Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 260 - Office of Management and Enterprise Services › Chapter 25 - Personnel Administration Rules › Subchapter 15 - Time and Leave › Part 7 - LEAVE WHEN OFFICES ARE CLOSED OR SERVICES REDUCED › Section 260:25-15-71 - Leave when a state office building is temporarily closed due to unsafe working conditions or hazardous weather; or when services are temporarily reduced due to hazardous weather (paid administrative leave)

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
(a) If agency office buildings are closed
				  because of an imminent peril threatening the public health, safety, or welfare
				  of state employees or the public, or when state office buildings are
				  temporarily closed or reduced due to hazardous weather conditions, the
				  Appointing Authority shall place employees who are scheduled to work in the
				  affected work areas on paid administrative leave or, if applicable, shall
				  assign them to work in another location, including, but not limited to, a
				  telework location. During their normal duty hours, employees on paid
				  administrative leave due to unsafe working conditions are on stand-by or
				  on-call status. Appointing Authorities may call employees to return to their
				  normal duties or respond to the demands of the situation as necessary.
				  [74:840-2.20A(A)]
(b) As used in
				  this Section, paid administrative leave means leave granted to affected
				  employees if offices of agencies are closed because of an imminent peril
				  threatening the public health, safety, or welfare of state employees or the
				  public, or when state offices are temporarily closed or reduced due to
				  hazardous weather. Examples of reasons for temporarily closing an office due to
				  unsafe working conditions are: leaks of toxic fumes in buildings; life
				  threatening damage to building structures; or emergency operations which would
				  be disrupted by the presence of the usual work force; or any other condition
				  which poses a significant threat to the safety of the work force.
(c) Paid administrative leave shall be
				  accorded to all affected employees only when a state office building is
				  temporarily closed or services are temporarily reduced due to hazardous weather
				  in accordance with
				  260:25-15-70
				  and this Section. Upon its reopening, normal Personnel Administration Rules
				  governing leave and agency procedures shall apply. The granting of
				  administrative leave applies only to employees scheduled to work onsite in a
				  state office building during the time period of the closure or reduced
				  services. Administrative leave shall not be granted to employees that telework
				  or have the ability to telework unless otherwise approved by the Appointing
				  Authority or on a case-by-case basis. Administrative leave does not apply to
				  employees who are absent during the closure or reduction on any previously
				  approved leave. Employees who are not eligible to accrue leave, such as
				  temporary employees, shall not be granted administrative leave under this
				  section when state services are temporarily closed or temporarily reduced due
				  to hazardous weather conditions.
(d) When the Governor or a designee of the
				  Governor authorizes agencies or parts of agencies to maintain basic minimum
				  services because hazardous weather conditions impede or delay the movement of
				  employees to and from work, employees responsible for providing such basic
				  minimum services shall report to work. Appointing Authorities of agencies shall
				  be responsible for determining essential agency functions [basic minimum
				  services] and ensuring that employees who staff such functions are so informed.
				  [74:840-2.20A(B)] Employees who are considered responsible for basic minimum
				  services and who are required to work when state services are temporarily
				  reduced due to hazardous weather conditions shall be entitled to accrue
				  administrative leave on a straight-time basis up to eight hours per day for
				  hours worked in their regularly scheduled work periods during such reduction.
				  Administrative leave accrued under this provision must be taken within 180 days
				  of its accrual or the employee shall be paid for the leave. An extension of the
				  time period for taking the leave may be approved for up to an additional 180
				  days, providing the Appointing Authority submits a written request with
				  sufficient justification to the Human Capital Management Division. Accrued
				  administrative leave must be used before granting of any annual leave except
				  when the employee may lose accrued leave under 260260:25-15-10 and
				  260:25-15-11(b)
				  (5).
(e) Employees who are
				  responsible for basic minimum services who do not report to work have the
				  following options to account for leave:
(1)
				  Charge the absence to accumulated compensatory time;
(2) Charge the absence to accumulated annual
				  leave;
(3) Make up lost time in a
				  manner consistent with the FLSA, if the Appointing Authority determines that
				  office hours and schedules permit.