Preparing your department for winter weather
Help ensure that your unit is prepared for the possibility of severe weather or other events that could disrupt transportation locally, or require the University to temporarily suspend non-essential operations.
Review the following information and be prepared to help your employees understand leave use and compensation practices during severe weather or when the UW temporarily suspends non-essential operations.
UW Inclement Weather Policy applies when the University is in operation, but an individual employee requests time off because local weather conditions cause transportation problems or hazardous conditions.
UW Suspended Operations Policy applies when University officials temporarily suspend non-essential operations, requiring only staff performing essential functions to report to work.
Administrative Policy Statement 40.2 describes each unit’s responsibility for determining whether its employees perform an essential function, and for notifying those who do of their responsibilities for reporting to work during suspended operations. Please review your unit’s designation of positions that perform essential functions and make sure they are accurate.
If employees do not normally telework, but might do so during inclement weather or suspended operations, anticipate and discuss typical work that employees would need to accomplish.
Decisions to suspend non-essential operations on the Seattle, Bothell, or Tacoma campuses are made independently based on the prevailing conditions in their respective locations. If operations are suspended mid-day (between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), your department’s designated emergency contact (usually a dean or vice president) is responsible for disseminating the information. Employees may also call the UW’s toll-free emergency information line at 1-866-897-4636 or visit the UW homepage for suspended operations information.
If you have questions about HR practices during suspended operations and inclement weather, please contact your unit’s Human Resources Consultant. If you have questions about or need assistance with business continuity planning, please contact UW Emergency Management.
Managers can review which employees in their Sup Org hold “essential positions” and quickly prioritize who to contact in case of suspended operations by running the R0023 Emergency Contacts by Organization report in Workday (to find the report, type R0023 into the search box in Workday). In addition, non-essential employees can review the Suspended Operations webpage for guidance on how to record time when operations are suspended.