are made in accordance with BPPM Departmental Checklist: Identify possible telecommuters as soon as possible and, where possible, make the necessary technological arrangements; Consider a broader use of telecommuting than would be exercised under normal operations or for other types of emergencies, when necessary to accomplish social distancing for emergencies such as Pandemic Influenza; Identify essential functions that may be accomplished remotely and whether the person performing the function(s) needs access to all systems and applications or only and/or voice communications; refer to BPPM for guidance. Identify employees who are designated to perform the essential functions and determine their ability to telecommute in order to perform those functions; Consider alternative work schedules for those authorized to telecommute to reduce peak demands on Information Technology systems. (See Alternative Work Schedules ); Consider having a laptop computer that is pre-loaded with necessary software, which may be checked out on an emergency basis by employees who do not already have the necessary equipment to telecommute. Contact your unit or area IT personnel with questions. Adhere to the university policies including Executive Policy #4 Electronic Publishing and Appropriate Use. Telecommuting work assignments may be processed via , fax or phone. Supervisors may require that an employee telecommute during a Pandemic emergencies: o Any requirement to telecommute shall be communicated to the affected employee(s) in accordance with BPPM 60.34; o Any requirement to telecommute shall be documented by completing the telework agreement and telework assignments (see BPPM 60.34); o For expediency, supervisors may initially document the change via , memorandum, fax or other documented method. Employee initiated requests to telecommute will be approved or denied by the employee s supervisor; Refer to BPPM for the telework policy, which includes what should be included in the telework assignments, and telework agreement documents. 18

19 6) Infected Employees If an employee who is staffing operations appears to have the Pandemic Influenza or another highly contagious/pandemic disease, the employee may be required to leave the workplace. Departmental Checklist: Supervisors will secure approval of their manager or director and HRS prior to sending an ill employee home; Judgments will not be made as to medical diagnosis but may rely on observations of an employee s symptom logy in making a determination to send an employee who appears ill home; Employees who are sent home because of Pandemic Influenza may use their sick leave accruals, vacation accruals, compensatory time off accruals or may request approval for leave without pay if their paid leave accruals are depleted; The employee needs to document their period of medical leave by completing and submitting the following forms found in the Medical Leave Kit: Medical Leave Request form, and the attending physician s Medical Certification form. These forms will also be reviewed by HRS to determine if the employee is eligible for Family Medical Leave. If an employee is sent home because the employee may have Pandemic Influenza, the employee may be eligible to use the Guaranteed Ride Home (BPPM 80.87) benefit and take a taxi home; A medical release to return to work may be required prior to the employee resuming his/her duties in the workplace. Contact HRS. 7) Return to Work Procedures As a result of a Pandemic emergency event, employees may be directed to leave the work place. Employees who are directed to leave the workplace must have prior approval from his/her supervisor before returning to the workplace. Departmental Checklist: Develop return to work procedures, which should include: o Who the employee is to contact; o When the employee may return to the workplace; o What location the employee should return to; o Work schedule and shift, and specific work assignments, if different from the employee s regular assignment(s); o An advisement that the employee may be required to provide medical certification/return to work verification prior to the employee resuming his/her duties if ill or injured during his/her absence from work. 8) Special Duty Assignments A special duty assignment is defined as a temporary assignment of an employee to an existing higher-level classification when the higher-level duties and responsibilities 19

20 comprise the majority of the work performed. Only in the event that an employee is assigned to higher level duties will they be paid special duty pay. Special duty pay is not appropriate where an employee is simply assigned different duties which are not higher level duties or where an employee is simply assigned to work in a different work unit if the work performed is not at a higher level. Employees may be assigned to perform duties of an equal or lower classification, without reduction in base pay. Departmental Checklist: Identify areas where special duty assignments are expected to occur; Administer special duty pay in accordance with the following: o WAC thru WAC ; o WAC ; o BPPM o Faculty Manual o Administrative Professional Handbook o Appropriate collective bargaining agreement for bargaining unit employees. 9) Paid Leave A Pandemic emergency event may have a significant impact on the utilization and/or granting discretionary requests for annual leave, compensatory time off, and/or personal holidays (paid leave) or unpaid leave. In the event of a business necessity, supervisors may deny requests to use paid leave or rescind previously approved/scheduled paid leave or unpaid leave for non-medical pandemic reasons. Departmental Checklist: Maintain an updated calendar of all approved time off and provide access to that calendar for those in the management line of succession; Deny/rescind leave requests based on business necessity; Provide notice as soon as possible that a potential staffing shortage may require that the employee report to work; Prior to denying a request to use leave or rescinding previously approved paid leave, the supervisor should attempt to staff the unit or project through other available means (i.e., seek available staff to perform the work). Rescission of an employee s leave which is already in progress shall be reasonably based upon the employee s ability to report to work, e.g. it would be reasonable to require that an employee who is on vacation at home report to work but unreasonable to require that an employee who is on vacation, out of the area or 20