This policy is to guide managers and staff in major emergencies that disrupt public services and public transport, and result in exceptional numbers of staff being unable to come to work (e.g. flu pandemic, terrorist action, petrol crisis, severe weather or flooding, or similar).

1. The CEO (or someone appointed to act for the CEO) will declare that the Emergency Policy applies by informing Senior Managers and staff by sms, email and message in the RAD Website, as widely as possible. Senior Managers will cascade the information to their teams. Team leaders, supervisors and Team administrators will be alert to possible breaks in the chain of command and will fill in gaps in communication on their own initiative.

2. The RAD priority functions that should be kept going as long as possible (in priority order) are:

a) The chain of command (i.e. the line of communication from Chief Exec (or acting CEO) to front line staff) and internal RAD communications (email system, website, intranet).

b) Payroll

c) RAD Interpreting Service

d) Advice and information to Deaf people and those who provide services to Deaf people via electronic media such as sms, msn, RAD websites, answerphones

e) Emergency Community and Communication Support to people with learning disabilities or mental health needs

f) Crisis intervention for older people

To allow RAD to focus on the above priority functions, all other services and activities should be scaled down or suspended by their managers as soon as resources become tight, and staff and other resources should be redeployed to support the priority functions.

3. All travel not related to the above functions will stop, except that where staff can get to their usual office they should do so until requested to do otherwise by their line manager, SMT member or the CEO. The purpose of going to the office is to be available to support the staff in the priority functions.

4. If the Emergency is an epidemic (this term includes pandemic) then it will not be necessary for staff to obtain doctor’s certificates. Self certification will be accepted for the duration of an absence, until the Emergency Policy has been cancelled by CEO or Acting CEO.

5. If your manager is incapable of performing his/her functions during the emergency period, you should inform the next available person up the chain of command (your manager’s manager) who will appoint someone to take over the role and will communicate that to the rest of the team.
Tom Fenton, Chief Executive, July 2009