Procedures for Attendance That May Be Affected by Severe Weather Conditions and Other Emergencies

This policy applies to: All regular full-time and part-time staff members. (Individuals represented by collective bargaining agreements receive benefits in accordance with those agreements.)

I. Curtailed Services Due to Severe Weather and Other Facilities Related Emergencies

Curtailed Services Due to Severe Weather and Other Facilities Related Emergencies: It is the policy of the University to remain in operations and continue regular services and schedules regardless of adverse weather conditions and other emergencies, transportation or utility problems, or similar interruptions (inclusive of ambulatory practices). Essential functions include maintaining Hospital operations, supporting residential students, operating designated research facilities and providing necessary support services for those essential functions to ensure the safety of students, patients, faculty and staff. Depending on the requirements of their departments, University employees will be placed in one of two work categories for days in which services are curtailed due to severe weather conditions and other emergencies. Departments will inform their employees of their work category. It is the responsibility of the department to specify to each employee their appropriate category based on the requirements of the department prior to the severe weather conditions and other emergencies. University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) employees whether at Elmwood Avenue or any off-site location are considered essential staff and are required to report even when services are curtailed unless notified otherwise by their supervisor. Other University employees will be assigned an appropriate category based on their roles and responsibilities by their supervisor.

A. Curtailment Decisions

Each Division, School, Academic Department or Administrative unit that proposes to curtail, cancel or close their operation must request approval from their senior leader (Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, Provost, or Senior Vice President for Health Affairs) prior to implementation

B. Categories of Employment

1. Essential: Essential employees, unless otherwise directed, are expected to make every reasonable and safe effort to report for scheduled work in a timely manner. If an hourly paid Essential employee (including PAS employees paid hourly) is unable to safely travel to the University, the employee may, upon department head permission, be granted no more than two days off with full base pay in each anniversary year. These days will not count against the employee’s vacation or paid time off allotment.
2. Non-essential: Non-essential employees are not expected to report to work while severe weather conditions or other emergencies have compelled the University to curtail services. Non-essential employees may upon department head permission be granted no more than two days off with full base pay in each anniversary year. These days will not count against the employee’s vacation or paid time off allotment.

C. Procedures for Hourly Paid Staff (Including PAS Employees Paid Hourly) Where Curtailment of Services Has Occurred

1. Procedures: In cases where severe weather or other emergency conditions (including municipal decisions to closed roads or issue a “no unnecessary travel warning”) compel the University to curtail services, the following procedures apply:
   1. Essential employees, unless otherwise directed, are expected to make every reasonable and safe effort to report for scheduled work in a timely manner. If an hourly paid Essential employee (including PAS employees paid hourly) is unable to safely travel to the University, the employee may, upon department head permission, be granted no more than two days off with full base pay in each anniversary year. These days will not count against the employee’s vacation or paid time off allotment.
   2. Non-essential employees are not expected to report to work while severe weather conditions or other emergencies have compelled the University to curtail services. Non-essential employees may upon department head permission be granted no more than two days off with full base pay in each anniversary year. These days will not count against the employee’s vacation or paid time off allotment.
   3. Early Departure: When poor weather or another emergency causes the University to announce the curtailment of services after a non-essential employee has already reported to work, the employee will be paid for a minimum of four (4) hours and then will be compensated for any lost work time for that day as noted above in section b.

D. Procedures for Salaried Paid Essential and Non-essential Staff Where Curtailment of Services Has Occurred

Salaried paid staff members are regularly expected to complete their daily and weekly tasks. A salaried paid staff member’s pay will not be affected by early departure, tardiness or failure to report due to severe weather conditions and/or other emergencies, but such employees are expected to make whatever adjustments are required in their schedule to ensure that they meet the responsibilities of their job. Salaried employees who choose to take a half or full day off due to weather conditions when University services have not been curtailed will be required to take vacation time as appropriate. Salaried paid employees who are also considered essential are expected to make every reasonable effort to report safely for work to assist in providing essential services, unless otherwise directed.

E. General Guidelines and Procedures

1. Each department must identify and notify designated essential and non-essential employees. When an employee is hired, transferred, promoted or otherwise has a change in work status, it is important that the employee be advised of his/her status as it relates to this policy. In addition, each fall, department heads should review the weather emergency plan and other departmental emergency policies with their employees and ensure that each employee knows and understands his/her status and how this Policy applies to him or her. This Policy also should be reviewed if severe weather conditions and other emergencies appear imminent. Depending on the circumstances at the time of the actual severe weather conditions or other emergencies, supervisors may reclassify employees between Essential and Non-essential categories as needed.
2. All staff members are expected to notify their immediate supervisors or to follow established departmental communication procedures if they are unable to report to work at their scheduled time.
3. While several different media will be utilized by the University to broadly and promptly communicate emergency conditions and associated work schedules, each employee still has the responsibility for obtaining the necessary information regarding his/her work schedule.
4. All essential employees are expected to remain at their work place during periods of curtailed services until given permission to leave and/or relieved by replacement staff. This is especially important for patient-care, Public Safety, Dining, Housing, Facilities Services, etc.
5. When an employee is scheduled for vacation time on a day that curtailment of services is declared, the absence should be reported as vacation as planned.

Please note: If the University does not curtail services and the staff member does not report to work, reports to work late or leaves early the employee may request to use paid time off (PTO, if applicable, or vacation) or time without pay with supervisor approval.

F. Procedures

To record excused time off with pay for hourly paid staff (including PAS employees paid hourly) when services are curtailed, supervisors should report the amount of time to be excused using the time reporting code of EXC. Questions should be referred to the Offices of Human Resources at the Medical Center or River Campus.

II. Absences for Other Emergencies Not Resulting in Curtailment of Services

Department heads may grant to regular full- and part- time, hourly paid staff members (including PAS employees paid hourly) not more than two days off with full base pay in each anniversary year to meet emergency situations which cannot be planned for or avoided and require an employee’s personal attention and absence from work. Salaried paid employees are not eligible for this time and should use vacation time or make whatever adjustments are required in their schedule to ensure that they meet the responsibilities of their job. Time as Reported (TAR) and temporary staff may be granted time off without pay.

A. Guidelines

1. Examples of when absences for emergency reasons may be granted:
   1. To be available the day a member of the immediate family has to have emergency surgery (not scheduled in advance).
   2. To be available on the day of death of a member of an employee’s immediate family (See Policy #327 for definition of “immediate family”) when the employee has primary responsibility for arrangements.
   3. To provide travel time to attend the funeral of a member of the immediate family being held in another state. (To be used only if the three days provided in Policy 327, Death in Immediate Family, does not provide sufficient travel time.)
   4. To be available in the event of a major disaster involving an employee’s personal property wherein the employee’s immediate personal attention is required.
   5. To be available in the event of sudden catastrophic illness or an accident involving injury to a member of an employee’s immediate family wherein the employee’s presence and prompt personal attention are required.
2. Examples when emergency time should not be granted and use of accrued vacation or PTO time, if applicable, is appropriate, or in some instances, excused absences without pay may be used:
   1. Consulting an attorney regarding personal business.
   2. Awaiting the arrival of a home delivery or repairperson.
   3. Providing time for staff who wish to leave early, who are late or absent because of snowstorms or other severe conditions when the University has not curtailed services.
   4. To attend to a sick child, dependent relative, or other persons, except as may be described above.

B. Procedures

To record excused time off with pay for emergency reasons for hourly paid staff, supervisors should report the amount of time to be excused using the time reporting code of EXC. Questions should be referred to the Offices of Human Resources at the Medical Center or River Campus.

See also:

• #173 Flexible Scheduling
• #327 Death in the Immediate Family
• Environmental Health & Safety: Emergency Management